English
Here at the Seattle immigration Law Office of Bonnie Stern Wasser, we are committed to serving the men and women in uniform and their families. On this Veterans Day, we take pride in honoring our clients who are serving or who have served in the military, and the organizations that we assist in their help for military families. In 2014, I have had the pleasure to serve on the American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA) Military Assistance Project (MAP) Task Force. The Task Force oversees … [Read more...]
October 24, 2014 by ·
In November 2010, USCIS developed Form I-924A for EB-5 Immigrant Investor Regional Centers to file every year documenting the various investments and jobs created in their centers. The first required filing period began October 1, 2011 with reports due in before the end of the year. This year, reports are due between October 1, 2014 and December 29, 2014. However, in Fiscal Year (FY) 2013, USCIS issued 29 notices of intent to terminate a regional center’s designation for failure to file the … [Read more...]
October 17, 2014 by ·
USCIS has released a new website page called "MyE-Verify" where employees can check their database records to verify work authorization. MyE-Verify is presently available in Arizona, Idaho, Colorado, Mississippi, Virginia, and the District of Columbia. This should be useful for all job seekers when looking for work, as more employers use E-Verify to document the work permission of their new hires. The website includes the ability to do Self-checks, which includes instructions on what to do if … [Read more...]
August 15, 2014 by ·
Immigration lawyers from around the country, who have volunteered their time at the Artesia, New Mexico detention facility, are reporting back about their experiences volunteering there helping unaccompanied minors and children with their parents. The Artiesia facility has been referred to by some as akin to a US refugee camp. Stories from these lawyers are quite heart wrenching. For example, Eileen Sterlock from Oregon reports on the AILA Leadership Blog how she has changed after watching the … [Read more...]
June 5, 2014 by ·
US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced release of a revised Form I-821D for "Consideration of Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals" (DACA). The first DACA approvals will begin to expire in September 2014. I previously reported on the process for those DACA approvals that were obtained from ICE. The majority of recipients received DACA from USCIS. In fact, USCIS reports that "[a]s of April 2014, more than 560,000 individuals have received DACA." In announcing the renewal … [Read more...]
June 1, 2014 by ·
I am honored to report that I will be serving on the American Immigration Lawyers Association US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) International Operations Committee. This part of USCIS deals with issues related to I-130 family petitions and waivers of inadmissibility filed abroad, adoption, and humanitarian parole. The committee monitors trends in these areas. From time to time, the committee also prepares practice advisories for AILA members. The USCIS international Operations … [Read more...]
May 30, 2014 by ·
Many employers are considering whether to voluntarily sign up for E-Verify, the government's electronic database to verify employment authorization and Social Security numbers. Use of E-Verify is voluntary for most employers but not for those residing in states or counties where it is mandatory. It is also mandatory for certain federal contractors, those employers wanting to hire STEM graduates for the longer Optional Practical Training period, and for some employers where E-Verify is mandatory … [Read more...]
May 15, 2014 by ·
USCIS has issued proposed rules to enhance the usability of some work visas to make some of the procedures less disruptive for employers and employees and to attract and retain international experts. The Obama Administration is trying to improve some of the visa issues that make it difficult for employers to keep or attract highly skilled foreign workers. Comments by the public are due on or before July 11, 2014. Comments can be emailed to USCISFRComment@uscis.dhs.gov. Include DHS Docket No. … [Read more...]
May 12, 2014 by ·
DHS has issued proposed regulations to allow the spouses of H-1B workers to apply for work authorization. The public has until July 11, 2014 to comment. Comments can be emailed to uscisfrcomment@dhs.gov using in the subject line "DHS docket number USCIS-2010-0017" or by commenting online using the preceding docket number to search. The purpose of the regulation is to address "personal and economic hardship for the families of H-1B nonimmigrants the longer they remain in the United States" … [Read more...]
