News Bytes

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has published a fact sheet as preliminary information for employers seeking to learn more about a new federal law that allows the electronic signature and storage of federal employment verification forms.  The new law went into effect Friday, April 29, but final regulations on its implementation have not been finalized.

For nearly two decades, all U.S. employers have been legally required to verify the identity and employment eligibility of all employees through the use of the Employment Eligibility Verification Form (Form I-9) and are required to maintain these records for three years after the date of hire or one year after termination. Under a new law signed by the president in October 2004, employers can now choose options for electronic signatures and storage of these forms. These new electronic signature and storage options promise greater convenience and potential cost savings for employers.

For more information, refer to the www.ice.gov Web site for the fact sheet titled “Electronic Signature and Storage of the I-9 Employment Eligibility Verification Form” (April 26, 2005).

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The Office of Exchange Coordination and Designation (Exchange Visitor Program) has moved into a new office space.  Their Web site shows new room, telephone and fax numbers at http://exchanges.state.gov/education/jexchanges/contact.htm.  This office is responsible for the administration and oversight of the following categories:  government visitor, international visitor, professor, research scholar, students (secondary and college/university), short-term scholar, specialist and teacher.

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Mexican lawmakers have proposed a bill to stop Mexicans from traveling to dangerous border areas.  The measure is a sensitive one, and the Interior Department has asked its sponsor to temporarily withdraw it for some last-minute changes.  The department wants to specify that only police - not soldier - can stop migrants.  The bill would allow police or Mexico’s migrant-protection agents to designate border areas as temporary high-risk zones and declare them off-limits to average citizens. The bill passed the seven-member Senate Population and Development Commission unanimously in mid-April and was headed for debate on the floor of the Senate when migrant activists in the United States heard about it and began publicly criticizing it. 

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The USCIS has updated the following forms:  I-765, I-485, I-526 and I-698.  The new forms are located at http://uscis.gov/graphics/newforms.htm.

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