Immigration debate heats up in Mississippi

JACKSON, MS (WLBT) - As the Mississippi Immigrants Rights Alliance held a rally at the capitol on Thursday, state elected officials voiced their opinions about immigration at the Neshoba County Fair.

Citizenship Through Naturalization

Naturalization is the process by which U.S. citizenship is granted to a foreign citizen or

national after he or she fulfills the requirements established by Congress in the Immigration

and Nationality Act (INA).

In most cases, an applicant for naturalization must be a permanent resident (green card

holder) before filing. Except for certain U.S. military members and their dependents,

naturalization can only be granted in the United States.

You May Qualify for Naturalization if:

● You have been a permanent resident for at least 5 years and meet all other eligibility

requirements. .
● You have been a permanent resident for 3 years or more and meet all eligibility

requirements to file as a spouse of a U.S. citizen.
● You have qualifying service in the U.S. armed forces and meet all other eligibility

requirements.
● Your child may qualify for naturalization if you are a U.S. citizen, the child was born

outside the U.S., the child is currently residing outside the U.S., and all other eligibility

requirements are met.

How to Apply for Naturalization

To apply for naturalization, file Form N-400, Application for Naturalization.

For More Information, Please Contact:
Fresno Immigration Attorney Phillip Kim
(559) 761-9742
http://PhillipKimLaw.com/

Immigration Protesters Arrested After Blocking Traffic

19 people including a number of religious leaders blocked Seventh Street in San Francisco before being arrested Wednesday evening in an act of civil disobedience during a rally for immigration reform.

Arizona immigration law built on years of mounting anger

PHOENIX As the days tick down until the Arizona immigration law takes effect, the state stands as a monument to the anger over illegal immigration that is present in so many places. The anger has been simmering for years, and erupted into a...

‘Vital’ Sailors: Immigrant Recruits Earn Citizenship at Boot Camp

Five sailors who have completed boot camp at a Naval training facility outside of Chicago will today take an oath of American allegiance in a ceremony, marking the first time non-citizen Naval recruits will be naturalized directly out of basic training. United States - Recreation - Camps - Korean Peninsula - South Korea

USCIS Reminds Hondurans and Nicaraguans to Follow Late Re-Registration for TPS Guidance

WASHINGTONU.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) reminds Hondurans and Nicaraguans, who are eligible for Temporary Protected Status (TPS) but who have not filed for re-registration, to follow the late re-registration guidance.

Mysteries Persist Despite Shahzads Times Square Guilty Plea

Although he spent more than half an hour laying out his story before a federal court in New York on Monday as he said he was pleading guilty to his failed attempt to set off a car bomb in Times Square, Faisal Shahzad left some important questions unanswered. How did he hook up with the Pakistani Taliban? Who imbued him with such a burning hatred of America?

10,000 U Visas Approved in Fiscal Year 2010: Questions and Answers : U Visa Protects Victims of Crime and Strengthens Law Enforcement Efforts

Introduction

On July 15, 2010, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced it has

approved 10,000 petitions for U nonimmigrant status (also referred to as the “U visa”)

in fiscal year 2010, an important milestone for a program that offers immigration

protection to victims of crime while also strengthening law enforcement efforts to

combat those crimes. This marks the first time that USCIS, through extensive outreach

and collaboration, has reached the statutory maximum of 10,000 U visas per fiscal year

since it began issuing U visas in 2008.

Questions and Answers

Q: What is the U Visa?

A. The U visa was created in the Victims of Trafficking and Violence Protection Act,

legislation intended to strengthen the ability of law enforcement agencies to investigate

and prosecute cases of domestic violence, sexual assault, human trafficking, and other

crimes while, at the same time, offering protection to victims of such crimes.

U nonimmigrant status is set aside for victims of certain crimes who have suffered

substantial mental or physical abuse as a result of the criminal activity and are willing to

help law enforcement authorities in the investigation or prosecution of the criminal

activity. Congress limited the amount of available U visas to 10,000 per fiscal year.

Q: Will USCIS continue to accept new petitions for U nonimmigrants status for the

remainder of fiscal year 2010?

A: Yes. USCIS will continue to accept and process new petitions for U nonimmigrant

status and will issue a Notice of Conditional Approval to petitioners who are found

eligible but who are unable to receive a U visa in fiscal year 2010 because the statutory

cap has been reached. Conditionally approved petitioners will be placed on a waiting list

for the next available U visa.

Q. Will petitioners who receive conditional approval be able to apply for work

authorization? What about qualifying family members?

A: Yes. Conditional approval will allow the petitioner and qualifying family members to

remain in the United States under deferred action. The conditional approval will also

allow the petitioner and qualifying family members to request work authorization.

