Visa Lawyer Blog

According to the American Immigration Lawyers Association, it appears that sometime in early 2008, CBP received approximately one million I-94 Arrival-Departure cards that were misprinted such that they were missing a digit. An I-94 card should have eleven digits, comprised of nine digits, a space, and then two more digits. For example, an I-94 card might have the number 055167890 11 (eleven digits), but the misprinted cards had numbers such as 55157890 11 (with ten digits).

The misprint has resulted in problems such as the Social Security Administration refusing to issue, or delaying the issuance of, a Social Security number to a person otherwise eligible for enumeration who has an I-94 card with a number short by digit.

CBP reported that the defective I-94 cards have been recalled and replaced. It is unknown how many defective cards have been issued. Calgary Airport in Canada is one port known to have issued some of the defective cards, but there might be others.

Practicing Immigration Law in San Diego, just 20 minutes from the largest International crossing border in the world can be very exciting. The stories I hear from clients and our Government workers are amazing. Stories of government employees corruption are not new, and from time to time we hear of a big fish getting caught in the system. A recent New York Times article covers the San Diego and other cities immigration corruption situation.

If you can get a corrupt inspector, you have the keys to the kingdom,” said Andrew P. Black, an F.B.I. agent who supervises a multiagency task force focused on corruption on the San Diego border.

The smugglers use any ruse available to lure border workers but seem to favor deploying attractive women as bait. They flirt and charm and beg the officers, often middle-aged men, to “just this once” let an unauthorized relative or friend through. And then another and another.

Only a few days ago, I reported on the massive ICE raid on the local bakery, The French Gourmet, and they did it again. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents entered UCSD student housing to search an apartment without first notifying the university. What a surprise!

This behavior underscores a trend in the accelerating number of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) raids on workplaces, homes and schools nationwide—unnecessarily rough treatment of detainees that makes not only the threat of deportation, but detention itself a source of fear and anxiety.

Last Thursday morning, ICE agents entered the off-campus graduate housing unit of student Jorge Narvaez, 21, a legal U.S. resident. Earlier that morning, agents had carried out a criminal search warrant at the French Gourmet, a Pacific Beach bakery and bistro, and were proceeding on to suspected illegal workers’ homes. “They asked me what’s my legal status,” he said. “I had nothing to hide, so I let them in my home. I went outside and they went through all my stuff.”

ICE posted an interactive map and list of SEVIS approved schools to its website. The list of schools is organized by state.

If you are interested in studying in the US, changes are you will need an F-1 student visa. US immigration law allows for the admission as nonimmigrants those who are coming to the US to participate in a full time course of study. Most students enter in F-1 status, although the J-1 visa (for exchange visitors participating in a program approved by the State Department) and M-1 visa (for vocational students) are also sometimes available.

A prospective student must first identify a school that is qualified to sponsor a student for a visa. Here is the most recent list of SEVIS approved schools by State. Click here