Wednesday, June 30, 2004
Many readers have written to me asking about the report in our last issue that visa revalidation would be ending on July 16th. So here’s a quick primer. Visa revalidation is a process where a person in the US in certain visa categories – E, H-1B, L, I and a few others – can get a new visa stamp rather than traveling to a consulate when they leave the US. This is only available if you have previously gotten a visa stamp abroad in that particular category and you are applying for a new stamp in that category within a year of the visa stamp expiring. This is a process that is not used very often anyway because it means parting with your passport for 3 to 6 months while waiting on the new stamp.
Visa revalidation does NOT apply to extensions of status and changes of status. A visa stamp and a non-immigrant status are two entirely different things and many people are confusing the concepts. You normally need a visa stamp to present at a port of entry to enter the US in a particular non-immigrant category. The port officer will grant you an I-94 card that officially allows you to remain in the US in that particular non-immigrant category for a set period of time. You can remain in the US with an unexpired I-94 even if your visa stamp has expired since the stamp is only used as a ticket to enter the country. The I-94 controls how long you can remain in the US on any particular trip.
I-94s can also be obtained for a new non-immigrant category by filing for a change of status from one non-immigrant category to another. You can still file for a change of status by mail in the US. An expiring I-94 can also be extended by mail from within the US. These two processes are NOT changing and these processes affect many, many more people than visa revalidation. Most people will not be affected by the end of visa revalidation.
For those that do use visa revalidation, the alternative will mean getting a new visa stamp to reenter the US at a consulate in one’s home country or at a US consulate in Mexico or Canada.
*****
I have received with skepticism my reports in this column in recent months that the USCIS is finally getting serious about improving processing times and making changes to improve customer service. I’ve discussed new pilot programs involving super-fast processing of certain types of applications, initiatives like making Employment Authorization Documents valid for two years instead of one, and the expansion of electronic filing to more types of applications.
But the mother of all initiatives is the USCIS plan to get ALL processing times to less than six months by no later than September 30, 2006. Granted, Clinton INS Commissioner Doris Meissner made a similar promise in the 90s. But her goal was never funded and other than mentioning this target at meetings with groups like the American Immigration Lawyers Association, nothing really was ever done. But I am optimistic that this time we’re going to see results. The money is there, the leadership is interested in making this happen, technology is finally starting to improve and an actual game plan is taking shape. We report on that plan this week and look forward to hearing reports on its implementation.
*****
This was an interesting week for troubleshooting at our office. The cases all illustrate how seemingly minor problems can escalate into major crises. Coincidentally, they all involved doctors. In one case, a physician booked an H-1B appointment at a US consulate in Mexico rather than going to his home country where appointments where visas are taking several weeks to be issued. Unfortunately, the consulate refused the visa because the physician lost an enormous amount of weight and did not look like his passport photo. The physician was actually labeled an imposter and his visa was denied. Resolving the issue involved our speaking to the consulate and then getting the physician a new appointment the next day and presenting documentation of his recent medical history.
Another case involved a university hospital nearly having to shut down because an I-539 change of status application for a spouse was never submitted by the immigration department at the university as part of the physician’s visa extension paperwork. By the time the problem was discovered, the wife of the doctor had become subject to a three year reentry bar. The physician made it clear that he was leaving if the USCIS did not grant a late filed change of status application and his threat carried real weight since this physician worked in a critical specialty area. Without his services, the hospital would have no choice but to close. Fortunately, the USCIS did come through after a lot of work from our firm, several key people at USCIS and the hard work of a congressional liaison.
The third case involved another lawyer who is a friend of our firm and who was at a US consulate in Mexico with a husband and wife who both happen to be physicians. The husband was a J-1 who received a waiver and was at the consulate to get his H-1B visa. The wife was a J-2 who used her Employment Authorization Document to participate in a medical residency program as well. Unfortunately, the consular officer did not understand that using a J-2 to work in graduate medical training is perfectly permissible.
Our lawyer friend’s office on the east coast was closed and she was stranded in Mexico without the resources to document that the consular officer was wrong. She’s helped us out in a pinch and I was happy to return the favor doing the research to document that the officer was in the wrong. The matter was resolved successfully. I actually was able to cite the J-1 Visa Guidebook which I co-author for LexisNexis with Bill Stock and Steve Yale-Loehr. I also cited to my friend Bob Aronson’s recent article on this subject in AILA’s new Immigration Options for Physicians (I’ve written several articles in there as well). The regulation itself only says that a J-2 can work and does not include any restrictions that would prohibit a physician from participating in a residency program. And this has been common practice for many years.
