USA Green Card Immigration Blog

On October 14, 2010, a new field office was opened by U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services in Holtsville, Long Island. The grand opening was commemorated by a ribbon cutting ceremony, which was presided over by the Director of USCIS, Alejandro Mayorkas along with Andrea Quarantillo, USCIS New York District Director, and Charles Akalski, the new Holtsville Field Office Director.

Director Mayorkas expressed his pride in opening the new USCIS field office in Holtsville. He also stated that USCIS is working hard towards offering an excellent customer service by providing accessible locations all over the country.

Following Director Mayorkas, Andrea Quarantillo, USCIS District Director mentioned that the USCIS customers in Suffolk, Nassau, and Queens Counties need not travel to other USCIS field offices anymore for fingerprinting and other immigration services, thanks to the new Holtsville office.

The location of the new USCIS office was chosen on the basis of its accessibility to all major traffic routes. The new USCIS field office is fully equipped and can serve up to 400 USCIS customers from Suffolk, Nassau, and Queens Counties per day. This new 47,000 square foot field office has been opened by USCIS to provide its customers with customer-friendly, easily accessible, and more efficient offices. In the past three years, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services has opened its field offices in many other states across the country, including Florida, Texas, North Carolina, Michigan, Massachusetts, Hawaii, Colorado, and New Hampshire.

USCIS customers can now fix up appointments with Immigration Services Officers through the InfoPass customer service tool that the new field office offers. Further, the new office also has a large waiting area, a special room for hosting naturalization ceremonies, as well as rooms to carry out immigration interviews. Around 100 federal and contract employees who previously worked for the USCIS’ field office in Garden City have been assigned as staff for this new field office.

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A special United States naturalization ceremony was held at the Kandahar Airfield on Oct1, 2010. Such a special event has been witnessed for the first time, since the U.S. military forces have been deployed to Afghanistan to support combat operations. The members who took the Oath of Allegiance and became citizens of the United States comprise of about 88 soldiers, sailors, airmen, and marines from 37 countries.

A three-member team from the Bangkok District office of U.S. Citizenship and immigration services (USCIS) took a trip all the way to Kandahar to complete the naturalization process. By bringing the immigration services to Kandahar, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services has demonstrated its commitment to the troops who are currently serving in the military. The United States naturalization ceremony was held close to the battlefields where the U.S. military forces were serving.

The Deputy Director of USCIS Refugee, Asylum and International Operations Directorate, Steve Bucher, accompanied the three officers to Kandahar to preside over the ceremony. During the interaction with citizenship candidates, he stated that it demanded greater coordination with USCIS offices in the United States to complete the United States naturalization process.

The coordination efforts for the completion of United States naturalization also included gathering the service members to Kandahar to complete the naturalization test as well as recite the Oath of Allegiance to the United States.

Since the commencement of the overseas naturalization program in 2004, 583 members of the U.S. military deployed in Afghanistan have been naturalized by U.S. Citizenship and immigration services. USCIS will keep up with the trend and continue to provide immigration services to America’s armed forces and their families posted at military installations across the United States and abroad.

Millions of US Visa Lottery applications are disqualified every year because of errors and omissions made by applicants. If you are looking for the most trusted processor of green card applications in the world, then log on to www.usa-green-card.com to get expert and professional help with the official US Green Card Lottery application process.

According to the recent announcement by the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), the applicants filing an application for employment authorization, Form I-765 have got revised filling instructions and addresses. The Form I-765 may be filed by individuals who are temporarily in the United States and eligible for employment authorization.

This announcement by the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services is intended to centralize the form and fee intake. This makes the initial processing of application and fee intake more efficient and effective to the public. The change in filing location will help in the overall transition of forms from service centres to USCIS lockbox facilities.

Based on the classification under which they are filed, the Form I-765 applications beginning from February 24, 2010 must be submitted at one of the USCIS lockbox facilities or the USCIS Vermont service centre. Further information regarding this can be found in the updated form I-765 instructions and at the website www.uscis.gov.

Incorrectly filled applications for employment authorization will be forwarded to the USCIS Phoenix and Dallas lockbox facilities by the USCIS Service centres. The incorrect files will be kept there for the first 30 days, until March 26, 2010. After March 26, 2010, applications incorrectly filed at USCIS service centres will be returned to the applicant. The applicants will also receive a note asking them to send the form I-765 to the correct location.

