EB-5 Regional Center Program Extended Three Years to Sept. 30, 2012

President Obama has signed a law extending the EB-5 Regional Center program for investor visas through Sept. 30, 2012.

 The  FY10 Department of Homeland Security Appropriations bill (P.L.111-83) did not include the Senate’s proposed amendment to make the EB-5 Regional Center program permanent. This proposed amendment was rejected Oct. 13, 2009 in a conference report issued by the House and Senate Appropriations Committees.

The law also extends the non-minister religious worker (section 568), the “Conrad 30″ (section 568), and the E-Verify (section 547) programs through September 30, 2012.

It also grants USCIS the authority to complete processing of permanent residence applications for surviving spouses and other relatives of immigration sponsors who die during the adjudication process (section 568).

The bill was previously approved by the House of Representatives on 10/15/09 by a 307-114 roll call vote, and by the Senate on 10/20/09 by a 79-19 vote.

Weird Science: Maddening Visa Policies For World’s Brightest And What You Can Do About It

On the heels of yesterday’s post about the proposed STAPLE Act, today the Washington Post ran a timely article discussing a related obstacle faced by the world’s brightest minds, who would prefer to use their expertise in the United States but due to ill-conceived visa polices and procedures find it all but impossible to do so.

The article, headlined “U.S. Visa Delays Distress Scientists,” talks about the plight of foreign talent eager to get back to work, but who are stuck in their home countries waiting to emerge from the background check black hole so they can get a visa to re-enter the United States. (To read the article you will have to register to read the article, but to do so is free. If you don’t want to register, use a log-on from a site such as http://www.bugmenot.com).

It doesn’t take a genius to figure out the consequences such obstacles are having and will have on scientific research and advancement in the United States. Experts don’t want to sit idle waiting for the U.S. government to decide whether they are worthy of a visa, and research institutions can’t simply put projects on hold until the experts arrive.

Innovation will go elsewhere.

If you want to bring back some common sense and balance to U.S. immigration law, contact your Senators and Congressmen. To learn more about the issues and how to contact your representatives, check out AILA’s Legislation and Advocacy pages, most of which do not require a password to use. Also see AILA’s advocacy arm AILFand AILF’s policy site for additional information, both of which are free to access.

New Bill Proposes Unlimited H-1Bs and Green Cards for STEM Ph.Ds

A new bill is circulating Congress that would allow foreign students who earned Ph.Ds in certain fields from universities in the United States an easier path to employment and a green card.

H.R. 1791, called the Stopping Trained in America Ph.D.s From Leaving the Economy Act of 2009 (aka ‘STAPLE Act’), would eliminate numerical limitations for green cards and H-1Bs for foreign nationals who earned Ph.Ds in science, technology, engineering, or mathematics (STEM) and have a job offer. The goal is to stop the reverse brain drain caused by the United State’s current immigration policies that thwart the ability of many of those holding these desirable STEM degrees from staying here and putting their talents to use.

In 2007, foreign nationals earned 34 percent of the doctorates awarded, most of which were in the STEM fields. In fact, in most STEM fields, foreign nationals represent the majority, outpacing their American counterparts who prefer non-science fields. For example, 30.3 percent of the degrees in engineering were awarded to foreign nationals and only 8.1 percent went to U.S. citizens in 2007, according to a study by the National Opinion Research Center headquartered at the University of Chicago.

When the new bill was announced, news sites and blogs targeting Indian readers lit up with excitement. One main reason for the attention from Indians is that these students would greatly benefit from such a program because they make up a large group of foreign nationals earning STEM-based Ph.Ds in the United States. Chinese students also account for a large percentage of Ph.Ds earned from American universities.

These two groups in particular are experiencing four- and five – year backlogs, and longer, for employment-based immigrant visas for those holding advanced degrees.

The bill was introduced March 30, 2009 by House Republican Jeff Flake from Arizona and has been sent to the Judiciary Committee for review. We will update our readers on the progress of this bill. Please note, every year many bills are introduced in Congress, but most either die or are revised for better or worse before becoming law.

Last Call for New H-1Bs For the April Lottery Season

OPT employees and others filing for their first H-1B visa hopefully have already made their plans to file their applications when the lottery season opens on April 1.

If not, we urge you to act now to avoid any last-minute problems.