The last case actually illustrates how nice it is to be an immigration lawyer in the US. There is a camaraderie in the immigration bar that is unmatched in any other practice area. Maybe it is because we are never going up against each other as adversaries. The government is always our opponent. This bond is well demonstrated by a group that I’ve just taken over as chair. The FMG Taskforce (formally known as the “National Healthcare Access Coalition”) is a group of about 100 immigration lawyers around the country that work on physician immigration matters. We have bi-weekly conference calls to discuss the latest developments in our practice area, raise money to lobby on behalf of physician immigration, confer regularly agency officials and serve as a resource to each other when we have problems of the type I described above. Sure, we’re competitors in this “niche” practice area. But we all know that we’re more than about making money. Besides, we’ll all make more money if we work together to provide better service to our clients and resolve fundamental problems facing our clients.
Visa revalidation does NOT apply to extensions of status and changes of status. A visa stamp and a non-immigrant status are two entirely different things and many people are confusing the concepts. You normally need a visa stamp to present at a port of entry to enter the US in a particular non-immigrant category. The port officer will grant you an I-94 card that officially allows you to remain in the US in that particular non-immigrant category for a set period of time. You can remain in the US with an unexpired I-94 even if your visa stamp has expired since the stamp is only used as a ticket to enter the country. The I-94 controls how long you can remain in the US on any particular trip.
I-94s can also be obtained for a new non-immigrant category by filing for a change of status from one non-immigrant category to another. You can still file for a change of status by mail in the US. An expiring I-94 can also be extended by mail from within the US. These two processes are NOT changing and these processes affect many, many more people than visa revalidation. Most people will not be affected by the end of visa revalidation.
For those that do use visa revalidation, the alternative will mean getting a new visa stamp to reenter the US at a consulate in one’s home country or at a US consulate in Mexico or Canada.
*****
I have received with skepticism my reports in this column in recent months that the USCIS is finally getting serious about improving processing times and making changes to improve customer service. I’ve discussed new pilot programs involving super-fast processing of certain types of applications, initiatives like making Employment Authorization Documents valid for two years instead of one, and the expansion of electronic filing to more types of applications.
But the mother of all initiatives is the USCIS plan to get ALL processing times to less than six months by no later than September 30, 2006. Granted, Clinton INS Commissioner Doris Meissner made a similar promise in the 90s. But her goal was never funded and other than mentioning this target at meetings with groups like the American Immigration Lawyers Association, nothing really was ever done. But I am optimistic that this time we’re going to see results. The money is there, the leadership is interested in making this happen, technology is finally starting to improve and an actual game plan is taking shape. We report on that plan this week and look forward to hearing reports on its implementation.
*****
This was an interesting week for troubleshooting at our office. The cases all illustrate how seemingly minor problems can escalate into major crises. Coincidentally, they all involved doctors. In one case, a physician booked an H-1B appointment at a US consulate in Mexico rather than going to his home country where appointments where visas are taking several weeks to be issued. Unfortunately, the consulate refused the visa because the physician lost an enormous amount of weight and did not look like his passport photo. The physician was actually labeled an imposter and his visa was denied. Resolving the issue involved our speaking to the consulate and then getting the physician a new appointment the next day and presenting documentation of his recent medical history.
Another case involved a university hospital nearly having to shut down because an I-539 change of status application for a spouse was never submitted by the immigration department at the university as part of the physician’s visa extension paperwork. By the time the problem was discovered, the wife of the doctor had become subject to a three year reentry bar. The physician made it clear that he was leaving if the USCIS did not grant a late filed change of status application and his threat carried real weight since this physician worked in a critical specialty area. Without his services, the hospital would have no choice but to close. Fortunately, the USCIS did come through after a lot of work from our firm, several key people at USCIS and the hard work of a congressional liaison.
The third case involved another lawyer who is a friend of our firm and who was at a US consulate in Mexico with a husband and wife who both happen to be physicians. The husband was a J-1 who received a waiver and was at the consulate to get his H-1B visa. The wife was a J-2 who used her Employment Authorization Document to participate in a medical residency program as well. Unfortunately, the consular officer did not understand that using a J-2 to work in graduate medical training is perfectly permissible.
