Dallas-Fort Worth Immigration Lawyer
Take Your Passport If You Go To Mexico
Category: Immigration News
Beginning March 1, 2010, Mexico will require U.S. citizens to have valid passports when traveling to Mexico. Legal residents of the U.S. must have their green cards or other documents demonstrating legal status in the U.S.
This new rule by Mexican authorities shouldn't change travel habits, because it has been the law in the U.S. since June 2009 that U.S. travelers returning to this country from Mexico must show their passports.
Running Away From Immigration Reform
Category: Proposed Immigration Laws
Columnist Reuben Navarrette has spoken out about President Obama's near non-mention of immigration reform in the State of the Union speech. Navarrette is concerned that the president will not push for meaningful reform, but will simply work on increased enforcement, which is the one area that gets a consensus opinion. I'm taking the liberty of printing the full column because it's important to read it all.
Thirty-seven words. In this week's State of the Union address -- which was more than 7,000 words long and lasted longer than an hour -- all President Obama devoted to the issue of immigration reform was 37 measly words.
Here they are: "And we should continue the work of fixing our broken immigration system -- to secure our borders, enforce our laws and ensure that everyone who plays by the rules can contribute to our economy and enrich our nation."
It's disappointing that Obama didn't spend more time on this pressing issue -- but not surprising. Even though, elsewhere in the speech, Obama reminded Democrats in Congress that "the people expect us to solve problems, not run for the hills," this White House spent the first year in office running for the hills on immigration reform.
In fact, Obama's chief of staff, Rahm Emanuel, once referred to the issue as the real "third rail" of American politics. You touch it, you die.
Every immigration reform advocate in the country -- including many Latinos -- should be disappointed in Obama. Many of them bought the fairy tale that a Democratic president would magically be more committed to immigration reform than a Republican one. And they expected Obama to make good on the promise he made, while addressing the annual meeting of the National Council of La Raza in July 2008 as a candidate, to treat comprehensive immigration reform as "a top priority in my first year as president."
That obviously didn't happen. And, regardless of what Obama's defenders say, it wasn't just because the president found other things to do. The truth is that immigration reform was always going to be an especially tough issue for Democrats since it splits the liberal coalition with Latinos on one side and organized labor on the other.
While many unions support giving illegal immigrants a shot at legal status, they balk at another element in the mix: guest workers, which organized labor claims would undermine U.S. workers who would -- even as we speak -- be happily doing the dirtiest and most dangerous jobs if foreign workers hadn't beaten them to it.
As for what Obama said in his speech, you'll notice that he was careful not to use hot-button phrases: "comprehensive immigration reform," "guest workers," "earned legalization." He was just as careful to emphasize positive phrases: "enforce our laws," "contribute to our economy," "enrich our nation."
Oh brother. Those 37 words must have been focus-grouped 100 times.
Next, Obama also played it safe by basically selling the rhetorical equivalent of mom, puppies and apple pie. By limiting his immigration remarks to feel-good generalities, the president decreased the likelihood of being attacked by opponents.
How does someone oppose "fixing our broken immigration system" or a call to "secure our borders"?
And finally, in going to bat for "everyone who plays by the rules," Obama can't very well be talking about illegal immigrants since they didn't play the rules to get here, stay here or work here. In fact, they are, by their very nature, rule breakers.
So either Obama is telegraphing that he won't be aggressively pursuing a path to earned legalization for illegal immigrants and will instead focus on the low-hanging fruit of enforcement only, or he is redefining what it means to "play by the rules," and what he means is that he aims to help those illegal immigrants who -- having broken the rules to get here -- might now be willing to adhere to a set of conditions to stay here.
There's a big difference between those two approaches, and only time will tell what the president is prepared to do to -- as he said -- fix a broken system.
Obama had it right the first time when he was campaigning for president. The answer is comprehensive immigration reform. "Enforcement only" won't work because it never does. It's just another way for lawmakers to take the easy way out, and -- as Obama said -- run for the hills.
