On March 6, 2009 USCIS issued a memorandum that extends the current limit of stay for P-1 professional athletes.  The new memorandum states that P-1 professional athletes are not subject to a lifetime admission of 10 years in the US, may file a petition for a new P-1 initial period of admission (up to 5 years) after they have been in the US for a 10 year period, and must depart the U.S. after 10 years in order to be eligible for a new initial period of admission of up to 5 years.

Prior to the memorandum, the regulations imposed a 10-year limit on a P-1 professional athlete’s stay in the U.S. Following that 10-year period, the athlete would either have to change to another nonimmigrant status such as O-1, apply for a green card, or leave the U.S.

On July 1, 2009, USCIS issued another memo regarding P-1S essential support personnel in order to allow them to have the same maximum period of authorized stay as the P-1 athlete counterpart.  Under this memo, P-1S essential support personnel of P-1 athletes are not subject to the lifetime admission of 10 years in the US, may file a petition for a new P-1S initial period of admission based on an approved P-1 petition after they have been in the US for a 10 year period, and must depart the U.S. after 10 years in order to be eligible for a new initial period of admission of up to 1 year (instead of 5 years in the case of the P-1 athlete).  This memo does not apply to P-2 or P-3 support personnel and derivative beneficiaries.

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USCIS has announced that it has not yet received enough applications for the 65,000 H-1B cap.  The H-1B is the visa most commonly used by fashion models. USCIS is also continuing to process H-2B applications which are commonly used in minor league sports.

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The U.S. Customs and Border Protection’s Border Safety Initiative is coming out with a new CD.  One of the Border Patrol’s lesser-known deterrents is using up-tempo Mexican folk songs about tragic border crossings to dissuade would-be illegal immigrants.  The CD, titled, Migra Corridos, will be distributed to radio stations in Mexico.

The Border Patrol’s first 5-song CD was recorded in 2006 and distributed in the last two years. There are also tentative plans for a CD with styles of music more appropriate for would-be illegal immigrants from Central America.

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