Our lawyer friend’s office on the east coast was closed and she was stranded in Mexico without the resources to document that the consular officer was wrong. She’s helped us out in a pinch and I was happy to return the favor doing the research to document that the officer was in the wrong. The matter was resolved successfully. I actually was able to cite the J-1 Visa Guidebook which I co-author for LexisNexis with Bill Stock and Steve Yale-Loehr. I also cited to my friend Bob Aronson’s recent article on this subject in AILA’s new Immigration Options for Physicians (I’ve written several articles in there as well). The regulation itself only says that a J-2 can work and does not include any restrictions that would prohibit a physician from participating in a residency program. And this has been common practice for many years.
The last case actually illustrates how nice it is to be an immigration lawyer in the US. There is a camaraderie in the immigration bar that is unmatched in any other practice area. Maybe it is because we are never going up against each other as adversaries. The government is always our opponent. This bond is well demonstrated by a group that I’ve just taken over as chair. The FMG Taskforce (formally known as the “National Healthcare Access Coalition”) is a group of about 100 immigration lawyers around the country that work on physician immigration matters. We have bi-weekly conference calls to discuss the latest developments in our practice area, raise money to lobby on behalf of physician immigration, confer regularly agency officials and serve as a resource to each other when we have problems of the type I described above. Sure, we’re competitors in this “niche” practice area. But we all know that we’re more than about making money. Besides, we’ll all make more money if we work together to provide better service to our clients and resolve fundamental problems facing our clients.
# posted by Greg Siskind @ 4:15 PM
Tuesday, June 29, 2004
We've posted the latest DHS local processing times. Click here to see them.
# posted by Greg Siskind @ 4:57 PM
Attorney Greg Siskind and Siskind Susser staff member Gilda Bollwerk co-authored an article in the June 27 issue of La Prensa Latina detailing President Reagan's contributions to immigration in the United States (en Espanol). Click here to read it.
# posted by Greg Siskind @ 10:16 AM
Monday, June 28, 2004
Here's the table of contents for this week's Siskind's Immigration Bulletin. Click here to get to any of the articles.
1. Openers
2. The ABC’S Of Immigration: J-1 Visas - Waivers of the Two-Year Home Residency Requirement
3. Ask Visalaw.com
4. Border and Enforcement News
5. News From The Courts
6. Government Processing Times
7. News Bytes
8. International Roundup
9. Legislative Update
10. Campaign 2004
11. USCIS Unveils Updated Version of Backlog Elimination Plan
12. Immigration: Foreign Physicians and the J-1 Visa Waiver Program
13. GAO Reports That Although SEVIS is Improving, Issues Remain
14. USCIS Sets Goals on its One-Year Anniversary
15. Immigrants Fill 3 Out of 10 of New Jobs
16. Interior Border Patrol Checks Create Fear
17. Department of State Will Cease Revalidation in the U.S. of Certain Non-immigrant Visas
1. Openers
2. The ABC’S Of Immigration: J-1 Visas - Waivers of the Two-Year Home Residency Requirement
3. Ask Visalaw.com
4. Border and Enforcement News
5. News From The Courts
6. Government Processing Times
7. News Bytes
8. International Roundup
9. Legislative Update
10. Campaign 2004
11. USCIS Unveils Updated Version of Backlog Elimination Plan
12. Immigration: Foreign Physicians and the J-1 Visa Waiver Program
13. GAO Reports That Although SEVIS is Improving, Issues Remain
14. USCIS Sets Goals on its One-Year Anniversary
15. Immigrants Fill 3 Out of 10 of New Jobs
16. Interior Border Patrol Checks Create Fear
17. Department of State Will Cease Revalidation in the U.S. of Certain Non-immigrant Visas
# posted by Greg Siskind @ 4:43 PM
Thursday, June 24, 2004
We've posted the latest processing times for the Vermont Service Center and the National Benefits Center in Missouri. Click here to see them.
# posted by Greg Siskind @ 4:25 PM
The June 22 issue of the Commercial Appeal mentions Visalaw.com as the nation's best law Web site. The article says, "Visalaw.com is the address for people, both lawyers and immigrants, who want to know what's going on ... in courtrooms, on Capitol Hill and at the borders." Click here to read it.
# posted by Greg Siskind @ 10:28 AM
Wednesday, June 23, 2004
Since 9/11, the State Department has had had to confront the demon of granting visas to Saudi hijackers with virtually no scrutiny. Interviews are no longer waived, applicants are fingerprinted and security clearances are lengthy. All arguably make the visa issuing process more secure, but visa applicants certainly are not thrilled with how cumbersome the process has become.
