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Should I Submit My Original Immigration Documents to USCIS?

A common question that individuals have is whether it is necessary to submit original immigration documents to the immigration agency when applying for immigration benefits. Many individuals just assume that it is necessary to submit originals.

But that is not the case. In almost all cases, a COPY OF AN IMMIGRATION DOCUMENT is the only …

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How Many People Naturalize Each Year?

Have you ever wondered how many people naturalize each year? The following chart provides naturalization data for the last ten fiscal years. What should be noted is that so many other permanent residents are eligible to naturalize, but do not.

Total Naturalized Citizens: Fiscal Years 2001-2010 2010 675,967 2005 604,280 2009 743,715 2004 537,151 2008 …

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USCIS Issues Preliminary Template For EB-1 Decisions

The USCIS recently released a preliminary template for its adjudicators to follow when deciding EB-1 decisions. The release was made to allow EB-1-1 practitioners the opportunity to comment on the revised template before it became final.

The USCIS decided to review and revise its process for granting EB-1-1 visa decisions following a 9th Circuit Court …

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I-9 Audits Fines Increase 1000% In Two Years

In the last two years the amount of fines that have been levied against American employers who have not complied with I-9 requirements have risen from .7 million to 7 million dollars. The amount of I-9 fines is expected to continue to rise as the number of company audits also continue to rise. Last year, …

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2011 Poverty Guidelines Released: I-864 Affidavit of Support and I-134 Affidavit of Support

Overview: The US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) recently published its poverty guidelines for 2011. These guidelines determine the level of support needed for the I-864 affidavit of support and the I-134 affidavit of support.

What is the I-864, Affidavit of Support?

The I-864 affidavit of support is required for certain family-based immigration …

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H-1B Happenings: GAO Report and Questioning H-1B Fee Legality

The remaining H-1B visas that are available for the year are quickly dwindling. Most likely they will be completely gone within the first week or two of February. As this years H-1Bs reach exhaustion, it is a useful time to step back and look at the H-1b program in general. Two recent reports do just …

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ICE Updates Secure Communities List

The Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agency has released an updated list of the counties in the United States who are participating in the Secure Communities Program. Secure Communities was developed by the Federal government to rout out “bad apple” immigrants who were in the United States without current authorization. However, as numerous …

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Two New York Counties Join Secure Communities

The first two counties in New York State have joined the Secure Communities Program. Secure Communities is the federal program that requires local police to report foreign nationals to the Immigration & Customs Enforcement Agency if the local police cannot determine the person’s immigration status. The counties will be checking the status of all individuals …

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USCIS Implements Help Haiti Act of 2010

The USCIS has implemented the Help Haiti Act of 2010. The Act allows the USCIS to grant permanent residency to certain Haitian orphans who were paroled into the United States following the earthquake in Haiti last year. For more information, please visit the USCIS website.

DOS Introduces New Citizenship Certificate

The Department of State has introduced a new Citizenship Certificate for U.S. citizens who are born abroad and who gained citizenship at the time of their birth. The new certificate is meant to further prevent forgeries and counterfeits from being successfully used. The certificates are issued by U.S. embassies and consulates abroad. A slight change …

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Will Governor Cuomo Continue Immigration Pardon Panel?

Governor Cuomo has been in office for less than a week and already he is being asked whether he will continue the immigration pardon panel that Governor Paterson created last year.

Last year, Governor Paterson created the immigration pardon panel to review the cases of immigrants who faced automatic removal from the United States following …

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Gov. Paterson Clarifies New York Secure Communities Program

In one of his last days in office, Governor Paterson entered into an agreement meant to clarify the purpose of the New York Secure Communities program.

Secure Communities is a federal program that requires local police to share the fingerprints of everyone arrested with immigration officials. The purpose of Secure Communities is to remove dangerous …

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USCIS Proposes Pre-Registration for H-1B Registration

The USCIS has proposed that it will create a mechanism that will allow companies interested in obtaining the H-1B visa to “pre-register” before the H-1B Cap Date (on April 1st each year). If enacted, the proposal will limit the expense of both the USCIS and employers.

Currently, H-1B employers must complete a full petition before …

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Haitian Deportations To Resume This Month

The New York Times is reporting that the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agency is planning to resume its removal of Haitians from the United States. Following the January 2010 earthquake in Haiti, the U.S. government stopped Haitian removals and deportations because of the conditions in Haiti.

The U.S. government has indicated that the Haitians …

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