IMMIGRATION NEWS

Senate Judiciary Committee to Hold First Hearing on Comprehensive Immigration Reform!

On February 28, the Senate Judiciary Committee held its first hearing on Comprehensive Immigration Reform! This is the first official consideration of immigration reform since the 110th Congress convened. Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff and Secretary of Commerce Carlos Gutierrez were scheduled to testify at the hearing, and both were expected to present the Committee with a framework for immigration reform that closely tracks the plan supported by the President. The Senate hearing marks the beginning of what will soon become a full-fledged debate on Comprehensive Immigration Reform (CIR). Although the old 2006 Senate immigration reform bill (S. 9) currently exists only as a framework, legislators in both chambers are expected to introduce comprehensive, bipartisan immigration reform bills sometime in March 2007. Keep your fingers crossed!

IMMIGRATION QUESTIONS

Question: Hello Ms. Pedersen, I am an American citizen and I would like to file for my sister. She is presently living here for past five years and out of status. She came here legally meaning that she was inspected by an immigration officer. I would like to know if it possible and how long would it take. Can you advice me how I should go about preparing the forms and the steps that I need to take. Thank you very much for your time and I am looking forward in hearing from you.

H-1B Temporary Work Visas – USCIS begins accepting applications on April 1, 2007!

H-1B visas for 2007 were all taken by July of 2006. This year, it is expected that the H-1B work visas for 2008 will be exhausted by late June 2007. Therefore, immigration experts advise early preparation and filing. The USCIS will begin accepting H-1B visas on April 1, 2007 for the new 2008 fiscal year, which begins on Oct 1, 2007. This means that you should start preparing no later than late February for the early April filing. But remember if you are applying for an H-1B and your I-94 will expire before Oct 1, 2007, your H-1B approval will be for pick it up at a U.S. consulate in your home country. With time getting so close, those of you who’s I-94’s are expiring may want to consider apply for F-1 student visas to fill the gap between now and Oct 1, 2007.

The USCIS to increase immigration filing fees by an average of 86%

USCIS recently undertook a comprehensive fee review to revise its application and petition fees in order to ensure it recovers its full business costs. Increases include: Biometric fee by $10, to $80, Application to Replace a Permanent Resident Card (I-90) – current fee is $190; proposed fee is $290; Petition for Alien Fiancé (I-129F) – current fee is $170; proposed fee is $455; Application to Register Permanent Status or Adjust Status (I-485) – current fee is $325; proposed fee is $905; and Application for Naturalization (N-400) – current fee is $330; proposed fee is $595.