President Bush seems to be seeking a compromise proposal that would make possible legalization of millions of undocumented workers, while still being acceptable to some Republicans who oppose increased immigration. Whatever proposal the administration presents to Congress, there is sure to be plenty of horse-trading that will go on in that body before the country gets a new statute. It is quite likely that no legislation on these legalization provisions will result this year since Congress has only about 20 business days before its target adjournment date for the year (however, the bills for the extension of 245(i) are likely to be acted on by Congress next month). In remarks quoted by Reuters, the President said that "so long as there is somebody who wants to hire somebody and somebody willing to work, it seems like to me it's in our nation's interest to make sure the two go together." Clearly, this President has identified the linkage between economics and immigration, a linkage which many of the usual voices in the immigration debate fail to make.
The INS processes many petitions at its Eastern Service Center in Vermont, the Northern Service Center in Nebraska, the Southern Service Center in Texas and the Western Service Center in California. There are backlogs and delays throughout the INS including the Service Centers. We thank the American Immigration Lawyer's Association which makes this information available to the public. The processing times pages are a resource attorneys can use to give their clients an idea of how long a particular application will take. Attorneys can also encourage clients to check the processing times themselves to reduce the number of phone calls asking how long a case is taking. The real measure of processing times is how long cases are actually taking. If you find a case taking more or less time than indicated on these pages, send the information to times@ilw.com. As the hub for immigration information ILW.COM is a place to share the latest and most up-to-date immigration information.
President Bush is a strong advocate for marriages, to me that's very admirable. For myself, being married for 3.5 years and having a 2 year old son is the biggest
achievement in my life. But because of immigration laws, I might be forced to throw all that away so that I can be accepted into the country. Does that sounds
impossible? Maybe, maybe not.
My parents' greencards have been pending for 2+ months now after they entered the country under new immigrant visa. From experience, they will eventually get their
greencards, it's just a matter of waiting. Unfortunately under the current immigration law, them obtaining their permanent residency status does not allow them to sponsor
their MARRIED children to the States. It does not matter whether I am holding an H1B and am in the country contributing to America's economy. Do I have to get a
divorce so that my parents can sponsor me? This sounds ridiculous but it might be the last resort I have to rely on.
Currently the law states that to be eligible to apply for an immigrant visa number under family sponsorship second preference, a alien must be : spouse of a lawful
permanent resident, or the unmarried son or daughter (regardless of age) of a lawful permanent resident. I strongly believe that this should be amended to include married
children. When the case is beneficial to the country, there is no reason to deny us the right to apply.
ILW.COM carries classified ads for immigration related positions. $100 for single insertion, payable in advance. Contact us for details. We reserve the right to refuse any ad and to make minor editorial and formatting changes. Send to weeklyeditor@ilw.com.
U.S. IMMIGRATION U.S. Visa Search gives you the opportunity to exhaustively explore all of your U.S. immigration possibilities for only $10! -- PLUS -- Sign up for a USVISASEARCH referral account and earn 10% of EVERY purchase linked through from your web-site or word-of-mouth referral!
DIVERSITY VISA LOTTERY The State Department has just announced requirements for this year's Diversity Visa (Greencard) Lottery, and an established American law firm and the nation's leading portrait studio have teamed to make application easy, reliable and affordable. A website developed by the 88-year old law firm of Steptoe & Johnson,
www.SteptoeVisa.com, provides an online application process and a Sears Portrait Studio discount coupon for the required photos, valid at over 1,000 locations in the U.S., Canada and Puerto Rico. People without Internet access can call toll-free to 1-877-WIN-VISA to receive
an application kit. The big news is that a 2x2 inch passport-type photo is now required for each member of an applicant's family, and not just the applicant as in the past. Other changes include the addition of Macau SAR as an eligible country, and changes in the addresses to which entries must be sent. The annual October lottery
awards greencards to 50,000 aliens, entitling them to live and work permanently in the U.S. Last year the State Department rejected 3 million applications to the Diversity Visa Lottery for "failing to follow instructions." This year you can use www.SteptoeVisa.com and be sure your
application won't be one of the millions rejected for mistakes. Just answer questions on www.SteptoeVisa.com, and then print out and send your completed form and the passport-type photos to us, where we will check for accuracy and assure delivery to the Kentucky Consular Center for filing.
The cost is only $45 for a single application, or $75 for a husband and wife -- comparable to that charged by so-called "submission service" firms. The website www.SteptoeVisa.com is currently in English, and very soon will also be available in German, Portuguese and Spanish.
Natives of all countries EXCEPT the following are eligible for this year's lottery: Canada, China (mainland born), Columbia, Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Haiti, India, Jamaica, Mexico, Pakistan, Philippines, South Korea, United Kingdom and dependent territories, and Vietnam. Persons born in Hong Kong SAR, Macau SAR, Taiwan and Northern Ireland ARE eligible.
For more information, e-mail info@steptoevisa.com. George E. Carenbauer, Responsible Attorney Steptoe & Johnson, PLLC.
ATTENTION H-1B WORKERS: Are you, or have you ever been, an H-1B worker who has been "benched" and/or not paid the prevailing wage by your H-1 employer? If you think so, you may have a claim against the employer for back pay or additional pay. Visit http://www.h1backpay.com for details or call us for a confidential no-cost review.
Note that your current immigration status is irrelevant to making a claim. Your inquiry is private and confidential. Contact David J. Hart PA, Immigration Attorneys, at 1-305-577-9977 or 617-574-9977, or email jhart@immigrateusa.com.
*The hiring of a lawyer is an important decision that should not be based solely upon advertisements. Before you decide, ask us for free written information
about our qualifications and experience.
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