USCIS will accept applications from April 1-April 7, 2009 for inclusion in this year’s lottery. If the number of applications received during this window are fewer than the cap, then the window will remain open until the cap is reached. In prior years the quota has been reached on the first day and we expect the same to happen this year.

The cap remains unchanged this year with only 65,000 for standard H-1Bs and 20,000 for those holding advanced degrees form the United States (Master’s degree or higher).

If the cap is reached in the first five working days, USCIS will first hold the random selection process for those holding advanced degrees from the U.S. After this quota is reached, those applicants not chosen will be placed in the standard H-1B lottery pool.

Extensions For Those Whose OPT Expires Before Oct. 1, 2009

If your case is accepted under the quota:

• Work authorization will be extended if you will still be in OPT status after April 1 and you have filed for a change of status to H-1B.
• If your post-completion OPT has expired before April 1, but you will still be in your grace period by April 1, your will receive an extension to stay in the United States until your Oct. 1, 2009 H-1B start date, but you will not be able to work prior to the H-1B start date. In other words, work authorization will not be reinstated retroactively.

Cap Exempt

Applications for employees who will work at the following are not subject to the cap:

• Institutions of higher education
• Nonprofit organizations or entities related to or affiliated with institutions of higher education
• Nonprofit research organizations or governmental research organizations.

 In addition, individuals previously counted against the cap, such as most of those already in H-1B status (those working for the organizations named above were not counted against the cap, so if you are planning on changing employers, you should talk to a competent attorney immediately to determine whether you will be subject to the cap now).

H-1B Restrictions for Stimulus Funds (TARP) Recipients

Under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, companies that receive funding under title I of the Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of 2008 (aka “TARP fund recipients”),  or under Section 13 of the Federal Reserve Act (12 U.S.C. § 342 et seq., authorizing the Federal Reserve’s “Discount Window” for short-term, secured loans to financial institutions and other companies), face additional restrictions on filing H-1B petitions.

Lawsuit Seeks to Void Controverisal New Federal Contractor E-Verify Law

The latest government attempt to impose the use of E-Verify on employers is being challenged in court. This time it is the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and other business and human resources groups attacking the legality of new regulations that force federal government contractors to use E-Verify for its employees.

The regulations, which go into effect Jan. 15, 2009, require federal contractors with projects exceeding $100,000 lasting 120 days or more and for sub-contractors with projects exceeding $3,000 to use E-Verify to confirm its employees’ eligibility to work. It also requires contractors to reconfirm the employment authorization of existing employees hired after Nov. 6, 1986 who work on government contracts.

The Chamber says the government is using an executive order to get around normal law-making processes.

“This massive expansion of E-Verify is not only bad policy, it’s unlawful,” said Robin Conrad, executive vice president of the National Chamber Litigation Center (NCLC), the Chamber’s public policy law firm. “The Administration can’t use an Executive Order to circumvent federal immigration and procurement laws. Federal law explicitly prohibits the secretary of Homeland Security from making E-Verify mandatory or from using it to re-authorize the existing workforce.”

The lawsuit asks the court to declare the new regulations illegal and void.

Employer groups have criticized E-Verify as too costly and imperfect to require use by federal contractors and subcontractors.

The case, filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland, is Chamber of Commerce of the United States of America, et al. v. Chertoff, et al.

For more information on the controversial E-Verify program, please see our other article here.

New Database Gives State-by-State Round Up of Immigration Laws

In recent years states have been enacting a rash of new laws addressing immigration issues that affect foreigners and U.S. citizens alike.

In response, the Migration Policy Institute has created a free, searchable data base ofall immigration-related bills and resolutions introduced in state legislatures.

The State Responses to Immigration database classifies information by state, region, subject area, legislative type, and bill status.  For example, you can search the status of enforcement initiatives introduced in a state, compare the number of bills regulating employment, or evaluate the passage rate of health-related bills across the nation.

The database is a joint project of the Migration Policy Institute (MPI) and a research team at the New York University School of Law (NYU).

The site reports that it has posted 2007 legislation and will add data for 2008, in addition to 2001-2006 data, in the coming months.

Other groups which have tracked state efforts to regulate immigration issues include the National Conference on State Legislatures. For information on this group’s efforts see our article here.

EB-5 Regional Center Program To Be Extended to March 6, 2009

Congress has extended the EB-5 regional center pilot program through March 6, 2009, having included it in its continuing resolution for fiscal 2009 to fund government operations.

