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Top 10 California Beach
Getaways
Plan Your Next Beach Weekend
on the California Coast
At
840 miles long, California's coastline
offers beach experiences as diverse
as its colorful residents. From
private coves perfect for sunbathing
to family-friendly public sands
complete with concessions, the Golden
State has a beach that fits the
bill for all its visitors. Here
is a sampling of ten of the best,
each offering something different
for weekend sun-seeking warriors.
Manchester State Beach,
Point Arena
Where: The beach entrance
is half a mile north of the town
of Manchester on Highway 1. The vibe: Friendly locals
with wind-burned faces beachcombing
the many miles of postcard-perfect
beach. Why it's popular: It's breathtakingly
beautiful and never overcrowded.
There are sandy dunes, grassy flatlands
and piles of driftwood that have
washed ashore. Hint: In January and February,
the nearby Garcia River is a mecca
for local steelhead fishermen. Information: (707) 882-2463
Rodeo Beach, Golden Gate National
Recreation
Area at Marin Headlands
Where: Just north of the
Golden Gate Bridge on Highway 101,
take the Sausalito exit and follow
signs for Marin Headlands and the
beach. Why it's popular: Although
swimming conditions aren't always
ideal, it doesn't deter sun-worshippers,
dog-walking and semi-precious stone
hunters. Hint: It's the only nude
beach in the Marin Headlands that
faces the Pacific Ocean.
Shopping
New York City Deals
Insider
bargains,
tips and
more
When people
travel what
is the first
thing on
their "To
Do" list,
along with
eating and
sightseeing?
Shopping!
Most of
us love
to collect
special
pieces that
represent
the places
we've visited;
once we've
returned
home, they
serve as
wonderful
reminders
of our travels
elsewhere.
Shopping
is the No.
1 tourist
activity
in many
cities,
including
Sydney,
Australia;
San Diego,
Calif.;
Las Vegas,
Nev; and
of course
New York.
An art historian
and world-class
professional
buyer, Ian
Grant knows
the ins
and outs
of where
to bargain
shop in
almost every
country.
Grant is
the real-life
'Trader
Joe.' On
your next
trip or
outing to
the big
city, take
his shopping
tips with
you.
When
you're in
New York
City and
have shopping
on your
mind, a
great place
to start
is Union
Square Park.
What makes
Union Square
unique is
the absence
of congestion.
Blocked
off by 14th
Street,
Union Square
East, 17th
Street and
Union Square
West, the
park is
a pedestrians-only
area. You
can freely
walk around
Union Square,
in and out
of coffee
shops, restaurants
and retail
stores without
being hassled
by city
traffic.
Vendors
have also
found the
freedom
of Union
Square makes
the square
a great
place to
set up shop.
Visitors
will find
original
art ranging
from paintings,
jewelry
and pottery.
Christie's
auction
house is
one of the
world's
largest
art businesses.
In 2006
Christie's
sale totals
reached
into the
billions.
Each month
Christie's
holds a
special
auction
called the
House Sale
where they
sell a wide
range of
household
furnishings
and accessories.
Most items
are listed
in the $500
to $5000
range, but
many sell
for less
than their
estimated
value. Anyone
can attend
the House
Sale. Want
to try your
hand at
an auction?
Register
to be a
bidder,
receive
your numbered
paddle,
take a seat
and wait
for the
bidding
to begin.
Smart Shopping
Tips:
* Attend
the preview
ahead of
the auction
so you know
what you're
bidding
on and how
much you're
willing
to spend.
* Don't
be the first
to bid.
Work off
someone
else's first
bid. Bidding
against
yourself
makes no
sense.
* Beware
of online
bidders:
Just because
you can't
see them,
doesn't
mean they
aren't there.
Venture
one block
off any
main street
(E. Broadway,
Canal Street)
and onto
any side
street and
you might
forget you're
in New York
City. Chinatown
is a great
place to
find Chinese
antiques,
but you
have to
know where
to look.
Authentic
antique
pieces are
extremely
hard to
find. Jan
Lee, owner
of
Sinotique,
has been
salvaging
relics from
the Chinese
countryside
for over
10 years.
Lee, like
most antique
collectors,
can never
fit all
their pieces
into the
showroom.
Ian Grant
rule No.
16: The
good stuff
is always
in the warehouse,
and if you're
lucky the
warehouse
won't be
too far
away.
Smart Shopping
Tips:
* Most
things in
Chinatown
are negotiable.
* Be
patient.
Always wait
for the
other guy
to buckle
first when
negotiating.
* Buy
items in
bulk. Sometimes
the salesperson
will reduce
your items
by a few
dollars
or more.
With
its ever-increasing
cost of
living,
Manhattan
is not the
most welcoming
city for
artists
trying to
make a living.
As a result,
artists
and craftspeople
have left
the island
in droves
for the
borough
of Brooklyn,
where they've
created
the movement
known as
the "Brooklyn
Renaissance."
Several
of those
individuals
have made
a home and
name for
themselves,
including
the artisans
at
City Joinery,
a company
known for
making stylish
hand-made
furniture.
The woodworkers
construct
the furniture
out of unusual
types of
wood, such
as sycamore,
sassafras,
and myrtle.
Tables,
chairs,
bed frames,
armoires
and side
tables range
anywhere
from $1,200
to $8,000.
Since all
of the furniture
is sculpted
by hand,
pieces are
priced accordingly.
But if you
can splurge
a little,
City
Joinery
should be
your first
stop when
furniture
shopping
in the New
York area.
Sen. Hillary Clinton officially
suspended her campaign in a
speech today and endorsed Sen.
Barack Obama for president.
"I endorse him and throw my
full support behind him. And
I ask all of you to join me
in working as hard for Barack
Obama as you have for me," Clinton
said to a cheering crowd in
Washington.
full story
Clinton and McCain Win in California;
Obama Stays Close as G.O.P. Rivals Lag
February 5, 2008
Senator
Hillary Rodham Clinton won primaries
in New York, New Jersey and Arizona
and captured the biggest prize of
all, California, while Senator
Barack Obama strung together
nearly a dozen victories from Georgia
to Idaho as the two Democratic candidates
were locked in an intense struggle
for convention delegates on Tuesday.
NEW:
Clinton takes New Hampshire, despite
recent polls putting Obama ahead
NEW: McCain met by crowd
shouting, "Mac is back"
Women, older voters give Clinton
boost, exit polls show
December 2007: US announces
Green Card Lottery
The US Department of State has announced
that registration for the Green Card
Lottery, or Diversity Visa (DV) Lottery.
The Green Card Lottery makes available
50,000 permanent resident visas annually
to persons from countries with low rates
of immigration to the United States.
The Immigration Lottery makes permanent
residence visas available to persons
meeting simple, but strict, eligibility
requirements.
Pair arrested in greencard marriage
scam on Internet
San Jose Mercury
News - CA, USA/ Dec 10, 2007
AP "Green Card Marriage -- Will
pay $300/month. Total $15000," the Russian
national wrote in an ad placed on the
Craigslist website. ...
The
tree will be lit through Jan 8, 2008.
Hours are daily from 5:30am to 11:30pm.
Millions of New
Yorkers and tourists come to see the
tree while many get to ice skate on
the rink below.
Will You Accept This Green Card?
Dec. 01, 2007
TMZ.com - Glendale,CA,USA
Reality shows are bringing people together
for "love" all the time -- now there's
one that's doing it for a real reason:
citizenship. ...
Skilled immigrants face 10-year wait
to get green cards August 22, 2007
San Jose Mercury News - CA, USA
They estimated that the total number
of green card applicants and
family members in the US waiting for
legal permanent residence in September
2006 was ...
Dominica National Convicted In Green
Card Marriage Scam
Hardbeatnews.com - Jackson Heughts,NY,USA ... marriage for green card
scam. Peter Absolam was found guilty
in an immigration scam that arranged
sham marriages with US citizens for
immigrants seeking ...
US Seeks to Curb Illegal
Immigration
Forbes - NY,USA
By SUZANNE GAMBOA 08.10.07, 2:00 PM
ET A crackdown on illegal immigration
will have to go forward without help
from Congress, the Bush administration
said ...
