If you want green card lottery and diversity visa DV-2004 come to us.

Immigration News
Visa Bulletin
CA Processing Dates
VisaXPres™
ConsultXPres™
Guest Book
Home
Suggest This Site
Useful Links
Useful Definitions
Apply Now!!!
Application Status
FAQ's
Consumer Alert
Lottery Results
Lottery Winners
Section 203 C
Requirements
Testimonials

DV-2004 NEW DEADLINE ANNOUNCED! : NEW RULES APPLY--- REGISTER FOR THE GREEN CARD LOTTERY NOW-DO NOT BE LATE!

When I receive your letter, I was very happy. I can't describe how I feel but now I know that National Visa Registry is the best one in the United States of America and I thank you for all. ---- Nabil Bouraeda - Media, Morocco I didn't expect to win the DV-2002 but when I had been notified by NVR I just felt Glad. So, I am very thankful to NVR for their assistance. I would advise them to try their luck and of course recommend them to register with NVR. ---- Jurate Hassan - Dembava, Lithuania

Immigration News:

07-24-2002 - Proposed Procedures for Verifying the Identity of Individuals Seeking to Open Financial Accounts:
The Treasury Dept., together with seven financial regulators, issued proposed rules that would require financial institutions to establish minimum procedures for identifying and verifying the identity of customers seeking to open financial accounts. 'Non-U.S. persons' would need to provide an identification number from a govt-issued document. (67 FR 48290, 48299, 48306, 48318, 48328 7/23/02). See the individual notices under PDF Resources to the right.

07-24-2002 - Age-Out Protection Bill Cleared for President’s Signature:
The House of Representatives, on July 22, approved and cleared for the President legislation that addresses the problem of minor children losing their eligibility for certain immigration benefits as a result of INS processing delays. The Senate previously amended and approved the measure on June 13. Under current law, a child’s eligibility to receive a visa or be part of his or her parent’s application is based on the child’s age at the time that the alien relative petition is approved, not the time the petition is filed. Because of enormous backlogs and processing delays, many children turn 21 before the INS adjudicates the petition. In such cases, the child “ages-out” and is ineligible to receive an immediate relative visa or is no longer considered to be part of the parent’s application. The child’s petition is either automatically moved to a lower preference category or the child is required to submit his or her own petition, resulting in years of delays and possible ineligibility.

The “Child Status Protection Act” (H.R. 1209), sponsored by Representatives George Gekas (R-PA) and Sheila Jackson Lee (D-TX), and subsequently broadened and improved by Senate legislation (S. 672) sponsored by Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-CA), provides that the determination of whether an unmarried alien son or daughter of a U.S. citizen is considered an “immediate relative child” (under 21 years of age) will be based on the age of the alien at the time the Petition for Alien Relative (Form I-130) is filed on his or her behalf, rather than on the date the petition is adjudicated, as is the case under current law. The legislation makes similar determinations in the case of permanent resident parents who subsequently naturalize after having filed petitions for their sons or daughters and citizen parents who file petitions for married sons or daughters where such sons or daughters later divorce. In the former situation, the age determination will be made at the time of the parents’ naturalization. In the latter, the alien beneficiary’s age will be determined as of the date of his or her divorce.

For the children of legal permanent residents, or those who are accompanying or following to join on a petition for an immigrant visa, their eligibility will be determined based on the date that a visa becomes available to them, but only if they seek to acquire permanent resident status within one year of such availability. In addition, the legislation provides age-out protection to alien children who accompany or follow to join parents who have filed for asylum or refugee status. Finally, Section 6 of the bill provides that the family-sponsored petition of an unmarried alien son or daughter whose permanent resident parent subsequently becomes a naturalized U.S. citizen will be converted to a petition for an unmarried son or daughter of a U.S. citizen, unless the son or daughter elects otherwise.

President Bush is expected to sign the legislation in the near future.

07-24-2002 - State and Local Law Enforcement Officers Could Enforce Immigration Laws Under New Rule:
SUMMARY: This rule implements section 103(a)(8) of the Immigration and Nationality Act (Act), which permits the Attorney General to authorize any State or local law enforcement officer, with the consent of the head of the department, agency, or establishment under whose jurisdiction the individual is serving, to perform or exercise certain powers, privileges, or duties of officers or employees of the Immigration or Naturalization Service (INS or Service) during the period of a declared ``mass influx of aliens.'' This rule provides a cooperative process by which State or local governments can agree to place authorized State or local law enforcement officers under the direction of the INS in exercising Federal immigration enforcement authority whenever the Attorney General determines that such assistance is necessary during a declared mass influx of aliens.
This rule allows the Commissioner of the INS to enter into advance written ``contingency agreements'' with State or local law enforcement officials to explain the terms and conditions (including the reimbursement of expenses) under which State or local law enforcement officers can exercise Federal immigration enforcement authority during a declared mass influx of aliens. The rule also ensures that appropriate notifications are made to Congress and the Administration.
Finally, this rule is necessary to ensure that the Service, in conjunction and coordination with State or local governments, can respond in an expeditious manner to urgent and quickly developing events during a declared mass influx of aliens to protect public safety, public health, and national security, while ensuring that performance of duties under this special authorization is cognizant of, and consistent with, constitutional and civil rights protections.

