Dear Readers:

I am preparing this month’s issue on the heels of my return from the 51^st annual meeting of the NAFSA: The Association of International Educators. NAFSA is the national organization for the nation’s foreign student advisors. This was my first NAFSA annual meeting and I left with even more respect for the job this organization does. I’ll be reporting on some of what I learned at various points in this month’s newsletter. I also had the opportunity to meet in person many people who subscribe to this publication. The feedback received will no doubt be helpful in producing a stronger product. I also spent some time meeting NAFSA members at the Matthew Bender Company booth. Matthew Bender is the publisher of my new book, The J Visa Guidebook, which will be released shortly (hopefully by our next issue or soon after – look for the announcement here).

Next month, I’ll be traveling along with most of our firm to the annual meeting of the American Immigration Lawyers Association in Seattle, Washington. I plan on trying to report daily from the conference on our web site so keep an eye out.

In firm news, Siskind, Susser, Haas & Devine is pleased to announce the addition of three new associate attorneys to the firm. Amy Ballentine and Kristie Crawford have joined our Memphis office. Laura Stewart has joined the firm’s Nashville office. Welcome Amy, Khristie and Laura!

Earlier this month, I was a speaker at a seminar produced by the American Bar Association entitled "Management, Ethics & Technology: Essential Know-How for the Busy Lawyer." The seminar was held in conjunction with the ABA Law Practice Management Section’s spring meeting in Asheville, North Carolina. G

This month we report on a number of important issues including the new NACARA regulation providing amnesty for many central American refugees in the US, the Administration’s new immigrant welfare rules, new rules providing immigration relief for Haitians and more. And, as always, we include our regular features.

And as always, we remind readers that this publication is put out by Siskind, Susser, Haas & Devine, an immigration law firm, and we are available for telephone or in-person consultations to answer immigration questions and discuss our representing individuals and employers in immigration matters. If interested, please go to http://www.visalaw.com/intake.html. Employers interested in retaining the services of an immigration law firm are also welcome to call us at 800-748-3819.

Regards as always,