San Francisco Bay Area Reacts Angrily to
Series of Immigration Raids
New York Times - New York,NY,USA April 27,
2007
Before dawn on March
6, dozens of federal immigration agents
conducted surprise raids in San Rafael and
nearby Novato, two comfortable Marin County
suburbs ...
Illegal Immigrants
Paying Taxes, Too
KTTC - Rochester,MN,USA
Last year alone she aided around 32-hundred
illegal immigrants. Stellick says
undocumented workers are required to file
taxes, so by receiving a nine digit ...
Feds arrest 49 illegal
immigrants in Willmar
Pioneer Press - St. Paul,MN,USA
Federal agents arrested 49 illegal immigrants
in Willmar last week during a four-day enforcement
investigation there. Operation Cross Check,
which began ...
When any region of the United States
has required workers for large building
projects, immigrant workers have historically
been relied upon. A recent increase in construction
in New York City has resulted in a shortage
of construction workers and, once again,
America is looking for immigrants to help.
more »
Democratic Sen. Hillary
Rodham Clinton launched her run for the White House
Saturday by setting up an exploratory committee to test
opinions and raise money. "I'm in. And I'm in to win,"
she wrote on her Web site. "I believe that together
we can bring the leadership that this country needs."
Her move came days after Sen. Barack Obama began his
run.
Illegal Immigrants at Center of New Identity Theft
Crackdown Dec 17,2006
New York Times
- United States ... 13 — Homeland Security Secretary Michael
Chertoff on Wednesday announced a broad new plan to
crack down on illegal immigrants who steal the
identities of ...
Facts
About USCIS Naturalization Test Redesign Nov 2006
USCIS is revising the naturalization test to create
a test and testing process that is standardized, fair
and meaningful. A revised test, with an emphasis on
the fundamental concepts of American democracy and the
rights and responsibilities of citizenship, will help
to encourage citizenship applicants to learn and identify
with the basic values we all share as Americans.
Democratic control of the U.S. Congress in the
wake of recent elections may very well result in more
humane immigration policies. There may be a guest-worker
program and new opportunities to gain citizenship. 2007
immigration reform is expected to be along similar lines
to the Senate immigration reform bill from May of this
year.
More than one million legal immigrants have experienced
long delays in obtaining a U.S. green card. Many are
highly skilled, with science, electrical engineering
and medical degrees, and are hired by U.S. companies,
universities and research laboratories under the H-1B
visa system. Some people have experienced waits of up
to 12 years for an employment-based green card. The
process has always been long and complex, but recently
introduced background checks by the FBI can add two
to three years.
A joint study released this month analyses businesses
founded or co-founded by immigrants in the U.S. It found
that about half a trillion dollars in wealth had been
generated by such companies over the past 35 years.
These are successful, profitable businesses that currently
employ over 400,000 people around the world.
The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS)
is updating the U.S. naturalization exam. The voluntary
program will continue through 2007, and will become
the basis for the new mandatory test in 2008. A substantial
hike in the $400 citizenship application fees is also
planned.
There has been a significant loss in value of the
U.S. dollar in the past several months, with a new
5-month low against the euro this month. The dollar
has lost approximately 10-12% of its value against
most world currencies in the past two years, most
of it this year. The trend is expected to continue.
A new record of nearly 5,000 deportations was set
earlier this year, for the latest three-month period
for which figures are available. The budget to fund
deportation-related activities is being doubled,
and a new Crimestoppers telephone line will be available
from January first 2007 for citizens to report illegal
immigration activities.
The "Technology Czar" for the United States government,
Undersecretary of Commerce for Technology Robert
Cresanti, recently said that there are not enough
engineers, IT workers and, students in these related
fields, to fulfil the needs of technology industries.
According to Cresanti, the IT industry is experienceing
skills shortages in some areas. He urged that more
foreign workers be allowed in, including an increase
in H-1B visas.
Beginning on 23 January 2007, all persons entering
or leaving the United States by air will be
required to show a passport. Previously, people
travelling between Canada and the U.S., and
various other countries in the immediate Western
Hemisphere such as Jamaica and Bermuda, could
enter and leave the U.S. with other methods
of identification.
CNN Oct 16, 2006:The population of the United States
will reach 300 million early Tuesday, the U.S. Census Bureau
says. The United States has become a "supersize, metro-nation
with a fast-growing population, and supersize appetites
for housing, land and resource consumption," one expert
says. The U.S. is now a vastly different nation from the
one where the Baby Boomers were born.
Improve America Oct 15, 2006
ProgressiveU.org -
San Mateo,CA,USA ... My answer to illegal immigration is this
we offer this to the "guest workers" register with ...
to pay back what you owe, and we'll give you a greencard, and in 7 ...
Senate bill on doubling H1B visas may have to wait Sep
28, 2006
Daily News & Analysis
- Mumbai,India ... permanent residency or "greencard"
applications. What made the process very difficult was the
fact that the House version of Immigration legislation
passed ...
US citizenship vs US nationality Sep 27, 2006
Philippine News Online
- Philippines ... In an effort to curb illegal immigration
to the US, several proposals to amend ... at least
one parent were a US citizen or permanent resident (“greencard holder ...
Feds crack down on Pennsylvania
illegal
immigrants
Sep 25, 2006
Pocono Record - Stroudsburg,PA,USA ... Trimi was one of 115 illegalimmigrants
arrested over the past several days in Pennsylvania and
Delaware as part of nationwide crackdown on those living
here ...
More than 200 residents become US citizens Sep 20, 2006
South Bend Tribune
- South Bend,IN,USA ... percent from India, according to the United States
Citizenship and Immigration Services ... He
held his green card and a Notice of Naturalization
Oath Ceremony form ...
Immigration reform
still on Bush's agenda (August 24, 2006)
WASHINGTON,
DC - President Bush continues to push for comprehensive
immigration reform. He discussed how the United States is
seen as the land of opportunity and freedom. Miami has been
the first destination for many who had been oppressed in
their homeland or were fleeing poverty. Bush welcomed the
influence of other cultures in the United States and their
contributions, but he also brought up that border enforcement
needs to be addressed in a reasonable manner.
The president made reference to the Border Patrol agents
and the U.S. Coast guard who are responsible for border
enforcement and commended their efforts. While he recognizes
that the border must be enforced, it must be done in a way
that is rational. Since many immigrants enter the United
States on a temporary basis to take on jobs that Americans
are not taking, Bush suggested the introduction of a guest
worker program. This type of program would give immigrants
a way to achieve their dreams. Due to the millions of illegal
immigrants that reside in the United States, Bush said it
would not be realistic to grant them amnesty or deport them
in masses. However, Bush said there should be a process
that gives illegal immigrants the opportunity to eventually
become a United States citizen. The process would include
a fine, learning English, proving one has been a law abiding
citizen and then patiently waiting at the end of the citizenship
line.
Possible expansion of fingerprinting
at U.S. port of entries (August 22, 2006)
WASHINGTON,
DC - The Department of Homeland Security has proposed having
to require United States permanent residents to get fingerprinted
on each occasion that they re-enter the country. Some Canadian
visitors could also be included. The security checks would
take place at port of entries such as international airports,
land borders, seaports, and would be an expansion of the
US-Visit Program. Under the US-Visit Program most foreign
visitors must have biographic and biometric information
recorded when entering the United States or when obtaining
visas at posts abroad. The U.S. government is then able
to verify the identity of the foreign visitor. During this
process officials are also able to check for criminal records,
terrorist suspects and the validity of the visa. As of January
2004, 61 million foreign visitors have had a digital photograph
taken along with being fingerprinted.
The expansion is seen as a safety measure needed to intercept
those using fraudulent or stolen Green Cards. In addition,
it would allow the Department of Homeland Security to comply
with the requirement of having to use biometrics to verify
the validity of travel documents issued by the government.
The expansion will not take place immediately and there
will be a 30 day comment period before any changes can take
place. Critics of the expansion claim that there are already
enough security measures to obtain United States permanent
residency and that introducing unnecessary measures sends
the wrong message to those trying to become United States
citizens.
