Visa Lawyer Blog

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U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) today proposed significant enhancements to the administration of the USCIS Immigrant Investor Program, commonly referred to as the EB-5 Program—transforming the intake and review process for immigrant investors as part of the Obama administration’s continued commitment to improve the legal immigration system and meet our economic and national security needs for the 21st century.

The EB-5 Program makes 10,000 visas available annually to immigrant investors who invest in commercial enterprises that create at least 10 U.S. jobs. EB-5 investors may petition independently or as part of a USCIS-designated Regional Center.

“Congress created the EB-5 Program in 1990 to attract investors and entrepreneurs from around the globe to create jobs in America,” said USCIS Director Alejandro Mayorkas. “We are dedicated to enhancing this program to ensure that it achieves that goal to the fullest extent possible.”

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Attorney Habib Hasbini from our TN department just came back from the border with a client, he put in writing his most recent impressions and frustrations.

Heading to the U.S./Mexican border in San Diego, arriving at the immigration, U.S. port of entry, Tijuana, depending on when you arrive, you witness a long trail of people, possibly and easily topping two or three hundreds, again depending on the hour you arrive, attempting to enter the U.S. soil.

Along the trail, you witness the Mexican officers as they oversee, standing by, the free and smooth operation of the steps into U.S. territory.

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We have been following the Visa Waiver Adjustments crisis since it started in July 2010. In a recent meeting between local AILA lawyers and the USCIS San Diego office the following question was raised by the local AILA lawyers:

USCIS Headquarters meeting on April7,2011 relating to adjustment following a Visa Waiver Overstay, AILA minutes distributed indicating ” AILA requests that USCIS immediately issue guidance to the field clarifying that an alien admitted under the Visa Waiver program may adjust status as an immediate relative notwithstanding the filing of form I-485 after the expiration of the Visa Waiver period of admission.

USCIS National Response: All field offices have been instructed to adjudicate I-485 applications filed by individuals who last entered the US under the visa waiver program and overstayed on their merits, UNLESS, the potential beneficiary is the subject of INA section 217 removal (deportation) order. Additionally filed office have been instructed to hold in abeyance all visa waiver adjustment applications for potential beneficiaries who have been ordered removed under section 217 INA. We are drafting final guidance including an AFM (Adjudicator Field Manual) update on this topic we expect to issue soon.”

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In a recent Article by David Leopold, president of the American Immigration Lawyers Asscoaition, published in the May issue of Bloomberg Law Journal exploring three concepts — prosecutorial discretion, deferred action, and parole — that are being discussed in public debates but are frequently misunderstood.

According to David Leopold, Only President Obama knows for sure whether he will act on any of the options described in his article—be it on an individual basis or on behalf of a larger category of individuals. One thing we can be sure of is that, if he does implement a major executive action, he will be promptly accused for transgressing the limits of his legal powers. Such allegations would be baseless.

The executive branch has well‐established authority as well as the duty to exercise prosecutorial discretion at all times in the enforcement of our immigration laws. Whether it is deferred action, parole, or something else, these concepts are grounded in statute, regulations and sound principles of law enforcement. Those who assail the President will no doubt have lots of arguments to draw upon. But the President’s lack of executive branch power is not one of them.

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U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) published on its website an expanded list of science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) degree programs that will qualify eligible foreign national students for extended optional practical training (OPT). All foreign students in F-1 nonimmigrant status who have been enrolled on a full-time basis for at least one full academic year in a college or University certified by the ICE Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVIS) are eligible for up to 12 months of OPT to work for a U.S. employer in a job directly related to the student’s major area of study.

