Significant drop in naturalizations in 2010

The total number of people over the age of 18 who became U.S. citizens in fiscal year 2010 was 619,913. According to the Bureau of Immigration Data, of that number, people from Mexico performed the largest number of naturalizations in the U.S. One notable thing about the recently released report is that there has been a large ... Read more

Registration period for H-1B visas now open

Beginning tomorrow, April 1, applications for H-1B visas for fiscal year 2012 will begin to be accepted. The number of visas available is 65,000. This number does not include the first 20,000 petitions submitted on behalf of individuals who hold graduate degrees obtained in the U.S. The acceptance date for H-1B visas is April 1, ... Read more

Confusion about visas for same-sex couples

Immigration authorities on Monday hinted that decisions on immigration cases involving same-sex couples would be postponed. But today, a spokesman for the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) told reporters that after a legal review by Department of Homeland Security attorneys, it was concluded that the law prohibiting gay and lesbian couples from ... Read more

Complaint against USCIS for delays affecting thousands of Salvadorans

Salvadoran immigrants covered by Temporary Protected Status (TPS) continue to not receive Employment Authorization Documents from the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), putting them in a precarious situation. In some cases harming them, preventing them from applying for or remaining in their jobs, or having ... Read more

LAPD changes policy on impounding cars of unlicensed drunk drivers

The Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) announced that it has made revisions to its vehicle impoundment protocols during sobriety checkpoint operations. Now, individuals identified by police as driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs (DUI) who do not have a driver's license will be given the opportunity to stop their vehicles and ... Read more

Salvadorans to receive provisional employment documents

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) reported today that it sent approximately 4,500 provisional Employment Authorization Documents to Salvadorans under Temporary Protected Status (TPS) while their applications for TPS re-registration are being processed and a final decision is being made. Beneficiaries should receive the provisional documents ... Read more

Alert: Visa Lottery Fraud

Scammers posing as U.S. government representatives are sending fraudulent emails and letters to applicants for the Diversity Visa program, known as the "visa lottery". These emails and letters tell people that they are winners of a diversity visa, but they are a scam intended to trick them into buying a ... Read more

ICE to audit 1,000 companies in search of undocumented immigrants

Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) reported that it will inspect the documents of more than 1,000 U.S. companies to verify whether their employees are working legally in the country. This action is part of a strong campaign that the federal government has embarked on against businesses suspected of hiring undocumented workers. Last month I reported that ICE ... Read more

New reinstatement cards for select group issued

The United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced that it has begun issuing new employment and travel authorization cards in one document. These new cards are only issued to certain individuals who have filed Applications to Register Permanent Residence or Adjust Status, i.e., the "green card", which ... Read more

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