U.S. Eases Immigration Rules for Some Cubans Los Angeles Times
Sat, 12 Aug 2006 0:14 AM PDT
The Bush administration said it would relax immigration
rules for some Cubans, focusing largely on reuniting families
who have relatives in the U.S.
Legal residents to be fingerprinted at airports The News-Review
Sat, 29 Jul 2006 5:15 AM PDT
WASHINGTON (AP) The federal government wants U.S. residents
with green cards, parolees and some Canadians to l have
their fingerprints checked every time they re-enter the
U.S. by air or sea.
Immigration Officials Using New Tactics
CBS 11 - Dallas/Fort
Worth,TX,USA
(CBS 11 News) DALLAS The US Immigration and Customs
Enforcement arm of Homeland Security is going after employers
who hire illegal immigrants, and they're ...
According to a Los Angeles Times news report, "[Undocumented]
immigrants who return to the US after being deported are
"continuous lawbreakers" and are subject to automatic removal
from this country, the Supreme Court ruled Thursday, even
if they have lived here more than 20 years and have jobs
and families."
Senate committee OKs ag
immigration plan (Mar 30, 2006)
Central Valley Business
Times - Stockton,CA,USA ... undocumented agricultural workers to legalize
their immigration status in ... After a “blue
card” holder shows ... they will then be eligible
for a greencard. ...
More H1B visas on the cards? (Mar 29, 2006)
-> H1B-Visa
Moneycontrol.com -
Mumbai,India
The US Immigration Bill proposes an increase in H1B
visas from a cap of 65,000 to 115,000 ... The new
quota will not include family members of the GreenCard holder
People power wins hope for US
illegal
immigrants(Mar 29, 2006)
Sydney Morning Herald
- Sydney,New South Wales,Australia ... A US immigration reform bill that would allow
12 million illegalimmigrants to become citizens
eventually and would create a guest worker program for up
to ...
McCain/Kennedy leads to 30 million new
illegal
immigrants
Town Hall - Washington,DC,USA
According to Alabama Senator Jeff Sessions, passing the
McCain/Kennedy immigration plan will result in 30 million
new illegalimmigrants entering the US over
11 million illegals? Thank the economy (Mar 29, 2006)
Seattle Post Intelligencer
- USA ... It gave greencard status to 3
million illegal immigrants (and eventually their wives
... Europeans can only look at our immigration
"problem" and drool with envy.
Employers of Illegal Workers in a Catch-22 (Mar 06,
2006)
ktla 5 - Los Angeles,CA,USA ... The foreign worker can then apply for a greencard through US Citizenship and Immigration
Services. But workers here illegally must ...
Employment Agencies Targeting Immigrants Often Offer 'False'
Hope (Mar 06, 2006)
New York Sun - New
York,NY,USA ... the agencies - generally run by immigrants -
break wage laws or scam the newcomers ...
job for $1,000." The truth, he said, is that without a
greencard they cannot ...
US laws apply to 'bad guys' and
illegal
immigrants(Mar 02, 2006)
USA Today - USA ... Marisa Treviño is highly critical of the US Border
Patrol and other law enforcement agencies for picking on
illegal Mexican and other immigrants trying
to ...
Senate to start debate on compromise
immigration bill (Feb 28, 2006)
AZ Central.com - AZ,USA ... With immigration now a nationwide issue,
how Congress deals with those questions could ...
six years expired and could not apply for a greencard without applying ...
States Want Action on
Illegal
Immigrants
Los Angeles Times
- CA,USA ... number got through. Nationally there are an estimated
11 million illegalimmigrants draining government
resources. "We're absorbing ...
Immigration loophole leads to spread of fake-ID mills
(Feb 20, 2006)
San Diego Union Tribune
- United States ... and airport, hoping to sell phony immigration
papers and ... Security card and resident-alien
card, commonly referred to as a greencard,
averages between ...
Wanna do biz in US? Get a EB-5
visa now (Feb 19, 2006)
Economic Times - India
For entrepreneurs, one of the best routes to US is the EB-5
or investor visa. The USCIS has a 10,000 immigrant
visas per year available ...
Hundreds gather in opposition to federal
immigration legislation (Feb 18, 2006)
The Grand Rapids Press
- Grand Rapids,MI,USA ... Advocates of tough immigration measures
say it is time to seal the borders and crack down on undocumented
workers and companies who employ them. ...
Real 'reform' must end illegal
immigration(Feb 17, 2006)
Jackson Clarion Ledger
- Jackson,MS,USA
By Rodney Hunt. Why do 75 percent of Americans want illegal
immigration stopped? ... Illegal immigration
places a great burden on our working citizens. ...
WASHINGTON, DC - As the U.S.
Senate gears up to deal with immigration reform, hundreds
of thousands of immigrants from El Salvador, Honduras and
Nicaragua are facing a deadline...
DETROIT, MI - Robert Johnson
was down on his luck and short on cash last month when a
man named Hunt offered him $800 to smuggle two Chinese immigrants
in the trunk of his car
US embassy alert for
visa waiver nations
Gulf Times - Doha,Qatar
02 November 2005
ALL travellers, to the US from any of the 27 Visa
Waiver Programme (VWP) countries, with passports issued
on or after October 26 this year must have a machine
...
US Senate to Take Up Immigration Reform Issues in November Voice of America
- USA Washington DC
26 October 2005 ... to work for 6 years and then be eligible for
a greencard and get ... which represents
more than 10,000 border patrol agents wants all illegal
immigration halted. ...
When immigrants overstay visas, US does little
The US Department of Homeland Security frequently fails
to follow up on leads that foreign visitors have overstayed
their visas, the agency's inspector general says in a new
report.
Bush Says U.S. Will Tighten Borders, Fight Illegal Immigration Oct. 22 , 2005 (Bloomberg) --
President George W. Bush said the U.S. will boost efforts
to catch and expel people entering the country illegally,
and said he will work with Congress to create a program
that gives immigrants legal access to jobs.
Report Details Growth in Illegal Migration Source: WASHINGTON POST WASHINGTON, DC - More immigrants came to the United
States illegally from 2000 through 2004 than the number
who were granted legal status in those years, according
to a study released yesterday that attributed much of the
historic shift to visa slowdowns since 2001 and to the nation's
strong job market before that. The study by the Pew Hispanic
Center said that immigration to the United States -- legal
and illegal, from all regions of the world -- totaled about
1.1 million each year during the 1990s, peaked in 2000 at
1.5 million and declined substantially since 2001 to earlier
levels. The number of new arrivals increased in 2004, the
study said, though it is too early to say that the rise
will last.
Fourteen arrested on
green
card violations
Brownsville Herald
- TX United States
October 5, 2005 -- Federal agents on Wednesday arrested
14 greencard holders who ... Agents
with US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE)
arrested the 14 ...
Green
card marriage business alleged
St. Petersburg Times
- St. Petersburg,FL,USA Oct 05, 2005 ... paying thousands of dollars to marry US citizens
to obtain green cards, which ... said Evan
M. Grose, supervisory special agent with US Immigration
and Customs ...
Green-card
quota seen as undercutting security
World Peace Herald
- Washington,DC,USA Oct 04, 2005 ... She said all applications are put through law-enforcement
checks, and those checks must be completed before a greencard or other immigration benefit is granted
...
As of this week, it's almost impossible
for skilled workers from certain countries to get an immigrant
visa. To understand an extraordinary shift this week in
the awarding of visas for business-sponsored immigrants,
imagine you're a talented engineer from India ready to move
to South Florida where a job is waiting.If you applied for
the visa last year, you'll likely get your travel papers
soon. But if you are applying now, you may have to wait
at least four to six years -- if not longer -- to get your
visa.
California Advances Bill to issue Driver's Licenses to Illegal
Immigrants (Sep 19, 2005)
SACRAMENTO, CA - After a late-night debate on the politically
sensitive issue of immigration, the California Assembly
on Wednesday passed a bill to extend driver's licenses to
illegal immigrants. The measure would clear the way for
California to create a distinct driver's license, with a
unique design and color, for people who cannot prove legal
citizenship in the United States. The license could be used
only for driving and would not be valid identification for
other purposes such as opening a bank account or boarding
an airplane. The bill, SB 60 by Sen. Gil Cedillo (D-Los
Angeles), would also allow roughly 800,000 people in California
who have applied to federal immigration officials for legal
residency to get a California driver's license starting
as soon as March 2006. The bill passed 42 to 34.
