Tag Archive Immigration Services

ByPhillip Kim

Hope for Immigration Reform to Unite Families

Families separated by the U.S. and Mexican border hope that immigration reform will bring them back together. To read more about immigration reform, read Juan Carlos Llorca’s article below:

Married Couples Split By Border Hope Immigration Reform Brings Relief

Falcon, like others who married or are closely related to people who have a lifetime ban from the United States, hopes legislation to be introduced by Texas freshman U.S. Rep. Beto O’Rourke will provide relief from their situation.

The bill is aimed at providing discretionary authority to judges and Department of Homeland Security officials when the person who is in deportation, ineligibility or inadmissibility proceedings is an immediate family member of a U.S. citizen.

O’Rourke, a Democrat, said he will introduce it once Congress returns Sept. 9.

The bill also would remove the requirement that U.S. citizens have to demonstrate “extreme hardship” in order to apply for a waiver for their relative or spouse. Therefore, if they can demonstrate the removal or inadmissibility would create a hardship for the U.S. citizen, the judge or DHS official would have to rule in favor of the family.

And the bill would let people who have been deemed inadmissible for life, like Valtierra, to ask for a waiver.

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ByPhillip Kim

Reasons Why Immigration Reform Might Pass

Immigration reform advocates are hopeful and many predict the odds are in their favor for the passage of the immigration reform bill. To read more about immigration reform, read Robert Creamer’s article below:

Top Five Reasons why Immigration Reform Is Likely to Pass This Year

In fact, there are many good reasons to predict that the odds are very good the GOP House Leadership will ultimately allow a vote on an immigration reform bill containing a pathway to citizenship this year. If such a bill is called, the odds are close to one hundred percent that it will pass.

That is because, right now, there are more than enough votes on the floor of the House to pass immigration reform with a pathway to citizenship if it is given an up or down vote. The only question now is whether the House Leadership decides that it is in their political interest to call the bill.

The GOP leadership understands that if an immigration reform bill passes, the Democrats will get the credit with key immigrant constituencies and many suburban swing voters. But they are also coming to realize that if they do not call the bill, they will get the blame with those same constituencies – and that could lead to both short-term and-long term disaster for the Republican Party.

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ByPhillip Kim

Immigration Reform March Goes Through Fresno

Immigration reform advocates marched from Sacramento to Bakersfield and hundred joined in as they went past Fresno. To read more about immigration reform, read ABC News’ article below:

Immigration reform march through Fresno aims for progress

Fifteen people walked from Sacramento to Bakersfield to draw attention to immigration reform. Saturday hundreds joined the group as they marched through Fresno.

The group walked eight miles to Saint Anthony’s of Padua for an event with Bishop Ochoa. They hope the 21 day march across much of the state will encourage members of congress to support a pathway to citizenship.

Many of those who participated in Saturday’s event say the public looks at undocumented immigrants unfairly.

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ByPhillip Kim

Discharge Petition Proposed for Immigration Reform

As immigration reform continue to face hurdles, some propose the idea of passing the bill through discharge petition. To read more about immigration reform, read Alex Altman’s article below:

Can a Dusty Legislative Gambit Revive Immigration Reform?

The majority of voters want it. A broad bipartisan coalition pushed hard to enact it. The timing seemed propitious after the 2012 election. But all the economic arguments, policy papers and polling data marshaled by supporters cannot convince the Republicans who control the House. The best shot in a generation at rewriting U.S. immigration law looks destined to die with a whimper.

And yet there may still be a way to resuscitate reform efforts and force a vote on a path to citizenship. It involves a rarely used parliamentary tactic known as a discharge petition.

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ByPhillip Kim

Applying for Refugee and Asylum Status

A refugee is someone persecuted in his or her home country due to race, religion, war, nationality, or political affiliation. Obtaining refugee status in the United States is a form of protection for refugees who are not allowed or unwilling to return to their home country because of fear or social harm. In order to qualify for the refugee status, the applicant must be from outside the U.S.

To qualify for an asylum status, the applicant must meet the definition of a refugee, be present in the U.S., and seek admission at a port of entry, according to the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services.
One can apply for asylum regardless of the background of your country and immigration status.