Starting July 16th, another convenience goes away. Applications for visa renewals for C, E, H, I, L, O and P may no longer be processed by mail in the United States as has been the case for many years. Deputy Assistant Secretary of State Catherine Barry broke this news at the annual meeting of the American Immigration Lawyers Association last week in Philadelphia. She originally stated that visa revalidation applications would be accepted up until July 6th, but AILA is reporting the extension in the termination date for the program. Applications filed before the cut off date will be processed.
The State Department has offered the rationale that they do not have the capacity to acquire the biometric identifiers that will become part of the visa issuing process on October 26, 2004. And there are no plans to reinstate the process later.
The end of the program is disappointing. The alternative is now consular processing. There is nothing intrinsically wrong with consular processing, but there are practical problems that are unfortunate. The US does not offer visa processing in every country and in many large countries in-person applications are required in a single location. Getting to a visa appointment is not always easy. In many countries, backlogs are so long that an applicant must wait several weeks outside the US to be interviewed and then for a security clearance. For the business traveler looking to take a quick overseas trip, a delay this long can be devastating.
The State Department could benefit with some creative thinking on how to make the visa issuing process safe, expeditious and convenient. Obviously, technology can play a role. E-filing the visa application form is a welcome addition and technology can make the security clearance process less cumbersome and more likely to achieve its purposes. But what about new ideas like creating visa issuing consulates in the United States where applicants can be interviewed and biometrics collected?
The State Department can’t simply use security as the excuse to implement policies that make the US an undesirable place for people to visit, study and work. They have an obligation not just to protect Americans from people who mean us harm or don’t intend to comply with immigration laws. They also need to make sure that getting to the US is not so difficult that people simply don’t bother trying.
*****
Just as we were hitting our deadline, we received the good news that DHS is finally coming around and is planning to extend the status of F-1 students seeking October 1st H-1B visas. No word yet on J-1s, but we hope to hear on that soon.
*****
We received a nice honor this week that is worth a little bragging. Siskind Susser’s Visalaw.com web site was chosen as the nation’s best law firm web site for the second year in a row by Internetmarketingattorney.com, the major web site ranking service for law firms. You can see all the rankings at http://www.visalaw.com/news/2004imaaward.html. Our web site is ten years old this month and the fact that we’re still winning these kind of awards gives us the motivation to continue producing a great publication.
Starting July 16th, another convenience goes away. Applications for visa renewals for C, E, H, I, L, O and P may no longer be processed by mail in the United States as has been the case for many years. Deputy Assistant Secretary of State Catherine Barry broke this news at the annual meeting of the American Immigration Lawyers Association last week in Philadelphia. She originally stated that visa revalidation applications would be accepted up until July 6th, but AILA is reporting the extension in the termination date for the program. Applications filed before the cut off date will be processed.
The State Department has offered the rationale that they do not have the capacity to acquire the biometric identifiers that will become part of the visa issuing process on October 26, 2004. And there are no plans to reinstate the process later.
The end of the program is disappointing. The alternative is now consular processing. There is nothing intrinsically wrong with consular processing, but there are practical problems that are unfortunate. The US does not offer visa processing in every country and in many large countries in-person applications are required in a single location. Getting to a visa appointment is not always easy. In many countries, backlogs are so long that an applicant must wait several weeks outside the US to be interviewed and then for a security clearance. For the business traveler looking to take a quick overseas trip, a delay this long can be devastating.
The State Department could benefit with some creative thinking on how to make the visa issuing process safe, expeditious and convenient. Obviously, technology can play a role. E-filing the visa application form is a welcome addition and technology can make the security clearance process less cumbersome and more likely to achieve its purposes. But what about new ideas like creating visa issuing consulates in the United States where applicants can be interviewed and biometrics collected?
The State Department can’t simply use security as the excuse to implement policies that make the US an undesirable place for people to visit, study and work. They have an obligation not just to protect Americans from people who mean us harm or don’t intend to comply with immigration laws. They also need to make sure that getting to the US is not so difficult that people simply don’t bother trying.
*****
Just as we were hitting our deadline, we received the good news that DHS is finally coming around and is planning to extend the status of F-1 students seeking October 1st H-1B visas. No word yet on J-1s, but we hope to hear on that soon.
