Feb
28
Democrats Ask President Bush for Votes on Illegal Aliens
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The Democrats are asking for President Bush to promise he will deliver votes from the Republicans for creating a guest worker program and for giving illegal immigrants the opportunity to gain US citizenship.
The Senate, with Bush’s backing, passed a bill last year that did both, but it wilted into campaign fodder for November’s midterm elections after House Republicans staged hearings around the country opposing it.
Senate Judiciary Chairman Patrick Leahy says, “Without the administration’s earnest engagement on this issue, our efforts are likely to suffer the same fate they did last year.”
To read more about this story, click here.
Feb
28
US Governor Janet Napolitano is calling for the US work visa application process to be streamlined, so that more foreign specialist workers can legally work in the US after graduation.
Napolitano stressed that the US is in need of more scientists and engineers, and should therefore relax existing restrictions on work visas for non-Americans who have been trained at US colleges.
During a speech at the National Press Club, Napolitano said, “After a successful background check, I believe that every one of them should have a green card stapled to their diplomas.”
To read more about Napolitano’s views, click here.
Feb
27
Indians Join J-1 Program
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India is the latest country to participate in the United State’s Au Pair program, which allows non-Americans to work and study in the US for a year under the J-1 visitor exchange visa.
Au Pair in America is a government-licensed agency that used to bring au pairs to the US from Western Europe only. But now au pairs are also being recruited from countries such as India and China, due to the desire of American parents to expose their children to new cultures and languages. Read more
Feb
27
A Long Island, New York congressman is requesting that the United States government grant honorary citizenship to Anne Frank, the young Dutch Jewish girl who kept a diary when her family went into hiding during the Second World War.
The honor is being requested by Republican Christopher Bodkin, in part to atone for denying Frank and her family entry to the United States in the years before she and her family were arrested and sent to Nazi concentration camps, where all except Anne’s father, Otto Frank, died.
The proposal will likely be taken up by the House of Representatives next year. Only six people have ever been granted the honor.
To read more about this story, click here.
Feb
27
Citizenship requests in Southern California are rising as permanent residents try to start their paperwork before changes are made to current immigration law.
Green card holders, who want to avoid the potential hike in fee rates as well as a new civics test, caused applications in Los Angeles and the surrounding counties to rise from 7,334 to 18,024 within the last year, the largest jump in a decade.
CIS spokesperson Marie Sebrechts says, “Every time we have this much talk of immigration in the news and on the Hill, we get a lot more interest. We tend to see a surge in applications.”
To read more about the surge in citizenship applications, click here.
Feb
26
The United States Congress has reinstated a J-1 visa waiver program which will allow graduates of medicine to remain in the US for three years after their residency training has been completed.
The former federal requirement was that foreign graduates had to return to their home countries for at least two years before being allowed to apply to return to the US.
Under the current J-1 waiver, graduates can stay in the US for three years after residency completion on the condition that they serve in medically underserved areas.
To find out more about the new J-1 visa waiver, click here.
Feb
26
Texas Legislator Contests Illegal Immigrant Children’s Citizenship Rights
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A legislator in Texas is contesting the right of automatic citizenship for children born to illegal immigrants in the US.
Representative Leo Berman of Tyler is putting forth a bill that would prevent the children from receiving any state health and education benefits, so as to deter those who would enter the country illegally. Read more
Feb
26
195 Illegal Workers Arrested
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195 illegal immigrant workers across 17 states have been arrested in a series of pre-dawn raids.
The raids are part of an action against Rosenbaum-Cunningham International Inc., a cleaning and grounds-maintenance service that contracts with theme restaurant chains and other hospitality venues around the country, which is suspected of hiring illegal aliens. Read more
Feb
26
Bush Calls For H1-B Visa Increase
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US president George W Bush is calling for an increase in the number of H1-B visas allocated each year, claiming that it makes “no sense” for America to prevent an Indian scientist to come to the country and contributing to its technological development.
The president also emphasized that any increase in the H1-B quota would only benefit Americans. Read more
Feb
22
The P-1 nonimmigrant visa has been expanded after Congress passed the Creating Opportunities for Minor League Professionals, Entertainers, and Teams through Legal Entry (COMPETE) Act in December (09DEC06).
Under the expanded visa, there is an increase in the categories of athletes who can perform or compete in the U.S.