Q. Does this apply to petitioners and qualifying family members who are in removal

proceedings or who have a final order of removal?

A. Yes. If the petitioner or a qualifying family member is in removal proceedings or has a

final order of removal, USCIS will issue a Notice of Conditional Approval of U

nonimmigrant status and will also issue deferred action.

Q. When will USCIS begin issuing U visas again?

A. USCIS will resume issuing U visas for fiscal year 2011 on October 1, 2010.

Conditionally approved petitioners on the waiting list will receive a U visa in the order in

which the petition was initially filed. Petitioners who have received conditional approval

must remain admissible and eligible for U nonimmigrant status while on the waiting list.

After U visas have been issued to qualifying principal petitioners on the waiting list, any

remaining U visas for fiscal year 2011 will be issued to new qualifying principal

petitioners in the order in which petitions are filed.

Q. Does the annual cap for U visas also apply to family members of petitioners?

A. No. The annual cap for U visas applies only to principal petitioners. Qualifying family

members will also be placed on the waiting list since their petitions are dependent on

the principal’s petition. Qualifying family members on the waiting list will receive U

visas when the principal petitioner receives a U visa.

Q. What contributed to the annual cap being met this year?

A. A combination of factors contributed to the U visa statutory cap being met this year.

Over the last year USCIS has increased training, expanded communication channels,

and dedicated other resources to the U visa program. USCIS significantly enhanced

outreach around the U visa, educating service providers on the eligibility requirements

of a U visa petition and making dedicated efforts to reach both law enforcement

officials and community advocates alike. These and other factors have contributed to an

increase in the number of approved U visa petitions.
For More Information, Please Contact:
Fresno Immigration Attorney Phillip Kim
(559) 761-9742
http://PhillipKimLaw.com/

Applicant Performance on the Naturalization Test

Section 312 of the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) requires that naturalization

applicants must demonstrate an ability to read, write, and speak words in ordinary usage

in the English language, and have a knowledge and understanding of U.S. history and

government. As part of a multi-year redesign, the naturalization test was modified to

achieve two basic objectives:

A uniform and consistent testing experience for all applicants
A civics test that can effectively assess an applicant’s knowledge of U.S. history and

government
The new test strives to emphasize the founding principles of American democracy and

the rights and responsibilities of citizenship while also serving as an important

instrument to encourage civic learning and attachment to the country.

On October 1, 2008, USCIS began administering the new naturalization test. Up until

October 1, 2009, applicants who had filed for naturalization before October 1, 2008, had

a choice of taking the old test or the new test. On October 1, 2009, following a one-

year transition, the new test became mandatory for all naturalization applicants.

From October 1, 2008 through May 31, 2010, more than 789,000 new naturalization

tests were administered nationwide. For those applicants taking both the English and

civics tests, the overall national pass rate as of May 2010 is 92 percent. Data collected

since October 1, 2008 indicate that applicant performance remains relatively consistent

with that of the previous test. Compared to historical data from USCIS’ internal case

management systems, the current pass rate of 92 percent is similar to that of the old

test, which was 91 percent based on 2008 data.

Background on the Data
USCIS plans to periodically provide information on the national pass rate of applicants

who were administered the new naturalization test. The data reflected above were

taken from internal case management systems used to track naturalization applications

and have been gathered to provide a general snapshot of how applicants are performing

on the revised test. The national pass rate is determined based solely on an applicant’s

first test within the current naturalization application. The data represent applicants

taking the new naturalization test from October 1, 2008 through May 31, 2010. Please

note that test results for each applicant are manually entered into the case

management system and some errors may occur during manual entry. Although every

effort has been undertaken to eliminate any errors made during manual data entry,

errors may exist that would impact the publicized national pass rate.
For More Information, Please Contact:
Fresno Immigration Attorney Phillip Kim
(559) 761-9742
http://PhillipKimLaw.com/

City of Riverside opposes Arizona’s immigration law

In a statement endorsed by Riverside's mayor, the National League of Cities' Board of Directors announced at the end of its meeting in Riverside that it is opposed to Arizona's new immigration law and supports comprehensive immigration reform.

Next Page »

• Need Help?