Those who opt to receive an email or text message regarding the acceptance of their application for employment authorization by the USCIS must complete an E-Notification of an application/petition acceptance form G-1145 and attach it to the first page of the Form I-765 application. When submitted under certain categories the form I-765 may be electronically filed (e-filed) with the USCIS. The eligibility to submit an e-file application for employment authorization, form I-765 can be checked in the USCIS website.

Immigration officials consider more fee increases — latimes.com.

Immigrant rights groups fear that further fee hikes would cut many out of the citizenship application process. The immigration agency, which must be self-supporting, faces a $118-million shortfall.

U.S. immigration officials are considering another possible round of fee increases and budget cuts next year, prompting concern among immigrant rights groups.

Alejandro Mayorkas, the new director of the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, said during a visit to Los Angeles on Wednesday that “financial challenges” have caused the agency to consider potential fee increases but no decision has been made.

The agency is facing a $118-million revenue shortfall this year in part because applications for citizenship and skilled worker visas are below projections, according to officials.

Citizenship applications plunged to 58,000 last year from 254,000 the previous year in the Southern California district. Most experts blame the decline on a fee increase of 69% to $675 in 2007.

But immigration officials said the agency is required by law to be self-supporting and that the fee increase was required because a special congressional appropriation to help reduce application backlogs had run out.

To help close the shortfall, Mayorkas said, the agency has requested $206 million from Congress.

“It is financially responsible to examine all of the options that are available . . . as the agency confronts financial challenges,” Mayorkas said.

Immigrant advocates said, however, that any additional fee increase would severely hamper legal immigrants from pursuing citizenship.

“Right now the high cost of citizenship is putting the dream of naturalization out of reach of low- and moderate-income legal permanent residents, and any future increase will just make the situation worse,” said Rosalind Gold of the National Assn. of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials Educational Fund in Los Angeles.

Debating Lou Dobbs Stance On Immigration : NPR.

The immigration debate is a staple of conservative talk radio. More than 40 conservative radio hosts came to Washington this week, pressuring Congress to deny undocumented immigrants health care coverage. CNN anchor Lou Dobbs was among those holding their feet to the fire. Roberto Lovato, a journalist and activist who’s waged a campaign to get Lou Dobbs off the air, called for “Basta Dobbs” or “Enough, Dobbs.” Also joining the conversation is Ira Mehlman, a spokesman for the Federation for American Immigration Reform and Rick Rodriguez, a journalism professor at Arizona State University. The two talk with guest host Mandalit del Barco about the tenor of the debate and whether some of the rhetoric should be considered hate speech.

Click on the link above for the complete interview.

The U.S. military services sign up about 8,000 foreign nationals annually and about 29,000 non-citizens serve in the U.S. military today. Non-citizen service members normally possess a State Department-issued green card that authorizes them to live and work in the United States.

In December 2008, the United States Department of Defense launched a year-long program to recruit about 1,000 non-U.S. citizen health care workers and language and cultural specialists for service in America’s military. People sought for the program include doctors, nurses, other health care professionals and those proficient in certain foreign languages and associated cultures, according to a Department of Defense news release.

A spokesman for the Department of Defense noted that “there are tens of thousands of health professionals in the United States on a work visa who would be very interested in achieving green card status or, ultimately, citizenship.” The pilot program provides successful applicants with a way to accelerate achievement of U.S. citizenship if “they’re willing to serve in our time of need to fulfill a vital national interest.”

Applicants for the program must be legal aliens who have lived in the U.S. for at least two years and must undergo security screenings and satisfy the same high standards required for every other person entering the military today.