*****
We received a nice honor this week that is worth a little bragging. Siskind Susser’s Visalaw.com web site was chosen as the nation’s best law firm web site for the second year in a row by Internetmarketingattorney.com, the major web site ranking service for law firms. You can see all the rankings at http://www.visalaw.com/news/2004imaaward.html. Our web site is ten years old this month and the fact that we’re still winning these kind of awards gives us the motivation to continue producing a great publication.
# posted by Greg Siskind @ 12:22 PM
Tuesday, June 22, 2004
We've posted the latest processing times for the Texas Service Center. Click here to see them.
# posted by Greg Siskind @ 3:55 PM
Here's the table of contents for June's Visalaw.com Health Care Newsletter. Click here to get to any of the articles.
1. Openers
2. Ask Visalaw.com for Healthcare Workers
3. Health Care News Bytes
4. Feature Article: Visa Options for Graduate Medical Training
5. Lawmakers Urge DHS to Rethink Certification Requirements for Foreign Educated Nurses
6. Immigrants Living in Colorado May Face Medicaid Cuts
7. Maine Health Professionals Complain About Care for Immigrant Workers
8. New CGFNS Policies Speed Process to Obtaining VisaScreens
9. GAO Reports On Undocumented Immigrants’ Impact On Hospitals’ Uncompensated Care Costs
10. House Immigration Subcommittee Votes to Extend Conrad Program for Just One Year
11. The ABC’S Of Immigration: Delta Regional Authority Physician J-1 Waiver Program
12. Rohrabacher Bill Defeated in House
13. USCIS Issues Memorandum Directing Examiners NOT To Re-Judge O-1 Visa Extension Applications
14. NCLEX Overseas Locations Announced
15. Chart Of Physical Therapist Licensing Requirements By State
16. State 30 Physician Waiver Chart
17. Physician Job Center
1. Openers
2. Ask Visalaw.com for Healthcare Workers
3. Health Care News Bytes
4. Feature Article: Visa Options for Graduate Medical Training
5. Lawmakers Urge DHS to Rethink Certification Requirements for Foreign Educated Nurses
6. Immigrants Living in Colorado May Face Medicaid Cuts
7. Maine Health Professionals Complain About Care for Immigrant Workers
8. New CGFNS Policies Speed Process to Obtaining VisaScreens
9. GAO Reports On Undocumented Immigrants’ Impact On Hospitals’ Uncompensated Care Costs
10. House Immigration Subcommittee Votes to Extend Conrad Program for Just One Year
11. The ABC’S Of Immigration: Delta Regional Authority Physician J-1 Waiver Program
12. Rohrabacher Bill Defeated in House
13. USCIS Issues Memorandum Directing Examiners NOT To Re-Judge O-1 Visa Extension Applications
14. NCLEX Overseas Locations Announced
15. Chart Of Physical Therapist Licensing Requirements By State
16. State 30 Physician Waiver Chart
17. Physician Job Center
# posted by Greg Siskind @ 1:07 PM
Monday, June 21, 2004
The latest monthly version of Siskind's Immigration Professional is now online. Click here to see it.
# posted by Greg Siskind @ 4:28 PM
Here's the table of contents for this week's Siskind's Immigration Bulletin. Click here to get to any of the articles.
1. Openers
2. The ABC's Of Immigration: I Visas for Foreign Media Representatives
3. Ask Visalaw.com
4. Border News
5. News From The Courts
6. Government Processing Times
7. News Bytes
8. International Roundup
9. Legislative Update
10. State Department Visa Bulletin
11. Department of Homeland Security Outlines Classes of Employment Authorization for Foreign Nationals
12. Panel Urges Amnesty for Undocumented Immigrants
13. Reports of Border Patrol Sweeps Cause Distress Among Immigrants
14. Cape Cod Companies Denied Additional Visas for 2004 Seasonal Workers
15. U.S. Government Offers Undocumented Migrants Option to Fly Back Home
16. USCIS Director Gives Details of Immigration Provisions in the FY05 Budget
17. Civil Liberties Restoration Act of 2004 Introduced Last Week
18. Despite Previous Leniency, USCIS Not Obligated to Grant Visas
19. F-1s to Be Extended While Awaiting H-1Bs
1. Openers
2. The ABC's Of Immigration: I Visas for Foreign Media Representatives
3. Ask Visalaw.com
4. Border News
5. News From The Courts
6. Government Processing Times
7. News Bytes
8. International Roundup
9. Legislative Update
10. State Department Visa Bulletin
11. Department of Homeland Security Outlines Classes of Employment Authorization for Foreign Nationals
12. Panel Urges Amnesty for Undocumented Immigrants
13. Reports of Border Patrol Sweeps Cause Distress Among Immigrants
14. Cape Cod Companies Denied Additional Visas for 2004 Seasonal Workers
15. U.S. Government Offers Undocumented Migrants Option to Fly Back Home
16. USCIS Director Gives Details of Immigration Provisions in the FY05 Budget
17. Civil Liberties Restoration Act of 2004 Introduced Last Week
18. Despite Previous Leniency, USCIS Not Obligated to Grant Visas
19. F-1s to Be Extended While Awaiting H-1Bs
# posted by Greg Siskind @ 4:27 PM
Attorney Greg Siskind and Siskind Susser staff member Gilda Bollwerk co-authored an article in the June 20 issue of La Prensa Latina outlining explaining how immigration applicants with a history of DUIs may be inadmissible on health-related grounds (en Espanol). Click here to read it.
