July
2000 Newsletter
**U.S. IMMIGRATION NEWS**
July
1, 2000
Published
by:
ImmigrationLinks.com,
Inc.
“Your Immigration Link to the World”
Copyright
© 2000, ImmigrationLinks.com, Inc.
Email:
info@immigrationlinks.com
Internet:
www.immigrationlinks.com
How to Subscribe:
Write maillist@immigrationlinks.com
with "subscribe" in the subject of your e-mail.
How to Unsubscribe:
Write remove@immigrationlinks.com
with "REMOVE" in the subject of your e-mail.
You have
received this Newsletter because you requested to be added to our mailing list.
If at any time you wish your name removed, simply follow the instructions
above and your e-mail address will be removed.
************************************************************************
Disclaimer: This newsletter is provided for general
information only. It is NOT legal
advice, and should not be relied upon as such.
For legal services such as representation, please contact an attorney who
specializes in the area of Immigration Law, such as one of our attorney
“Service Providers” whose businesses are promoted on our site.
************************************************************************
Welcome to
ImmigrationLinks.com, Inc., “Your Immigration Link to the World”.
With the phenomenal growth of the Internet, nearly everything you need or
want to know about US Immigration law is available at the touch of a button.
We want to be at the forefront of this new technology and be able to
provide instantaneous news and information on the immigration topics that affect
those persons wishing to visit, live, or work in the United States.
One way is through our monthly newsletters.
The purpose of these newsletters is to provide useful and timely
information about immigration-related topics that affect persons who come in
contact with US Immigration laws. In
conjunction with our News, Immigration Hints & Tips, and Legal Research
pages, we want to provide you with extensive, up-to-date, and FREE information
on US immigration laws and procedures. Soon,
just about anything you need to prepare and process your immigration case will
be available online. This includes
access to immigration forms and information, as well as direct contact with
attorneys and other service providers. Our
goal is to be "The Portal Site"
for everything having to do with US immigration law. We want to provide you with every service possible to
increase your knowledge of the law and to make your online experience more
useful and rewarding. We are
constantly growing and expanding in order to meet your immigration needs.
How to Use Our Site?
- Immigration
News Page: To get the latest
immigration news, updated on a daily basis, go to this page.
We have thousands of news articles covering every type of immigration
petition or application. You
can download free immigration and state department forms, get the latest fee
schedules, list of immigration doctors, addresses and telephone numbers of
immigration offices, the latest priority dates, current processing times,
and much, much more. Check out
the “NEWS FLASH” area for late-breaking
immigration developments.
- Immigration
Hints & Tips Page: Get useful immigration hints and tips that will make the
filing of your immigration case easier and faster. Have access to
forms and sample briefs and legal memorandum especially prepared by
immigration attorneys that you can use with your applications.
Attorneys listed in The Best Lawyers in America have prepared many of
these documents.
- Immigration
Research Page: Go here to get
connected to thousands of public and private agencies and businesses related
to US immigration law. You will
have free access to copies of all of the immigration laws, all court
decisions, agency memos and field instructions, forms, addresses and
telephone numbers, and a lot more. We
are constantly adding new links. No
other immigration site has as many links as we have. (Feel free to look at all of our links and send us
suggestions for any others that you believe are important).
- Immigration
Services: These are the businesses
that provide valuable products and services to assist the immigrant
community. Let us promote your
company’s business on our site for as little as $25.00 per year.
You can also have our free banner placed on your business’s web
site as a service for your customers.
- Languages:
Spanish, French,
German, Italian, and Portuguese translations of our site are now
available. Simply click on the appropriate language button on our
Home Page. Other languages
coming in the future.
- New
Bulletin Board and Chat Room: Post your immigration questions on our Bulletin Board and get
answers from others who have faced the same types of problems.
Chat live online with others, including immigration law experts.
Tune in for other special features and programs.
- Other
Services: Sign up for our free monthly newsletter, including
urgent updates as necessary. Look
for free downloads of immigration materials including
specially prepared forms, articles, and insider tips written for
ImmigrationLinks.com by some of the finest immigration attorneys in the
country.
- Banner Exchange Program: If you have a web site and would like to exchange banner links with us, please send e-mail to info@immigrationlinks.com. We will contact you to discuss your site’s inclusion in our program.