The resolution is now before the President for his signature.

The extension only lasts through March 6, 2009 as Congress continues to debate whether and how to proceed with the pilot program. The program was scheduled to sunset Sept. 30, 2008. The House had approved the extension in H.R. 5569, but the Senate is still reviewing its version of the bill S. 2751.

For investors in the EB-5 regional center pilot program, approval by the President of the continuing resolution means applications should continue processing as visas remain available. We will update our readers if USCIS issues a statement on EB-5 processing in light of the continuing resolution, assuming it is signed by the President.

A continuing resolution is a stopgap spending bill Congress approves when it has not finished its appropriations work by Sept. 30, the end of the government’s fiscal year. If the spending bills are not in place, the government cannot operate.

The continuing resolution is available here. The provision providing for the extension of the EB-5 program is Section 144.

9th Circuit Upholds AZ Employer Sanctions Law

In a blow to Arizona employers, the 9th Circuit upheld the controversial Legal Arizona Workers Act, which imposes state sanctions on employers who hire unauthorized workers and requires all employers to participate in the much-maligned E-Verify program.  

The law suspends or revokes the business licenses of employers caught knowingly hiring undocumented employees.

The plaintiffs argued the law unconstitutionally usurps the federal government’s power to regulate immigration. The three-judge panel rejected all of the arguments set forth by the plaintiffs, who included more than a dozen business and Hispanic groups.

Despite upholding the law, the court left the door open for future challenges based on how the act is eventually enforced by the state.

We uphold the statute in all respects against this facial challenge, but we must observe that it is brought against a blank factual background of enforcement and outside the context of any particular case. If and when the statute is enforced, and the factual background is developed, other challenges to the Act as applied in any particular instance or manner will not be controlled by our decision.

The plaintiff’s may seek an en banc review, in which the entire 9th Circuit would examine the case and issue a ruling. The case may also be appealed to the U.S. Supreme Court.

As enforcement against unauthorized employment is increasing at the national as well as the state level, employers will want to be sure they are I-9 compliant.  

The court’s opinion is available here.

Information about Arizona’s Legal Workers Act and worksite enforcement issues is available here.

Iraqi Worker Immigrant Visa Open For Application Now

At long last, the new immigrant visa for certain Iraqis who have worked with the U.S. government is now available, USCIS has announced.

USCIS is accepting applications for the promised special immigrant visa for certain Iraqi nationals who worked for, or were contractors of, the United States government in Iraq for at least one year after March 20, 2003 and who have received serious threats because of that work.

The applicant’s spouse and children are eligible to immigrant as well.

The U.S. government announced the creation of the new Iraqi worker visa in January 2008, but delayed implementation until now while it formulated the regulations and procedures for applications.

To be eligible, the applicant must establish he or she:

1. is a national of Iraq;

2. has been employed by, or on behalf of, the U. S. Government in Iraq, on or after March 20, 2003, for a period of not less than one year;

3. provided faithful and valuable service to the U.S. Government, which is documented in a recommendation from the U.S. citizen or national who is the applicant’s senior supervisor, or the U.S. citizen or national currently occupying that position, or a more senior U.S. citizen or national, if the applicant’s senior supervisor has left the employer or left Iraq.

If it is not possible to obtain a recommendation from a supervisor who is a U.S. citizen or national, then the applicant may request a recommendation from the applicant’s senior supervisor, provided the U.S. citizen or national responsible for the contract co-signs the letter.

The recommendation must be accompanied by the approval of the Chief of Mission (COM) or designee of the COM based upon an independent review of records maintained by the USG or hiring organization or entity to confirm employment and faithful and valuable service;

4. has experienced or is experiencing an ongoing serious threat as a consequence of the applicant’s employment by the U.S. Government, as documented by a risk assessment conducted by the COM or the designee of the COM;

5. has cleared a background check and appropriate screening; 

6. is otherwise eligible to receive an immigrant visa and is otherwise admissible to the United States for permanent residence. In the determination of such admissibility, the grounds for inadmissibility specified in INA 212(a)(4) (8 U.S.C. 1182(a)(4)) relating to “public charge” shall not apply.