Cedillo's bill passed the Senate in June on a 22-16 partisan
split. Now the Senate is expected to approve recent amendments
and send it to the governor, who is under pressure from
Republicans to veto the measure. Cedillo said he included
several elements in the bill aimed at overcoming objections
from Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, who last year vetoed a
Cedillo driver's license bill. But before the state Assembly
took up the new bill Wednesday, there were no indications
that the changes would satisfy the governor. The governor's
office has consistently said Schwarzenegger does not want
to take any action until the federal government finishes
deciding its requirements for state licenses - changes spawned
by concern that terrorists or other criminals could get
such documents. Congress gave states the option to create
distinct driver's licenses for illegal immigrants under
the Real ID Act passed in May. That sweeping law will require
most states to change the information they include on driver's
licenses, the documents they require to issue a license
and how they store driver's license data.
August
12, 2004
Foreign Visitor Overstays No Longer Criminal
The U.S. government will stop treating foreign visitors
harshly simply because of visa overstays from previous trips.
Foreigners who are permitted to enter the U.S. on a visa
waiver won't be handcuffed, searched or denied entry due
to an overstay of a few days on a previous visit. Previously,
such visitors were treated as criminals.
Program allows immigration
status checks (Business News Saturday, September 10,
2005)
LOS ANGELES -- Many Americans focus on the
border when they consider the fight against illegal
immigration. But some experts say the real battle
should be in the workplace to stop the hiring of
people without work visas.
Simple enough in theory, but how can you tell who's
an illegal immigrant?
Many companies now do little more than eyeball documents,
saying they lack the expertise and resources to
go any further -- and they seldom face federal sanctions.
But across the country, a small group of businesses
is quietly testing a Department of Homeland Security
program that can check immigration status with a
few clicks on the Internet.
more...
Despite
Illegal Status, Buyers Get Home Loans
Mortgage lenders are designing programs aimed at
undocumented immigrants. Real estate agents also see
a huge untapped market. LOS ANGELES - Each week, Pedro Morlet knocks on
doors in the Bay Area, looking for illegal immigrants.
Morlet isn't an immigration agent. He's a real estate
agent, and he's scouting for business. "Do you want
a house, work and pay taxes but don't have a Social
Security number?" reads his flier, written in Spanish
and tailored to his potential customers. "We can help
you LEGALLY!" Across the country, particularly
in Texas and parts of the Midwest, hundreds of illegal
immigrants have bought homes using special lending programs
that bypass the need for a Social Security number. Now,
with backing from some of the country's largest financial
institutions, this newest effort to tap customers for
the real estate market is moving to the nation's largest
concentration of illegal immigrants - California.
Source: LA TIMES
[full article]
U.S. to Begin Issuing Electronic
Passports
WASHINGTON
- The United States will begin issuing electronic passports
in December to help tighten border and identity security,
the State Department said recently. A computer chip
will be embedded in passport covers and will hold the
same information that is written on the inside: name,
date of birth, gender, place of birth, dates of passport
issuance and expiration, passport number and a photo.
The chip will also have a unique digital signature designed
to protect the data from tampering. The chips will have
technology to prevent unauthorized reading, or "skimming,"
of the data.
Diversity Immigrant Visa Program - Green Card
Lottery
2005 Green Card Lottery (DV-2007)
Registration is already open Every year the US government issues 50,000
permanent Green Cards through the Diversity Immigrant
Visa Program; the Green Card Lottery. Applicants are
selected randomly by a computer generated drawing. If
you are selected, you and your family will be authorized
to live and work permanently in the United States.
Rocky Mountain News, June 1.
Thousands of immigrants in Colorado who have either lost
or need to renew their permanent residency cards must now
mail their applications and fees totaling $255 to Southern
California. That means authorized immigrants in the state
will no longer be able to submit their forms to the U.S.
Citizenship and Immigration Services at its Denver district
office in Montbello or send their applications to the Nebraska
Service Center. The new policy took effect Tuesday. 'It's
the only way to do this, and it's by mail,' said Sharon
Rummery, spokeswoman for Citizenship and Immigration Services.
Citizenship and Immigration Services, which is under the
Department of Homeland Security, also announced that immigrants
must submit their I-90 applications for permanent resident
cards, known as 'green cards,' to the Los Angeles Lockbox,
a new processing facility that the agency hopes will speed
up the collection of applications and petitions.
[Read
More?]
Florida Employers Support Increasing
Work Permits For Illegal Immigrants
South Florida Sun-Sentinel, June
1. Finding themselves short of qualified staff, Florida
growers, gardeners and builders said they would welcome
efforts to boost the labor market with workers from overseas
as proposed in an ambitious immigration bill unveiled last
month. The bipartisan bill, introduced May 12 by Republican
Sen. John McCain of Arizona and Democrat Sen. Edward Kennedy
of Massachusetts, would open the way for millions of undocumented
immigrants living in the United States on or before that
date to pay $2,000 in fees and obtain work permits. Another
clause would allow an additional 400,000 nonagricultural
and low-skill workers to come from abroad. All would have
the option to apply for permanent residency after six years.
[Read
More?]
Federal ID Act May Be Flawed
Los Angeles Times, May 31. A
federal law designed to make it harder to assume someone
else's identity may instead have the opposite effect, critics
of the measure say. The Real ID Act, attached to a crucial
bill for military spending and tsunami relief that was signed
by President Bush on May 11, sets new rules for issuing
driver's licenses and requires states to share electronic
access to their records. The standards are intended to weed
out impostors applying for licenses, in part by requiring
state employees to check on the validity of birth certificates
and other supporting documents. After states adopt the necessary
changes, anyone applying for or renewing a license will
get one reflecting the new standards.
[Read
More?]
Venezuela Warns US Over Judge’s Cancelled
Visa
Venezuela may stop allowing visits
by American officials after US immigration authorities cancelled
the tourist visa of the Venezuelan Supreme Court president,
the country’s vice president said.Vice President Jose Vicente
Rangel’s office issued the warning on Monday in a statement
criticising the withdrawal this month of a US visa granted
to Venezuela’s top magistrate, Omar Mora.
[Read
More?]
TV, Radio Give Legal Advice to Immigrants
Los Angeles Times, May 31. When
Juan Antonio Sigala was arrested in Puerto Rico by U.S.
immigration agents in 1998 and faced deportation, he knew
whom to call for help: South Pasadena attorney Enrique Arevalo.
Sigala, who had gone to San Juan for an AIDS conference,
knew of Arevalo from listening to the lawyer's Spanish-language
radio show in Los Angeles that focuses on immigration law.
'I didn't have much faith in lawyers,' said Sigala, 37,
a Mexican immigrant who was working for an HIV-prevention
organization at the time. 'But after listening to his show,
I thought I should try.'
[Read
More?]
New Mayor Talks His Way Across Los
Angeles's Divides
New York Times, May 30. When
Antonio Villaraigosa was a teenager, an acquaintance hung
the nickname Tony Rapp on him because he never seemed to
shut up. A bright but irrepressible boy who was thrown out
of one high school and dropped out of another, Antonio had
ambitions to match his mouth, telling one disbelieving teacher
that he planned to be a lawyer, even as the school shuffled
him off to an upholstery class. The lawyer thing did not
work out - he failed the bar exam four times - but in four
weeks Mr. Villaraigosa will be sworn in as mayor of Los
Angeles.
[Read
More?]
Employers of Illegal Immigrants Face
Little Risk of Penalty
Los Angeles Times, May 29, 2005.
Nearly every day, immigrants newly arrived from Mexico pick
up job applications at Car Wash on Sunset. Owner George
Garcia insists that they provide proof, such as Social Security
or green cards, that they are authorized to work. What he
does not do is pick up the phone to see if the documents
are phony. 'I run a business,' he said. 'Why is it my job
to kick people out? It is not my responsibility to figure
out who is legal and who is not legal. It's their job to
stop them at the border.'
[Read
More?]
Scholarship May Lead To Citizenship
Eugene Register-Guard, May 28.
