Articles Posted in Immigration News

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We wanted to find a new way to engage our reader base. Every other Friday, we will post the ten (10) best/most frequently asked questions received during the week from our h1bvisalawyerblog, Facebook, and Twitter readers. We will answer those questions and provide the Q&A on our H-1B Visa Lawyer Blog.

If you have a burning question, are seeking assistance with a difficult immigration related case, wish to discuss your views on Comprehensive Immigration Reform, DREAMers, Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, priority dates, the monthly visa bulletin, adjustment applications, etc., please contact us by submitting your question/comment/viewpoint in our comment box provided on our H-1B Visa Lawyer Blog.

Our next “Q & A Forum” will take place this Friday, September 27, 2013. Act now and submit your questions!

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Annually, the United States government issues a maximum of 50,000 green cards through a computer-generated random lottery drawing. Applications for the DV-2015 random lottery will be accepted from noon (EDT) Tuesday, October 1, 2013 through noon (EDT) Saturday, November 2, 2013. Paper entries will not be accepted, eligible participants may access the electronic Diversity Visa entry form (E-DV) to apply during this period. Early entry is recommended and they strongly encourage applicants not to wait until the last week of the registration period to enter!

These green cards are only available to those eligible participants from countries with low rates of immigration to the United States. Please check the “INSTRUCTIONS FOR THE 2015 DIVERSITY IMMIGRANT VISA PROGRAM (DV-2015)” for the complete list of countries/areas whose natives are eligible for DV-2015.

Natives of the following countries are not eligible to apply because the countries sent a total of more than 50,000 immigrants to the U.S. in the previous five years: Bangladesh, Brazil, Canada, China (mainland-born), Colombia, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Haiti, India, Jamaica, Mexico, Nigeria, Pakistan, Peru, Philippines, South Korea, United Kingdom (except Northern Ireland) and its dependent territories, and Vietnam. Also, persons born in Hong Kong SAR, Macau SAR, and Taiwan are eligible. A notable change in eligibility for DV-2015, natives of Nigeria are no longer eligible.

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Processing Time reports for all of the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Service (USCIS) Service Centers were released on 9/17/13 with processing dates as of 7/31/13.

If you filed a petition with one of the Service Centers, please review the links below to determine the applicable processing time associated with your particular case.

California Service Center

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These USCIS statistics on DACA cases from 8/15/12 to 8/31/13 show a total of 567,563 DACA requests accepted for processing, 555,958 biometric services appointments scheduled, 455,455 requests approved, and 9,578 requests have been denied.

The data also shows the number of accepted and approved requests from the top countries of origin and the top states of residence. Mexico was the top county of origin with 433,318 received to date and 350,056 approved. California was the top state of residence with 161,624 received to date and 134,857 approved.

View the (.PDF) USCIS Report, “Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals Process (August, 2013)”

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MVP Law Group, P.A. makes available the information and materials in this forum for informational purposes only. The information is general in nature and does not constitute legal advice or any contractual obligations. Further, the use of this site, and the sending or receipt of this information, does not create an attorney-client relationship between us. Therefore, your communication with us through this forum will not be considered as privileged or confidential.

Question #1- Family Based Immigration

I was married to a U.S. citizen for 4.5 years. Seven months ago, my husband passed. We were not separated and were living together at the time of his death. Neither of us filed an immigrant application during our marriage. May I still file an immediate relative immigration petition based on my marriage to my deceased U.S. citizen husband?

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The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) released a News Alert (9/6/13) stating that the statutory maximum of 10,000 U nonimmigrant petitions (U Visas) for FY2013 has been reached. This is the 4th year in a row that this maximum cap has been reached before the end of the fiscal year. USCIS will continue to accept U visa petitions! USCIS will process them in the order received at the beginning of FY2014, which starts October 1, 2013, at that point the U Visa cap of 10,000 will open again.

The U nonimmigrant status (U Visa) is set aside for victims of crimes who have suffered substantial mental or physical abuse and are willing to assist law enforcement and government officials in the investigation or prosecution of the criminal activity. Note that a U-Visa petition requires certification of assistance from law enforcement.

Source of Information:

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We wanted to find a new way to engage our reader base. Every other Friday, we will post the ten (10) best/most frequently asked questions received during the week from our h1bvisalawyerblog, Facebook, and Twitter readers. We will answer those questions and provide the Q&A on our H-1B Visa Lawyer Blog.

If you have a burning question, are seeking assistance with a difficult immigration related case, wish to discuss your views on Comprehensive Immigration Reform, DREAMers, Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, priority dates, the monthly visa bulletin, adjustment applications, etc., please contact us by submitting your question/comment/viewpoint in our comment box provided on our H-1B Visa Lawyer Blog.

Our next “Q & A Forum” will take place this Friday, September 13, 2013. Act now and submit your questions!

Continue reading

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The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) have issued a bulletin reminding Iraqis Nationals that the U.S. government’s authorization for their Special Immigrant Visa (SIV) program will expire on September 30, 2013. This SIV program was setup for Iraqis Nationals who worked for or on behalf of the U.S. government in Iraq. Individuals and their family members applying under this program must be admitted to the U.S. or adjust status before October 1, 2013.

The U.S. Embassy in Iraq’s website states, “We recognize that many who have been employed or worked on behalf of the U.S. government in Iraq, and their families, face real threats as a result of their U.S. government affiliation. We take these threats, and the concerns of those who work with us, very seriously and we are committed to providing them with the benefits for which they are legally eligible.”

For more information on the Iraq SIV program, please check the USCIS website or call their National Customer Service Center at 1-800-375-5283. You can also find other useful information about the Iraq SIV program on the U.S Embassy in Iraq’s website.

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MVP Law Group, P.A. makes available the information and materials in this forum for informational purposes only. The information is general in nature and does not constitute legal advice or any contractual obligations. Further, the use of this site, and the sending or receipt of this information, does not create an attorney-client relationship between us. Therefore, your communication with us through this forum will not be considered as privileged or confidential.

Question #1 – Employment Based – Green Card

My PERM application is in BALCA Review. I would like to withdraw my current petition and go for a new petition. Is there any defined period for me to withdraw my PERM petition from BALCA? Kindly clarify

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The Immigration Advocates Network (IAN), the American Immigration Council (AIC) and the American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA) launched a new mobile app for your smartphone called, “Pocket DACA.” This app is designed to help undocumented immigrants brought to this country as children understand the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) process.

“Pocket DACA” includes:

  • DACA Screening – An online interview to see if you qualify for DACA; takes less than 5 minutes!
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