Immigration Resources
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by lauraj on Mar.09, 2010, under EB 5 Visa, Green Card
For immigrants seeking to enter and live permanently in the U.S., the EB 5 visa is available to those who have the means to invest in a new business that creates 10 full time jobs or an existing business that is troubled. There are 10,000 EB 5 visas available each year with 3,000 set aside for investment in regional centers.
by lauraj on Mar.04, 2010, under EB 5 Visa, Green Card, Law and Policy
Senators John Kerry (D-MA) and Richard Luger (R-IN) introduce a new bill in the Senate that would make obtaining the EB5 investment visa easier by loosening the requirements already in place. The EB 5 investor visa program is an excellent opportunity for foreign nationals to obtain permanent residency and a US Green Card through a qualifying financial investment in the United States.
by elianaphelps on Feb.11, 2010, under Law and Policy
This report provides estimates of the unauthorized immigrant population residing in the United States as of January 2009 for periods of entry and leading countries of birth and states of residence.
DHS estimates that the unauthorized immigrant population living in the United States decreased to 10.8 million in January 2009 from 11.6 million in January 2008.
by elianaphelps on Feb.10, 2010, under Immigration Law Reform
Los Angeles-based immigrant rights advocates announced Tuesday that they have filed formal complaints against a Santa Clarita councilman they say deserves to be censured for violating the city’s code of ethics and conduct by declaring himself “a proud racist.”
They also accuse Kellar of being a member of the Santa Clarita Valley Independent Minutemen group — a staunch anti-illegal immigration organization whose members sometimes patrol the U.S.-Mexico border in an attempt to prevent illicit crossings. Kellar has denied being a member of the group, which helped organize the rally at which he spoke.
Bob Kellar (ex mayor, ex cop and veteran councilman) has said that he stands by his remarks, which he said were personal and have been misconstrued. He insisted that he abhors racism, and he has received zealous support from many Santa Clarita residents.
Full story on the LA Times site.
by lauraj on Dec.16, 2009, under EB 5 Visa, Law and Policy
The EB 5 investor visa program is an excellent opportunity for foreign nationals to obtain permanent residency and a US Green Card through a qualifying financial investment in the United States. In order to be eligible, foreign individuals are required to invest a minimum of $500,000 in certain qualified investments or Regional Centers in the United States. Qualifying Regional Centers are designated by the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) department and are essentially any economic program, private or public, that promotes economic growth, productivity, creates at least 10 jobs and increases the domestic capital investment.
by lauraj on Dec.14, 2009, under Law and Policy, criminal immigration
Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agency arrests 300 in California over a three day sweep.
According to ICE, the nearly 300 arrested had a serious criminal record or criminally violent background. One third of those arrested have already been deported and the remainder are awaiting deportation processing. ICE defends its position on continued sweeps in the illegal immigrant community in an ongoing effort to improve public safety. However, skeptics question the validity that these sweeps are only targeting illegal criminals and not the entire illegal immigrant community.
by elianaphelps on Nov.20, 2009, under E-Verify, Law and Policy
The New York Times is reporting that the ICE are about to audit 1,000 companies for illegal workers.
“An audit consists of ICE officials checking each worker’s Employee Eligibility Verification Form, known as an I-9, to determine what steps were taken to confirm the person was eligible to be hired. If irregularities are found, the companies may then be fined for lax monitoring.
The strategy is part of the Obama administration’s effort to reduce illegal immigration by forcing companies to fire unauthorized workers rather than by conducting raids at the workplace, actions that are often accompanied by great personal trauma, including deportation and the dividing of immigrant families.”
The knock-on effect of this initiative is that employers are firing illegal workers. Already American Apparel in LA fired 1800 workers after inconsistencies were detected in a similar audit in September 2009.
by lauraj on Nov.01, 2009, under Green Card
The Green Card lottery registration is happening now for 2011!
For those that are interested in participating in the DV-2011 Diversity Visa lottery, online registration is taking place October 2, 2009 (at noon, Eastern Standard Time) until Monday, November 30, 2009 (noon, EST). If you are interested in applying for the 2011 Green Card lottery, applicants must use Form DS-5501, which is an Electronic Diversity Visa Entry Form, available online only during this registration period.
by lauraj on Sep.29, 2009, under Law and Policy, U Visa
What is a U visa?
A lesser known visa, the U non-immigrant visa, was established for illegal immigrants who are victims of crimes. While living illegally here in the U.S., these victims must have endured mental or physical abuse and be willing to help law enforcement and government officials investigate and prosecute the abuser. The U non-immigrant visa was established in 2000 but put on hold until 2007. It was created to persuade illegal immigrants living in the U.S. to report violent crimes. Most criminal activity against illegal aliens in the U.S. goes unreported and undocumented due to the threat of deportation if the victim comes forward.
by lauraj on Sep.11, 2009, under Deportation
Even as a victim of a crime or traffic violation, an immigrant can be arrested, detained and possibly deported when law enforcement is involved.
The fastest way to inform the Immigration and Customs Enforcement Agency (ICE) of your illegal immigrant status or your past/present violation of the immigration laws is to interact with police, prosecutors or jail personnel without proper legal representation.