Machiko Shirai is almost home. The Japanese tai chi instructor
who came to Eugene to go to school and fell in love with
Oregon has been granted a waiver that will allow her to
apply for permanent residency in this country.
[Read
More?]
Groups Support Kennedy McCain Reform
Bill
Orlando Sentinel, May 28. A coalition
of community groups, trade representatives and immigrant
advocates joined Orlando Bishop Thomas Wenski on Friday
in calling for immigration reform -- lending support to
a bipartisan bill in Congress that would create a broad
visa program and open the door for the legalization of millions
of undocumented immigrants. The coalition -- brought together
by the Association of Communities for Reform Now, or ACORN,
an advocacy group for the rights of low-income people --
also called on Central Florida's congressional delegation
to back a bill that they think would improve the local economy
and working conditions.
[Read
More?]
Biotech Visa Controversy Ends, But
Suspicions Remain
FoodNavigator, May 27. Egziabher,
the director general of the Environmental Protection Authority
of Ethiopia, was finally granted a visa after intense international
pressure forced Canadian authorities to capitulate, but
the experience has left a bitter taste. “In the exchange
of information following my appeal for pressure to be applied
on Canada, I came to realize that many others have also
had their visas delayed or totally denied,” he said. “They
are all from developing countries.”
[Read
More?]
Gonzales, GOP Court Hispanics
Chicago Tribune, May 27. It's
no secret that Alberto Gonzales' appointment as attorney
general was a watershed moment for American Hispanics--and
for a yearslong effort to woo more Latino voters to the
Republican Party. Though the political strategy is long-term,
Gonzales has moved swiftly and energetically, more like
a political candidate in a campaign than a Cabinet member,
to reach out to kindred ethnic audiences and showcase his
status as the first Latino U.S. attorney general.
[Read
More?]
U.S. and Europe Turn Hopeful On Biometric-Passport
Accord
Wall Street Journal, May 25.
U.S. and European Union security officials said they are
getting closer to a deal to allow European citizens to continue
visiting the U.S. without visas beyond this fall, despite
the failure of many European countries to meet a U.S. deadline
for implementing new high-tech passports. The U.S. and Europe
have been in a diplomatic standoff over a U.S. law that
says citizens of countries that lack biometric passports
can no longer enjoy a waiver from U.S. visa rules after
October.
[Read
More?]
Amnesty Brings 600,000 In Spain From
Black Economy
Expatica News, May 24. Spain's
Socialist government said its immigrant amnesty would 'legalise'
about 600,000 foreigners and bring to the surface a large
portion of the underground economy. The secretary-general
for employment, Valeriano Gomez, was commenting on the three-month
process, completed in early May, for applying for residence
and work documents. Slightly more than 690,000 people, mostly
Latin Americans and North Africans, applied for legal status.
Those who can demonstrate they were in Spain for six straight
months last year and have an employment contract for another
six months will be allowed to stay.
[Read
More?]
New Rules Have Clever Aussies Eyeing
US
Sydney Morning Herald, May 22.
Training designer Kevin Wong can picture himself working
in America's famous high-tech Silicon Valley. Mr Wong, 23,
is one of many of Australia's best and brightest workers
who are likely to move to the US after the introduction
of 10,500 unrestricted US visas. Headhunters from major
American companies are also expected to seek out Australia's
top university students, poaching them as soon as they finish
their studies. While Mr Wong is happy in his job at Hills
Industries, he sees the boost in availability of US work
visas to Australians as 'amazing' and an exciting opportunity.
[Read
More?]
Hoping To Win The Green Card Lottery
Westchester Journal News, May
2. Sana Mulji Dutt wants to become an American citizen,
but first, the Pakistani-born Canadian needs a green card.
Dutt, 31, wants to be able to work, but the terms of her
admittance to the United States do not allow her to be employed.
She and her husband, Arijit Dutt, 36, who live in Haverstraw,
are exploring the avenues that may lead them to a coveted
green card, the colloquial term for the Alien Registration
Receipt Card, or permanent resident's card. Getting a green
card is the first step in becoming a citizen.
[Read
More?]
New Dimensions -- African Immigrants
In The US
pww.org, May 21. The election
of Barack Obama to the U.S. Senate brought national attention
to the growing presence and influence of African immigrants
in the United States. The son of a Kenyan immigrant, Obama
is only the third African American senator since Reconstruction.
The growing African presence is also manifested in the mushrooming
of African churches, mosques, fashion boutiques, hair-braiding
salons, and in emerging hip-hop icons like AKON and Shaka
Zulu. Contrasted with the majority of African Americans,
descendents of enslaved Africans brought to the U.S. centuries
ago, voluntary African immigrants are a relatively new phenomenon.
[Read
More?]
US-VISIT Shows 'Unprecedented Results'
Washington Times, May 20. A program
that collects biometric and biographic information from
visa applicants and visitors to the United States has achieved
'unprecedented results' in identifying criminals and other
potential security threats seeking to enter America, Department
of Homeland Security officials said yesterday. 'In the past,
criminals and others who were the subject of lookouts needed
only a new name to slip across our borders,' said Homeland
Security Assistant Secretary Michael J. Garcia. But the
US-VISIT program can 'reveal the true identity underneath
any alias' using fingerprints and other data.
[Read
More?]
Seasonal Workers Can Turn In Visa
Paperwork Next Week
Associated Press, May 20. Under
pressure from Congress to quickly expand the number of foreign
workers allowed in the United States, federal immigration
officials will begin accepting visa applications for returning
seasonal workers on Wednesday. Some approvals could take
up to 90 days, creating problems for parts of the summer
tourism industry. To avoid the delay, business owners —
from Cape Cod restaurateurs to Maryland crabbers — said
they will probably pay a $1,000 fee per worker for expedited
reviews, so they can get approvals in about two weeks.
[Read
More?]
As Ethiopians Prosper, A Safety Net
Is Displaced
Washington Post, May 19. Hermela
Kebede is consumed by worry. It pinches her forehead and
tugs at her throat, making her voice sound tight. She sits
in a small, airless office under a poster that shows a smiling
girl with cocoa skin. 'Ethiopia,' it says. 'Thirteen months
of sunshine.' More than 30 years ago, Kebede left Ethiopia
to study business administration in the United States. Now,
at 56, she is the leader of the Ethiopian Community Center,
which she said is the country's oldest organization of its
kind. It offers English classes and more elementary help
to the nation's largest Ethiopian community.
[Read
More?]
Canada Denies Visa For African Biosafety
Expert
AllAfrica.com, May 19. Africa's
chief negotiator for the Cartegena Protocol on Biosafety
has been denied entry into Canada to attend meetings to
finalise key provisions regarding the international movement
of genetically engineered organisms. Tewolde Berhan Gebre
Egziabher, the Ethiopian government's chief scientist, had
his passport returned without the requested Canadian visa
Wednesday despite previous visits to Canada. Tewolde is
trying to attend talks starting May 30 in the Canadian city
of Montreal.
[Read
More?]
McCain/Kennedy Reform Bill Draws Mixed
Response
Green Valley News, May 18. Last
Friday, some Republican and Democratic congressional members
introduced a comprehensive plan to help solve problems of
illegal immigrants on the Southwest border. Among other
things it calls for a guest worker program and would permit
foreign workers here illegally to apply for a visa to permit
them to stay in the United States and perhaps gain citizenship
after 11 years. It would also double the fines for U.S.
employers who knowingly hire illegal immigrants. Editor’s
Note: The full text of this bill is available in our downloads
page.
[Read
More?]
U.S. Warns Fijians Of Visa Scam
ABC, May 18. The United States
embassy in Fiji has issued a statement warning the public
of an e-mail and website scam aimed at people wanting to
win "Green Cards" which allow them to live and work in the
US. The embassy says it's become aware many people in Fiji
have received e-mails and phone calls from deceptively named
"Green Card Offices" informing them they have won the US
Green Card lottery. The winners are then asked to send money
for the processing of the visa. The embassy says the US
Government has no association with these organisations,
and it doesn't deal with third parties on visa issues. The
embassy says no processing fee is collected under the US
Diversity Visa Lottery Program until the applicant appears
in person for an interview.
[Read
More?]