**************************************************************************
AILA
Publishes 18 Position Papers
The American Immigration Lawyers’ Association has
published 18 position papers on various aspects of US Immigration Law.
Several of these papers include important points that we all need to
communicate to our Congressional Representatives so that they can correct many
of the harsh provisions contained in the Immigration Act of 1996.
These papers also contain useful information for those persons who simply
want to know more about US immigration law.
To view these documents see our “News Flash” area under
“Immigration News” on our site.
**************************************************************************
July
5th Deadline Approaching for
TPS Re-Registration for Honduras and Nicaragua
On May 5, 2000 INS extended the TPS designation for
Honduras and Nicaragua for one year, until July 5, 2001. The TPS re-registration period initially was to be only one
month, to expire on June 12, 2000. INS
extended the re-registration until July 5, 2000. INS must physically receive all
extension applications by the close of business July 5, 2000.
Therefore, mailing by overnight mail is strongly encouraged.
Employment authorization validity is automatically extended to December
5, 2000 for all properly submitted applications.
**************************************************************************
Top
Immigration Attorneys Answer Your Immigration Questions for FREE
ImmigrationLinks.com
is pleased to announce that some of the
top immigration attorneys in the country will be answering your “general”
immigration questions for free on our “Bulletin Board” page. Our guest
moderators this month will be Nadim Saleeby and Anis N.
Saleh, two outstanding
immigration practitioners in Miami, Florida.
Post your questions on our bulletin board and Messers. Saleeby and Saleh
will answer them during the month of July.
We plan on having guest attorneys available to
answer your questions at least once a month. This service, as are all other services on our site, is
completely free. We
hope you will take this opportunity to ask the questions that are important to
you.
*************************************************************
Texas Service Center Sends 7,000 I-485
Applications
to California Service Center for Fee Processing
(Delays in Travel and Work Permits Expected)
The Texas Service Center has advised that approximately
7,000 I-485 applications were recently forwarded from the TSC to the California
Service Center for fee receipt processing pursuant to INS headquarters
instructions. The cases were transferred because of budgetary issues with
contractors. TSC liaisons have confirmed that these applications and the EAD
applications submitted therewith are now being returned to the TSC for
adjudication.
The TSC recognizes that the transfer of these cases between the Service Centers
may cause difficulty for some aliens needing to travel or maintain the
continuity of lawful employment authorization.
Persons with applications for work or travel permits beyond the normal 75 day
processing times should contact the SSC for expedited processing.
************************************************************
INS To Continue Parole Policy in Lieu
of VWPP
As we reported in April, the visa waiver pilot program has
expired and has not yet been renewed by Congress. Therefore, INS has extended for another month its policy of
paroling into the US individuals who would otherwise be eligible for the VWPP.
It is expected that Congress will act on extending the program sometime
within the next 30 days.
************************************************************
AILA
Press Release on Immigration Position
of Presidential Candidate George Bush
IMMIGRATION LAWYERS: GOOD FIRST STEP BY BUSH,
BUT WHAT IS TO FOLLOW?
June 27, 2000
WASHINGTON, DC -- The American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA), the national voluntary association of more than 6,000 attorneys who practice immigration law, today hailed as a good first step Texas Governor George W. Bush’s comments about reorganizing the Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS).
Speaking
yesterday before the League of United Latin American Citizens, the Texas
Governor and presumptive Republican presidential candidate said he supports
legislation to divide the INS into two agencies dealing with enforcement and
adjudications, respectively. Under Governor Bush’s proposal, the agencies
would be headed by an Associate Attorney General for Immigration Affairs, who
would supervise enforcement and adjudications, and ensure that there is a single
consistent legal and policy approach to immigration. AILA endorses separating,
but coordinating, INS enforcement and adjudications, having a single person in
charge who has the clout to set national immigration policy, and adequately
funding both enforcement and adjudications.
“We
are pleased that Governor Bush recognizes that the U.S. needs a single person in
charge of both the enforcement and adjudications functions. We call on him to
endorse our remaining two INS reorganization principles: along with separating
the functions, coordinating the
enforcement and adjudication arms; and ensuring that both agencies receive
adequate funding to perform their equally important functions,” said Jeanne A.
Butterfield, AILA’s Executive Director.
