Emergency Federal Law Enforcement Assistance
ICE notice of an additional 30-day comment request on the extension of the validity of the Emergency Federal Law Enforcement Assistance information collection, File No. OMB-6.
Form I-352, Immigration Bond
ICE notice of an additional 30-day comment request on the extension of the validity of Form I-352, Immigration Bond.
U.S. refugee resettlement assistance
A 1/4/11 Congressional Research Service (CRS) report on U.S. refugee resettlement assistance includes a discussion of existing resettlement assistance programs, key challenges and issues in providing effective assistance, and policy options to reform the current system. Central America refugees Refugee travel document Refugees Form G-646 regarding refugees
Foreign-born population residing in the U.S.
A 1/18/11 Congressional Research Service (CRS) report presenting information and data on key geographic, demographic, social, and economic characteristics and trends of the foreign-born population residing in the U.S. that is relevant to prominent immigration policy issues.
New on-line appointment system for Consulates in Mexico
Reports that the new on-line appointment system for consulates in Mexico is not working.
Eligibility Guidance for members of the National Guard to Naturalize
USCIS 1/27/11 interim memo for comment providing field guidance on the eligibility for members of the National Guard to naturalize under section 329 of the INA.
Strengthening the Legal Immigration System
DHS remarks by Secretary Janet Napolitano on the overall state of our homeland security, including major initiatives involving border security and immigration in the coming year, such as strengthening the legal immigration system, and rolling out E-Verify “Self Check.”
TPS Applicants ineligible for certain grounds of inadmissibility
USCIS draft memo for comment clarifying that applicants for Temporary Protected Status (TPS) cannot be found ineligible for certain grounds of inadmissibility.
President Obama’s plan to fix our broken Immigration System
White House fact sheet released after the 2011 State of the Union Address on President Obama’s plan to win the future by fixing our broken immigration system.
FY2011 cap for H-1B petition has been reached
USCIS updated its count of FY2011 cap-subject H-1B petitions and advanced degree cap-exempt petitions receipted. As of 1/26/11, the FY2011 cap-subject H-1B petition cap has been reached. USCIS has receipted more than 20,000 H-1B petitions for aliens with advanced degrees.
Beta-testing VIBE
USCIS announcement that the agency is beta-testing the web-based Validation Instrument for Business Enterprises (VIBE), and petitioners may begin seeing VIBE-related Requests for Evidence.
Guidance on the implementation of increased fees
USCIS 1/18/11 policy memo providing guidance on the implementation of increased fees for certain H-1B and L-1 petitions under Public Law 111-230. L-1 meaning The H-1B and L-1 L-1 petitions L-1 approved
H-1B Cap for FY2011
USCIS announces that it has received a sufficient number of H-1B petitions to reach the statutory cap of 65,000 visas for fiscal year 2011 since the filing window opened on April 1 last year.
Requests to expedite adjudication of Form I-601
USCIS draft memorandum on requests to expedite adjudication of Form I-601, Application for Waiver of Grounds of Inadmissibility, filed by individuals outside the U.S. Form I-601 I-601 meaning I-601 petitions Our Immigration Law Firm
Decision on Review of Sua Sponte Reopening
The court held that the Supreme Court decision, Kucana v. Holder, did not change the court’s holding in Ekimian v. INS that there is no sufficiently meaningful standard to allow court review of sua sponte reopening. (Mejia-Hernandez v. Holder, 1/27/11)