DATES: This final rule is effective August 23, 2002.

07-23-2002 - INS Seeks Comments on Extension of Current Form I-9:

ACTION: 60-day notice of information collection under review; Employment Eligibility Verification; Form I-9.

The Department of Justice, Immigration and Naturalization Service has submitted the following information collection request for review and clearance in accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995. The proposed information collection is published to obtain comments from the public and affected agencies. Comments are encouraged and will be accepted for sixty days until September 23, 2002.
Written comments and suggestions from the public and affected agencies concerning the proposed collection of information should address one or more of the following four points:
(1) Evaluate whether the proposed collection of information is necessary for the proper performance of the functions of the agency, including whether the information will have practical utility;
(2) Evaluate the accuracy of the agencies estimate of the burden of the proposed collection of information, including the validity of the methodology and assumptions used;
(3) Enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the information to be collected; and
(4) Minimize the burden of the collection of information on those who are to respond, including through the use of appropriate automated, electronic, mechanical, or other technological collection techniques or other forms of information technology, e.g., permitting electronic submission of responses.
Overview of this information collection:
(1) Type of Information Collection: Extension of currently approved collection.
(2) Title of the Form/Collection: Employment Eligibility Verification.
Agency form number, if any, and the applicable component of the Department of Justice sponsoring the collection: Form I-9. Immigration Services Division, Immigration and Naturalization Service.
(4) Affected public who will be asked or required to respond, as well as a brief abstract: Primary: Individuals or households. This form was developed to facilitate compliance with Section 274A of the Immigration and Nationality Act, as amended by the Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986, which prohibits the knowing employment of unauthorized aliens. The information collected is used by employers or by recruiters for enforcement of provisions of immigration laws that are designed to control the employment of unauthorized aliens.
(5) An estimate of the total number of respondents and the amount of time estimated for an average respondent to respond: 78,000,000 responses at 9 minutes (.15 hours) per response and 20,000,000 record keepers at 4 minutes (0.66 hours) per response.
(6) An estimate of the total public burden (in hours) associated with the collection: 13,020,000 annual burden hours.

07-17-2002 - INS Releases on TPS Extension for Salvadorans: DOJ granted a 12-month extension of Temporary Protective Status (TPS) for eligible El Salvadorans. This TPS extension, which covers more than 260,000 Salvadoran registrants, is effective 9/9/02 and remains in effect until 9/9/03. The validity of relevant EADs has been extended until 3/9/03.

07-17-2002 - INS Releases on SEVIS Preliminary Enrollment: INS announced the start of INS approved schools' preliminary enrollment period, using the Student and Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS), to accept foreign students. The preliminary enrollment period will remain open until at least 8/16/02. Click on the links below to view the INS News Release, and Fact Sheet that describes the preliminary enrollment process step-by-step.

07-16-2002- INS to Hold Public Meeting on Asylum Agreement with Canad: The Immigration and Naturalization Service (Service) and the Department of State (DOS) are engaged in formal negotiations with the Canadian government to enter into an agreement that would limit the access of asylum seekers, under appropriate circumstances, to the system of only one of the two countries (safe third-country agreement). The purpose of this notice

07-11-2002 - Federal Register Notice Extends TPS, EAD Validity : The INS has issued a formal notice in the Federal Register extending the designation of El Salvador under the Temporary Protected Status (TPS) Program for another 12 months, though 09/09/03. The notice also extends through 03/09/03 the employment authorization documents (EADs) of re-registrants, pending receipt of their new EADs.

07-10-2002 - INS on St. Cyr and Accrual of Lawful Unrelinquished Domicile: In January or February 2002, INS General Counsel's Office sent an e-mail to all District Counsels advising them that INS will no longer require LPRs to have seven years of lawful unrelinquished domicile at the time of the plea in order to be eligible to apply for 212(c) under St. Cyr. The General Counsel's Office has not made this directive public to date. Assistant District Counsels have continued to oppose 212(c) on this ground, despite the General Counsel's announcement.