# posted by Greg Siskind @ 11:58 AM
Friday, June 18, 2004
We've posted the State Department Visa Bulletin for July 2004. Click here to read it.
# posted by Greg Siskind @ 3:51 PM
Thursday, June 17, 2004
We've posted the latest processing times for the Nebraska and California Service Centers. Click here to see them.
# posted by Greg Siskind @ 5:21 PM
Monday, June 14, 2004
Here's the table of contents for this week's Siskind's Immigration Bulletin. Click here to get to any of the articles.
1. Openers
2. The ABC’S Of Immigration: L-1 Intracompany Transfer Visas
3. Ask Visalaw.com
4. Border and Enforcement News
5. News From The Courts
6. Government Processing Times
7. News Bytes
8. International Roundup
9. Legislative Update
10. Businesses Counting the Costs of Tightened Security Since 9/11
11. GAO Releases Study That Documents Lack of Enforcement of Visa Overstays
12. Border Security Contract with Accenture Blocked
13. Robert Divine Appointed First Principal Legal Advisor for USCIS
14. H-1B and O Issues Addressed by Nebraska Service Center
15. “Operation Endgame” Adopted to Prevent Immigrants from Evading Deportation
16. Four Themes Cited in AAO Decisions on R-1 Religious Worker Visas
17. CIS Memo Clarifies Adjudication of Special Immigrant Juvenile Petitions
1. Openers
2. The ABC’S Of Immigration: L-1 Intracompany Transfer Visas
3. Ask Visalaw.com
4. Border and Enforcement News
5. News From The Courts
6. Government Processing Times
7. News Bytes
8. International Roundup
9. Legislative Update
10. Businesses Counting the Costs of Tightened Security Since 9/11
11. GAO Releases Study That Documents Lack of Enforcement of Visa Overstays
12. Border Security Contract with Accenture Blocked
13. Robert Divine Appointed First Principal Legal Advisor for USCIS
14. H-1B and O Issues Addressed by Nebraska Service Center
15. “Operation Endgame” Adopted to Prevent Immigrants from Evading Deportation
16. Four Themes Cited in AAO Decisions on R-1 Religious Worker Visas
17. CIS Memo Clarifies Adjudication of Special Immigrant Juvenile Petitions
# posted by Greg Siskind @ 4:38 PM
Thursday, June 10, 2004
We've posted the latest processing times for the Vermont Service Center and the National Benefits Center in Missouri. Click here to see them.
# posted by Greg Siskind @ 1:43 PM
Tuesday, June 08, 2004
Attorney Greg Siskind wrote an article in the June 1 issue of Immigration Daily, the flagship publication of ILW.com, explaining the Delta Regional Authority Physician J-1 Waiver Program. Click here to see it.
# posted by Greg Siskind @ 12:44 PM
Monday, June 07, 2004
Here's the table of contents for this week's issue of Siskind's Immigration Bulletin. Click here to get to any of the articles.