Essentially, applying for this visa is a two-step process. First, the applicant must obtain the approval of the COM of the U.S. embassy. Then, the applicant must seek approval from USCIS. Applications for USCIS approval are made using Form I-360. There is no application or biometric fee for this application.

More information on the eligibility criteria is available here on the USCIS website.  

The State Department has posted additional eligibility and processing information about the visa here.

The regulations authorize 5,000 of these visas per year starting in fiscal year 2008 through 2012. If the numerical limitation is not reached during a given fiscal year, the unused numbers will roll-over into the 5,000 authorized for the following fiscal year. If the numerical limitation for FY 2012 is not reached, any unused numbers from that year may be used in FY 2013. Numbers will not carry forward into FY 2014, said USCIS.

This new program for Iraqi workers is different from the special immigrant visa program for Afghan and Iraqi translators. The new Iraqi worker program though, is available to the group of translators as well. In fact, eligible translators who file or who have filed under the translator program before Oct. 1, 2008 but who are unable to adjust status or receive an immigrant visa because  USCIS has reached the current year’s cap of 500, will have their applications automatically converted to the new program for Iraqi workers, USCIS said. 

The translators whose applications are converted to the new Iraqi worker program do not need to provide any additional documents or meet any other eligibility requirements under the new program as long as they meet the requirements under the translator program. However, individuals who file under the translator program after Sept. 30, 2008 will be subject to an annual cap of 50 for FY 2009, according to USCIS.

Fed Up with the Feds: States Continue Trend of Regulating Immigrants in 2008

The National Conference of State Legislatures has issued its latest report summarizing new legislation related to immigrants and refugees introduced by the states this year.

As of March 31, 2008 at least 1,106 bills have been considered in 44 states, some aimed at integrating immigrants, others aimed at deterring illegal immigration, according to the report.

The level of activity this year is comparable to this same time last year when 1169 bills and resolutions had been introduced as of April 13, 2007.

The top three areas registering the most activity are, as in recent years, law enforcement, employment, and identification documents.

The study identifies the following 10 areas attracting immigrant-related legislation this year: education, employment, health, human trafficking, id/driver’s licenses/other licenses, law enforcement, legal services, miscellaneous, omnibus/multi-issue, public benefits, voting resolutions.

The report is available here: http://www.ncsl.org/print/immig/immigreportapril2008.pdf

Didn’t Mark “Change of Status” On H-1B Application? Cap-Gap Relief Problem Remedied

USCIS has remedied the ironic situation in which the H-1B applicants most in need of cap-gap relief were being excluded due to a requirement of the new regulation that the petition be marked for “change of status.”

To rectify the problem, USCIS is allowing the petitioners to request a change of status to make these employees eligible for the cap gap relief under the new regulation.

The request for change of status must be made within 30 days after receiving a receipt notice. Petitioners should not apply until a receipt notice is received.

USCIS explains the process as follows:

To request a change of status in lieu of consular notification, petitioners (or authorized representatives) should send an e-mail with the request to the USCIS service center where their petition is pending within 30 days of the issuance of the receipt notice.

 The requests should include the receipt number and both the petitioner’s and beneficiary’s name, date of birth, I-94 (Arrival/Departure Record) number, and Student and Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS) number.

 Special email addresses for each service center have been established specifically for this purpose. These addresses are listed below and are posted on USCIS’ website.

 E-mail addresses for requesting change of status are:

Vermont Service Center

-  Premium Processing cases: Vscppcapgap@dhs.gov

-  Non-Premium cases: Vscnonppcapgap@dhs.gov

 California Service Center

- Premium Processing cases: ppcapgap@dhs.gov

- Non-Premium cases: nonppcapgap@dhs.gov

If an F-1 student, who is the beneficiary of a selected 2009 H-1B petition, has a pending request to change to a status other than H-1B but now wants to file under the process outlined above, he or she should withdraw the previously filed change in accordance with established procedures.

For more information, please see the USCIS announcement.

New H-1B Cap Gap Rule May Not Help Those Who Need It Most

The new H-1B cap gap bridge is revealing a crack that may cause it to collapse.

The new regulation requires H-1B applications be marked “change of status” to benefit from the automatic Optional Practical Training (OPT) cap gap extension.

This requirement poses a critical problem for cap gap sufferers because they would not have been eligible to change status. Instead, those whose status would have expired before the Oct. 1 employment start date would have had to leave the country to obtain their visa, thus they would have not checked the “change of status” box.