However, under an interim regulation published in 2008, F-1 students who graduate with a degree in one of the approved STEM degree programs are eligible to remain in the U.S. and extend the OPT period for an additional 17 months. The Revised STEM degree list, available on the ICE website at http://www.ice.gov/doclib/sevis/pdf/stem-list-2011.pdf, adds 50 degree programs which will now qualify for the 17 month OPT extension. Degree programs in agricultural and nutrition sciences, neuroscience, mathematics and computer science, psychology, pharmaceutics and drug design, and business statistics are among those that have been added to the list of approved degree programs. The ICE announcement indicates that the expansion of the degree list is part of the administration’s effort to address shortages of scientists and technology experts in certain STEM fields.

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Much has been said about the Management Consultant TN category, some classify it as the most difficult to obtain. In this installment of the TN Visa coverage, Attorney Andrew Despositio we will go over what it takes to be a Management Consultant for a company.

The Management Consultant is a great way to work with almost any company, since companies are constantly seeking consultations on how to best manage their business. The Management Consultant is perfect for the professional who has a lot of experience working for different types of businesses or just one business. It is a great position for a person who wants to help a fledgling company increase their revenue, or for a well-established company seeking new ways to generate more revenue. If you have a background in Physics, you can be a Management Consultant. If you have a background in Engineering, you can be a Management Consultant. If you have a background in Internet Marketing, Public Relations, or Social Media even, you can be a Management Consultant. The Management Consultant is the most versatile TN position available. However, there are a few parts of the Management Consultant TN visa that must be addressed before applying as one.

What it means to be a Management Consultant

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Today, during a speech from El Paso, Texas, President Obama laid out his vision for improving the United States immigration system.

While the speech focused on a wide range of immigration reform issues, President Obama highlighted several topics that are of critical importance to the economy and to the business community. As the economy continues to recover, the President made clear that immigration reform is vital to this cause. He recognized that “in a global marketplace, we need all the talent we can get – not just to benefit those individuals, but because their contributions will benefit all Americans.” This emphasis was echoed by the President’s top advisors: “We can’t out-educate, out-innovate and out-build our competitors without an immigration system that works for our economy.”

The White House also released a Blueprint for Building a 21st Century Immigration System, which documents the Administration’s immigration policy goals.

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Arizona will appeal directly to the US Supreme Court in a bid to overturn an injunction blocking key parts of the state’s controversial immigration law, state officials announced today.

Gov. Jan Brewer said she and Attorney General Tom Horne had decided to take the case directly to the nation’s highest court, asking it to examine whether US District Judge Susan Bolton acted correctly when she issued her injunction in Phoenix last summer.

A three-judge panel of the Ninth US Circuit Court of Appeals upheld the injunction on April 11. Arizona could ask all active judges on the Ninth Circuit to rehear the appeal, but state officials decided it would be faster to take the case directly to the Supreme Court. Expect another showdown.

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Here we go again. When Obama’s Democratic Party controlled the House and Senate, Congress failed to pass an immigration bill that would have provided a path to Residency and later Citizenship for some illegal immigrants who entered America as children. The DREAM Act died in the Senate in December due to a Republican filibuster.

With Republicans now controlling the House and holding a stronger minority in the Senate, the chances for any comprehensive immigration reform are considered non-existent.

Obama travels to Texas on Tuesday to make the case that his administration has worked hard to secure the border and the time has come for Congress to deal with the 10.8 million people already in the U.S. illegally.

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U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) today announced a final rule that adopts, without change, an interim rule to improve the integrity of the Employment Eligibility Verification (Form I-9) process. USCIS received approximately 75 public comments in response to the interim rule, which has been in effect since April 3, 2009.

The main changes made by the interim rule and adopted by the final rule include: prohibiting employers from accepting expired documents; revising the list of acceptable documents by removing outdated documents and making technical amendments; and adding documentation applicable to certain citizens of the Federated States of Micronesia and the Republic of the Marshall Islands.

Employers must complete Form I-9 for all newly hired employees to verify their identity and authorization to work in the United States. The list of acceptable documents that employees may present to verify their identity and employment authorization is divided into three sections: List A documents, which show identity and employment authorization; List B documents, which show identity only; and List C documents, which show employment authorization only.

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