A Note from the Editors:

We have received several inquiries about updating Processing Times. Please note that we check for these updates everyday and post them within couple of days of their being made available. If our readers don't see an update, it means that the Service Centers haven't released them yet.

The Vermont, Nebraska, Texas, California and Missouri Service Center Processing Times have finally been updated.

Articles

H-1B Article 20: Preparing And Filing The H-1B Petition- Part 1
George N. Lester IV continues his H-1B series by beginning a discussion on the H-1B Petition.

Racist Group Wants US To Become "Whites Only" Nation (Sans Jews)
The Boston Globe reports on a racist group headed by one "Mr.Hale, and those who share his views, want the United States to become a ''whites only'' nation that bars minorities, Jews, and all immigration. Lewiston will be the latest venue for this racist agenda."

Determining the Prevailing Wage in Labor Certification Cases
Carl Shusterman writes about prevailing wages in the context of Labor Certification Applications.

Change Of Labels From INS To DHS Does Not Change Policy
The Village Voice reports "Managing America's contradictory attitudes toward the immigrants who have fueled the country's growth has never been easy. Like the INS before it, the Department of Homeland Security will be hampered by immigration policy itself."

Immigrant Workers Turbo Charge US Economy By Accounting For Half Of US Labor Force Growth
The Washington Post reports that immigrant workers who accounted for 10% of the growth in America's labor force in the 1970s, and 27% in the 1980s, were fully 50% of the growth in the US labor force in the 1990s.

Homeland Security Measure Becomes Law
Cyrus D. Mehta writes about the Homeland Security Act and its immigration law related provisions.

Immigration Attorney Says He Was Victimized By Scam Artist
The Washington Post reports "Attorneys for Samuel G. Kooritzky, an Arlington immigration lawyer accused by federal authorities of multimillion-dollar fraud, said yesterday their client was victimized by a "scam artist" who forged signatures and documents without Kooritzky's knowledge."

The Child Status Protection Act
Pravinchandra J. Patel provides a detailed analytical overview of all 8 sections of the Child Status Protection Act, along with specific examples illustrating the statute's application.

More Enforcement Leads To More Illegal Immigration
An opinion column in the Tuscon Citizen says enhanced border enforcement cause more, not less, illegal immigration.

Survey of Post-9/11 Security, Travel and Visa Related Changes in U.S. Immigration Law and Procedure
George N. Lester writes about the changes in the wake of September 11, and how these changes affect the method foreign nationals may be admitted to the US, and what foreign nationals must do after arrival to maintain lawful status.

Immigration Through a Family Member
Read comprehensive answer from INS on how to obtain a immigrant status through or for a family member.

ILW Highlights

Curriculum For Seminar On Consular/Visa Issues & Border Security

The curriculum for the new seminar on Consular/Visa Issues & Border Security is as follows:

FIRST Phone Session on December 17: Consular/Visa Application Issues

1. Recent Changes in Consular Processing at Border Posts
   1. Changes to TCN Appointment System
   2. Amendment to the Automatic Revalidation Provision of 22 CFR 42.112(d)
   3. Procedures Followed if Visa Denied
   4. How to get back to U.S. if denied visa at Border Post
   5. Exceptions to 222(g)
2. Security Checks and the accompanying Delays - Security Advisory Opinions (SAO)
   1. NCIC updated with over 7 million records (even simple offenses)
   2. Visa Condor Checks
   3. Technology Alert List
   4. IPASS
   5. Spot Checks of Visas
3. Understanding the Revised and New Visa Application Forms
   1. DS-156
   2. DS-157
   3. DS-158
4. Canadian Landed Immigrants from Commonwealth Countries
5. Is Revalidation of Visas through DOS still an Option?

SECOND Phone Session on January 17: Inspection/Admission Border Security Issues

1. Lookout Lists: CLASS, IBIS, CAPS, AIPS, NAILS, NCIC
2. Special Registration - Designated Ports of Departure (POD)
3. Data Sharing/Mining
4. Entry/Exit Control
5. Admissions under Advance Parole
6. Automatic Visa Revalidation - 22 CFR 41.112(d)
7. Student Commuters
8. Proposed B Regulation including B-2 Prospective Student Notation
9. Admission Mistakes
10. AR-11 Issues

THIRD Phone Session on February 17: Summary of Visa/Inspection Issues with main focus on future Additional issues including Homeland Security Act of 2002

1. Summary of Main Issues from the first two sessions
2. GAO Study - Border Security
3. Homeland Security Act
4. Directorate of Border & Transportation Security
5. Section 402
6. Section 428 - Visa Issuance
7. Section 429 - Visa Denials
8. Immigration Enforcement Functions

For more info, including detailed curriculum, speaker bios, and registration information online, click here.
For more info, including detailed curriculum, speaker bios, and registration information by fax, click here.

Letters to Editors

To write to Editors, send emails to weeklyeditor@ilw.com.

Dear Editor:

Mr. Lester IV's discussion of H-1b process went into great details. I lost track of how many parts you had printed and in what sequence. Will you please print a overview of his articles? Thanks.

Delin Qu

Editor's comments:
You can read Mr. Lester's article in every issue of Immigrant Weekly begining in the issue dated 10/21/2002. All Weekly issues are archived, and the previous articles can be obtained at http://www.ilw.com/weekly/archives.shtm. Carrying an overview is indeed a good idea, which we will carry once the whole series has concluded.

Dear Editor:

During 1999-2000 INS operated a "legalization questionnaire" program. Under this program, individuals filed legalization questionnaire forms with the INS. There were many problems, and there continue to be many problems, with the legalization questionnaire program:

• The INS rejected many questionnaires arbitrarily
• Although the INS approved many legalization questionnaires and informed class members that they should file I-687 amnesty applications with the Texas Service Center, the INS has decided only a handful of those applications; thousand remain pending, and there is no way of knowing how long the INS will take to decide these applications.

Do you know anybody got his case approved by Texas Service center??? Please post your experience in this matter !!!!

Name not supplied

Immigrant Life

Take a Quiz
When was the first US convention held on the rights of women?

• 1822
• 1840
• 1910

This week's chat schedule

When	Attorney
Monday, December 9 9:00 pm Eastern Time	Karen Meade
Wednesday, December 11 9:00 pm Eastern Time	Kyle Kinzy
Friday, December 13 9:00 pm Eastern Time	Mitch Berenson

Classifieds

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