HIV No Longer A Bar to Entering the U.S.
Filed under: Adjusting Status, General, Other Visa Categories
Immigration officials in the United States recently announced that HIV is no longer a bar to entering or immigrating into the United States. In the past, a person had to undergo HIV testing and have a negative test result (meaning no HIV present) in order to qualify. That is no longer the case! Now, the civil surgeons or doctors who are trained to do the medical exams for intending immigrants won’t even do the HIV test.
Change for Cuban-American Relations
The Office of the Press Secretary of the White House issued the following statement on April 13, 2009 titled “Fact Sheet: Reaching Out to the Cuban People”. It’s a great blueprint for what the Obama Administration’s plan is going to be to change Cuban-American relations. Read more
Immigration Statistics for 2008
Every year the USCIS publishes immigration statistics showing who came from where and what visa they used to get here to the US. Follow THIS LINK to read all about it. You might be surprised by what you see there!
Recommendations for EB-5 Reform from the CIS Ombudsman
The Citizenship and Immigration Services Ombudsman, established by the Homeland Security Act of 2002, provides independent analysis of problems encountered by individuals and employers interacting with U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, and proposes changes to mitigate those problems.
CLICK HERE to read the recommendations presented to the Department of Homeland Security on March 18 2009 for issues relating to the EB-5 immigrant visa, designed to help stabilize and energize the program.
Immigrants’ Impact on Our Coffers
I read with interest the following article about how the immigrant population, legal and illegal, has a positive impact on States’ economies. Read for yourself the results of the studies conducted by many states here in the U.S.~~
Immigrant Policy Project
A Summary of State Studies On Fiscal Impacts of Immigrants
March 17, 2009
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Several states and organizations have conducted studies on the fiscal and economic impacts of immigrants or on specific immigration laws. Because of the complexity of researching unauthorized immigrants, studies are limited in scope and size. Some address all foreign-born, while others address only illegal immigrants or Hispanic residents (without addressing citizenship or immigration status). Estimates of tax revenues typically focus on income, sales and property tax. Some studies examine health, education and law enforcement costs, while others focus only on education. A few go beyond traditional assessment of taxes paid versus services used to examine the multiplier effects of immigrants in the labor force and economy. Read more
Reform Coming for Homeland Security
The new Secretary of Homeland Security, Janet Napolitano, outlined areas that are going to be targeted for reform. Below is an excerpt from a press release from the White House: Read more
Some Potential Exciting News for E-2 Investor Visa Holders
Congressman Adam Putnam has introduced a bill into Congress, tentatively named the E-2 Nonimmigrant Investor Adjustment Act of 2009. Its purpose is to amend the Immigration and Nationality Act to permit certain E-2 nonimmigrant investors to adjust status to lawful permanent resident status. As of February 24, 2009, it has been referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary. Read more
Student and Exchange Visitors – Facts and Approved Schools
If you or someone you know is interested in coming to the USA to study, there are some great information recourses available from United States Immigrations and Customs Enforcement. Click HERE to see a list of the approved schools. Click HERE for a link to a fact page on all of the different student and exchange visitor visas and the process you must follow to qualify and apply for one. If you would like assistance with your application or counseling from an immigration attorney, please feel free to contact us. Click HERE to email us, or call us a (561) 882-6500 [if outside the US, use the 001 prefix].
Myth Busted! Immigrants Are NOT a Burden on Our Economy
This is an article that was posted on the American Immigration Lawyer’s Association web site, reprinted here in full. Read more
EB-5 Visa Program Extended Through September 2009
Many people didn’t realize that the EB-5 Regional Center program was in danger of disappearing in February because the legislation that authorized it was set to expire. We received good news on February 25th, 2009 that the House of Representatives passed the Fiscal 2009 Omnibus Appropriations bill (H.R. 1105), totaling $410 billion, and that measure includes provisions that would extend two immigration related programs — the EB-5 regional center program and Basic Pilot (E-Verify) program– through September 30, 2009.