Visa Law Change Buoys Firms
Chicago Tribune, May 17. Jeff
Korhan applied for 15 visas for his foreign workers this
year, but got none. Unfortunately for the Plainfield landscaping
company owner, the government-mandated cap on visas was
reached early. But like other seasonal employers, Korhan
is hopeful that a recent change by Congress regarding the
visa program will enable him to bring over the seasonal
workers he said he can't find in the U.S. The program is
called the H-2B visa program and it allows employers to
apply to bring over temporary foreign workers to fill non-agricultural
jobs they say they can't fill with Americans.
[Read
More?]
H-1B Admission Rose 2.3% In 2004
InformationWeek, May 16. The
number of foreign nationals entering the United States last
year on H-1B visas totaled 386,821, an increase of 26,325,
or 2.3%, from 2003, the Department of Homeland Security
reported Monday. About 65,000 foreign workers are first-time
H-1B visa holders. In a report on temporary admissions of
nonimmigrants to the United States, Homeland Security's
Office of Information Statistics didn't break down how many
of those visa holders work in IT, but in recent years, the
government has issued more than one-third of the H-1B visas
to those with computer-related skills. Editor’s Note: The
full text of this report is available in our downloads page.
[Read
More?]
Daily Herald (American Fork,
UT), May 15. Housing officials are close to filling the
13-unit complex for farm workers at Spring Lake, but not
with any farm workers. When the new Spring Lake complex
opened to renters in September last year, officials from
the Housing Authority of Utah County and Rural Housing Development
Corporation hoped farm workers and their families would
rush to live in the affordable housing. But Brad Bishop,
executive director of the Rural Housing Development Corporation
in Provo, says if just one farm family moves into the complex
of two- to four-bedroom units, more will follow.
[Read
More?]
Most Green Card Requests Come From
Intel
MSNBC, May 15. Over the past
five years, companies based or active in Greater Sacramento
applied for more than 2,000 permanent worker certifications
for foreign-born employees -- known as 'green cards' --
and about 75 percent of them have been granted, according
to federal applications data obtained by the Business Journal.
Nearly three-fourths of all the applications came from a
single company, but some major employers didn't show up
at all. It's unclear whether that's because they filed their
applications from other sites, had other companies handle
their applications, or simply didn't seek green cards. The
application data covered companies that listed an address
in Sacramento, Davis, Folsom or Roseville, and a period
from Oct. 1, 1999 to Sept. 30, 2004.
[Read
More?]
Slow Immigration Rate May Cost Michigan
Cash
Detroit News, May 13. The pace
of immigration to Michigan and the rest of the United States
has slowed since 2001 as potential emigrants were confronted
by tougher security restrictions, longer delays and a sagging
national economy, according to government estimates. While
that slowdown touched nearly every corner of the country,
it poses particular obstacles for Michigan, which increasingly
relies on immigrants to maintain its already anemic population
growth -- and the federal spending and political muscle
that come with it -- and to replace well-educated workers
who have been leaving the state in droves.
[Read
More?]
Visa rules Confuse Medical Professionals
Amednews.com, May 2. The next
batch of medical residents are set to be on the job July
1, and if they are coming from another country, they'll
need a visa before then. But there's a good deal of confusion
regarding the additional 20,000 H-1B visas for fiscal year
2005 that were supposed to be released March 8. At press
time, the government had not issued the visas, and the criteria
for who will qualify for them was still unclear, immigration
lawyers said. The confusion is affecting about 300 to 400
of the roughly 9,000 IMGs who need visas annually.
[Read
More?]
Asylum-Seeker to Get Settlement
Los Angeles Times, April 29.
The U.S. government has agreed to pay $87,500 to a Kenyan
woman who was initially spurned when she pleaded with authorities
not to send her back to her homeland — a case that could
spur other asylum-seekers to sue federal authorities for
alleged mistreatment, legal experts said. Immigration officials
spurned Rosebell Munyua, 36, when she arrived at San Francisco
International Airport in March 2001 and forced her to return
to Kenya with her then 2-year-old daughter. Munyua was admitted
six months later on a tourist visa in Houston. She was granted
political asylum in September 2002 and later sued the U.S.
government, contending negligence, misconduct and discrimination
by government border agents.
[Read
More?]
Muslim Scholar Urges Halt to Extreme
Punishments
Inter Press Service, April 29.
A Muslim scholar, Tariq Ramadan, who was issued and then
denied a visa to teach in the United States because of alleged
ties to terrorists has called for an immediate moratorium
on corporal and capital punishment and dialogue aimed at
creating less repressive Muslim societies. Other scholars
of Islam gave the idea a mixed welcome.
[Read
More?]
Stricter Immigration Rules Have White
House Support
Houston Chronicle, April 28.
A bill that would enact hotly contested immigration rules,
including one that would bar illegal immigrants from getting
driver's licenses, is marching toward approval with the
backing of the White House. The provisions are attached
to an emergency spending bill that would provide $81 billion
for military efforts in Iraq and Afghanistan. A bipartisan
House-Senate conference committee is expected to agree on
a compromise version of the bill today; each chamber is
slated to vote on the measure within the next two weeks
and then send it to President Bush for his signature. The
immigration provisions, which were introduced as the Real
ID Act in January, include new identification requirements
for people seeking driver's licenses, toughened standards
for immigrants seeking asylum in the United States, and
money to complete a three-mile stretch of border fencing
near San Diego. The House version contains the immigration
provisions but the Senate's version does not. Lawmakers
from both parties, as well as civil liberties groups and
immigration advocates, decry the addition of the provisions
to the must-pass supplemental bill. Supporters of the provisions
know that it would be politically unwise to vote against
a bill that sends money to American soldiers.
[Read
More?]
Bill Gates Criticizes Visa Restrictions
Washington Post, April 28. Microsoft
Corp. Chairman Bill Gates said yesterday the software giant
is having enormous difficulty filling computer jobs in the
United States as a result of tight visa restrictions on
foreign workers and a declining interest among U.S. students
in computer science. Speaking on a technology panel at the
Library of Congress, Gates said a decline in the number
of U.S. students pursuing careers in science and technology
is hurting Microsoft in the short run, and could have serious
long-term consequences for the U.S. economy if the problem
is not addressed. 'We are very concerned that the U.S. will
lose its competitive position. For Microsoft, it means we
are having a tougher time hiring,' Gates said. 'The jobs
are there, and they are good-paying jobs, but we don't have
the same pipeline.'
[Read
More?]
U.S. To Alter Design Of Electronic
Passports
New York Times, April 27. Responding
to fears raised by privacy advocates that new electronic
passports might be vulnerable to high-tech snooping, the
State Department intends to modify the design so that an
embedded radio chip holding a digitized photograph and biographical
information is more secure.
[Read
More?]
Microsoft Wants End to Limits on Overseas
Hiring
Associated Press, April 27. Microsoft
Chairman Bill Gates urged the Bush administration and lawmakers
Wednesday to abolish immigration limits on foreign engineers
who can be hired by U.S. companies, a sensitive subject
among American technology workers watching their own jobs
increasingly move overseas.
[Read
More?]
Facts, Not Fear, Should Guide U.S.
Immigration
Minneapolis Star-Tribune, April
27. Opinion. We were appalled to learn that U.S. Rep. Tom
Tancredo of Colorado was invited to make a keynote speech
at a Republican fundraising breakfast in Minnesota's Third
Congressional District this weekend. His brand of fear-mongering
about illegal immigration and his active encouragement of
vigilantes should have no place in Minnesota politics. Immigration
reform is sorely needed in the United States, but responsible
proposals must be based upon facts and not incendiary rhetoric.
The fact is that the American economy is dependent upon
immigrant labor. As baby boomers retire, there will be a
reduction in the size of the nation's workforce. Our rapidly
"graying" nation relies upon immigrant workers to fill the
gap.
[Read
More?]
Idea to Track Students Stirs Privacy
Worries
Wall Street Journal, April 27.
(Pay Site) Suppose you are a fifth-year mechanical-engineering
student at Cleveland State University, paying your tuition
by taking off an occasional semester to work. Is that any
business of the federal government? An idea circulating
in the U.S. Department of Education and on Capitol Hill
says that maybe it should be, and that maybe the government
should follow students' progress through college by assigning
them bar codes.