1. Openers
2. The ABC’S Of Immigration: Consular Processing Versus Adjustment of Status
3. Ask Visalaw.com
4. Border and Enforcement News
5. News From The Courts
6. Government Processing Times
7. News Bytes
8. International Roundup
9. Legislative Update
10. Campaign 2004
11. New Los Angeles I-90 Pilot Program Launched
12. Accenture LLP Named Prime Contractor for US-VISIT
13. T Visa Field Instructions Updated
14. L Visa Reform Bill Would Eliminate “Specialized Knowledge” and Impose Annual Cap
15. GAO Reports on Undocumented Immigrants’ Impact on Hospitals’ Uncompensated Care Costs
16. House Immigration Subcommittee Votes to Extend Conrad Program for Just One Year
1. Openers
2. The ABC’S Of Immigration: Consular Processing Versus Adjustment of Status
3. Ask Visalaw.com
4. Border and Enforcement News
5. News From The Courts
6. Government Processing Times
7. News Bytes
8. International Roundup
9. Legislative Update
10. Campaign 2004
11. New Los Angeles I-90 Pilot Program Launched
12. Accenture LLP Named Prime Contractor for US-VISIT
13. T Visa Field Instructions Updated
14. L Visa Reform Bill Would Eliminate “Specialized Knowledge” and Impose Annual Cap
15. GAO Reports on Undocumented Immigrants’ Impact on Hospitals’ Uncompensated Care Costs
16. House Immigration Subcommittee Votes to Extend Conrad Program for Just One Year
# posted by Greg Siskind @ 5:51 PM
We've posted the latest processing times for the California and Texas Service Centers. Click here to see them.
# posted by Greg Siskind @ 3:31 PM
Visalaw.com received a 2004 Platinum Internet Marketing Attorney Award and was ranked first among small/mid-size firms by InternetMarketingAttorney.com. The firm received the highest score of any law firm regardless of size. The review states, "I never meet an immigration lawyer that does not use Siskind Susser's site to learn what's going on." Click here to read the review.
# posted by Greg Siskind @ 12:45 PM
The Visalaw.com Blog was listed on Micha's Nifty Fifty list on InternetMarketingAttorney.com, a list of 50 components on law firm web sites that continue to raise the bar in online business development. The site states "Visalaw.com shows you how to incorporate 'the blog' into a firm's web site efforts." Click here to read the review.
# posted by Greg Siskind @ 12:44 PM
Attorney Greg Siskind and Siskind Susser staff member Gilda Bollwerk co-authored an article in the June 6 issue of La Prensa Latina outlining the new USCIS forms available for online filing (en Espanol). Click here to see it.
# posted by Greg Siskind @ 11:01 AM
Thursday, June 03, 2004
We've posted the latest processing times for the Nebraska Service Center. Click here to see them.
# posted by Greg Siskind @ 5:03 PM
Wednesday, June 02, 2004
Attorney Greg Siskind wrote an article in the June 1 issue of Immigration Daily, the flagship publication of immigration law portal ILW.com, discussing a recent OALJ (DOL) case concerning H-1B teachers. Click here to read it.
# posted by Greg Siskind @ 4:41 PM
Attorney Greg Siskind and Siskind Susser staff member Gilda Bollwerk co-authored an article in the May 30 issue of La Prensa Latina explaining how undocumented immigrants can attend Tennessee owned universities (en Espanol). Click here to read it.
# posted by Greg Siskind @ 12:30 PM
Here's the table of contents for this week's Siskind's Immigration Bulletin. Click here to get to any of the articles.
1. Openers
2. The ABC's Of Immigration: Visa Options for Teachers
3. Ask Visalaw.com
4. Border News
5. News From The Courts
6. Government Processing Times
7. News Bytes
8. International Roundup
9. Legislative Update
10. More Immigration Forms Available for Online Filing
11. U.S. Will Develop System That Tracks Movement of Foreign Visitors
12. Government Accounting Office Issued Report Addressing Visa Operations at US Posts in Canada
13. CBP Grants Discretionary Authority for Foreign Journalists
14. Kansas Immigrants Will Receive In-State Tuition Rates
1. Openers
2. The ABC's Of Immigration: Visa Options for Teachers
3. Ask Visalaw.com
4. Border News
5. News From The Courts
6. Government Processing Times
7. News Bytes
8. International Roundup
9. Legislative Update
10. More Immigration Forms Available for Online Filing
11. U.S. Will Develop System That Tracks Movement of Foreign Visitors
12. Government Accounting Office Issued Report Addressing Visa Operations at US Posts in Canada
13. CBP Grants Discretionary Authority for Foreign Journalists
14. Kansas Immigrants Will Receive In-State Tuition Rates
# posted by Greg Siskind @ 9:31 AM
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