Our elected officials need to grab the immigration issue whole with a comprehensive approach that includes:
• Guest workers to do jobs Americans won't do at any wage;
• A tamper-proof identification card for all U.S. workers to help employers know who is legally eligible to work;
• New employer sanctions that include stiffer fines and jail time for repeat offenders;
• A condition-laden pathway to earned legalization for illegal immigrants who have been in the United States since before 2005;
• More workplace raids and speedier deportations to deal with those who can't or won't meet those conditions;
• A revamping of the immigration system for legal immigrants so that we put more emphasis on the demands of the labor market and less on family reunification;
• A ban on welfare and other social aid programs for those legalized with the exception of emergency health care;
• And efforts to secure the border, not with walls to nowhere but with better and smarter technology that helps Border Patrol agents stay one step ahead in their ongoing battle of wits with immigrant smugglers.
Mr. President, there is no way to say all that in 37 words.
President Declares Ongoing Commitment to Immigration Reform
Category: Immigration News
Press release from the Immigration Policy Center:
January 27, 2010
Washington D.C. - In the State of the Union Address this evening President Obama made clear his ongoing commitment to immigration reform noting "we should continue the work of fixing our broken immigration system - to secure our borders, enforce our laws, and ensure that everyone who plays by the rules can contribute to our economy and enrich our nation." Some may continue to argue that immigration reform is too politically risky to move on this year and that we should focus instead on rebuilding our economy. However, comprehensive immigration reform is compatible with economic reform as it would generate needed economic growth, create jobs and increase tax contributions by ensuring that everyone working in the United States is doing so legally. In fact, immigration reform would allow us to take full advantage of the opportunities for economic growth that immigrants bring. <
- A 2007 report from the White House Council of Economic Advisers concluded that immigration as a whole increases the U.S. Gross Domestic Product (GDP) by roughly $37 billion each year because immigrants increase the size of the total labor force, complement the native-born workforce in terms of skills and education, and stimulate capital investment by adding workers to the labor pool.
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Immigrants do not compete with the majority of natives for the same jobs because they tend to have different levels of education and to work in different occupations. In fact, The roughly 90% of native-born workers with at least a high-school diploma experienced wage gains because of immigration between 1990 and 2004, ranging from 0.7% to 3.4% depending on their level of education, according to a 2006 study by Giovanni Peri, Associate Professor of Economics at the University of California-Davis.
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Immigrant entrepreneurs are twice as likely as Americans to start business and immigrant inventors account for more than one quarter of all U.S. patents according theKauffman Index of Entrepreneurial Activity, 2008.
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According to a 2010 study by UCLA professor Raul Hinojosa, comprehensive immigration reform that includes a legalization plan for the unauthorized would contribute a cumulative $1.5 trillion to the Gross Domestic Product over ten years, as more tax revenues are collected, wages increase for U.S.-born and legalized workers, and immigrant workers spend more in our economy. The report also finds that wages for immigrant and native-born workers would rise in part because workers will have more bargaining power in the workplace.
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The libertarian Cato Institute also reported that "legalization of low-skilled immigrant workers would yield significant income gains for American workers and households."
39 Countries Now Eligible for H-2A & H-2B Visa Programs
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Janet Napolitano designated 11 new countries to be eligible to participate in the H-2A and H-2B visa programs. The H-2A and H-2B visa programs allow
The 11 newly designated countries are:
These 11 new countries join the 28 previously designated countries eligible to participate in these programs.
More information is available at: www.dhs.gov.
New Web Site for Haitian Earthquake News
Category: Immigration News
The U.S. Department of State (DOS) has launched a new Web site — 2010 Earthquake in
Nationals of Haiti in U.S - Apply for TPS Now!
Category: Immigration News
Nationals of Haiti who were in the United States on or before January 12, 2010, are eligible to apply for temporary protected status (TPS). If eligible, nationals of Haiti with TPS will be allowed to remain in the United States as a result of the earthquake that occurred in Haiti on January 12, 2010.
Furthermore, TPS holders will not be removed from the U.S. through July 22, 2011, and are eligible to apply for work authorization in the United States. The TPS registration period is for 180 days, so it is vital that nationals of Haiti in the United States on or before January 12, 2010, apply for TPS before July 20, 2010.