[Read
More?]
Watchdog Demands U.S. Torture Inquiry
Inter Press Service, April 25.
Human Rights Watch, in a new report assailing some conclusions
of previous investigations, said ''a wall of impunity surrounds
the architects of the policies responsible for the larger
pattern of abuses.''. ''Evidence is mounting that high-ranking
US civilian and military leaders -- including Secretary
of Defense Donald Rumsfeld, former CIA (Central Intelligence
Agency) Director George Tenet, Lieutenant General Ricardo
Sanchez, formerly the top U.S. commander in Iraq, and Major
General Geoffrey Miller, the former commander of the prison
camp at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba -- made decisions and issued
policies that facilitated serious and widespread violations
of the law,'' it added.
[Read
More?]
Apr 01, 2005
Mexico Is To Blame For
Illegal Immigration To The U. S.
click here
Mar 16,
2005
No immigration
pact will come out of meeting with Bush
click here
Feb 21, 2005
Gingrich urges action against illegals, WASHINGTON
TIMES
click here
New GreenCard Program Year 2005 (DV2007)
click here
Nov 22, 2004
More foreigners in hiding being found, deported by
U.S.
click here
Oct 31, 2004
Deportation back to Haiti,Sent back, to land no longer
theirs
click here
Oct 25, 2004
US Extends List of Visa
Waiver Countries
click here
Oct 22,
2004
Tip-off leads Immigration to illegal
workers
click here
Sep 15, 2004
Green Card Awards Way
Down
A report released by U.S. Immigration and Citizenship Services
(USCIS, former INS) reveals that the number of people who
are receiving green cardsis down from 1 million
to 700,00 from 2002 to 2003. That's more than a 30
percent drop in one year. Approved applications for
adjustment of status went down by 50 percent. The number
of employment based green cards fell by the same percentage.
The lengthy report also indicates that deportations
and fees had gone up, not a surprise to most of us
who read immigration news. See new Statistic Yearbook 2003
click here
July 04, 2004
INTERNATIONAL students frustrated by visa hassles
Waterloo Cedar Falls Courier - Waterloo,IA,USA CEDAR FALLS
--- Robert Pesek's complaints about the questions visa officials
are asking Iowa-bound international students have reached
the US State Department ...
click here
The hell of U.S. immigration prisons Tony Ebibillo
had been detained for a year, charged only with overstaying
his visa. During much of that time, he was held in solitary
confinement, subject to verbal abuse by guards and denied
access to a phone and writing materials.
click here
June 20, 2004
Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers
arrests 50 illegal immigrants Thursday near the new city
park in Buffalo.
click here
May 28, 2004
NON-GREEN Card Holders Warned To Check
Before Traveling Jackson Heughts,NY,United States
US Citizenship and Immigration Service officials yesterday
warned immigrants awaiting an application for adjustment
of status to that of lawful permanent
click here
May 14, 2004
Deportation:
She and her husband say they thought they
were going to get a green card, providing permanent residency,
when they went to meet with immigration officials ....
click here
April 30, 2004
This year could be the last DV GreenCard
Program:
By Stephen Dinan
THE WASHINGTON TIMES
Published April 30, 2004
The State Department's deputy inspector general said yesterday
that despite new fraud protections, the diversity visa-lottery
program, which issues 55,000 green cards to foreign nationals
annually, is a prime opportunity for criminals and enemies
of the United States to enter the nation
click here
April 20, 2004
Tourists say security policy
won ’ t deter them
The News-Press, FL - Apr 18,
2004 ... 30, the government will begin to fingerprint
and photograph people visiting the United States from 27
“visa-waiver” countries in addition to many
others ...
click here
April 16, 2004
H2B Work Visa POTENTIAL Visa Cap Concerns Businesses
click here
April 3, 2004
Millions More Travelers to U.S. to Face
Fingerprints and Photos
ASHINGTON,
April 2 — The Department of Homeland Security announced
on Friday that it planned to require travelers from 27 industrialized
nations, including longtime allies like Britain, France,
Germany, Spain, Japan and Australia, to be photographed
and electronically fingerprinted when they arrive in the
United States. click
here
February 2004
The US Government is giving away new
Green Cards for the year 2004.
Since Nov 2003 only Online Applications
are accepted. No more regular mailing of applications are
allowed.
Since the new Online only Application
System by the US Government is in place only 5 Mio took
the chance (not anymore like before over 13 Mio via regular
Mail)
Much greater Chances (over 60 %
more) to get a US Green Card than the years before.
NEW YORK For years it has been the annual wild
card of U.S. immigration policy: a worldwide lottery in
which millions gamble on winning a green card and with it
the chance to live and work legally in the United States.
But this year, with a Dec. 30 deadline looming and 55,000
green cards at stake, the lottery has attracted fewer than
half the usual number of applications, falling to 5 million
from as many as 13 million.
The startling drop-off, everyone agrees, results from the
fact that for the first time applications are being accepted
only by computer, which government officials say has curtailed
duplications and fraud.
But immigrants and their advocates say the falloff, while
linked to the computerization, results from a variety of
other factors: fear of giving information to the government
online, lack of access to computers, and new opportunities
for immigrants to be defrauded.
The falloff, and the different explanations, show that like
so much else involving immigrants with government the lottery
is being transformed by new perceptions of fear and uncertainty.
State Department officials insist that the apparent decline
is misleading. For the first time, the officials said, they
can now electronically compare applications, automatically
disqualify anyone who applies more than once, and store
information about applicants. In the past, they point out,
multiple applications often went undetected, including many
from immigrants desperate to legalize their undocumented
lives in New York.
But immigrants say other factors are depressing the numbers.
Some people simply lack access to the tools to apply: a
digital photo scanner, a computer and an Internet connection....
...The lottery is open only to those from countries that
have sent fewer than 50,000 people to the United States
in the past five years. From millions of applicants, the
State Department randomly selects about 110,000 "winners,"
sending them invitations to apply for a visa at the closest
consular office. About half fail to complete the process
in time or are disqualified. The supply of diversity visas
goes to the rest, first come, first served...
...."Everybody has a dream to come to America - the golden
dream," added Sheak, 39, who sold flowers in the street
and cleaned offices at night when he first arrived in 1986.
"They think that it's easy, but then they come here and
find out." No immigrant group in New York City has played
the green card lottery better than Bangladeshis. They began
winning their way to America in 1990, when Congress established
the program, officially called the Diversity Visa Lottery,
as a permanent reincarnation of smaller lotteries in 1986
and 1989. The number of lottery green cards is small compared
with the 620,000 others available yearly, but those are
reserved for the close relatives of citizens and people
sponsored by employers. The ostensible purpose of the lottery
was to encourage ethnic diversity in the American population,
but it was widely seen as a means of increasing European
immigration. The lottery programs in the 1980's were dubbed
"the Irish sweepstakes," because the biggest winners were
immigrants from the Republic of Ireland living illegally
in the United States.
Intense press coverage, high levels of literacy and large
families help explain why so many Bangladeshis applied,
officials say, adding that identity fraud was also a factor.
In New York, where about half the Bangladeshis in the United
States have settled, their numbers grew to 107,000 from
9,000 during the 1990's.
....
...Similar concerns reduced applications by the Irish
in New York, said Siobhan Dennehy, executive director of
the Emerald Isle Immigration Center in Queens. "People are
being cautious this year, more than any before," Dennehy
said, noting that since Nov. 1, when this year's lottery
opened, only a few hundred had showed up to apply online.
Last year more than 2,500 application forms were collected
from the center...
...The New York Times Monday, December 29, 2003
New Green
Card Program for year 2005 >>>Register
now
August 18, 2003
Green Card
Registration, will be available only online at the State
Department dedicated website - No more regular mailing of
applications.