One question invariably haunts the minds of foreign nationals who are aspiring to settle down in the United States of America: is America anti-immigrant? America’s anti-immigration policy is a thing of the past. An entry into the land of opportunity is not all that restricted these days, despite what the media portray and rampant rumors suggest. Since the twentieth century, America’s anti-immigration policy has weakened. In many aspects, the current U.S. immigration policy can be characterized as being quite immigrant-friendly. Current-day U.S. immigration policy welcomes immigrants through many visa opportunities including the Green Card Lottery program. The large numbers of foreign nationals who have gained entry into America and have become U.S. citizens is proof of America’s continuing acceptance of immigrants from all faiths, races, cultures, nationalities, and walks of life. Many of these immigrants are skilled foreigners who make major contributors to America’s economy. But, the policy is still unbendable for those who hold a criminal background. If a foreign national has a criminal background or if he/she is involved in illegal activities, then immigration will be denied to that person. So, is America anti-immigrant? The answer is no, especially for skilled, law-abiding foreigners. According to U.S. immigration policy, Lawful Permanent Residence or obtaining the USA green card is one of the channels through which any foreign national can become a legal resident of the United States of America. The U.S. Department of State conducts a Diversity Immigrant Visa (DV) program or the Green Card Lottery every year. Through this Green Card Lottery program, the country provides 55,000 green cards to eligible foreign nationals. Applying for the Diversity Immigrant Visa program (DV) is not simple, but the benefits of the Green Card Lottery are many. Winners of the Green Card Lottery can bring their families with them to the U.S. and are entitled to work and live in the United States of America. Green Card Lottery advantages include permanent residence permission, equal opportunity to be lawfully employed by any employer, and the ability to pursue education and health benefits. In short, Green Card Lottery benefits include almost all the same rights enjoyed by a full-fledged U.S. citizen. If your ultimate goal is to become a U.S. citizen, winners of the Green Card Lottery can eventually file a petition to do so. If you obtain a U.S.A. green card, you can live and work anywhere throughout the 50 states and also enjoy the benefits of unbiased employment in the country. The winners of the Green Card Lottery can also apply for American citizenship after 5 years of their immigration into the country. The Green Card Lottery benefits also include the right to become the legal owner of any property such as housing, vehicles, etc. Finally, one of the most important Green Card Lottery benefits is that the green card holder can travel abroad as a permanent resident of the United States of America. A word of caution for applicants: many Green Card Lottery applications are rejected every year because of errors on the form or incomplete information. This is where you will need an expert’s help. USA Green Card provides professional assistance with the Green Card Lottery application procedure. USA Green Card assures that your registration in the program complies 100% with the requirements of the U.S. Government in preparing and submitting your application. Are you ready to start enjoying all the benefits that come with the possession of an American green card? Complete the registration form today!

Organized crime is preying on illegal immigrants’ American dreams.  “Gangs own the people-smuggling trade” and are kidnapping illegals and then holding them hostage for ransom of as much as $5000.  The phenomenon is particularly acute in the Phoenix, Arizona area.  How is this happening?  A variety of factors are at play, including:  the spike in abandoned property (where the hostages can be kept), tighter border security (which makes border crossings more difficult and encourages gangs to handle them), and the decline in immigration resulting from job losses in the US (which decreases gangs’ revenue made from border crossings, and invites them to hold hostages for ransom money).  Read the article for more information on this disturbing trend.

Click on the article link above to read about this ridiculous case involving a Buddhist monk who’s “employment” at a California temple has triggered the wrath of the US government, which “wants to deport the 47-year-old monk, after denying him permanent U.S. residency, or a green card, on the grounds that he was employed without authorization after his temporary religious visa lapsed.”

The monk is fighting in immigration court to remain in the United States.  He is accused of having been “employed” by a Buddhist temple in California, even though his services were uncompensated.  He has taken an oath of poverty, and his “work” consists of spreading a message of peace and compassion!

“The monk’s saga illustrates how an increasingly backlogged and cautious immigration system can trip up some applicants striving to obey the law. In a post-9/11 world, immigration agencies, which have discovered rampant fraud with religious visas, try to strike a balance between screening out security threats and permitting legitimate religious workers.”

“The State Department issued 13,002 R-1 visas in the fiscal year that ended Sept. 30, 2008. However, the U.S. government has tightened oversight of the program in recent years. After the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks, concern grew that the visas could be misused by terrorists or radical groups. Then in late 2005, a fraud-detection unit of the Department of Homeland Security found that a third of all immigrant religious visas had been granted on the basis of fraudulent information.”

Commentary: Stand up for justice for immigrant – CNN.com.

This is a very sad case and a blatant reminder that racism is still a very real problem–even in the US criminal justice system.