In a Press Release today, DHS Secretary Janet Napolitano, announced the elimination of the paper arrival/departure form (Form I-94W) for authorized travelers from nations participating in the Visa Waiver Program (VWP).

The elimination of the paper I-94W form enables travelers to provide basic biographical, travel and eligibility information automatically through ESTA prior to departure for the United States —reducing redundancy and enhancing the security of sensitive personal information, as CBP stores and protects all VWP data electronically on secure servers.

CBP recommends that travelers submit ESTA applications as soon as an applicant begins making travel plans. ESTA applications may be submitted at any time prior to travel, and once approved, will be valid for two years or until the applicant’s passport expires. To date, CBP has received more than 19 million ESTA applications from citizens of VWP countries—applications that will now automatically cover I-94W submission.

For more information about ESTA, please visit www.cbp.gov

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced today that it has redesigned the Permanent Resident Card commonly known as the  Green Card to incorporate several major new security features.  State-of-the-art technology is supposed to prevent counterfeiting, obstruct tampering, and facilitate quick and accurate authentication of the card.  Beginning today, USCIS will issue all Green Cards in a new, more secure format.  We link to the new card

Here is some additional information regarding the card with FAQ’s released 5/17/2010.

The Texas Service Center employment-based I-485 Email Pilot Special Notification Initiative is to provide a mechanism by which applicants can facilitate TSC processes relating to specific EB I-485 application scenarios through an email address.  The email address for this purpose is:

EBUPDATE.Tsc@dhs.gov

Applicants will receive an automatic reply from TSC stating that the email was received.  After submitting information through this pilot email initiative, one follow-up inquiry may be sent if no communication has been received from TSC, such as a decision notice, a request for evide3nce, or other notice, within 90 days.  The automatic email reply will provide further information on how to submit the follow-up inquiry.

The notice was posted today on AILA and is not yet available to the public.  Here is a copy of the Notice dated 4/22/10 on this program:

http://www.docstoc.com/docs/37276568/TSC-Applicant-I-485-Email-Pilot-Program

The program covers 4 different scenarios:

1. What is the procedure to notify TSC when an applicant is eligible for porting under AC21?
2. What is the procedure to notify TSC when an applicant has multiple approved I-140’s with priority dates that are visa available?
3. What is the procedure to notify TSC when an applicant is eligible for cross-country chargeability?
4. What is the procedure to notify TSC when an applicant has an adjustment case that should be transferred?

We’ll see how well this works, and we applaud TSC for giving this a try.

We have released our May newsletter and podcast.  You can access it here.

Our newsletter podcast and other media is free — so if you like it, please sign up here.

If you’d like to become a client of our office or to consult with us or request a proposal, we’d be glad to hear from you.

For Immediate Release

Immigration Solutions is proud to now offer Global Immigration Services. Our new Global Immigration Services offers a comprehensive yet streamlined approach to fulfilling corporate global immigration needs.  When making a choice for a global partner many organizations feel they have two choices:

• Choose the firm that fits your budget; or
• Choose the firm that offers personalized services

Through our international network of global immigration experts, Immigration Solutions can offer services that are low cost – high touch.  Gone are the days of compromising your budget for a high touch service.

Our Global Immigrations Services focus on visas for foreign countries.  We secure all the appropriate immigration documents so your employee can legally live and work in a foreign country.  We secure the work permit, entry visa, and residence permit (as applicable) for each location.  We offer personalized services such as accompanying employees to medical exams and local registration appointments.  If you’re sending an employee to a country that requires legalizations, not to worry… our experts are well versed in securing Apostilles and Authentications. Additional services also include business visa assistance to meet your short term travel needs.

In the forthcoming days and months, we will be adding global immigration material to our website, a global corner to our newsletter, and global immigration updates on our current blog.  We are excited to offer this new product line and look forward to assisting you with your global immigration needs.

If you have an immediate need or would like to consult with our office, or request a proposal for services, please email us directly at  global@immigrationsolution.net.    We’re looking forward to doing business with you.

Partisan haranguing took place yesterday with the Senate Democrats’ release of their version of a 26-page comprehensive immigration reform Draft for overhauling the nation’s immigration laws entitled “Conceptual Proposal for Immigration Reform“.  The Republicans immediately attacked it and criticized the Democrats for taking a partisan approach.

The draft includes a proposal to create a process to legalize an estimated 12 million undocumented immigrants in the United States and overhaul U.S. visa programs to bring foreign workers into the country to meet business needs. It also calls for a new visa class specifically for provisional workers.

Meanwhile, White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs said the president telephoned some Republican senators this week to ask them to support immigration reform. The calls were to keep a promise he made to Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C, stating “We are going to need both Republicans and Democrats”.  However, Democratic leaders appear increasingly to be laying the groundwork to bring an all-Democratic immigration reform bill to the Senate floor.

Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee, D-Texas, said lawmakers will not be intimidated by Graham’s threats to walk away from negotiating other legislation if immigration reform advances.

“I will say to him, ‘So what?’ ” she said. “We will not be intimidated by you.”

As we’ve all expected, the stage is set for quite a dramatic and compelling uphill road where immigration reform is concerned.  We will continue to report on this regularly.

President Obama on Friday strongly criticized restrictive immigration legislation pending in Arizona, calling for a federal overhaul of the nation’s laws instead.

Speaking at a naturalization ceremony for 24 active duty service members in the Rose Garden, Obama said that failure to enact immigration reforms would open the door to “irresponsibility by others. That includes, for example, the recent efforts in Arizona, which threaten to undermine basic notions of fairness that we cherish as Americans, as well as the trust between police and their communities that is so crucial to keeping us safe,” Obama said.

Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer, who faces a tough election battle and growing anger in the state over illegal immigrants, scheduled an afternoon news conference Friday to announce her decision.

The sweeping measure would make it a crime under state law to be in the country illegally. It would also require local police officers to question people about their immigration status if there is reason to suspect they are in the country illegally.

Obama indicated that he is monitoring the Arizona bill for civil rights and other implications, and said,  “If we continue to fail to act at a federal level, we will continue to see misguided efforts opening up around the country.”

Arizona has an estimated 460,000 illegal immigrants and is the state with the most illegal border crossings, with the harsh, remote desert serving as the gateway for thousands of Mexicans and Central Americans.

Unfortunately — in the President’s remarks, he didn’t offer a timetable for trying to pursue an overhaul of immigration laws in Congress.  Earlier this month, the Senate majority leader, Harry Reid, retreated from a promise he made to those attending an immigration rally in Las Vegas, where he had suggested Congress would start work on an immigration overhaul soon. Within days of the rally, he indicated that the Senate wouldn’t be able to take up the issue during the calendar period extending until the Memorial Day break. And it may even be a longer wait for advocates, because Congress will be tied up this summer with a Supreme Court confirmation battle heading into the midterm election cycle.

How much longer? — is the question being asked ….

For more on this

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Arizona passes Strict Immigration Act

On 4/13/10, the Arizona state House of Representatives passed a bill (S.B. 1070) directing police to determine the immigration status of non-criminals if there is a “reasonable suspicion” they are undocumented. The state Senate passed a similar measure earlier this year.

A bill creating the country’s strictest immigration stance yet has passed the Arizona House and State Senate, creating a situation where citizens will be subject to random confrontations with police regarding their immigration status.

SB 1070 calls for police to demand proof of citizenship in any situation in which “reasonable suspicion exists that the person is an alien who is unlawfully present in the United States.”

If you can’t present documentation of legal status, the law will allow for an automatic arrest.  Picture it — you go out for your morning run, do you take your driver’s license and your passport with you?  Didn’t think so.

But the means for demanding the documentation concerns immigrants rights groups who fear the draconian law will lead to racial profiling — specifically zeroing in on a Hispanic population that represents 30 percent of the Arizona citizenry.

For the text of the Bill

For more reading

LA Times

An employer may make “short-term placement(s) or assignments” to new places of employment in areas of intended employment not listed on the original LCA w/o filing a new LCA. Short term placements may occur only under certain conditions for strictly limited periods.

1)      The employer has satisfied all obligations under the existing LCA covering the H-1B worker

2)      There is no strike or lockout at the new worksite in the occupational classification of the H-1B worker; and

3)      The employer continues to pay the required wage based on the original LCA and also pays all lodging, travel, meals and incidental or misc expenses associated with the worker’s stay at the new location, for both workdays and non-workdays.

Short-term placement at any worksite or combination of worksites in a new area may not exceed 30 workdays in a one-year period, or under certain circumstances, 60 workdays.  Workdays counted toward the limit may be nonconsecutive and may be at different specific worksites within the area of employment.  Weekend, holiday or other non-workdays do not count.  Thus, the 30-workday limit would typically be about 6 weeks.

It is recommended that you obtain the advice of an experienced immigration attorney who understands this issue. If you are not a client of our office and would like to be, please contact me directly.

Leslie Davis, Managing Director
Immigration Solutions
D 562 612.3996
Our News: http://www.immigrationsolution.net/newsletter-April-2010.php

The new healthcare reform law covers a lot of ground, measuring in at about 2,400 pages, and twice as long as “War and Peace.”

Much attention this week has focused on big-ticket provisions such as a national exchange for buying insurance, an end to excluding people with preexisting medical conditions.

