Free Webinar on July 19: “Preparing for Deferred Action”
The Immigration Advocates Network (IAN), in partnership with the Catholic Legal Immigration Network, Inc. (CLINIC), the National Immigration Project of the National Lawyers Guild, the National Immigration Law Center (NILC), and United We Dream (UWD), invite you to join a free webinar, “Preparing for Deferred Action,” on Thursday, July 19th, 2012 at 2:00 pm Eastern / 1:00 pm Central / 12:00 pm Mountain / 11:00 am Pacific. This webinar will cover what we know about the new deferred action policy for undocumented immigrants who entered the U.S. as children, including basic eligibility requirements, how to document eligibility, “red flags” for applicants, and advocacy on the policy’s implementation. Panelists include Jennie Guilfoyle, Training and Legal Support Attorney at CLINIC; Paromita Shah, Associate Director of the National Immigration Project of the National Lawyers Guild; and Don Lyster, Director of NILC’s Washington, DC office, among others.
To register for this free webinar, visit https://www3.gotomeeting.com/register/855529534. After registering you will receive a confirmation email containing information on joining the webinar.
If you have questions, please email us at support@immigrationadvocates.org.
We hope that you will join us,
Immigration Advocates Network
The Immigration Advocates Network is a collaborative project of the ABA Commission on Immigration, ACLU Immigrants’ Rights Project, American Immigration Council, American Immigration Lawyers Association, ASISTA, Catholic Legal Immigration Network, Inc., Immigrant Legal Resource Center, Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service, National Immigration Law Center, National Immigration Project of the National Lawyers Guild, Pro Bono Net, and The Advocates for Human Rights. For more information about IAN, visitwww.immigrationadvocates.org
DA VANCE ANNOUNCES GUILTY PLEA OF NEPALESE WOMAN WHO DEFRAUDED FELLOW IMMIGRANTS
DA VANCE ANNOUNCES GUILTY PLEA OF NEPALESE WOMAN WHO DEFRAUDED FELLOW IMMIGRANTS
Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus R. Vance, Jr., announced the guilty plea of HIT SHRESTHA, 44, a Nepalese national, for systematically defrauding other Nepalese nationals of thousands of dollars. The defendant pleaded guilty in New York State Supreme Court to Scheme to Defraud in the First Degree for falsely promising her victims that she would arrange for their family members from Nepal to immigrate to the United States, and for charging her victims large fees for the promised service.
Congratulations to the NY County DA’s Immigrant Affairs Program and its co-director Rosemary Yu for this victory. ADA Yu is a member of AABANY and its Prosecutors’ Committee, which she co-founded.
Read the rest of the press release here
Informational Sessions on Deferred Action for DREAMers
The New York Immigration Coalition will provide several informational sessions on President Obama’s June 15th announcement about Deferred Action for certain young people who were brought into the United States through no fault of their own.
Come get the latest news on Deferred Action. Learn what Deferred Action is and who is eligible for it under this program.
We have already received reports that notarios and other unscrupulous people are trying to scam immigrants by calling this program an amnesty or a way to get your green card. That is false. The Deferred Action program is not an amnesty. Come to one of our sessions and get accurate up-to-date information about this program. These informational sessions are not legal clinics.
Where: The New York Immigration Coalition, 137-139 West 25th Street, 12th Floor, New York, NY 10001 (Between 6th & 7thAvenues). The closest subway stops are 23rd Street on #1, F, and M and 28th Street on #1.
When: Thursday, July 5, 2012
Tuesday, July 10, 2012
Tuesday, July 17, 2012
Tuesday, July 31, 2012
Time: Each session runs from 6:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.
These sessions are free but space is limited. Please RSVP to Jonathan Vidal to attend one of the sessions: jvidal@thenyic.org. For more information, please contact Jonathan at (212) 627-2227 ext. 227.
NYT: Asians surpass Hispanics as Biggest Wave of Immigrants
NYT: Asians surpass Hispanics as Biggest Wave of Immigrants
Elsewhere in this blog, I posted the msnbc.com report that according to the Pew Research Center, Asians are happier than the general public. The New York Times apparently ignored that part of the report and focused on Asians surpassing Hispanics, pointing to immigration enforcement and declining Mexican birth rates as possible reasons. Are the finding of this latest study good news or bad news for Asians? What can we anticipate from these statistics showing Asian Americans to be the largest growing immigrant group in the USA today?