From the State Departement Rule for the DV2005:
"Alien petitioners for the Diversity Visa Program will no
longer be permitted to submit a petition by mail. Instead,
the Department will require that all petitions be submitted
to it in an electronic format, using an Internet website
click here
Graham Pitches
'Earned Amnesty' for Undocumented Workers
(Arizona Daily Sun)
Presidential
hopeful Bob Graham wants to give some legal
protection for undocumented workers who
can show they have worked in this country
for at least a year. The Florida Democratic
senator, in Arizona Monday to meet with
reporters and raise money, said perhaps
one million of the possible five to 10 million
in this country illegally are harvesting
crops. And Graham said the industry has
become dependent on the supply of cheap
workers, as has the entire country. "If
we were to have a mass roundup and deportation,
we'd all better prepare to eat less well
in America,'' he said. Graham's said he
favors "earned amnesty,'' targeted at those
who had worked in U.S. agriculture for at
least a year.
[Read More?]
The Hidden History
Of Immigration (ilw.com)
Martin Ford examines
the assimilation of the three largest European
immigrant groups, Germans, Irish, and Italians,
and argues that, in terms of language, religion,
and group identity, today's immigrants may
be adapting faster than their predecessors.
[Read More?]
Mexican Population
in City Triples Over Past Decade (Newsday)
A study released
by Columbia University explores what is
evident in the bustling kitchens of Manhattan
and the thriving barrios of Queens and Brooklyn:
Mexicans are the fastest growing group in
New York City and are here to stay. The
report conducted by Francisco Rivera-Batiz,
an economics professor at the Teacher's
College at Columbia, says the city's 186,872
Mexicans tallied by the U.S. Census in 2000
is likely an under-count but still rivals
the size of long-standing Mexican communities
in places like San Diego. Mexicans have
grown into the third-largest Latino group
in New York City, after Puerto Ricans and
Dominicans, according to the study released
Monday.
[Read More?]
H-1B Practice In
The Twilight Zone (ilw.com)
Cyrus D. Mehta
writes "Unless Congress acts by September
30, 2003, many provisions of the H-1B visa
program will sunset on October 1, 2003."
From October 1 onwards, the cap on the number
of H-1B petitions for the fiscal year will
decrease from the current 195,000 to 65,000.
[Read More?]
Bush Against Scrapping
H1-B Visas (The Times of India)
US President
George W Bush is reportedly, against a critical
bill now in Congress that would cut down
H1-B visas dramatically, affecting skilled
IT and other workers from India. At a private
reception attended by eight Indian Americans
in Jackson, Mississippi, Bush vehemently
expressed his opposition to House Resolution
2688, a bill introduced by Republican Congressman
Tom Tancredo of Colorado, according to those
attending the meeting. Immigration attorney
Paresh Shah, who was present at the meeting,
said he specifically questioned the President
regarding his stand on the bill, in which
Rep Tancredo has called for terminating
the H1-B visa programme altogether.
[Read More?]
Plan for Counterterror
Database Unveiled (Washington Post)
The Bush administration,
hoping to overcome the government's failures
to share sensitive counterterror information,
unveiled plans yesterday for a master database
of "known and suspected terrorists" that
would be used in background checks around
the world. The FBI-run Terrorist Screening
Center will cull information from nearly
a dozen watch lists held by agencies throughout
the federal government to provide "one-stop
shopping" for U.S. consular officials, airport
workers, border agents, local police and
some private industries, officials said.
[Read More?]
Merge of Fingerprint Data Behind Schedule(Associated Press)
Foreign terrorists and criminals
could continue to slip across U.S. borders
undetected because a project to combine
FBI and immigration fingerprint records
is running two years behind schedule, a
Justice Department report says.
"America
is not a fortress; no, we never want to be a fortress.
We're a free country; we're an open society. And
we must always protect the rights of our law --
of law-abiding citizens from around the world who
come here to conduct business or to study or to
spend time with their family."
--President Bush Signs Border Security and Visa
Entry Reform Act
News 2009: From the State Department Rule for the DV Program:
"Alien petitioners for the Diversity Visa Program will no longer be
permitted to submit a petition by mail. Instead, the Department will
require that all petitions be submitted to it in an electronic format,
using an Internet website dedicated specifically to the submission and
receipt of Diversity Visa."
Your Ticket
to America! US Immigration News Update
April 10, 2009
Immigration
News Weekly 
At
840 miles long, California's coastline
offers beach experiences as diverse
as its colorful residents. From
private coves perfect for sunbathing
to family-friendly public sands
complete with concessions, the Golden
State has a beach that fits the
bill for all its visitors. Here
is a sampling of ten of the best,
each offering something different
for weekend sun-seeking warriors.
When
you're in
New York
City and
have shopping
on your
mind, a
great place
to start
is Union
Square Park.
What makes
Union Square
unique is
the absence
of congestion.
Blocked
off by 14th
Street,
Union Square
East, 17th
Street and
Union Square
West, the
park is
a pedestrians-only
area. You
can freely
walk around
Union Square,
in and out
of coffee
shops, restaurants
and retail
stores without
being hassled
by city
traffic.
Vendors
have also
found the
freedom
of Union
Square makes
the square
a great
place to
set up shop.
Visitors
will find
original
art ranging
from paintings,
jewelry
and pottery.
Christie's
auction
house is
one of the
world's
largest
art businesses.
In 2006
Christie's
sale totals
reached
into the
billions.
Each month
Christie's
holds a
special
auction
called the
House Sale
where they
sell a wide
range of
household
furnishings
and accessories.
Most items
are listed
in the $500
to $5000
range, but
many sell
for less
than their
estimated
value. Anyone
can attend
the House
Sale. Want
to try your
hand at
an auction?
Register
to be a
bidder,
receive
your numbered
paddle,
take a seat
and wait
for the
bidding
to begin.
Venture
one block
off any
main street
(E. Broadway,
Canal Street)
and onto
any side
street and
you might
forget you're
in New York
City. Chinatown
is a great
place to
find Chinese
antiques,
but you
have to
know where
to look.
Authentic
antique
pieces are
extremely
hard to
find. Jan
Lee, owner
of
With
its ever-increasing
cost of
living,
Manhattan
is not the
most welcoming
city for
artists
trying to
make a living.
As a result,
artists
and craftspeople
have left
the island
in droves
for the
borough
of Brooklyn,
where they've
created
the movement
known as
the "Brooklyn
Renaissance."
Several
of those
individuals
have made
a home and
name for
themselves,
including
the artisans
at
WASHINGTON,
DC - President Bush continues to push for comprehensive
immigration reform. He discussed how the United States is
seen as the land of opportunity and freedom. Miami has been
the first destination for many who had been oppressed in
their homeland or were fleeing poverty. Bush welcomed the
influence of other cultures in the United States and their
contributions, but he also brought up that border enforcement
needs to be addressed in a reasonable manner.
WASHINGTON,
DC - The Department of Homeland Security has proposed having
to require United States permanent residents to get fingerprinted
on each occasion that they re-enter the country. Some Canadian
visitors could also be included. The security checks would
take place at port of entries such as international airports,
land borders, seaports, and would be an expansion of the
US-Visit Program. Under the US-Visit Program most foreign
visitors must have biographic and biometric information
recorded when entering the United States or when obtaining
visas at posts abroad. The U.S. government is then able
to verify the identity of the foreign visitor. During this
process officials are also able to check for criminal records,
terrorist suspects and the validity of the visa. As of January
2004, 61 million foreign visitors have had a digital photograph
taken along with being fingerprinted. 
SACRAMENTO, CA - After a late-night debate on the politically
sensitive issue of immigration, the California Assembly
on Wednesday passed a bill to extend driver's licenses to
illegal immigrants. The measure would clear the way for
California to create a distinct driver's license, with a
unique design and color, for people who cannot prove legal
citizenship in the United States. The license could be used
only for driving and would not be valid identification for
other purposes such as opening a bank account or boarding
an airplane. The bill, SB 60 by Sen. Gil Cedillo (D-Los
Angeles), would also allow roughly 800,000 people in California
who have applied to federal immigration officials for legal
residency to get a California driver's license starting
as soon as March 2006. The bill passed 42 to 34.
Despite
Illegal Status, Buyers Get Home Loans
ASHINGTON,
"America
is not a fortress; no, we never want to be a fortress.
We're a free country; we're an open society. And
we must always protect the rights of our law --
of law-abiding citizens from around the world who
come here to conduct business or to study or to
spend time with their family."