In other words, the regulation has made itself inapplicable to the very group it is intended to protect.

AILA has called this irony to the attention of USCIS and is awaiting guidance.

We will post any update as soon as it is announced.

 

New OPT Rule Effective Today, April 8, 2008

The interim final rule regarding the extension of optional practical training (OPT) for certain foreign national students was published in today’s Federal Register, meaning the rule is now in effect.

The final rule will be issued after the Department of Homeland Security reviews public comments, which must be submitted by June 9, 2008.

The rule extends OPT for two categories of students. The first is for pending H-1B applicants who are caught in the cap gap caused by the limited annual availability of visas. Those applicants with a start date of Oct. 1, 2008, when the new H-1B visas become available, but whose OPT period will expire before Oct. 1, 2008 will receive an automatic extension of their OPT to cover them through Oct. 1, 2008, assuming the H-1B application is approved.

If the application is denied, the student has 60 days to leave the country from the date of notification of the denial.

The second category of students to benefit from the new rule are those who hold degrees in science, technology, engineering and mathematics and whose employers are enrolled in the controversial E-Verify program. OPT for these students is being extended from 12 months to 29 months, a 17-month increase.

The published rule in the Federal Register is available here: http://edocket.access.gpo.gov/2008/pdf/E8-7427.pdf

For more information about this new rule, please see our earlier article OPT Extension to Benefit H-1B applicants and STEM students. 

OPT Extension To Benefit H-1B Applicants and STEM Students

[PLEASE SEE OUR UPDATED POST ON OPT AND THE STEM PROGRAM "NEW OPT RULE EFFECTIVE TODAY, APRIL 8, 2008"]

 

Optional Practical Training (OPT) time is being extended for pending H-1B applicants caught in the cap gap and for students with science, math and similar degrees, USCIS announced this week.

 

In particular, OPT will be extended automatically for those F-1 student visa holders who have applied for an H-1B work visa but who will have a gap in authorized stay because they cannot start work until Oct. 1, when visas for the next fiscal year will become available.

 

The extension will cover this gap, enabling them to continue working and alleviating concerns by employers who would be at risk of losing a valuable employees because of the unreasonably low number of H-1B work visas available annually.

 

The new rule also provides for the extension of OPT from the traditional 12 months to 29 months to students with a degree in science, technology, engineering, or mathematics (STEM) who are employed by businesses enrolled in the E-Verify program. (E-Verify is an internet-based system operated in partnership with the Social Security Administration that is used to check a newly hired employee’s right to work. E-Verify has been widely criticized for its error rate, forcing the employer to question employment eligibility of U.S. citizens and non-citizens alike.)

 

To be eligible for an OPT extension under the STEM program, an F-1 non-immigrant student must:

 

l Currently be participating in a 12-month period of approved post-completion OPT;

 

l Have successfully completed a degree in science, technology, engineering, or mathematics (STEM) included in the DHS STEM Designated Degree Program List from a college or university certified by the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Student and Exchange Visitor Program;

 

l Be working for a U.S. employer in a job directly related to the student’s major area of study;

 

l Be working for, or accepted employment with, an employer enrolled in U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services’ E-Verify program.; and

 

l Properly maintain F-1 status.

 

The STEM designated degrees include:

 

l Actuarial Science

l Computer Science (except Data Entry and Microcomputer Applications) 

l Engineering

l Engineering Technologies

l Biological and Biomedical Sciences

l Mathematics and Statistics

l Military Technologies

l Physical Sciences

l Science Technologies

l Medical Scientist (MS, PhD)

 

The new rule takes effect the day it is published in the Federal Register. That date has not been given yet, but should be soon. The public has 60 days to comment on the rule, after which the government will consider the comments and issue a final rule.

 

The rule is available here: http://www.dhs.gov/xlibrary/assets/press_opt_ifr.pdf

 

USCIS has posted frequently asked questions regarding the new rule on its website. 

 

 

Study Slams Mandatory E-Verify Program As Ineffective, Expensive, Intrusive

The CATO Institute has issued a report lambasting the concept of a federally-imposed electronic employment eligibility verification system as ineffective, expensive and intrusive.

The report is arriving as more and more states are joining Arizona in passing laws that require employers to use the federal government’s existing E-Verify program to confirm work authorization and as the federal government is threatening to make its use mandatory nationwide.