Free Webinar on Legal Changes Affecting Haitian Immigrants
Category: Immigration News
Here is a message I received from the good people at Thomsen Reuters:
I wanted to pass on some news that may be of interest to your readers, just posted this morning: Thomsen Reuter’s CLE division, West LegalEdcenter, is hosting a FREE webcast seminar on Haiti and immigration law. It focuses on the ramifications of the recent, and significant policy changes announced by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and the Department of State pertaining to Haitian nationals currently in the US, as well as orphans in the process of adoption.
Here is a link: http://tinyurl.com/ydbkekf
Produced by the National Bar Association, the webcast will take place this Monday, January 25, 2010 at 3 p.m. EST.
Let me know if you have any questions.
Sincerely,
Mike Weiner
West LegalEdcenter, A part of Thomsen Reuters
More Information on Haitian Deportation
Category: Immigration News
The administration has clarified the earlier announcement regarding the suspension of deportation of Haitian citizens. The Haitians must have been in the United States before the earthquake January 11, and any Haitians who arrive here illegally after that date will be deported. The deportation suspension will no longer be for an indefinite time. It will be for 18 months after the date of the earthquake.
Haitian Deportations Suspended Following Earthquake
Category: Immigration News
Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano and the Obama administration have temporarily suspended deportations of illegal immigrants from Haiti.
This is of course because of the devastating damage from the earthquake this week in the Haitian capitol. The death toll from the quake is still unknown but will surely number in the tens of thousands and perhaps even the hundreds of thousands. Much of the infrastructure of the country in and around the capitol has been damaged or destroyed.
There are approximately 30,000 Haitians in the United States facing deportation orders, but it would be cruel to send them into a situation where their safety and even their lives would be so much at risk. No time limit has been placed on the deportation suspension.
The earthquake has renewed calls for Haiti to be granted temporary protected status as are the countries of El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua, Somalia, and Sudan.
Officials Hid Truth of Immigrant Deaths in Jail
Category: Immigration News
A highly disturbing article was published today in the New York Times. It reports on several deaths of immigrants held in jails across the country, and the apparent attempts by government officials to hide the details of those deaths. I encourage everyone to read the entire article. Here are the opening paragraphs:
Silence has long shrouded the men and women who die in the nation’s immigration jails. For years, they went uncounted and unnamed in the public record. Even in 2008, when The New York Times obtained and published a federal government list of such deaths, few facts were available about who these people were and how they died.
But behind the scenes, it is now clear, the deaths had already generated thousands of pages of government documents, including scathing investigative reports that were kept under wraps, and a trail of confidential memos and BlackBerry messages that show officials working to stymie outside inquiry.
The documents, obtained over recent months by The Times and the American Civil Liberties Union under the Freedom of Information Act, concern most of the 107 deaths in detention counted by Immigration and Customs Enforcement since October 2003, after the agency was created within the Department of Homeland Security.
Lewisville May Crack Down on Hiring of Illegal Immigrants
Category: Immigration News
As reported today in the Dallas Morning News, the city of Lewisville may be about to wrestle with an immigration issue that has caused confusion and litigation in other Dallas suburbs in recent years. Here are excerpts from the newspaper article:
The City Council next month will discuss requiring city contractors to ensure that their employees are working legally in the United States.
"I want people we do business with to show they're doing their due diligence," said council member John Gorena, an opponent of illegal immigration who narrowly won a seat on the council last year.
He's proposing that the city expand its use of E-Verify, a federally maintained electronic database system containing Social Security and other records. The system is used by the federal government for sizable contracts.
Twelve states require the use of some elements of the system to verify employment status of workers. Three states – Arizona, Mississippi and South Carolina – require all employers to use some level of E-Verify. Texas has no such requirement.
Lewisville already uses E-verify for its employees. The city also requires that its contractors comply with federal immigration laws. However, the city has no way to verify that contractors are hiring only legal workers.
That would change under Gorena's proposal to require contractors to confirm workers' employment status with E-Verify.
Gorena's proposal, made this week, received a lukewarm reception from other council members, who were concerned about straying too far into immigration policies.
Farmers Branch has become known for its battles over illegal immigration and is in costly litigation over its ordinance banning illegal immigrants from renting apartments.