There
are two competing INS reorganization bills in Congress. One, introduced by
Senators Spencer Abraham (R-MI) and Edward Kennedy (D-MA), meets all three AILA
principles noted above. The other bill, sponsored by Representatives Hal Rogers
(R-KY), Lamar Smith (R-TX) and Silvestre Reyes (D-TX), meet none of those
criteria. While Governor Bush declined to endorse a specific bill, his chief
spokesman noted that, “There are no differences between the Governor’s bill
and Senator Abraham’s bill.”
Given
those comments, Butterfield noted: “It is now time for the recalcitrant
Republicans in the House of Representatives to get behind their Party’s
presidential nominee and support INS reorganization that can work. They should
join with Governor Bush and support the Abraham-Kennedy measure.”
While
AILA applauds Governor Bush’s comments on INS reorganization, and his support
for increasing the number of H-1B visas, Butterfield said that the probable
Republican presidential nominee needs to address other important immigration
issues.
“Before immigrant voters can support him, Governor Bush
needs to take a position on these vitally important immigration issues:
restoration of Section 245(i), which would allow eligible people to apply for
green cards here, rather than having to return to their home countries; NACARA
parity, thereby treating people from similar circumstances similarly; and
changing the registry date, which would allow long-term residents to adjust
their status, as the United States has done six times since 1929. Once he speaks
out on those issues, immigrants, their supporters and advocates then can
determine that he is a different kind of Republican,” Butterfield said.
************************************************************
EOIR
Final Rule Regarding Practice of Attorneys
Before the BIA and the Immigration Courts
The Executive Office for Immigration Review has published a final rule, which addresses practice before the INS, provides for investigation of complaints and sanctions against attorneys, and makes the BIA the reviewing body for decisions relating to infractions before the EOIR. The rule does not extend to government attorneys. (65 FR 39513, 6/27/00). For a copy of the complete rule, click here.
************************************************************
INS
Issues New H Supplement Form
(Form Would Require Beneficiary Signature)
A new version of the H supplement to Form I-129 would require the signature of the beneficiary, as well as the petitioner, attesting to the accuracy of the materials submitted with respect to the beneficiary (click here to see a copy of the form--in pdf format). The timing for implementation of this form has not yet been announced.
The American Immigration Lawyers Association has filed objections to certain requirements contained on the form. These include the logistical problems involved in obtaining such a signature, as well as the legal implications for an individual who signs an attestation with respect to a filing made by someone else. To see the AILA comments, click here.
************************************************************
NEW
I-485 FORM ISSUED BY INS
A new version of INS Form I-485 (Application for Adjustment of Status) is now in effect. The new form can be found at the INS website at:
http://www.ins.usdoj.gov/graphics/formsfee/forms/files/i-485.pdf.
The INS is currently working on a field memo stating that
it will continue to accept the old version of the form until the end of the
year. The memo will be published on
our site as soon as it is released by INS.
***********************************************************
For up-to-date information and current
immigration news, check our News Page at http://www.immigrationlinks.com/newslink.htm
**********************************************************************
Thank you for taking the time to read through this
month's mailing. We hope you have picked up at least a few important pointers.
Please feel free to send us your immigration-related article that you want us to
include in our next monthly mailing. Click
here for instructions. Your
article will be sent out at the beginning of next month to all of our
subscribers, and it can be viewed online by millions of prospective immigration
applicants around the world.
We would also like to hear from anyone who has had either
a positive or negative experience with the US Immigration Service, Immigration
Court, or a US Consulate, as we would like to share these thoughts with our
readers. Appropriate articles will
be published in our monthly newsletters. We
do need your name and e-mail address in order to obtain additional information
if necessary, however this information will not be disclosed without your
specific consent.
As mentioned above, there are many proposals currently
before Congress that will restore rights and benefits that were taken away under
the 1996 law. It is important that
everyone contact their Senators and Representatives to let them know that we
want fairness and justice when dealing with those seeking to join their family
members, or prospective employers, in the United States.
With your help, the rights of immigrants and their family members will be
greatly enhanced.
The entire staff of ImmigrationLinks.com
would like to take this opportunity to wish all of you the best in dealing with
your immigration case.
***********************************************************************
How to Subscribe:
Write maillist@immigrationlinks.com
with "subscribe" in the subject of your e-mail.
How to Unsubscribe:
Write remove@immigrationlinks.com
with "remove" in the subject of your e-mail. **
**If
you do not unsubscribe in this way you may not be removed from the newsletter
list**
