The New York Times reported earlier this week that Governor Patterson issued pardons last week to 24 lawful permanent residents (green card holders) with prior criminal convictions, to avoid deportation to their native countries. The Governor’s term and by extension, the pardon panel will end on December 31, 2010.  The panel received over 1,100 applications for executive clemency this year and the pressure to render decisions on [...]

The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) released yesterday a revised form N-648 (Medical Certification for Disability Exceptions) for lawful permanent residents (green card holders) with certain disabilities who are seeking a waiver of the English language and U.S. history and government requirements for naturalization. The immigration laws concerning naturalization require that applicants are able to correctly answer questions about U.S. history and government plus, [...]

The New York Times reported today that the House of Representatives passed the Development, Relief, and Education for Alien Minors Act of 2010 also known as the DREAM Act late last night by a vote of 216 to 198. This is great news for undocumented immigrant students that have been brought to the U.S. as children because [...]

The U.S. Citizenship & Immigration Services (USCIS) reported today that as of the agency’s most recent count on November 26, 2010, 50,400 H-1B visas have been issued out of the Congressionally mandated quota of 65,000 visas. Additionally, the agency has already issued 18,400 out of the allotted 20,000 visas under the separate quota for applicants possessing a Masters degree or [...]

The New York Times reported yesterday that immigrant advocate groups across the United States have come together to call on members of Congress to pass a bill that would legalize undocumented illegal immigrant students.  This is an effort to have the legislation pass before Congress adjourns for the year and, while Democrats still have control in both chambers of Congress. [...]

The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) reported today that the agency has implemented a standardized form for applicants to submit with certain applications to request a waiver of the filing fees charged for processing of forms to grant or deny immigration benefits. USCIS Form I-912 (Request for Fee Waiver), is available for use beginning today.  Additionally, the USCIS’ increase in filing [...]

The New York Times reported yesterday that Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, would introduce a bill in the upcoming Congressional lame duck session to legalize certain undocumented immigrants who were brought to the U.S. as children, otherwise known as the DREAM Act. The Senator tried to introduce the DREAM Act as part of a larger military appropriations bill prior to the midterm elections. However, the [...]

The U.S. Citizenship & Immigration Services (USCIS) reported today that it has accepted 47,800  H-1B visa applications so far in Fiscal Year (FY) 2011.  When we last reported on the number of H-1B visa applications back on November 12, 2010, the USCIS counted 46,800 applications. Based on the most recent figures, the USCIS’ acceptance rate of H-1B visa applications has remained steady at about 1,000 per [...]

As a reminder, the US Citizenship & Immigration Services (USCIS) will begin charging higher filing fees for most applications beginning November 23, 2010. The USCIS conducts filing fee reviews every 2 years to determine whether costs to administer the immigration laws, process applications, and provide the technology and personnel needed are being recovered. The USCIS, a fee based agency uses about [...]

The U.S. Citizenship & Immigration Services (USCIS) reported recently that it has accepted 46,800  H-1B visa applications so far in Fiscal Year (FY) 2011.  When we last reported on the number of H-1B visa applications back on November 3, 2010, the USCIS counted 45,600 applications. Based on the most recent figures, the USCIS’s acceptance rate of H-1B visa applications has been climbing from an average [...]