A Note from the Editors:

INS Filing fees are going up an average of 17% per application/petition effective February 19, 2002. The proposed increases and comment request were published in the Federal Register last August. INS received 467 comments, including 17 in favor of the fee increases. One hundred and thirty, or more than one fourth of the comments, expressed dissatisfaction with the 13.5% increase to $460 for the I-600/600A Petition to Classify Orphan as an Immediate Relative/Application for Advance Processing of Orphan Petition. INS bases the fee on the "complexity of the international adoption process in general and the process of adjudication required by law and regulation."

Experience with the premium processing fees shows that some people at least are willing to pay more if the INS will simply do what it should do anyway - i.e. adjudicate petitions in a timely manner. For most a 17% increase coming just three years after the last INS increase, and the with processing times for some applications being counted in years rather than weeks or months despite repeated promises of improved service, will simply lead to increased cynicism about why the word "service" is part of the agency's name.

The California Service Center and Vermont Service Center processing times have been udpated.

ILW.COM Team also wishes its readers a very happy and prosperous New Year.

Articles

Never Say "i" (Unless You Must): Employment-Based Options for Adjustment of Status that Avoid INA § 245(i) (Part II)
In Part II of this series Angelo A. Paparelli and John C. Valdez, write about possible bars to adjustment under section 245.

Mexico's Fox Expects Migrant Deal with US
According to CNN Mexican President Vicente Fox said he expects to reach a deal with the United States in the first half of 2002 to bring legal status to some 3.5 million undocumented Mexicans living in the US.

It Could Happen To You: Why Americans Should Care About John Walker
Gary Endelman writes that under the Immigration and Nationality Act Taliban fighter John Walker could loose his US citizenship, and his case could then be heard by one of President Bush's military tribunals.

The ABCs of Immigration - Options for Essential Workers
Greg Siskind and Amy Ballentine examine the nonimmigrant and immigrant options for those working in semi-skilled and unskilled positions, often in fields where it is difficult, if not impossible, to find US workers.

Foreign Students who Return Home Risk not Getting Back into US
According to the Florida Sun-Sentinel, in the face of heightened US security and the debate over limiting visa renewals, foreign students are questioning whether they should risk leaving the country and gamble on being able to return, or just play it safe and stay in the US.

Attorney General’s “Cooperators Program” Raises Questions
Carl R. Baldwin finds that the Attorney General's "Responsible Cooperators Program,” which will reward immigrants with legal status if they provide the government with useful information about suspected terrorists, raises serious questions.

Sept. 11 Halts Amnesty Efforts
According to an Associated Press story in the Arizona Republic, US officials are telling Mexico that because of fears of terrorism, the immigration laws are unlikely to change anytime soon.

ILW Highlights

INS FAQs

The INS web site has a wealth of valuable immigration information. ILW.COM tries to make it easy for you to find the INS information you want. We have organized the information in Employment INS FAQs, Family INS FAQs, Visitor Visa INS FAQs and General information INS FAQs. We hope the organization will allow you to find the answers you need.

Letters to Editor

Dear Editor:

In reference to: "It Could Happen To You: Why Americans Should Care About John Walker" by Gary Endelman, seldom does one come across a Gary Endelman. His insightful comments on immigration matters are delivered with a persuasiveness that I have personally not found elsewhere.

What I like most about Gary Endelman's articles is that they are delivered without bias towards or against immigration and other related matters. Often, I find his articles cautioning Americans about embracing/bashing immigration or related laws blindly. His latest article on John Walker is again characteristic of his style and hopefully makes one sit back and analyze the John Walker issue more carefully and figure out what went wrong rather than jumping into the band-wagon of bashing John Walker.

Rangarajan Suresh

Immigrant Life

Are you on H-1B visa and have recently been laid off?
Are you on an H-1B visa, and have you recently been laid off? Has it been difficult with the receeding economy and tightening immigration policies? Share your frustrations and experiences with other immigrants.

This week's chat schedule

When Attorney Monday, December 31 9:00 pm Eastern Time No Chat Wednesday, January 2 9:00 pm Eastern Time Kevin Dixler

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