Visa Lawyer Blog

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The U.S. Department of State has recently announced that the online registration period for the Diversity Visa Lottery Program for Fiscal Year 2012 (DV-2012) will be from October 5, 2010 until November 3, 2010.

The official online application form is available only on the Department of State Diversity Visa online entry website at www.dvlottery.state.gov, which will be accessible on the first day of the registration period. The Congressionally mandated Diversity Immigrant Visa Program makes available 50,000 diversity visas (DV) annually, drawn from random selection among all entries to persons who meet strict eligibility requirements from countries with low rates of immigration to the United States. For DV-2012, no countries have been added or removed from the previous year’s list of eligible countries.

If you are chosen as a lottery winner, an official letter from the U.S. Department of State Kentucky Consular Center (KCC) in Williamsburg, Kentucky will be sent to the mailing address that you provided in your entry. Being selected as a lottery winner does not guarantee that you will receive a visa; you must still apply and qualify for the immigrant visa. The notification letters will provide further instructions, including information on additional forms and documentation required and immigrant visa application fees.

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Good News for Our Citizenship clients. More than 9,000 candidates will become new citizens during 63 special ceremonies hosted by U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) in recognition of Constitution Day and Citizenship Day on Sept. 17. As part of this celebration, USCIS is partnering with the National Park Service (NPS) to hold naturalization ceremonies at 22

national park sites across the country Sept. 13-24 under the theme, “Embrace Citizenship –

Experience America Through Your National Parks.”

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O-1 Status is a non-immigrant status category for aliens of extraordinary ability in the sciences, arts (including the television and motion picture industry), education, business, or athletics. The O-1 visa is also available to those in motion pictures and television, and related visas are available to those who support the O-1 visa holder for their events and activities. The O-1 visa is a great way for foreign artists and entertainers to bring their talents to the United States. This is an employment related status that allows qualified aliens to live and work in the United States.

O-1 visas are valid for up to three (3) years. They may be extended in one-year increments for ongoing projects, and in some cases open the door to lawful permanent residency for the foreign national. Applicants for O-1 visas must demonstrate that they possess extraordinary ability in the arts, sciences, business, education, athletics, or the motion picture or television industry. The applicant must show that s/he has achieved sustained or international acclaim and an extraordinary record of achievement. The applicant must demonstrate that s/he is coming to the United States to perform temporary services for an event or series of events.In some cases the O-1 petition must be filed by multiple future employers;and it can be filed by a foreign employer through a US agent. O-1 applicants may not self-petition.

Evidence for O-1 Visa Petitions:

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The Department of State released the new visa bulletin for October 2010 on September 9, 2010.

For the month of October, the EB-1 category was current for both Chinese and Indian nationals. In the EB-2 category, the cut-off dates moved forward 14 days for Chinese nationals (from May 8, 2006 to May 22, 2006), and remained unchanged for Indian nationals (May 8, 2006). In the EB-3 category, the cut-off dates moved forward from October 22, 2003 to November 8, 2003 and from January 1, 2002 to January 15, 2002 for Chinese and Indian nationals respectively.

For the month of September, the EB-1 category was current for both Chinese and Indian nationals. In the EB-2 category, the cut-off dates moved forward more than two months for both Chinese nationals (from March 1, 2006 to May 8, 2006) and Indian nationals (from March 1, 2006 to May 8, 2006). In the EB-3 category, the cut-off dates moved forward from September 22, 2003 to October 22, 2003 for Chinese nationals while the cut-off dates stayed the same as they were in August for Indian nationals (January 1, 2002).

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According to TRAC, Justice Department data show that Immigration Judges are declining substantially fewer requests for asylum. Denial rates have reached the lowest level in the last quarter of a century.

Twenty five years ago, in FY 1986, almost nine out of ten (89%) of the asylum requests in the Immigration Courts were denied. While the annual rates have gone up and down during the ensuing years, only half (50%) of the requests were denied during the first nine months of FY 2010 — a record low.

One factor contributing to the improved success of the asylum seekers is that a higher proportion of the total are represented by counsel. It must be noted, however, that the number of those seeking asylum in court proceedings has fallen.

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Costa Rica’s appeal to the Arizona District Court over the rights of illegal immigrants in the United States was thrown out last week because it was submitted past deadline. In an e-mail to The Tico Times, an assistant to the clerk of the court confirmed that “the motion was denied on Sept. 2, 2010 as untimely.”

Federal Judge Susan Bolton entered an order on July 1, stating that any interested party wishing to file an amicus curiae must do so no later than July 14, according to the court. (An amicus curiae is someone not involved in a case who volunteers information that could affect the could bear on the case’s outcome.) Costa Rica filed its motion on July 21.

Costa Rica was not the only one to file a motion with the Arizona District Court. Mexico, Argentina, Bolivia, Ecuador, El Salvador and Nicaragua also denounced Arizona’s new law.The Costa Rican Foreign Ministry wrote in a press release that it was concerned for the civil and human rights of Costa Rican citizens while in the United States. Faithful to its tradition of promoting and defending human rights, Costa Rica has raised its voice against discrimination against immigrants in the United States.

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What a shameful story. DOJ announcement on the indictment of six individuals for engaging in a conspiracy to commit forced labor and document servitude. The charges arise from the defendants’ alleged scheme to coerce the labor and services of approximately 400 Thai nationals to work on U.S. farms.

The Justice Department announced that a federal grand jury in Honolulu

indicted Mordechai Orian, an Israeli national; Pranee Tubchumpol, Shane Germann and Sam

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Indian Government sources had said that the Bureau of Diplomatic Security had contacted the ministry of external affairs (MEA), India around the time Mr Pacheco was incarcerated for his alleged involvement in the mysterious death of his girlfriend Nadia Torrado — he was in jail from July 9 till July 26, when he was awarded bail. He is a former Goa, India tourism minister Francisco Xavier “Mickky” Pacheco was caught on the backfoot on Sunday once again as reports surfaced that the US State Department’s Bureau of Diplomatic Security had informed India that Mr Pacheco might be involved in a big immigration and money laundering racket.

Mr Pacheco used to operate an employment agency along with his estranged wife Sara Pacheco which specialized in finding employment for Goans abroad. But according to the former minister, he has had nothing to do with the agency since he separated from his wife around four years back.

Mr. Mickey Pacheco has been accused by the US Bureau of Diplomatic Security of running an international immigration and money-laundering racket. The bureau got in touch with the external affairs ministry through the US embassy in Delhi and reportedly backed its allegations with documents and details of banking transactions. The ministry then passed on the information to the CBI. The evidence is being described as substantive. According to the US Bureau of Diplomatic Security report, Pacheco had 15 million dollars in his account in the US. He recently transferred 2 million dollars to India.

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Figures show that between 2005 and 2009, illegal US immigration fell by more than 60 per cent. In the first half of the decade, an average of 850,000 people were moving to the US without the correct US visas. However, this has fallen to just 300,000 between 2007 and 2009, according to new figures released by the Pew Hispanic Centre.

The fall is thought to be the result of a combination of factors, including tougher border controls and the recession. The drop has also impacted the overall estimated number of illegal immigrants living in the US. In 2007, the number was thought to total around 12 million. This number had fallen by around eight per cent to 11.1 million by last year.

Some 60 per cent of the people moving to the US without US visas are coming over the border from Mexico, with a further 20 per cent coming from other parts of Latin America. The remaining illegals come mostly from Asia, Africa and Canada.The new figures may go some way towards calming the national debate about Arizona’s new US immigration act, which encourages law enforcement officers to question people about their immigration status if they have reason to believe they may be living in the US illegally.