07-10-2002 - Text of the ‘SAFER’ Act (H.R. 5013), Sweeping Restrictionist Legislation Introduced by Rep. Gekas: The text of the ‘Securing America’s Future through Enforcement Reform (SAFER) Act’ (H.R. 5013) is now available. The legislation, sponsored by House Immigration Subcommittee Chairman George Gekas (R-PA) would make sweeping changes to our immigration laws, and contains many provisions that top the ‘wish lists’ of the various restrictionist groups nationwide.

07-10-2002 - Justice Department Extends TPS for Nationals of EL Salvador: The Justice Department (DOJ), on 7/9/02, announced an extension of the TPS designation for El Salvador for a period of 12 months, until 9/9/03. To prevent gaps in employment authorization while new employment authorization documents (EADs) are being processed, the DOJ is also extending the validity of current EADs for qualified re-registrants until 3/9/02.

07-09-2002 - Proposed Rule Would Provide for Adjustment of Status for Certain Indochinese Parolees: A 7/9/02 proposed rule would implement § 586 of PL 106-429 to provide for the adjustment of status of certain nationals of Vietnam, Cambodia, and Laos who were paroled into the U.S. before 10/1/97 and who are otherwise eligible to receive an immigrant visa. Comments to the proposed rule are due by 9/9/02.

SUBJECT: American Hospitality Academy - Loss of Program Status

1. Department has been contacted by several posts and other interested parties concerning the revocation of American Hospitality Academy's (AHA) J-1 training program. Posts should be aware that while the AHA training program (P-4-5752) has been revoked, AHA retains a summer work/travel program (P-3-5811) which is still in effect.

2. Note: AHA was designated under the name Resort Recreation and Tourism Management (RR&TM), and as RR&TM it applied for and obtained designation to administer two exchange programs, a summer work/travel program and a training program. The organization changed its name to American Hospitality Academy, and submitted a request and supporting documentation to change the name under which the training program operated to American Hospitality Academy (AHA). Although the organization never submitted a request with supporting documentation (Articles of Incorporation, By-laws, etc.) to change the name of the summer work/travel program from RR&TM to AHA, conoffs may accept paperwork and language on the IAP-66/DS-2019 stating either "Resort Recreation and Tourism Management" or "American Hospitality Academy" for the summer work/travel program, P-3-5811 only. End note.

3. No new J-1 visas should be issued for AHA's training program number P-4-5752. Department has been advised that individuals already admitted to the U.S. under this program will be permitted to complete their authorized stay in the U.S. Any exchange visitor who is currently participating in AHA's training program remains in status to include the benefit of automatic revalidation of nonimmigrant visas authorized under 22 CFR 41.112(d). Any exchange visitor who leaves the United States for a brief departure to contiguous territory or the adjacent islands and seeks to reenter the United States is to be considered admissible if their visa, passport and Form IAP-66/DS-2019 are still valid.

4. AHA/RR&TM's summer work/travel program (P-3-5811) remains in effect. Posts are reminded that summer work/travel programs permit foreign post-secondary students to enter the U.S. to work and travel for a maximum of four months during their summer vacations. While most participants enter the U.S. with pre-arranged employment, sponsors are required to place only 50 percent of their participants each year. Participants can work anywhere except as domestic help in U.S. households, in positions requiring them to invest their own money for inventory, such as door-to-door sales, in clinical situations or as camp counselors. They may, however, work at summer camps as support staff -- kitchen duties, maintenance, security, etc.

5. Minimize considered.

07-08-2002 - Expedited Naturalization for Active Duty Service Members: A July 3, 2002 Executive Order allows noncitizens serving in active duty status in the U.S. Armed Forces, during the period starting 9/11/01 and ending when so ordered by the President, to be eligible for naturalization under INA section 329. That provision waives certain requirements for naturalization, including the residence and physical presence requirements.

06/27/2002 - Gekas Announces Restrictionist Immigration Bill
House Immigration Subcommittee Chair Gekas announces introduction of legislation to radically restrict immigration.

WASHINGTON, DC-Congressman George W. Gekas (R-Pa.), chairman of the House Subcommittee on Immigration, Border Security, and Claims, today introduced the SAFER (Securing America's Future through Enforcement Reform) Act. If enacted into law the act will make sweeping changes to the Immigration and Nationality Act to ensure a safer America.

"We can no longer ignore the link between our immigration system and our vulnerability to terrorism," said Gekas. "It is not just a matter, as some have claimed, of fixing the student visa program or the tourist visa program. After September 11, we found that each and every aspect of our immigration system has been utilized by foreign terrorists to gain access to the United States."

