VisaJourney.com News

USCIS Sets Final Fee Schedule Effective July 30th 2007 – Fees Increase

Wednesday, May 30th, 2007

WASHINGTON— Following a comprehensive review of more than 3,900 public comments, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced today a final fee structure that includes benefits for some families with children and also expands the availability of fee waivers and exemptions.

The rule, scheduled to be published in tomorrow’s Federal Register, sets fees for the processing of immigration benefit applications and petitions and includes some substantive revisions from the proposal published in February of this year while providing necessary funding for the agency to continue strengthening the security and integrity of the immigration system, improving customer service, and modernizing business operations for the 21st century.

A quick review of the news fees shows that an application for citizenship, including biometric encoding, would climb to $675 from $400; an application to become a permanent resident would rise to $1,010 from $395. The latter would be partially offset by the elimination of fees applicants have to pay while waiting for the green cards, officials said.

(more…)

Share this article:

More »

Posted in General Immigration | Comments Off

USCIS mired in inefficiency

Monday, May 28th, 2007

Last June, U.S. immigration officials were presented a plan that supporters said could help slash waiting times for green cards from nearly three years to three months and save 1 million applicants more than a third of the 45 hours they could expect to spend in government lines.

It would also save about $350 million.

The response? No thanks.

Leaders of U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services rejected key changes because ending huge immigration backlogs nationwide would rob the agency of application and renewal fees that cover 20 percent of its $1.8 billion budget, according to the plan’s author, agency ombudsman Prakash Khatri.

Current and former immigration officials dispute that, saying Khatri’s plan, based on a successful pilot program in Dallas, would be unmanageable if expanded nationwide. Still, they acknowledge financial problems and say that modernization efforts have been delayed since 1999 by money shortages, inertia, increased security demands after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks and the disruptive launch of the Homeland Security Department.
(more…)

Share this article:

More »

Posted in General Immigration | Comments Off

USCIS Issues Service Center Receipting Update

Sunday, May 27th, 2007

WASHINGTON – In an effort to give our customers accurate information about current receipting times and service level commitments, United States Citizenship and Immigration Service (USCIS) is providing the following projections concerning fee receipting and data entry processing of cases currently at USCIS Service Centers as well as the anticipated in time-compliance dates at each site.

California Service Center
USCIS expects to provide in time-compliance for receipting of form types listed below:

Data Entry:	Compliant BY
I-130	6/15/2007
I-765	5/24/2007
N-400	6/15/2007
I-751	5/24/2007

All other forms are currently in time-compliance

(more…)

Share this article:

More »

Posted in General Immigration | Comments Off

Administration and Bipartisan Group of Senators Reach Agreement on Immigration Reform

Saturday, May 19th, 2007

Today, Administration Officials and A Bipartisan Group of Senators Reached Agreement on Comprehensive Immigration Reform Legislation. The proposal includes:

Putting Border Security And Enforcement First: Border security and worksite-enforcement benchmarks must be met before other elements of the proposal are implemented.
Providing Tools For Employers To Verify The Eligibility Of The Workers They Hire: Employers will be required to verify the work eligibility of all employees using an employment eligibility verification system, while all workers will be required to present stronger and more verifiable identification documents. Tough new anti-fraud measures will be implemented and stiff penalties imposed on employers who break the law.
Creating A Temporary Worker Program: To relieve pressure on the border and provide a lawful way to meet the needs of our economy, the proposal creates a temporary worker program to fill jobs Americans are not doing. To ensure this program is truly “temporary,” workers will be limited to three two-year terms, with at least a year spent outside the United States between each term. Temporary workers will be allowed to bring immediate family members only if they have the financial ability to support them and they are covered by health insurance. (more…)

Share this article:

More »

Posted in General Immigration | Comments Off

Even legal immigrants face family visa hurdle

Monday, May 7th, 2007

Elsewhere in America, strident voices propel the immigration debate. Protesters march behind U.S. and Mexican flags, chanting pro-immigrant slogans in Spanish and demanding amnesty for people who crossed the border illegally.

A quieter but equally desperate quest unfolds in Northeast Ohio, where advocates of immigration reform are more likely to be people like Marcela Gallardo.

She was 52 in 1995, a newly sworn-in American citizen, when she applied to have her children join her from the Philippines. Twelve years later, she’s still waiting for visas for them.

“It’s very hard,” said Gallardo, who promotes her cause by filling out forms, paying filing fees and praying. “I want to be with my kids, too. I’m getting old now, and I need them here.”

As a naturalized U.S. citizen, Gallardo is entitled to bring over her children. Some day. Her family must wait in line for visas that are especially scarce for the Philippines, India and China – nations that happen to be primary suppliers of immigrants to Greater Cleveland and Ohio.

(more…)

Share this article:

More »

Posted in Family Immigration | Comments Off

Consular Services in Sydney and Melbourne to be Temporarily Reduced from July to September

Monday, May 7th, 2007

Due to the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum, the consular section at the U.S. Consulate General in Sydney will need to substantially reduce routine visa, immigration, passport, and notarial services in Sydney from mid-July to mid-September 2007 and in Melbourne from August 20 to September 11, 2007, with closure for all routine services anticipated during the end of August and first week of September. In the event of the arrest, death, or serious illness of an American citizen, an emergency duty officer will be on call.

All American citizens seeking consular services, including new passports, replacement passports, consular reports of birth, and notarials, are encouraged to visit the Consulate now to complete these services.

In addition, it is strongly encouraged that those requiring a visa for travel to the United States this year apply as early as possible. Both Sydney and Melbourne have increased the number of visa interview appointments available before the closure, effective immediately.

See the Australian Consulates homepage for more information.

Share this article:

More »

Posted in General Immigration | Comments Off

Archive for May, 2007

USCIS Sets Final Fee Schedule Effective July 30th 2007 – Fees Increase

USCIS mired in inefficiency

USCIS Issues Service Center Receipting Update

Administration and Bipartisan Group of Senators Reach Agreement on Immigration Reform

Even legal immigrants face family visa hurdle

Consular Services in Sydney and Melbourne to be Temporarily Reduced from July to September

Categories

Archives