U.S. Census Kicks Off Nationwide Promotional Tour
Category: General Information
The ABC News Web site has a good article today about the federal government's program to encourage people to comply with the requirement of cooperating with census workers. As you know, the census is taken every ten years, and the federal government bases many budget decisions on the results of the census. States also use the census information for political redistricting, which affects the party makeup of the states' political delegations. Here are excerpts from the ABC article:
The U.S. government today launched a massive outreach effort to alert the nation about this year's census, kicking off a $340 million promotional campaign that will travel across the country in the upcoming months.
After launching today in New York City's Times Square, the census road tour will stop at more than 800 events nationwide, including high-profile sporting events such as the Super Bowl and the NCAA Final Four. There is even a scheduled stop at New Orleans' Mardi Gras.
It is all part of an effort to notify the American population about this spring's census. In March, the census form (10 questions for most Americans) will arrive in mailboxes, the government's once-a-decade attempt to paint a new portrait of the country.
Then on April 1, only about 100 days away, comes National Census Day.
One fact that the public might learn is that the 2010 census form is the shortest in history. The bureau says it can be completed in only 10 minutes. For the first time since 1930, the bureau is using just one form, not two. The bureau has also unveiled a bilingual form that will be sent to areas with high Hispanic populations.
The objective is to maximize the number of completed forms that get mailed back to the bureau. Non-responses, the bureau knows, can be very costly. For every one percent increase in the number of people who mail back their forms, the bureau saves $80 million by not having to seek them out.
However, a recent analysis conducted by the bureau said there may be a three-percent decrease in mailed-back forms, caused by government mistrust, fear of identity theft, and the surge in home foreclosures.
The census will also have to overcome other issues, such as Hispanic advocacy groups calling for illegal immigrants to boycott the census unless immigration laws are not changed. The boycott is led by the National Coalition of Latino Clergy & Christian Leaders, a group claiming to represent 20,000 evangelical churches in 34 states.
New Procedure for Prevailing Wage Determination
Category: Employment-Based Immigration
The Department of Labor (DOL) announced a new prevailing wage determinations (PWD) for H-1B, H-1B1 (Chile/Singapore), H-1C, H-2B, E-3 (Australia), and Permanent Labor Certification Programs. Rather than obtaining the prevailing wage from the local state workforce agency, a centralized prevailing wage determination from DOL in Washington, D.C. will be used. The new procedure will become effective January 1, 2010. Beginning January 1, 2010 in order to file a PWD with the new system, Form ETA 9141 must be used. Form ETA must be filed by U.S. mail or other delivery service to:
U.S. Department of Labor- ETA
National Prevailing Wage and Helpdesk Center
Attn: PWD Request
1341 G Street, NW, Suite 201
Washington, D.C. 200005-3142
On or about January 20, 2010, DOL will implement the online prevailing wage system through iCERT, and employers will be able to file the PWD online.
Extended or Not?
Category: Temporary Visas
U Visas: extended until February 1, 2010.
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) extended the filing deadline for temporary benefits of the U Non-immigrant Interim Relief Program. The temporary benefits program was set to expire December 31, 2009 but has been recently extended until February 1, 2010.
H-1C Visas: expired December 21, 2009
USCIS accepted H-1C non-immigrant temporary workers petitions expired December 21, 2009. The H-1C classification authorized up to 500 nurses annually to work in eligible health care facilities. Although the visa classification expired, nurses currently in H-1C status will not be affected.
For new updates or changes, please visit the USCIS Web site.
Rule Change on CDC List of Communicable Diseases of Public Health Significance
Category: Immigration News
Effective January 4, 2010, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Center for Disease Control and Prevention (HHS/CDC) is removing HIV from the list of communicable diseases of public health significance and references to HIV from the scope of medical examinations for foreign nationals.
Until the rule goes into effect, non-citizens who are HIV-positive cannot be admitted into the U.S. unless the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) grants a waiver. Once the rule goes into effect on January 4, 2010, HIV infection will no longer be defined as a communicable disease of public health significance, immigrant visa applicants who are required to undergo a medical screening exam will no longer be tested for HIV, a waiver for entry into the U.S. will no longer be necessary, and HIV-positive visa applicants will not be found ineligible for visas under Section 212(a)(1)(A)(i) of the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA). Although foreign nationals with HIV who apply for visas will no longer be ineligible under INA Section 212(a)(1)(A)(i), they still must overcome the public charge under INA Section 212(a)(4) by demonstrating to the consular officers that they will have the means of support in the U.S. and that they will not need to seek public financial assistance. Please visit CDC’s Web site for more information.
