visaroot's blog

For decades, the word “green card” as it relates to the document that serves as proof of an alien’s eligibility to live and work in the United States on a permanent basis has been a misnomer. In actuality, the “green card” is anything but green. As of this month, the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services has redesigned the original “green card”. The new green card will actually be green. In fact, the redesigned card has been outfitted with a new holographic design. The Green Card redesign is the latest advance in the government’s ongoing efforts to deter immigration fraud. State-of-the-art technology prevents counterfeiting, obstructs tampering, and facilitates quick and accurate authentication of the card. The enhanced features will better serve law enforcement, employers, and immigrants, all of whom look to the Green Card as definitive proof of authorization to live and work in the United States. Beginning May 11, 2010, USCIS will issue all Green Cards in the new, more secure format. Recipients of the redesigned card will include those newly approved for lawful permanent residency, as well as those who have sought a renewal or replacement card.

To view a sample image of the front of the new card, click here: http://www.meatami.com/ht/a/GetDocumentAction/i/59421

To view a sample image of the back of the new card, click here: http://www.meatami.com/ht/a/GetDocumentAction/i/59423

Last month, the State of Arizona passed the strictest anti-immigrant bill into law. This law makes physical presence in Arizona without the proper papers a criminal offense. There are a lot of things wrong with this piece of legislation but there is one thing Arizona did right. This law has brought immigration to forefront of every discussion. Immigration reform has always been a contentious political issue and therefore every politician has played hot potato with it. Neither side has ever come to the table and discussed the issues fairly and with a goal of reform in mind. This exercise in pushing the constitutional boundaries of State governance has lit the proverbial fire under everyone involved. Young people, elderly, small companies, actors, musicians and even sports personalities have all expressed their opinions on this issue. The American Immigration Lawyers Association has canceled a conference in Arizona that was to be held in late July. The oldest black fraternity, Alpha Phi Alpha, has also moved its conference from Arizona to Las Vegas. The State of Arizona is the black sheep of the family and everyone is trying to teach it a lesson. Unfortunately, not much has been heard from the Capitol. Republicans and Democrats have fired out their opinions on the law but there has yet been a constructive movement towards an amicable solution.

To read more: http://www.nytimes.com/2010/05/04/sports/baseball/04rhoden.html

Relief for Foreign Nationals Stranded due to the Icelandic Volcano Eruption

Department of Homeland Security has issued an advisory for foreign nationals stranded in the U.S. due to airport closures in Europe.

If you have exceeded or are about to exceed your authorized stay in the U.S. you may be given up to an additional 30 days to depart.

Foreigners under the Visa Waiver Program (VWP) should contact either the U.S. Customs and Border Protection Office at the airport or visit the local U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services office.

Foreigners under a non immigrant visa should visit the local U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services office. Please remember to bring your passport, itinerary for the canceled flight and the I-94 departure card.

To read more visit www.uscis.gov.

As of this morning, there is a piece of legislature sitting on Governor Jan Brewer’s desk waiting her signature that has the ability to set immigration reform back decades. If she signs this bill into law, she will be responsible for alienating every immigrant, legal or otherwise, residing in this country. One provision of this new law makes the failure to carry your immigration paperwork a state crime. Another gives local law enforcement the power to stop any individual solely for the purpose of verifying their immigration status. Traditionally, the enforcement of U.S. immigration laws has always been under the exclusive jurisdiction of the federal government. This over reaction to the problem of illegal immigration in the State of Arizona will create more problems than it attempts to solve. The law will expand the gap between law enforcement and immigrant communities and create a hostile environment for everyone involved. Leaving local governments to deal with issues created by the federal government is fundamentally unfair. Although, it’s not fair to lay all blame with the government of State of Arizona, the federal government's failure to address this volatile issue has helped create this mess. Local and State governments, especially the ones along the U.S/Mexico border are over burdened with the increasing drug related violence in their jurisdictions. They don’t have the legislative power and/or resources to deal with problems effectively. If corrective measures are taken by the Obama administration soon, it is very likely that similar legislation will spring up in other states as well. Here is hoping that cooler heads will prevail and this bill will suffer a premature death.

To read more see The New York Times

At the Visa Lawyer Group, our attorneys always remain current on developing stories and their impact on immigration laws. We are an immigration law firm that provides legal assistance to clients around the world. Our immigration lawyers can be contacted to work on a variety of immigration related issues. For more information please schedule a free consultation, email us at info@visalawyergroup.com or call us at (845) 353-3500.

The Haitian Government has requested a final list of orphans being considered under the Special Humanitarian Parole Program for Haitian Orphans. In response, the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has stopped accepting new requests for consideration under the special program as of today, April 14, 2010. After today, USCIS will resume processing of inter-country adoptions.

More than 1,000 orphans have been authorized parole under the special program since January 18, 2010. According to U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Service, 340 more cases are currently being considered. This program included provisions to protect the children. In particular, it ensured that each child granted parole was truly available for adoption and was matched to a suitable U.S. citizen for adoption.

In the aftermath of the January 12 earthquake, the Department of Homeland Security authorized parole for two specific and limited groups of Haitian children: (1) Children who either had full and final adoptions completed by their U.S. parents before the earthquake and who were legally confirmed as eligible for inter-country adoption by the government of Haiti and (2) Children who were far enough along in the adoption process that both the U.S. and Haitian governments could verify the identity and eligibility of the children for adoption and the U.S. government could confirm the suitability of the adoptive parents.

From today onward, every inter-country adoption case involving Haitian orphans will be processed through normal channels. The Haitian government has begun accepting new documents for adoption cases and the U.S. Embassy in Port-au-Prince has resumed regular processing.

At the Visa Lawyer Group, our attorneys always remain current on developing stories and their impact on immigration laws. We are an immigration law firm that provides legal assistance to clients around the world. Our immigration lawyers can be contacted to work on a variety of immigration related issues. For more information please schedule a free consultation, email us at info@visalawyergroup.com or call us at (845) 353-3500.