New York, January 2009
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USCIS HIRING INCREASE OFFERS IMPROVEMENTS IN APPLICATION PROCESSING TIMES
 San
Antonio, TX - In an effort to tackle an increasing backlog in citizenship
applications, the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) recently
began a dramatic hiring increase of USCIS personnel. Data indicate that these
measures have already significantly alleviated the backlog of citizenship
applications that have overwhelmed the agency. In 2007, it was estimated that
the USCIS, which is a part of the Department of Homeland Security, took an
average of 18 months to process applications. Current processing times, however,
are much lower with an average time of nine to 10 months. Within the past 2
years, the USCIS hired over 2,000 new employees, and designated over half to
evaluate and process citizenship applications.
The USCIS completed an estimated 1.1 million citizenship applications in 2008,
over 400,000 more applications than last year. While this marks a considerable
improvement, immigration experts remark that the USCIS still has many
improvements to make such as continuing to reduce the amount of time citizenship
applications remain pending. Reportedly, over 100,000 applications have been
pending for over two years.
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MALTA JOINS THE VISA WAIVER PROGRAM
 Washington,
D.C. - On December 30, 2008 the Department of Homeland Security announced
the designation of Malta as a Visa Waiver Program (VWP) country. Effective
December 30, 2008 citizens of Malta can enjoy visa-free travel to the United
States. In order to join the Visa Waiver Program, the country had to meet
various security requirements, including data sharing policies with the United
States and enhanced law enforcement. As a citizen of a Visa Waiver Program
country, individuals can travel to the United States for stays less than 90 days
without obtaining a visa. New requirements, however, mandate that individuals
traveling under the Visa Waiver Program must have an E- passport or obtain prior
authorization with the Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA). In
2007, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) was authorized to oversee the
Visa Waiver Program, and make improvements that would enhance security. Malta
will mark the 35th country participating in the Visa Waiver Program. Current VWP
countries include: Lithuania, Slovakia, Estonia, Hungary, Korea, and the Czech
Republic, Andorra, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Brunei, Denmark, Finland,
France, Germany, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg,
Monaco, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Portugal, San Marino, Singapore,
Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom.
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THREE CONVICTED IN IMMIGRATION MARRIAGE FRAUD CASE
 St.
Paul, MN - Three Chinese citizens were recently convicted of a marriage
fraud scheme, designed to help Chinese nationals obtain United States Green
Cards and citizenship through marriage. The three men were convicted of aiding
and abetting marriage fraud and conspiracy to commit marriage fraud by a federal
jury in St. Paul, Minnesota. Mingwen Yang, Guangping Lin, and Yanxia Tang were
found guilty of setting up a sham marriage scheme, in which U.S. citizens would
be paid up to $25,000 for marrying Chinese citizens so that the Chinese
nationals could attain United States immigration benefits. All three convicted
face up to 10 years in prison. The fraudulent marriage scheme is believed to
have operated from 2002 to 2007. There are a total of 40 other defendants
involved, 21 of whom have already plead guilty to conspiracy charges. U.S.
Attorney Frank Magill commented: "The goal of this conspiracy was for
individuals to profit by assisting Chinese nationals in illegally obtaining
visas and other immigration benefits. These convictions and plea agreements
prove that the lies and deceit used by some to violate our nation's immigration
laws won't be tolerated, and that we will maintain the integrity of our nation's
borders by prosecuting these types of crimes."
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DHS TO OBTAIN BIOMETRIC DATA FROM NONCITIZENS UPON ENTRY
 Washington,
D.C. - In an effort to offer increased national security, the Department of
Homeland Security will collect biometric data such as fingerprints and
photographs of all noncitizens, including Green Card holders and refugees.
Travelers that are exempt from these new regulations include Canadian citizens
visiting the United States for brief time periods and visitors traveling under A
and G Visas. These regulations are under the U.S. Visitor and Immigrant Status
Indicator Technology Program, also known as US VISIT. Individuals entering the
United States as potential refugees, Green Card holders (permanent residents),
and those traveling on immigrant visas are included in the new regulations.
After the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, the US VISIT program was
established to track immigrants entering the country and to examine criminal and
terrorist databases. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) also intends to offer a
system that tracks immigrants as they leave the United States. However, it has
incurred many delays. The United States government has drawn criticism for these
new regulations requiring biometric data of U.S. permanent residents, also known
as green card holders. Barry Steinhard, a director for the American Civil
Liberties Union called the program “disappointing.” He remarked further: “these
are individuals who don't deserve the indignity of being subjected to biometric
capture."
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THE “OBAMA EFFECT” ON VISA ISSUANCE
 New
York, NY - Several U.S. companies fear that a changing political climate in
the country will limit H1-B and L-1 visas, in turn negatively affecting some
businesses. Companies with a high reliance on foreign workers and companies with
a high percentage of employees holding H1-B visas have alerted investors that a
changing political administration could adversely affect profits. While many
businesses are unsure about how a new administration will affect the issuance of
visas, outsourcing companies remain specifically wary of legislation that would
impose restrictions on foreign workers in the United States. Due to President Obama’s promises to cease tax breaks to companies that “ship jobs overseas” and
proposed plans to help keep jobs in the United States, companies that heavily
rely on outsourced labor are concerned about increased restrictions on H1-B and
other work related visas. However, President Obama has nominated cabinet members
who have openly verbalized the economic importance of increasing the H1-B visa
cap. The current annual cap on H1-B visas is 85,000.
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160 ARRESTED FOR FRAUD AT CALIFORNIA BORDER PORTS
 San
Diego, CA - As the result of an investigation that began in late 2007, 160
individuals have been arrested and prosecuted for crimes relating to the use of
false passports and other government issued documentation. The enforcement
program, initiated by U.S. Customs and Border Protection, took place at San
Ysidro, Otay Mesa, and Calexico which are among the busiest ports in the United
States that border with Mexico. During the beginning implementation of the
enforcement initiative, approximately 20 fraudulent
passports were detected each
week. However, as enforcement officials became increasingly skilled at spotting
fraudulent documentation, over 60 fraudulent passports per week were being
detected. Immigration officials predict that the demand for fraudulent,
government-issued documentation is predicted to increase due to the Western
Hemisphere Travel Initiative. This program mandates that as of June, 2009 ports
of entry may no longer accept a verbal affirmation of U.S. citizenship, and all
travelers must produce government approved, “secure” documentation such as a
passport, passport card, trusted traveler document, or an enhanced driver’s
license. To help combat the obtainment and use of fraudulent documentation,
enforcement and detection efforts have been employed at many border ports. A
representative of the Diplomatic Security Service offers this warning to
Americans: “We urge U.S. citizens who have lost or had their travel documents
stolen to immediately contact the nearest U.S. embassy or consulate or the
Department of State’s Bureau of Consular Affairs, in addition to local law
enforcement agencies, so that authorities can place lookouts in a timely
manner.”
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UNITED STATES IMMIGRATION SUPPORT
511 Avenue of the Americas # 45
New York, NY 10011
Phone: (646) 233-3836
Fax: (646)792-3296
Web: www.usimmigrationsupport.org
Email: info@usimmigrationsupport.org
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