The report says this state and federal effort to require use of any such electronic employment eligibility verification (EEV) program is ill-conceived and ill-advised, promising to create more problems than it may potentially solve.

A mandatory national EEV system would have substantial costs yet still fail to prevent illegal immigration. It would deny a sizable percentage of law-abiding American citizens the ability to work legally.

The report predicts such a program will actually result in an increase in identity fraud, document fraud and abuse of desperate foreign nationals seeking a better life in the United States.

Such a system would make working in the United States more difficult, of course, but it would not eliminate the United States’ attraction to immigrants. Some potential illegal immigrants would change their plans, but others would respond quite differently. Some workers and employers would collude to avoid this immigration enforcement system. Work “under the table” would increase and, along with it, other forms of illegality.

The value of committing identity fraud would rise, and more illegal immigrants would commit this crime or deepen the minor frauds they are now involved in. Criminals and criminal rings would use the Social Security number (SSN) data from stolen laptops and hacked databases much more often in identity fraud as a robust black market for Americans’ personal information emerged.

The use of these data to fabricate mock identities would compound the problem for victims in a diabolical way. Seeking to prove their right to simple employment, American workers would have to appeal to bureaucrats who assume they are identity thieves.”

The CATO Institute says EEV constitutes one more excessive, Big Brother intrusion by the government into our privacy and an attack on our civil liberties.

Even if it were free, the country should reject a national ID system. It would cause law-abiding American citizens to lose more of their privacy as government records about them grew and were converted to untold new purposes. “Mission creep” all but guarantees that the federal government would use an EEV system to extend federal regulatory control over Americans’ lives even further.

But, the system is not free. CATO says that creating an accurate EEV system would require a national identification (ID) system costing the taxpayer about $20 billion to create and hundreds of millions more per year to operate.

This figure does not take into account the time that Americans and legal workers will waste gathering paperwork and standing in line at government offices waiting to correct errors.

The current E-Verify system has been maligned as error-prone. A human resources association reports that the social security database, which is the source used by E-Verify, has a 4.1 percent error rate. The group, Human Resource Initiative for a Legal Workforce further explains:

If all U.S. employers were to use the system, as many as six million U.S. citizens and legal residents could be denied employment due to bureaucratic error.  The error rate for legal foreign-born workers is estimated to be as high as 10 percent – opening the door to increased discrimination based on national origin.  

The federal government has said it will try and improve the system, according to this article in the Indianapolis Star.

Survey Shows State Legislation Relating To Immigration Skyrockets in 2007

The National Conference of State Legislatures has compiled a comprehensive list of immigrant-related legislation passed by states in 2007.

State efforts to legislate immigrant-related matters skyrocketed last year as at least 1562 pieces of legislation addressing immigrant-related concerns were introduced across the nation, representing an increase of almost three times more bills than in 2006 (570), according to the NCSL.

Of these bills, 240 became law in 46 states. Governors have vetoed 12. By comparison, in 2006, 84 new laws were enacted.

The new pieces of legislation, some friendly, some hostile, touch on numerous policy areas, including employment, health, identification, driver’s and other licenses, law enforcement, public benefits, and human trafficking.

With so many states developing their own ways of handling the various issues, however, this inconsistency is bound to create conflict and confusion, especially with our ever-mobile citizenry.

Immigration normally is left to the federal government to regulate rather than the states. In the wake of the failed comprehensive immigration reform package last year, however, states have taken matters into their own hands to the extent allowed by law. Which laws will stand up under judicial scrutiny remains to be seen. Arizona, though, so far has survived a challenge relating to its new law imposing sanctions on employers who knowingly hire undocumented workers.

See also our previous story on this same issue: Summary of State Laws Reacting to Undocumented Immigrants. 

CIS Sweeping Files For Green Card Cases Eligible For Processing Under New Policy

In response to the new policy allowing for processing of green card cases and other applications with FBI name checks pending for more than 180 days, USCIS is sweeping its files looking for eligible cases, according to AILA.

AILA’s service center operations liaison confirmed USCIS is proactively searching for those adjustment of status cases that can be processed now under the new policy. USCIS told AILA its target date for identifying and acting on eligible cases is April 30, 2008.

AILA national and local offices will continue to monitor USCIS’s actions in light of the new policy. Our site will provide updates as the situation develops.