New Filing Locations for Naturalization Applicants
Category: Citizenship and Naturalization
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced effective immediately, naturalization applicants must file Form N-400 Naturalization Applications at the USCIS Lockbox in either Phoenix or Dallas. The filing location depends on where the applicants resides.
Naturalization applicants who live in Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, North Dakota, Ohio, Oregon, South Dakota, Utah, Washington, Wisconsin, Wyoming, Territory of Guam, or the Commonwealth of Northern Mariana Islands must file Form N-400 application to the USCIS Phoenix Lockbox.
USCIS Phoenix Lockbox:
P.O. Box 21251
Phoenix, Arizona, 85036
Naturalization applications who reside in Alabama, Arkansas, Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Mississippi, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Vermont, Virginia, West Virginia, Puerto Rico, or the U.S. Virgin Islands must file Form N-400 application to the USCIS Dallas Lockbox.
USCIS Dallas Lockbox
P.O. Box 660060
Dallas, Texas 75266
For more information, please visit the USCIS Web site.
Global Usage of New Form DS-160 by Non-Immigrant Visa Applicants Expected April 30, 2010
Category: General Information
The U.S. Department of State (DOS) reports that no later than April 30, 2010, all non-immigrant visa applicants worldwide will be required to use web-based form DS-160. The DS-160 form will combine the previous forms DS-156 and DS-157 and 158. Since not all U.S. Embassy’s and U.S. Consulates have implemented form DS-160, all consular posts that are not currently utilizing the DS-160 Web-based form will eventually be instructed to implement the DS-160 between March 1, and April 30, 2010. To review the list of the 24 consular posts currently using the new form DS-160, please visit
www.travel.state.gov/visa/frvi/forms/forms_1342.html.
Introduction of Immigration Reform Bill Jump Starts Reform Talks Going Into 2010
Category: Proposed Immigration Laws
This press release is from the Immigration Policy Center:
December 15, 2009
Washington D.C. - Today, Congressman Luis V. Gutierrez (D-IL) introduced the Comprehensive Immigration Reform for America's Security and Prosperity Act of 2009 (CIR ASAP), in the House of Representatives. The 87 original co-sponsors of the bill include members of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, Black Caucus, Asian Pacific American Caucus, and Progressive Caucus.
The necessity of comprehensive immigration reform stems from a long-neglected immigration system that has failed to keep up with our nation's changing needs, resulting in breakdowns that have crippled our ability to regulate immigration adequately, protect our borders, reunite families, and foster economic opportunity.
The CIR ASAP bill includes many of the elements necessary to bring our immigration system in tune with the current social and economic demands of our nation including, family reunification, restoration of judicial discretion, a generous legalization program, sensible law enforcement, and creative, if untested, answers to future immigration flows.
"Our current immigration system fails to reflect the realities of 21st century America, and CIR ASAP begins to deal with these failings and sets us on a path towards enacting fair and humane immigration policies," said Mary Giovagnoli, Director of the Immigration Policy Center. "We need to move forward, even in tough economic times, if we wish to ensure the future growth and prosperity of our nation. Introduction of this bill jump starts the New Year, providing a vehicle for other lawmakers to react to and build upon. We expect many more proposals in the Senate and House in the coming months and urge lawmakers to make this a fact-based debate with the goal of passing reform in 2010."
"While the Gutierrez bill doesn't have all the answers, it begins the dialogue in Congress," said Ben Johnson, Executive Director of the American Immigration Council. "The bill reflects the political realities within the House of Representatives, and as such does not include some of the necessary reforms for ensuring economic prosperity which Gutierrez has long supported. It is clear that what makes good policy does not always make good politics. However, the bill makes a significant contribution to restoring due process and discretion to the immigration system, and serves as a starting point for bringing more voices to the table."
Proposal to Increase Non-Immigrant Visa Application Fees
Category: Proposed Immigration Laws
The U.S. Department of State (DOS) published a proposed rule today to increase the non-immigrant visa (NIV) application processing fees, also called Machine-Readable Visa (MRV) and Border Crossing Card (BCC) fees. The increase would apply to NIV in passports and to BCC issued to applicants in Mexico.