  Contact us for your immigration consultation today

• Immigration Videos

  • Naturalization for Spouses of U.S. Citizens by Immigration Attorney in Fresno
  • Change My Nonimmigrant Status by Immigration Attorney in Fresno
  • Employment-Based Immigration: Third Preference EB-3 by Immigration Attorney in Fresno
  • Employment-Based Immigration by Attorney in Fresno: First Preference EB-1
  • Permanent Workers by Immigration Attorney in Fresno
  • Green Card Through Family by Immigration Attorney in Fresno
  • Green Card through a Job Offer by Immigration Attorney in Fresno
  • Extend Your Stay by Immigration Attorney in Fresno
  • Information for Employers and Employees by Immigration Attorney in Fresno
  • Citizenship

Client Login

Logged in as

Logout

• Testimonial

  

  "We had our greencard application approved in just a little over 2 months...Thanks Phillip!" - by Andrea & Melissa Barone; Hanford, CA

  ____________________________________

  "Attorney Kim went out of his way to help me get my green card by doing extra work to ensure I receive it. His legal fees were also very reasonable. Please call me at (209) 777-6968. We will tell you more about our experience with Attorney Kim." - by Mr. & Mrs. Sharma; Merced, CA

  ____________________________________

  "My green card application was denied. Attorney Kim appealed for me and attended the interview with me. It was approved at the interview. Please call me if you want to ask me about Attorney Kim's work. (209) 534-7112." - by Molly Harrington; Los Angeles, CA

  ____________________________________

  "We got our Green Card approved in less than three months. Everything went very well smoothly. Thank You. We highly recommend Attorney Kim. Please call us at (559) 475-0155. We will tell you more about Attorney Kim's work." - by Raul TABADA and Family; Fresno, CA

  ____________________________________

  "I finally received my green card. Mr. Kim helped me through the entire process. He also worked with my financial situation. I am glad that I chose him and that's why I highly recommend him. Please feel free to call me to ask about Mr. Kim's practice at (559) 412-0941." by Lilian & Eric Williams; Fresno, CA

  ____________________________________

  "I hired two other lawyers before Mr. Kim. They could not do it. It was denied. Finally, my third attorney, Mr. Kim helped me to get my green card even after my husband died. Please call me at (559) 776-6323 (ask for Reagan). We will tell you more about Mr. Kim's work." - by Sochinda Nguon & Reagan; Fresno, CA

  ____________________________________

  "I received my Green Card in a little over three months." Attorney Phillip Kim prepared us for our interview as well. The interview took less than 10 minutes! Everything went very smoothly. Thank you so much for everything. Please feel free to call us if you'd like to know more about Attorney Phillip Kim's practice. Our phone # is (559) 269-8740." - by Hitomi and Elizondo Mendoza from Fresno, CA

  ____________________________________

  "Feel free to call me if you want to know more about Attorney Kim's work. (559) 909-4060. We had a great experience with Law Office of Phillip Kim. It took about two and a half months to get our Green Card application approved. Thank you, Attorney Kim." - by Juana Gonzalez & Jose Gonzales; Fresno, CA

  ____________________________________

  "My wife received her Green Card after hiring Phillip as her attorney. I appreciate all the work you have done for us. Thank you, again. Here is my phone # and please call me if you want to know more about our experience with Phillip's law firm: (559) 473-4154." Jon Hoeflinger from Fresno, CA

  ____________________________________

  "Attorney Kim is an excellent attorney. I wanted to become a US citizen. So, I called Attorney Kim. He explained the whole process and helped me file my papers with low legal fees. I became a US citizen within four months. Attorney Kim is now helping me bring my fiancee and my mother from China. You can call me at (559) 321-3402 to ask about Attorney Kim." - by Andy Wu; Selma, CA

  ____________________________________

  "Attorney Phillip Kim filed my H1-B application. He was friendly and pleasant to deal with, and I got the sense that he cared about my case, not considering it just another pile of paperwork. Attorney Kim worked with my employer and myself to file the application and I got my H1-B approved--for a very reasonable price as well!" - by S. Kim, Therapist; Fresno, CA

  ____________________________________

  "My greencard was revoked and I was about to be deported. Phillip Kim filed papers for me and my greencard was reinstated and I am back with my family. I am applying for citizenship now. Phillip Kim did all the work for low fees." - by Juan Solis; Stockton, CA

  ____________________________________

  "Phillip Kim filed my Green Card application on 08/11/09 and it was approved on 11/19/09. Phillip Kim is a very professional, honest and Sincere attorney. He is not only a wonderful attorney, he is willing to help every client to get his legal status from the bottom of his heart. If you hire him as your attorney, he will help you to get what you like to get for your legal status successfully. And what his saying is always true." - by Shih-Ching Lee & Jennifer Yan; Clovis, CA

  ____________________________________

  "Atty. Kim is very nice, flexible and very accommodating with our concerns. He makes himself available almost anytime you have inquiries and works closely with you. I said he is nice because he really is friendly and approachable. Flexible because he spends time and he is willing to work with you despite of your financial situation. Very accommodating because he makes himself available when needs arises even during the weekend. If you need to inquire about his services to us you may email me. Again, my sincerest thanks to Law Offices of Phillip Kim, Inc." - Nadia Martinez & Richmond Martinez; Clovis, CA

  ____________________________________