The SAFER Act (H.R. 5013) creates reforms in six specific areas of immigration policy: 1) securing the border, 2) screening aliens seeking admission, 3) tracking aliens in the United States, 4) removing alien terrorists, criminals, and human rights abusers, 5) enhancing interior enforcement, and 6) having a legal immigration system that makes sense.

"Our immigration system is in desperate need of reform," Gekas said. "The U.S. is currently overwhelmed by at least eight million illegal aliens. The State Department and INS are completely overwhelmed. The time for reform is now."

The following is a summary of the bill:

Securing the Border

· The SAFER Act will increase the penalties against alien smugglers.

· The SAFER Act will increase the Border Patrol to over 16,000 officers.

· The SAFER Act will give the president the option to fully utilize the military along our borders to supplement the Border Patrol's efforts to keep out terrorists, drug smugglers and other illegal aliens.

· The SAFER Act will require the tracking of all aliens entering and leaving the U.S.

· The SAFER Act will require that the foreign student tracking system be fully operational by January, and will require schools to report to the INS on the subject matter of each course taken by foreign students.

· The SAFER Act will require all long-term alien visitors and residents to be fingerprinted and to periodically register their addresses with the INS.

· The SAFER Act will allow professional bail bondsmen to track down aliens who have violated the terms of their visas.

· The SAFER Act will increase the number of INS inspections officers.

· The SAFER Act will require the State Department to conduct in-person interviews of all visa applicants.

· The SAFER Act will eliminate a dangerous loophole in the visa waiver program and require that aliens arriving under the program have passports containing biometric identifiers.

· The SAFER Act will prohibit entry into the U.S. of any aliens who are members of terrorist organizations, support terrorism, or solicit funds for terrorist organizations.

· The SAFER Act will increase resources available to root out fraud by visa applicants.

· The SAFER Act will prohibit bogus and fly-by-night schools from sponsoring aliens for student visas.

· The SAFER Act will require the expedited deportation of any aliens who are members of terrorist organizations, support terrorism, or solicit funds for terrorist organizations.

· The SAFER Act will ensure that terrorists don't receive asylum.

· The SAFER Act will require the deportation of all aliens who commit murder, rape, or the sexual abuse of a child.

· The SAFER Act will prohibit entry into the U.S. of serious human rights violators.

· The SAFER Act will prevent aliens who are criminals or serious human rights violators from being able to avoid deportation by claiming they will be "tortured".

· The SAFER Act will increase the security and counterfeit-resistance of birth certificates, driver's licenses and Social Security cards.

· The SAFER Act will foil the ability of illegal aliens to get jobs by requiring that employers check the validity of new employees' social security numbers.

· The SAFER Act will increase the number of INS investigators.

· The SAFER Act makes it a federal crime to overstay a visa by more than six months.

· The SAFER Act will double the INS's capacity to detain aliens.

· The SAFER Act will eliminate excessive court review of deportation orders and will reduce the ability of immigration lawyers to engage in dilatory and abusive tactics in deportation proceedings.

· The SAFER Act will establish an Office of Citizenship in the INS to encourage naturalization and increase the meaning of the naturalization process.

· The SAFER Act will prohibit the issuance of any visas to nationals of countries that are state sponsors of terrorism.

· The SAFER Act will modestly reduce legal immigration levels by about 20% from their current levels of over one million a year.

June 07, 2002 - Update on NIV Processing Procedures from Paris

Robert F. Hannan, Jr., Chief of the Nonimmigrant Visa Unit in Paris, has forwarded the following information on updated nonimmigrant visa processing procedures in Paris.

We are very pleased to announce that as of today (07 JUNE 2002), the reciprocity fees for visas issued to French citizens are designated as "no fee." In less bureaucratic language, visas for French people are now free. So, French citizen applicants must still pay the EUR 78 application fee but no longer need to pay the EUR 90 reciprocity fee. If we do receive payment with an application, we will return it to the applicant. Please pass on the word.

A 6/03/02 State Department cable announces the introduction of a new form DS-3035, J-1 Visa Waiver Review Application. Effective immediately, applicants will use this form to apply for a waiver of the two-year foreign residence requirement of INA § 212(e).

The INS has issued a final rule centralizing the chain of command for many functions related to the detention and removal of aliens, including the detention, care and custody of juveniles. The rule took effect upon publication, on June 7. (67 FR 39255, 6/7/02).