The rule proposes to increase the fee for visas that are not petition-based from $131 to $140. Examples of non-petition based visas are B-1/B-2 tourist visas, F-1 student visas. Petition-based visas would increase their application fees to $150. Petition-based visas include H visa for temporary workers, L visa for intracompany transferees, O visa for extraordinary ability, P for athletes, artists and entertainers, Q visa for international cultural exchange visitors, R visa for religious workers. K visas for fiancés would increase to $350 and E visas for treaty-traders and treaty-investors would increase to $390.
It is important to note the DOS has only proposed the new rule. Only when the DOS publishes the final rule will the changes become effective.
Apply for Advance Permission to Enter U.S. As a Non-Immigrant if Inadmissible
Category: Temporary Visas
Individuals who apply for a non-immigrant visa must be admissible to enter the United States. Inadmissible grounds to deny entry into the U.S. include, but not limited to the following:
- Communicable disease;
- Criminal record involving crimes of moral turpitude;
- Possession of or trafficking in a controlled substance;
- Trafficking persons;
- Involved in money laundering;
- Previously removed (deported) or previously overstayed a period of admission to the U.S.
If a non-immigrant visa holder subsequently becomes inadmissible and thus ineligible to enter the United States, depending on the inadmissibility ground, the visa holder may apply in advance of travel for a temporary waiver of inadmissibility. The waiver application is applied directly to U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) prior to travel. Along with the signed Form I-192, Application for Advance Permission to Enter as Nonimmigrant, the applicant must submit the filing fee of $545, an official police record from country of nationality, proof of citizenship, and supporting documentation regarding the inadmissibility showing rehabilitation and character reformation. For questions concerning eligibility of the temporary waiver application, or any other area of immigration, call Kraft & Associates at 214-999-9999.
Rep. Gutierrez to Introduce Immigration Reform Bill December 15
Category: Immigration News
As pointed out by the Immigration Policy Center: Today, Rep. Luis V. Gutierrez (D-IL.), announced that he will be introducing a comprehensive immigration reform bill in the House of Representatives on Tuesday, December 15, 2009. Congressman Gutierrez said “We have waited patiently for a workable solution to our immigration crisis to be taken up by this Congress and our President. The time for waiting is over. This bill will be presented before Congress recesses for the holidays so that there is no excuse for inaction in the New Year. It is the product of months of collaboration with civil rights advocates, labor organizations, and members of Congress. It is an answer to too many years of pain—mothers separated from their children, workers exploited and undermined security at the border—all caused at the hands of a broken immigration system. This bill says ‘enough,’ and presents a solution to our broken system that we as a nation of immigrants can be proud of.”
Four Immigration Programs Extended Through September 2012
Category: General Information
The following U.S. Citizenship and Immigration (USCIS) programs have been extended until September 30, 2012:
- E-Verify
- Immigrant Investor Pilot Program (EB-5)
- Special immigrant visa category for non-minister religious workers
- Conrad 30
USCIS will continue to accept and process the petitions/applications for the programs that have now been extended to September 30, 2012.
E-Verify Program: Program operated by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the Social Security Administration (SSA) allowing employers to verify the employment eligibility of the newly hired employees.
EB-5 Program: USCIS will continue to receive and decide the Petitions by Alien Entrepreneur and Applications to Adjust Status.
Special Immigrant for Non-Minister Religious Worker Program: Non-minister workers include non-ministers within a religious vocation or occupation and their spouses and children.
Conrad 30: Allows the state health departments to request from the Department of State a waiver of the two year foreign residence for foreign medical graduates in J-1 status. The program extends to cover J-1 admissions before September 30, 2012.
More information regarding the programs is available at www.uscis.gov.
Tidbits From Ruben Navarrette, Jr.
Category: General Information
On December 8, 2009, Ruben Navarrette, Jr., a Syndicated Columnist and Editorial Board Member for the San Diego Union-Tribune was in Dallas, Texas to talk about “Business Immigration Reform." He provided some interesting immigration facts. The following are a few excerpts.