For more information, see our other articles: How You Can Use the New CIS Name Check Policy to Jump Start Your Stalled Case and CIS Policy Change: Green Cards May Be Approved Despite Pending FBI Name Checks 

How You Can Use The New CIS Name Check Policy To Jump Start Your Stalled Case

How can you take advantage of the USCIS memo this week that certain applications, including those for green cards, may be approved if name checks have been pending for more than 180 days?

AILF offers the following suggestion: If your application has been pending for more than 180 days, and otherwise meets the prerequisites described in the new policy, you may send a demand letter to the agency with the new policy memo attached requesting immediate adjudication of your application.

AILF explains that this demand letter may cause the agency to move more quickly to finish processing your case. On the other hand, if it does not prompt any action, AILF points out that the letter may be helpful if you later decide to file a mandamus lawsuit on the grounds that the agency is not implementing its new policy.

In addition, if you have a pending court action, such as a mandamus action, to which the memo would apply, AILF suggests filing a motion with the court with the USCIS memo attached so as to alert the court to the change in agency policy. The motion should state that all prerequisites for immediate adjudication have been met as required by the new policy:

1) the application is covered by the memo, e.g., it is an Application for Adjustment of Status (I-485);

2) the FBI fingerprint and IBIS check have been completed and;

3) the FBI name check request has been pending for 180 days.

The motion may request that the court issue an order remanding to the agency for immediate adjudication of the application.

AILF further advises that if you are unsure whether the delay in the adjudication of your application is caused by FBI name check delays, you may nevertheless consider sending a demand letter to USCIS with the new policy memo attached.

AILF’s suggestion stems from its observation that the memo does not say that the new policy only applies prospectively. Therefore, AILF explains, the memo affects all applicants whose FBI name check requests have been pending for 180 days.

To read the memo outlining the new policy, click here.

In addition to green cards (I-485, Applications for Adjustment of Status), the new policy applies to: Applications for Waiver of ground of Inadmissibility (I-601); Applications for Status as a Temporary Resident Under Section 245A of the Immigrant and Nationality Act (I-687), or Applications to Adjust Status from Temporary Permanent Resident (Under Section 245A of Public Law 99-603) (I-698).

Unfortunately, it does not apply to Applications for Naturalization (N-400), which has also been the victim of lengthy delays and the subject of numerous mandamus lawsuits across the country.

For more information see our article CIS Policy Change: Green Cards May Be Approved Despite Pending FBI Name Checks.

AZ Employer Sanctions Law Upheld By Federal Court; Plaintiffs to Appeal Ruling

The controversial Arizona state law that threatens employers with closure of their business for hiring unauthorized workers passes Constitutional muster, ruled a federal district court judge.

ICEPIC Details Released; Public Comments Accepted

DHS has published in the Federal Register the official notice and related proposed rulemaking regarding the implementation of ICEPIC, a massive government database of immigration and law enforcement records that it says will help fight terrorism.

The notification provides background on the new information sharing program and the rulemaking involves DHS’ request that ICEPIC be exempt from certain requirements of the Privacy Act that it says is necessary in the name of law enforcement and national security needs.

The notice and the rulemaking both solicit public comments. Comments on the rulemaking are due on or before March 10, 2008. ICE will then issue a new notice that addresses public comments, responds to OMB direction, and includes other ICE changes no later than August 27, 2008. The procedure for making comments is detailed in the DHS notice and rulemaking.

ICEPIC is already in limited operation, according to the notice. ICE says the database will help fight terrorism by enabling officials to link suspected terrorists or other criminals with associates who are in the system.

The database program compiles information on immigrants and other individuals collected from more than nine other federal sources, including DHS and law enforcement records that will be shared with federal, state, local and international law enforcement.

Critics of the program, such as the ACLU, fear innocent people will be arrested due to inaccurate information being captured in the database, pointing to the terrorism watch list as an example. The ACLU explains that if the data is bad, and that bad data migrates from one database to another, innocent people are the victims who are being stopped or labeled as suspicious.

The notification and proposed rulemaking involving ICEPIC (ICE Pattern Analysis and Information Collection) appeared in the Jan. 30 edition of the Federal Register, and are available here:

Notification: text,  PDF

Rulemaking: text,  PDF

For more information, please read our previous article: Big Brother Brightens Beam on Immigrants.