SUMMARY: As part of the ongoing restructuring of the Immigration and Naturalization Service (Service or INS), the chain of command for many functions related to the detention and removal of aliens, including the detention, care and custody of juveniles, will be centralized. Currently, these functions are overseen by Service districts and regions which report to the Executive Associate Commissioner for Field Operations. Under the reorganization, the daily oversight of overall detention and removal functions will transfer to the Deputy Executive Associate Commissioner for Detention and Removal who will still report to the Executive Associate Commissioner for Field Operations. The daily oversight of functions relating to alien juveniles in the custody and care of the Service is transferred to the Director of the Office of Juvenile Affairs who reports to the Commissioner of the INS. This rule

ensures that the appropriate immigration officials will have the necessary authority to carry out the daily oversight of the detention and removal of aliens consistent with the changes in responsibility. This rule is effective June 7, 2002.

06/06/2002 - AG Delivers Remarks on Imminent Entry-Exit Registration System:

Attorney General Ashcroft, in a June 6 press conference, announced a new ‘National Security Entry-Exit System’ that would comprise three components: fingerprinting at the border, periodic registration of certain aliens, and exit controls. The proposal is expected to be issued in the Federal Register in the near future.

A misdemeanor offense of sexual abuse of a minor constitutes an aggravated felony under §101(a)(43)(A) of the Immigration and Nationality Act, 8 USC §1101(a)(43)(A) (2000). In re Anderson David Justin Small, 23 I&N Dec. 448 (BIA 6/4/02) Int. Dec. 3476.

06/04/2002 - INS Updates Inspectors Field Manual Regarding Automatic Revalidation:

In a 3/29/02 memo to the field, the INS reports that it has updated its Inspector’s Field Manual to reflect a 4/1/02 DOS interim rule precluding automatic revalidation of expired visas for nationals of countries identified as ‘terrorist-sponsoring’ states and for aliens who apply for new visas during their trip abroad.

06/04/2002 - NOTICE REGARDING IMPLEMENTATION OF NEW CONSULAR FEE SCHEDULE:

(We have just received the following information from the Visa Office regarding how it is implementing the new fee schedule.)

Immigrant Visa (IV) applicants who have already paid the current $260 IV application via the National Visa Center's (NVC) lockbox must pay the $65 issuance fee at post. Bills sent out by NVC as of the June 1 effective date will charge the new $335 combined processing fee. NVC will be stapling the fee bill to the inside of the case file folder. This will be the same fee bill received by the applicant or agent and returned with payment through the lockbox. Consular officers can tell by looking at the fee bill if the fee charged was $265 or $335. As of the effective date, applicants at those posts for which NVC does not collect fees domestically must pay at post the new $335 combined IV processing fee prior to the IV interview. All Diversity Visa (DV) applicants must pay the new $100 DV processing surcharge prior to the interview, in addition to the corresponding IV fee, whether or not their IV applications fees have been prepaid through NVC.

Machine Readable Visa (MRV) and MRV/ Laser Visa (formerly known as the Border Crossing Card (BCC)) receipts dated on or after the new schedule's effective date must show payment of the new fees. MRV and BCC applicants whose receipts show the $45 fee as paid/collected prior to the June 1 effective date will not be required to pay the $65 fee. If an MRV applicant submits his/her application with a receipt indicating payment/collection of the old $45 fee on or after June 1, post must request that the applicant return to the bank to pay the shortfall.

As posts may be aware, Embassy Monrovia's consular section is closed except for emergency ACS service as of May 29, 2002 because of a temporary staffing shortage.

A 6/01/02 State Department cable reports on the temporary closure of the consular section of the U.S. Embassy in Monrovia, Liberia, and notes that both nonimmigrant and immigrant visa cases for Liberian nationals will be processed at the Embassy in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire.

06/04/2002 ORR Solicits Refugee-Related Grant Applications:
The HHS’s Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR) has published a notice in the Federal Register soliciting grant applications for projects to support services for recently arrived refugees and ethnic community organizations. (67 FR 38506, 6/4/02).

06/04/2002 INS Finalizes LIFE Legalization Regs.; Filing Deadline Extended:
The INS has issued a final rule implementing the adjustment of status application procedures under the LIFE Act’s ‘late legalization’ provisions. The rule extends the filing deadline to June 4, 2003, and makes various other changes based on comments received to the interim rule. (67 FR 38341, 6/4/02).

06/03/2002 - DOJ Published Corrections to “Surrender’ Rule:
The DOJ has issued a correction notice to a May 9 proposed rule that would amend both INS and EOIR regulations by requiring aliens subject to a final order of removal to surrender themselves to the INS (InfoNet Doc. No. 02050931). The notice corrects an erroneous citation in the original document. (67 FR 38324, 6/3/02).

for April / May 2002 News click

for March / February 2002 News click