According to the USCIS fact sheet, the average annual number of persons naturalizing increased from less than 120,000 during the 1950s and 1960s to 210,000 during the 1980s, 500,000 during the 1990s and to 625,000 during 2000 to 2006.

Citizenship Day itself has its roots in President Woodrow Wilson’s efforts in 1915, where as part of what he called National Americanization Day, the President himself, cabinet members, administration officials as well as prominent public figures such as Supreme Court Justice Louis Brandeis, gave speeches at naturalization ceremonies throughout the nation.

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L’Shana Tova to our Jewish readers and Ramadan greetings to our Muslim audience. Shalom …. Salaam. May this new beginning bring us all togehter and may you have a relaxing celebrations.

American hospitals are in a serious crisis, from large numbers of uninsured patients to spiraling costs, from outlandishly expensive prescription drugs to a severe and dangerous shortage of nurses, a shortage that can best be summed up by the fact that there are now over 140,000 open positions for registered nurses nationwide. The National Foundation for American Policy issued a report on this issue this week and the report is scary. Click here to read

Emergency rooms are shutting down, surgeries are delayed and, most disturbing of all, patients are sometimes not getting the critical care they desperately need. If the government will not address this issue via immigration reform and more nurcse visas we are heading for a dark age for health care. Sometimes I think that Michael Moore is not that wrong after all…….

On August 29, the AFL-CIO and a number of other plaintiffs sued to stop the implementation of the “no match” regulations, and two days later, a Federal District Court Judge issued a Temporary Restraining Order (TRO) prohibiting the SSA from sending out 140,000 letters to employers informing them of the new regulations, and stopping the rule from going into effect on September 15th. A hearing is scheduled on October 1 regarding the plaintiffs’ request for a permanent injunction against the regulations.

I will continue to update you as this crucial issue is argued in the Federal Courts.

During the months of July and August we have filed an unusual number of Marriage based Green Card Applications. I have listed here some of the most common questions our clients and site visitors wish to know. Hopefully the following Questions and Answers will make your journey through this process a little less confusing.

1. How soon can an applicant that entered the US as a tourist or under the Visa Waiver Program marry a US Citizen, Could they apply for the Green Card in the United States?
Answer: A US citizen can marry a tourist or VW visitor and apply for the Green Card from within the US. It is better to marry 60 days after entry to lift the presumption that the immigrant entered the US in order to get married.

2. How soon after marriage can the US Citizen petition and file the immigration paperwork for the immigrant spouse?
Answer: There is no waiting period that must pass before the immigration petition can be filed. Make sure to have the certified Marriage Certificate registered with the county before you can file.

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ILW.com reports about a new Documentary “Made in L.A.” follows the remarkable journey of three Latina immigrants working in L.A.’s garment factories and their struggle for self-empowerment as they wage a three-year battle to bring a major clothing retailer to the negotiating table. The film is scheduled to air nationally after Labor Day on Tuesday, Sept. 4, 2007 at 10 p.m. on PBS.

For more details, see here

Who doesn’t know 5-year-old Youssif by now?, an Iraqi boy who had gone out to play on a January day when he was suddenly grabbed by masked men, doused in gas and set on fire. As a father to a young boy myself I became outraged and very upset after reading the international reports on the story.

The good news is that several aid organizations quickly offered their services to help this boy and the family. It seems that the family had to make a decision on whether to leave their homeland or stay inside Iraq for treatment. If they chose to leave, could they get visas to travel to the United States or leave Iraq safely? In such cases Medical B2 visas could be the fastest way to secure entry to the US. The emergency situation is clear and evidenced by the worldwide reaction. The only questions is if the family can overcome section 214(b) and show the Consul they have every intention to return to Iraq. I hope that with the aid organizations’ support that will not be an issue.

CNN reports that The Children’s Burns foundation says it will cover all medical costs — from surgeries for Youssif to housing costs to any social rehabilitation that might be needed for him. Surgeries will be performed by Dr. Peter Grossman, a plastic surgeon with the affiliated-Grossman Burn Center who is donating his services for Youssif’s cause.

The U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) announced its new, online NEXUS application system on August 16, 2007. The use of the NEXUS card is an alternative to a passport for travel between the US and Canada. According to the CBP, “[t]he system helps [its] officers accomplish their dual mission of securing the borders while facilitating trade and travel.”
NEXUS is designed to expedite the border clearance process for low-risk, pre-approved travellers into Canada and the United States.

The Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) and United States Customs and Border Protection (CBP) are cooperating in this joint venture to simplify border crossings for members, while enhancing security.

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