Last January, we reported on the INS’ then revamped web page (http://www.ins.usdoj/gov). Like all good web sites, the INS home page has continued to evolve and improve. A year ago, the INS home page was mainly composed of a short biography of INS Commissioner Meissner. It is now a very useful resource for information on immigration law and INS policy.
This month, we report on how the site has changed.
The first difference a visitor who remembers the old site will notice is the jazzed up graphical look of the page. But is there more to the site than a pretty picture of the Statue of Liberty? While the site still has a lot of room for improvement, there are several new offerings that make the page worthy of a bookmark.
Perhaps the most notable addition to the site is the new law library. The site contains the following complete downloadable documents:
- the Immigration and Nationality Act and laws amending it
- Title 8 of the Code of Federal Regulations
- INS Operations Instructions
- INS Interpretations
- Federal Register excerpts relating to immigration
- the Exchange Visitor Skills List
- Board of Immigration Appeals (“BIA”) Interim decisions
The files are in a Word Perfect format.
The INS is hardly known for being cutting edge in the technology area (unless you count the neat toys the Border Patrol is using to nab illegal immigrants), but the site’s use of Folio software to create a searchable database of its documents s very impressive.
Other notable sections of the site are the following:
- a very detailed list of INS forms and fees and a special page devoted to explaining the Welfare reform rules’ impact on immigrants.
- In the site’s Public Affairs section, readers will find recent INS press releases, Progress Reports and the INS’ Communique newsletter.
- The site contains a statistics sections with a number of downloadable reports.
- An “Inside the INS” section with a structural description of the INS, procurement notices and an agency mission statement.
The INS has added a few downloadable forms to the site, but the offerings are still sparse. Readers will find the Siskind, Susser, Haas & Chang Forms Site to be much more complete.
It would have been nice to see a directory of INS personnel, office addresses, INS office jurisdictional information and other commonly requested information.
Disclaimer: This newsletter is provided as a public service and not intended to establish an attorney client relationship. Any reliance on information contained herein is taken at your own risk. The information provided in this article has not been updated since its original posting and you should not rely on it until you consult counsel to determine if the content is still valid. We keep older articles online because it helps in the understanding of the development of immigration law.