- Immigrants make up 12% of our nation’s population, and 40% of the DFW metroplex are either immigrants or children of immigrants. www.dfwinternational.org/demographics;
- Current estimates of the unauthorized foreign born population is almost 12 million. www.dfwinternational.org/demographics;
- Six in ten Hispanic adults in the U.S. who are neither citizens nor legal permanent residents lack health insurance. This rate is twice as high as the rate among Hispanic adults who are citizens or legal permanent residents. Pew Hispanic Center Survey, pewhispanic.org, 2009 surveys.
- The flow of immigrants from Mexico to the U.S. has declined sharply since mid-decade, but there is no evidence of an increase of Mexican-born migrants returning home from the U.S. Pew Hispanic Center Survey, pewhispanic.org, 2009 surveys.
- The number of Hispanic children has nearly tripled since 1980 and their demographic profile has changed. More than half of the nation’s Hispanic children are now “second generation.” Pew Hispanic Center Survey, pewhispanic.org, 2009 surveys.
- During the housing boom of 1993-2005, the nation’s minority groups experienced greater gains than whites in homeownership rates. Pew Hispanic Center Survey, pewhispanic.org, 2009 surveys.
- The levels of participation in last year’s presidential election was the most racially and ethnically diverse in U.S. history. The Hispanic vote was 7.4% of the total electorate up 1.4% from 2004. Pew Hispanic Center Survey, pewhispanic.org, 2009 surveys.
- The nation’s approximately 12 million unauthorized immigrants are more geographically dispersed than in the past. Unauthorized immigrants are more likely than either U.S. born residents or legal immigrants to live in a household with children, a growing share of whom — 73% — are U.S. born citizens. Pew Hispanic Center Survey, pewhispanic.org, 2009 surveys.
Quick Bits of Immigration Info
Category: Immigration News
- Foreign nationals in the United States with lost or stolen passports or I-94 cards may file for an Application for Replacement/Initial Nonimmigrant Arrival-Departure Document with the Immigration Service. Applicants may apply by submitting Form I-102 with the applicable filing fee of $320. The filing of Form I-102 will provide the applicant with a copy of the I-94 card. An I-94 card establishes that the foreign national was inspected and admitted into the United States. Filing Form I-102 will not provide the applicant with copies of their lost or stolen passport.
- If a joint petition to remove conditions was filed but the living situation changed after filing the petition, the applicant must notify the Immigration Service of his/her current status. The applicant should request that the petition be converted to a waiver application. If a divorce has been filed but has not been finalized, the Immigration Service will provide the applicant 87 days to submit the final divorce decree.
- As of November 28, 2009 the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) governs the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands.
- Foreign nationals who were abused by their U.S. citizen or a lawful permanent resident (LPR) spouse or parent may file a self-petition on Form I-360. If eligible, an application to adjust status on Form (I-485) may be filed concurrently with Form I-360. To be eligible for a self-petition based on abuse by a spouse, the self-petitioner must satisfy certain requirements. One of the requirements is that the marriage was entered into into in good faith. Documents establishing a good faith marriage may include commingling of accounts, affidavits from family and friends, pictures, e-mails, and birth certificates of children (if any), to name a few.
- Effective December 15, 2009, employers filing temporary labor certifications under the H-1B, H-1B1, E-3, H-2A, H-2B, H-1C, and D-1 programs must file the applications at the Chicago National Processing Center’s new location. The new address is 536 South Clark Street, Chicago, Illinois 60605-1509.
Remittances to Mexico Fall 36%
Category: Immigration News
This news item is from the Wall Street Journal. Apparently the condition of the U.S. economy is so bad that immigrant workers here cannot send home the money they did in past years.
The Bank of Mexico said Tuesday that remittances to Mexico fell 36% to $1.69 billion in October from $2.64 billion in the same month last year.
The October numbers were also lower than the $1.74 billion that Mexican workers sent home in September, the central bank said.
Remittances for the first 10 months of the year fell 16% from the year-earlier period, to $18.13 billion.
Remittances in dollar terms have slumped this year due to a recession in the U.S., which caused rising unemployment among migrant workers who send money home to their families.
After peaking in 2007 at $26.07 billion, remittances fell 3.6% last year to $25.14 billion.