Rio Guerrero: “Summer Vacation Travel Tips for Foreign Workers”
Rio Guerrero: “Summer Vacation Travel Tips for Foreign Workers”
Summer is here and employees are taking their well-deserved vacations. Workers are focused on enjoyment, relaxation and recharging. But human resources departments and foreign workers employed in the U.S. should execute the steps needed to ensure the employee can return to work once their vacation is complete.
Generally, all persons who have an approved U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services petition to extend an existing, or change to an entirely new, non-immigrant visa status (e.g.; H, E, L, O, etc.), if traveling abroad, must procure the actual visa at a U.S. Consulate before returning to work in the U.S. Also, for any employee returning to the U.S., it is “best practice” to carry a letter wherein the employer states the employee’s travel dates and purpose, and that employment will continue upon return.
During the U.S. summer months, U.S. Consulates abroad are not always open when expected. Remember, Consulates respect the host country’s business holidays and employees may take vacation pursuant to local custom. For example, in August, U.S. Consulates in Europe may operate with reduced staff – affecting visa processing times.
Well before – sometimes months in advance of – making arrangements for a foreign worker to secure their visa abroad, an employer and its counsel should consider the intended travel dates, U.S. Consular procedures, and visa interview appointment availability. You do not want to approve a ten-business-day international vacation for an employee, and have flights and hotel accommodations booked, only to find out later that a Consular visa appointment slot is unavailable for another three weeks – in effect, losing that employee’s services for over a month.
Another common scenario to be aware of involves certain F-1 visa foreign students who secured post-graduate employment in the U.S. pursuant to optional practical training (OPT) and filed a petition to change to H-1B visa status. While employment remains authorized past OPT expiration – to resolve the employment authorization “gap” otherwise created after OPT status ends until H-1B visa status begins – travel abroad may pose significant risk. Specifically, the April 23, 2010 U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement “Cap Gap” advisory memorandum warns that those persons with expired OPT who travel abroad, may be deemed to have abandoned a pending petition to change to H-1B visa status. To avoid this problem, an employer may file for premium processing and secure H-1B visa petition approval before travel or – with enough foresight – would have, instead, filed the H-1B visa petition seeking consular processing abroad to coincide with the employee’s intended travel dates.
There are many scenarios affecting visa procedures, employment authorization, employee compensation and other issues, apart from the ones discussed generally above, that arise when foreign employees vacation outside the U.S. Look ahead and plan well in advance of any travel abroad.
Rio M. Guerrero is a partner with the immigration law firm Guerrero Yee LLP in New York City. [rio@guerreroyee.com] He is also Co-Chair of the AABANY Immigration and Nationality Law Committee and an Adjunct Professor of immigration law at the CUNY School of Professional Studies in Manhattan.[Rio Guerrero’s LinkedIn]
Coro’s Immigrant Civic Leadership Program now accepting applications
Coro’s Immigrant Civic Leadership Program (ICLP) is a 5-month leadership training program designed for active and engaged leaders who seek to strengthen and bring about improvement and change to the city’s immigrant communities. To learn more about ICLP and how to apply, click here.
The deadline to apply is Friday, June 8th, 2012.
Uptick in H1B Visa Apps as Sign of Improving Economy?
Uptick in H1B Visa Apps as Sign of Improving Economy?
In his latest blog, immigration attorney Rio Guerrero (who also co-chairs AABANY’s Immigration and Nationality Law Committee) points to an increase in H1B visa applications as a sign that the economy is improving. Read more by clicking the link in the title.
DA Vance: Scam Artist Indicted for Defrauding Nepalese Nationals
DA Vance: Scam Artist Indicted for Defrauding Nepalese Nationals
On April 25th the New York County DA’s Office issued the following press release. AABANY member and a co-founder of the Prosecutors Committee, Rosemary Yu, was part of the prosecution team:
Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus R. Vance, Jr., today announced the arrest and indictment of HIT SHRESTHA, 44, a Nepalese national, for systematically defrauding other Nepalese nationals of thousands of dollars. SHRESTHA is charged with Grand Larceny in the Fourth Degree and Scheme to Defraud in the First Degree for falsely promising her victims that she would arrange for their family members from Nepal to immigrate to the United States, and for charging her victims large fees for the promised service.
Read the full press release here.