Apr
16
49 Illegal Immigrants Arrested
Filed Under Immigration News | Leave a Comment
Forty-nine illegal immigrants were arrested last week (10APR07-13APR07) in Willmar, Minnesota during a four-day enforcement investigation by federal agents.
The investigation was called Operation Cross Check, part of an continuing attempt by law officials to arrest criminal immigrants.
According to the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), 25 of the immigrants arrested were in violation of US immigration law, 18 had criminal convictions and six were fugitives. Over half of those arrested lied and claimed to be US citizens born in Puerto Rico.
Detainers were also put on three other suspected illegal immigrants serving prison sentences in Willmar, who will be turned over to ICE and face deportation proceedings upon their release.
Apr
13
Thousands of immigration activists took to the streets of downtown Los Angeles last weekend to protest the potential new ‘Z’ visa and to demand rights for the 12 million illegal immigrants in the US.
Under the terms of the ‘Z’ visa, illegal immigrants would have to return to their home countries in order to legalize their status before being allowed back into the US. The visa would cost $3,500 to be renewed every three years, after paying an initial $10,000 fine.
Mexican activist Jacinto Fonseca says, “These charges are too much… if I would have been able to obtain that kind of money in my country, I wouldn’t have come to Los Angeles.”
Protestor Manuel Trejo says, “I have a wife and kids. I would have to leave my children in Columbia and pay my fee and my wife’s fee to come and work; I would pay more than $20,000.”
Over 10,000 people took part in the march on Saturday from the intersection of Broadway and Olympic to Broadway and Spring St, where organizers and speakers addressed the crowd.
Director of Latino USA Movement Juan Jose Gutierrez said, “Immigrants are in the country to work, to put food on the table, pay taxes, contribute to the economy and be part of the culture… it’s time that this community be respected.
“President Bush’s proposition is ridiculous and unfair because it doesn’t guarantee the undocumented sector citizenship. Families would have to separate and many have been separated from their families by the raids and the excessive cost of visas.”
Apr
12
US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has announced a preliminary number of H-1B visa filings as the thousands of applications received at the beginning of April (02/03APR07) continue to be processed.
During those two days, USCIS received 133,000 H-1B petitions, 17,000 lower that the original estimate of 150,000 made by USCIS. The updated number of 133,000 was reached after the applications were physically counted.
To read more about this story, click here.
Apr
11
Q: Is it possible for me to marry an American citizen despite having a criminal record?
A: Yes, it is possible for someone to marry an American citizen and be admitted to the US with a green card, however it very much depends on the nature of the crime and whether there can be an adequate demonstration of rehabilitation. For example, a person may have a conviction for robbery, 20 years ago, but if there is no clear and convincing evidence of living an honest and decent life since that time then for all US immigration knows that person still might be a ‘bad’ person that simply has not been caught since.
As lawyers, we’d need to examine our client’s life and then see how we could successfully demonstrate that the applicant has lived an upstanding life since that time. It’s quite hard work but a well documented case is more likely to result in a positive outcome. I’ve certainly got an excellent testimonial where we were able to show a complete change of life for a client that had, many years ago had a string of convictions.
Apr
10
US Immigration Activists Plan Boycott
Filed Under Immigration News, US Citizenship | Leave a Comment
Immigration activists in Los Angeles are calling for a repeat of 2006’s marches and boycotts, where over one million people took to the streets in cities across the US to raise awareness of immigration rights for illegal immigrants.
The 2006 marches were in protest of tough federal legislation that would further criminalize illegal immigrants and fortify the U.S.-Mexico border.
2007’s boycott is being planned for May 01 (07), and is being organized by the March 25 Coalition, a group consisting of immigrant rights organizations and rally planners.
To read more about this story, click here.
Apr
9
Thousands Protest US Immigration Policies
Filed Under Citizenship, Immigration News | Leave a Comment
Thousands of protesters took to the streets of Los Angeles on Saturday (07APR07) to express their dissatisfaction with current US immigration policy.
The protesters marched from Broadway Ave. to Los Angeles City Hall, carrying American flags and banners demanding ‘Amnesty now.’
The protests come in the wake of an immigration reform bill that was leaked to the press last week, which indicates there may soon be a new ‘Z’ visa.
The ‘Z’ visa would allow undocumented workers to legally work for three years, costing $3,500 to renew each time they expired. Workers would have to return to their countries of origin and apply for the visa at the Embassy or Consulate after paying a fine of $10,000.
To read more about this story, click here.
Apr
6
Ask Chris: K1 Fiance Visa
Filed Under Ask Chris, K1 Fiancé (e) | Leave a Comment
Q: I want to marry a non-citizen. What type of visa do I need to bring my partner to the US?
A: The visa you require is the K1 fiancé(e) visa.
When it comes to these types of cases we have to work very hard to make sure that the entire history of the relationship is documented very carefully. Fifty per cent of all green card related cases based on marriage to a US Citizen are “fake marriages of convenience”. As a result, all green card related applications are deemed to be fake, subject to overwhelming proof to the contrary.
In order to catch the fake cases US immigration deliberately underplays the amount of documentation that will be required to make a good case, preferring to leave this to the attorneys to advise their clients. So although you have every right as a US citizen to bring your spouse into the country, great care must be taken with how the case is submitted. There must be no doubt whatsoever in the mind of the US immigration official that your case clearly demonstrates the true nature of your relationship. We work very closely with our clients to make sure that we get them through the process as smoothly as possible.
Apr
6
Ask Chris: Immigration and The E-2 Visa
Filed Under Ask Chris, E-2 Visa | Leave a Comment
Q: My partner and I wish to live and work in the US. Is it possible to come to the US on a H-1B visa at this point? If not, what are our options?
A: The H-1B visa might have been an option but there is a very small quota of 58,000 visas that are released each year. By late Monday afternoon (02APR07), US Immigration (USCIS) had already received 150,000 and are now running a lottery.
Even if you were able to get a H-1B visa, it is very limited as your spouse is not granted any right to work whatsoever. The E2 is a much better deal because the non-investing spouse can obtain an unrestricted work permit. Read more
Apr
5
Q: Can I get a work visa without a college degree?
A: As a non-graduate you would come under the 3rd preference. Even if you found an employer willing to sponsor you, US immigration is currently working applications that were filed on August 1st 2002. This means there is a backlog of five years. However if you had an MA, then the “C” class means that green cards are currently available and the wait would be about one year for processing.
The H-1B option is unlikely to work for you either, because the H-1B is only available to someone with 12 years progressive experience or if they have a BA and the job they are seeking requires a BA as a minimum entry level. Your best option is to see a good immigration lawyer who can discuss further options available to you (e.g the E-2 visa) in your efforts to relocate to the US.
Apr
5
Ask Chris: Short Term US Visas
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Q: Is it possible to live and work in the US for a short period of time?
A: Unfortunately, US Immigration does not provide visas for short-term working as in their experience this leads to aliens not returning to their own country at the end of the visa term. In order to work in the US you must have a visa that allows you to do so, and typically these visas are applied for through a US sponsor (employer) who will vouch for you and give an undertaking that at the end of your stay you’ll return home.
A better way to enter US would be to attend a local community college, these only require 12 hours per week attendance and after your year you can be granted a work permit to legally work for anyone for a year. During that time it’s quite possible that you could be hired by a sponsor.