The U.S. Department of State released its November 2008 Visa Bulletin.  The bulletin can be accessed at the 'Processing Times' link on our home page.

With this Visa Bulletin, there is good news.  Employment-Based Two (EB2) category for India and China moved forward a few months.   Employment-Based Three (EB3) category also moved forward for all nationalities.

We will post the December 2008 Visa Bulletin on www.bashyamspiro.com when it becomes available.

The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Service (USCIS) issued a Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) on intercountry adoptions.  This FAQ is related to questions regarding the new Hague intercountry adoption process and the orphan adoption process since the implementation of the Hague Adoption Convention on April 1, 2008.  To read the new USCIS FAQ on intercountry adoptions, please visit THIS LINK.

Online registration for the Diversity Visa Lottery Program (DV 2010) has begun.  Applicants can register for the program on the State Department web site from October 2, 2008 until December 1, 2008.  To register for the DV Lottery, please go to THIS LINK.

The Congressionally mandated Diversity Immigrant Visa Program makes available 50,000 permanent resident visas annually, drawn from random selection among all entries to persons who meet strict eligibility requirements from countries with low rates of immigration to the United States. 

You can get additional information on the Diversity Visa program at THIS LINK.

The U.S. House and Senate passed a bill to extend the religious worker and Conrad 30 programs until March 6, 2009.  These programs were set to expire at the end of this month.  The bill now awaits the President’s signature. 

We will keep you posted as additional information becomes available.

U.S. Citizenship and Immigrations Services (USCIS) announced publication of a Federal Register Notice that expands the Direct Mail program to include Form N-400, Application for Naturalization.  The notice advises the public to file non-military N-400 applications with the appropriate Lockbox and provides a 30-day transition period whereby the Service Centers will forward any N-400 applications received at their facilities to the appropriate Lockbox.  Applicants should continue to file Military N-400 cases at the Nebraska Service Center (NSC). 

Beginning on October 14, 2008, applicants must submit Form N-400 and related supplements to one of two new USCIS Lockbox facilities for initial processing, using the following addresses:

If You Reside In: 

Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, North Dakota, Ohio, Oregon, South Dakota, Utah, Washington, Wisconsin, Wyoming, Territory of Guam, Northern Mariana Islands 

File N-400 with:

USCIS Lockbox Facility, USCIS,
P.O. Box 21251
Phoenix, AZ 85036

Private Courier (non-USPS)
USCIS, Attn: N400
1820 E Skyharbor Circle
S. Floor 1, Phoenix, AZ 85036

If You Reside In:

Alabama, Arkansas, Connecticut, Delaware, DC, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Mississippi, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Puerto Rico, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Vermont, Virginia, West Virginia, U.S. Virgin Islands.

File N-400 with:

USCIS Lockbox Facility, USCIS,
P.O. Box 299026
Lewisville, TX 75029.

Private Courier (non-USPS)
USCIS, Attn: N400
2501 S. State Hwy 121, Bldg. 4
Lewisville, TX 75067.

USCIS notes that the N-400 form instructions have been updated to reflect the new filing procedures.  

A U.S. Appeals Court upheld an Arizona law that revokes an employers license to do business in that state if they hire illegal workers.  Hopefully this decision (being a bad one for our economy) will end up at the U.S. Supreme Court.

To read the entire article on this topic, go to THIS LINK.

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) executed federal criminal search warrants at two Chinese restaurants in Sacramento, California and two homes linked to the businesses’ owners as part of an ongoing ICE investigation into possible hiring and alien harboring violations.  Twenty one undocumented workers were arrested. 

Unless our government enacts comprehensive immigration reform, we are going to see ICE raid industries that are important to the well-being of our economy.  Comprehensive reform is something that both Presidential candidates support. To see which plan fits your views on immigration, please go to THIS LINK.  We link to both Senator McCain and Senator Obama's plans on our Immigration News Update blog.

To read the entire ICE press release on these recent arrests, go to THIS LINK.

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced that it would extend the validity of initial work authorization documents for refugees to two years after arrival in the United States.  Previous policy required renewal of the Employment Authorization Document (EAD) after one year.

The new policy will reduce the financial burden on refugees by eliminating the need for many refugees to apply for renewal of work documents before they are able to adjust status to permanent residency.    While there is no fee for the initial application for a refugee EAD, applicants incur a $340 fee for renewals.

This new policy is consistent with the USCIS policy to provide two-year EADs for I-485 adjustment applicants when an immigrant visa is not available.

Stay tuned to www.bashyamspiro.com for additional information as it becomes available.