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A Note from the Editors:
Immigration Benefit Fees Are Absurd
USCIS released a chart summarizing the history of immigration benefit fees from 1985 to the present (for item, see below). If immigration is good for the US, it is to the benefit of the US taxpayer to bear the expense. If, on the other hand, immigration is bad for the US, then immigration (including immigration benefits fees) should not exist. In each scenario, immigration processing fees do not make sense.
We welcome readers to share their opinion and ideas on this topic with us by writing to weeklyeditor@ilw.com.
Articles
Asylum Resource Series: Afghanistan
USCIS Asylum Resource Information Center offers asylum information on Afghanistan.
Special Immigrant Religious Workers Update
Rodney M. Barker and Priscillia Suntoso discuss recent developments in the law relating to the permanent religious worker category.
USCIS Expands Online Case Status
The USCIS announced the addition of several new features to its online case status system. For the press release, see here. For the fact sheet, see here.
Verses From Lory Diana Rosenberg
Lory Diana Rosenberg shares several poems with Immigrant's Weekly readers.
Joel Stewart's BALCA Review
Joel Stewart presents a summary of recent notable BALCA decisions.
USCIS Launches Pilot Program In Dallas District Office To Concurrently Process I-130s And I-485s
The USCIS announced the kickoff of its pilot program in the Dallas District Office to concurrently adjudicate I-130s and I-485s in a remarkably short timespan. For the fact sheet, see here. For the press release, see here.
USCIS Immigration Fee History
The USCIS released a chart chronicling USCIS's filing fee history, from 1985 to present.
Immigrant's Weekly Exclusive
In The New Global And Multicultural Marketplace, Immigrants Hold A Key To Revitalizing NE Ohio
Rose A. Zitiello, Esq. and Richard T. Herman, Esq. write "Immigration, global trade, and multicultural diversity are the new inter-related frontiers for economic and community development as cities like Cleveland formulate policies to stem depopulation, reverse economic deterioration and support positive community relations."
Systematic Alien Verification For Entitlements (SAVE) Program
Read a response from the USCIS on the Systematic Alien Verification for Entitlements (SAVE) Program, responsible for administering programs involving customer access to information contained in the Verification Information System (VIS) database.
ILW Highlights
Healthcare Immigration Seminar
Healthcare immigration is probably the hottest area of immigration law
practice today. Immigration attorneys confront three distinct sets of
issues when advising healthcare industry clients.
- NIV and IV issues affecting doctors
- Issues affecting nurses and other healthcare professionals
- State licensing issues for the health professions
*Special Note On Session Three*
In order to receive an immigration benefit based on an offer of employment in a health care profession, a foreign national must be sure to comply with all requirements in the state of intended employment in order to be eligible for a license to practice their profession. Because licensing issues can cause problems and delays in obtaining immigration benefits, immigration attorneys counseling foreign nationals in the health care professions need to be aware not only of the requirements for licensing of various occupations in each state, but also of the concerns that licensing authorities have with foreign-educated health care workers. We expect this session to involve speakers from state licensing boards, who will review issues in licensing of foreign-educated health care workers and help practitioners avoid common pitfalls in licensing of foreign nationals that turn into major issues in immigration cases.
Our new seminar "Doctors, Nurses And Other Health Professionals: Current
Immigration Issues" features distinguished practitioners Sylvia Boecker,
Matthew S. Dunn, Elahe Najfabadi, Suzanne Seltzer, Greg Siskind as speakers
with William A. Stock leading the discussion (other speakers to be
announced, experts in state licensing matters will join the final session).
The seminar is offered by phone, so law
offices around the country can participate. It is also a great training
tool for the entire law firm staff (one registration covers everyone
sharing a speakerphone). The seminar includes an in-depth Q&A period where
you can pose questions regarding your cases to the distinguished
practitioners on the panel. The deadline to register is Tuesday, April
27th. For more info, including detailed curriculum, speaker bios, and
registration information, see: http://www.ilw.com/seminars/april2004.shtm. (Fax version: http://www.ilw.com/seminars/april2004.pdf.)
Letters to Editors
To write to Editors, send emails to weeklyeditor@ilw.com.
Dear Editor:
In response to your recent editorial, immigration Agencies can and do play a role in helping to identify
potentially threatening visitors or immigrants, as they clearly allowed the
9/11 hijackers into the US when they could have stopped them at the gates.
Nonetheless, US immigration bureaus are currently overzealous in their
attempts to eradicate threats of 'terrorism' from American soil. Like many other government sponsored initiatives, such as NSEERS and SEVIS, the ICE raid appears to miss its mark and results instead in wreaking
another kind of 'terror' on those who bear no ill-will towards America.
Still, while immigration agencies should reevaluate their current 'he-man'
tactics, these agencies do have the right and are charged with the
responsibility of finding and deporting illegal immigrants whether they are
gardeners or terrorists. Illegal immigrants are here illegally and as such
they are vulnerable to the consequences of their actions. State governments should not be lauded for their attempts to circumvent
federal actions, no matter how ridiculous they may seem, by turning a blind
eye to those who reside within their jurisdiction. They should instead
encourage their constituents to take a more active role in democracy and
make themselves heard by their representatives in Congress, which might even
lead to stronger support of human rights and civil liberties on a grander scale.
Ona Beresniova
Immigrant Life
Rent an Apartment
What Is an Apartment?
An apartment is a room or set of rooms used as a residence. It can be referred to as a studio (one room), a one-bedroom unit, or a two- to three-bedroom suite. Apartment units are usually grouped together in an apartment building, and these buildings can be grouped together in an apartment complex.
To learn more, see here.
Have a story that you'd like to share with us? Send your story as an immigrant to weeklyeditor@ilw.com.
This week's chat schedule
ILW.COM announces that as of Feb 3rd, all chats will be held at 5:00 pm Eastern Time.
Classifieds
For information on advertising in the classifieds please click here.
An Important disclaimer! The information provided on this page is not legal advice. Transmission of this information is not intended to create, and receipt by you does not constitute, an attorney-client relationship. Readers must not act upon any information without first seeking advice from a qualified attorney. © Copyright 1999-2002 American Immigration LLC, ILW.COM. Correspondence to weeklyeditor@ilw.com. Letters may be edited and may be published and otherwise used in any medium.
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