ByPhillip Kim

Advocacy for Immigration Reform During August Recess

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As representatives are on their August recess, advocates for immigration reform from all districts are making their voices heard. To read more about immigration reform, read Julie Chavez Rodriguez’s article below:

Bipartisan Support for Immigration Reform Mounts During August Recess

As members of Congress go home to their districts for the August recess, they are hearing directly from Americans of all political stripes who are calling for a vote on commonsense immigration reform. In hundreds of town hall meetings, business roundtables, vigils, pilgrimages and rallies across the country, supporters of immigration reform including evangelicals, business owners, labor and law enforcement leaders, are asking their representatives to pass legislation to fix our broken immigration system as soon as they return to Washington in September.

Pro-reform supporters are making waves across the country as they continue to build momentum for immigration reform. The broad coalition of constituents who support reform is stronger and more bipartisan than ever. They have a clear message: Congress must work to fix our immigration system as soon as members return to the Capitol this fall.

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ByPhillip Kim

H-1B Petition for Specialized Nurses

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The H-1B nonimmigrant worker petition for nurses with specialized RN occupations will be approved if certain requirements are met. To be qualified, one must submit proof of education in the specialty occupation and evidence that the immigrant’s education and experience are equal to the required U.S. degree.

To be a licensed RN, one must graduate from an approved nursing program, which includes a two-year associate degree in nursing, and pass the National Council Licensure Examination for Registered Nurses. To determine degree equivalencies, it is required for applicants to have three years of specialized training or work experience for each year of college-level training needed.

The H-1B applicant may be eligible if he or she is a clinical nurse specialist, certified registered nurse anesthetist, certified nurse-midwife, or certified nurse practitioner. Other nursing vocations such as upper-level nurse managers in hospital administration may also be eligible since it would generally require graduate level education.

In general, it would be difficult for a general RN position to qualify for H-1B; however, the state of North Dakota requires a person to have a BSN in order to be licensed as an RN. Therefore, the prerequisite in North Dakota would qualify them for the H-1B position.

Affidavits of independent experts may be acquired to indicate that the nature of one’s nursing occupation is highly specialized and requires advanced knowledge. Further questions regarding the qualifications of an H-1B petition for specialized nurses can be directed to the Office of Adjudications.

ByPhillip Kim

Latinos Continue Immigration Reform Advocacy

While the decision of immigration reform is still up in the air, Latino Republicans continue working towards the immigration issue. To read more about immigration reform, please read Sandra Lilley’s article below:

For Years, Latino Republican Negotiates on Immigration Reform

While the momentum around possible immigration reform legislation in the House has focused on the last few months, one Latino Republican has been working on the issue on Capitol Hill for about a decade. Cesar Gonzalez, chief of Staff to Florida Republican Congressman Mario Diaz-Balart, is one of a very small group of senior legislative aides who has been sifting through the complexity of immigration laws to try to reach agreement across the aisle. His boss, Rep. Diaz-Balart, is part of a group of 7 trying to craft bipartisan legislation in the House.

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ByPhillip Kim

The Tides May Turn for Immigration Reform

Republicans did not support the immigration reform bill, but the increasing support may indicate that they are changing their minds about the legislation.

To read more about immigration reform, please read Serena Marshall’s article below:

Republicans May Be Changing Minds on Immigration Reform

Members of Congress have been on recess for only a few days, but it already seems the time away from Washington means more support for a pathway to citizenship among some Republicans.
In the past few days, two Republican members of the House of Representatives — Daniel Webster in Florida, Aaron Schock in Illinois — have expressed preliminary support for a way to legalize undocumented immigrants and allow them to eventually earn full citizenship. Even the House GOP whip, Kevin McCarthy (Calif.), announced support for legal status, although he stopped just short of supporting full citizenship.

The announcements come on the cusp of an intense campaign by pro-immigration advocates targeting key House members at town-hall events; it’s all part of a larger five-week plan for hundreds of rallies, petition drives and other events across the country timed for the Congressional recess.

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ByPhillip Kim

Immigration from Adoption Eligibility

There are certain procedures for permitting immigration through adoption. Before you decide to seek immigration through adoption, familiarize yourself with certain requirements. In order to be eligible to adopt, you must be a U.S. citizen, habitually reside in the U.S., seek legal agreement with your spouse (if applicable), and you must be 24 years of age or older.

If seeking adoption through the Hague Process, in order for a child to be classified as a Hague Convention Adoptee, the child must meet these criteria: be under 16 at time of filing, reside in a Convention Country, and determined eligible through Central Authority of that country and granted consent.