But scattered throughout the law are also a number of provisions that focus on prevention of illnesses and keeping people fit. And, some healthcare experts say, this is where the real action will be in years ahead.  What jobs will be in demand to service this need?

If you’re considering switching careers, or are just starting to think about where to begin yours, this is the list for you:

#1  Registered Nurse: One of the most in-demand careers in the entire US, registered nurses are projected to generate over 580,000 new jobs by 2016. This does not count the hundreds of thousands of jobs that will become available when older nurses retire. Those following the path toward becoming a registered nurse will find abundant job prospects and ample opportunities.  Call your representatives and tell them to pass the W Visa for nurses that will provide a temporary nonimmigrant category for nurses.  Also tell them to tackle legal immigration first to get the nurses in waiting in the EB-3 category moving forward, given that this is a pre-certified shortage occupation.

#2  Home Health Aide: Home health aides function as caregivers to the many people who are unable to leave their homes or live on their own. Home health aides may check vital signs, administer medicines, and help with daily tasks. The job outlook for home health aides is excellent, especially as baby boomers age and home health aides retire or advance into other careers.

2006 employment: 767,000
2016 projection: 1,156,000
Percent growth: 50.6
Salary range: Less than $21,220
Education/training: On-the-job training

#3  Medical Assistant: Medical assistants perform administrative and clinical tasks in a variety of work settings. A staple of the healthcare industry, medical assistants are in demand all over the US. Employment for medical assistants is estimated to grow much faster than average, and job opportunities should be abundant for medical assistants with formal training or certification.

#4  Pharmacy Technician:  Pharmacy technicians help pharmacists in providing medication and health care products to patients. Because there is currently few state, and no Federal, requirements for formal training, many employers have on-the-job training, which is appealing to individuals who want to further their education without attending multiple years of school.

2006 Employment: 285,000

2016 projection:  376,000

Percent growth:  32

Salary range:  $21,260 – $30,560

Job outlook:  The demand for pharmacy technicians will increase along with the elderly population.  Pharmacies looking to cut costs will shift more responsibilities form pharmacists to technicians

#5  Medical Secretary: Employment is expected to grow faster than average, and job opportunities should be especially good for those who are certified. Employment in hospitals and physician’s offices will continue to grow significantly.

#6  Dental Assistant: Dental assistants are the most in-demand job in the field of dentistry.  Here are the stats:

2006 employment: 280,000
2016 projection: 362,000
Percent growth: 29.2
Salary range: $21,260 – $30,560
Education/training: Moderate on-the-job training
Job outlook: As dental health among older generations improves, routine preventive care is needed more than ever before. Also, younger dentists entering the field are more likely to work with assistants.

#7  Healthcare Administrators; As the backbone of healthcare systems, healthcare administrators take on the duties of overseeing vast expanses of medial personnel. As the structure and financing of the healthcare industry changes, healthcare administrators must be able to adapt to new environments. However, administrators are still in great demand despite the evolving industry.

#8  Medical Records and Health Information Technicians: Medical records and health information technicians maintain the millions of documents the healthcare industry produces. Paperwork includes x-rays, medical histories, lab tests, and treatment plans. Every patient has detailed medical records, and it is necessary that these records be kept organized and confidential. Even with the proliferation of online and electronic health records, the medical records field is expected to grow considerably.

#9  Physical Therapist:  Physical therapy is a growing occupation, especially for those who was interested in pursing an advanced medical degree but do not want to be physicians. Currently, the number of physical therapy jobs is greater than practicing physical therapists because many physical therapists hold more than one job – such as having a private practice and also working part time at another healthcare facility.  Call your representatives and ask them to tackle legal immigration reform first so that the backlog of PTs waiting for green-cards (a pre-certified shortage occupation along with RNs), get moving forward for foreign PTs.

2006 employment: 173,000
2016 projection: 200,000
Percent growth: 27.1
Salary range: $46,360 or more
Education/training: Master’s degree
Job outlook: The growing elderly and disabled population will push demand for physical therapy, an industry that’s constantly expanding its scope.

#10  Physician Assistants:

2006 employment: $66,000
2016 projection: 83,000
Percent growth: 27
Salary range: $46,360 or more
Education/training: Master’s degree
Job outlook: As health care facilities, particularly in rural and inner-city areas, increasingly use physician’s assistants to address physician shortages and save money, job demand will grow.

More on this in the News:

• We link to an article in the LAT:  http://www.latimes.com/sns-health-growing-health-occupations,0,6656383.photogallery

• Healthcare Finance News: http://www.healthcarefinancenews.com/news/healthcare-hiring-could-boom-2010

• Healthcare Reform:  How it Might Work for Real People:

http://www.cnn.com/2010/HEALTH/03/23/health.care.scenarios/index.html