Immigration Reform Bill Introduced in Senate (Part 2 of 3)

In Part 1 of this Article, we provided you with an overview of the Immigration Reform Bill that was introduced in the Senate on April 17, 2013 and familiarized you with some of the key provisions for those who are present in the Unites States in an unlawful status.  This article will highlight some of…

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Immigration Reform Bill Introduced in Senate (Part 1 of 3)

On April 17, 2013, Senators introduced a long-awaited and sweeping immigration overhaul bill, known as the “Border Security, Economic Opportunity and Immigration Modernization Act of 2013” that addresses backlogs in legal immigration, undocumented immigrants, and border security.  This 844-page bill is the result of weeks of negotiations amongst the Senate’s “Gang of Eight” – four…

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Customer Identify Verification (CIV) to begin at USCIS

On May 6, 2013, U.S. Citizenship & Immigration Services (USCIS) will implement Customer Identify Verification (CIV) in its field offices.  Under this new procedure, individuals appearing at the USCIS field office for an interview or to be issued evidence of immigration benefit such as temporary travel documents, parole authorizations, temporary extensions of Form I-90, and…

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May 2013 Visa Bulletin: EB-2 India Remains Unchanged

U.S. Department of State (DOS) has released the May 2013 Visa Bulletin which is the eighth Visa Bulletin for the Fiscal Year (FY) 2013.  The cutoff dates for Employment-Based second preference (EB-2) India remains in effect at September 1, 2004. The worldwide Employment-Based third preference (EB-3) category moved forward 5 months to December 1, 2007…

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March 2013 Visa Bulletin: EB-2 India Remains Unchanged (DOS Prediction)

U.S. Department of State (DOS) has just released the March 2013 Visa Bulletin which is the sixth Visa Bulletin for the Fiscal Year (FY) 2013.  The cutoff dates for Employment-Based second preference (EB-2) India once again continues to disappoint at September 1, 2004.  In this bulletin, DOS has indicated that there is unlikely to be…

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February 2013 Visa Bulletin: EB-2 India Remains Unchanged (again)

U.S. Department of State (DOS) has just released the February 2013 Visa Bulletin which is the fifth Visa Bulletin for the Fiscal Year (FY) 2013.  The cutoff dates for Employment-Based second preference (EB-2) India continues to disappoint at September 1, 2004.  Many of our clients in this category were eagerly awaiting this bulletin to anticipate…

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January 2013 Visa Bulletin: EB-2 India Remains Unchanged

On December 11th, U.S. Department of State (DOS) issued the January 2013 Visa Bulletin which is the fourth Visa Bulletin for the Fiscal Year (FY) 2013.  Unfortunately, the cutoff dates for Employment-Based second preference (EB-2) India at September 1, 2004 continues to disappoint due to lack of forward moment.  Many of our clients in this…

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December 2012 Visa Bulletin: Predictions for Fiscal Year 2013

On November 7th, U.S. Department of State (DOS) issued the December 2012 Visa Bulletin.  Cutoff dates for Employment-Based second preference (EB-2) India remains at September 1, 2004 and for Employment-Based third preference (EB-3) India moved one week to November 1, 2002. In a recently meeting, Mr. Charles Oppenheim, the Chief of the DOS Immigrant Visa…

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Driver’s License, SSA, and other Issues for Noncitizens and Naturalized Citizens

SAVE (Systems Alien Verification for Entitlements) is an inter-governmental information services program which verifies the immigration status of a noncitizen or a naturalized citizen, helping to ensure that only entitled applicants receive federal, state, or local benefits, such as a driver’s license, Social Security Number, housing assistance, Medicaid, or other public benefits.  Any participating benefit…

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US and Canada begins Phase 1 pilot of Beyond the Border Action Plan

On September 30, 2012, the Department of Homeland Security and the Canada Border Services Agency began the Phase 1 pilot of the Entry/Exit program under the Beyond the Border Action Plan.  This new system will help the United States and Canada keep track of the departure of individuals subject to removal orders; identify individuals who…

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