| Welcome to the United States Immigration Newsletter |
This is NOT spam. You have been sent this email
because you have subscribed to the U.S. Immigration Newsletter or placed an
order with U.S. Immigration Support. All email addresses are stored and used
solely by U.S. Immigration Support in accordance with United States legislation
and the Data Protection Act. If you do not wish to receive further emails from
us, click here to unsubscribe.
THE UNITED STATES IMMIGRATION NEWSLETTER IS ALSO AVAILABLE IN SPANISH. |
|
Immigration Fees Now Significantly Higher
 WASHINGTON, DC
- As of July 30,
immigration fees on 39 services increased by an average of 66%. Some fees doubled or even tripled in price for the most popular documents. For example, the cost to obtain a green card or permanent resident card went from $395 to $1,010. To become a United States citizen will now cost $675 compared to the $400 before. The fee for employment authorization went from $180 to $340. The increase will help the USCIS or U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services cover the cost of doing business and allow more personnel to be hired. Turnaround times on certain services will be reduced. Some Hispanic television channels in the U.S. partnered with immigration activists to launch citizenship drives before the July 30 increase. They set up centers where volunteers would assist immigrants with the paperwork and answered any questions related to the immigration process.
The new fee increases will help generate an additional $1.1 billion annually for the USCIS. However, the fee increases were met with some criticism by immigration activists who claimed that the new fees may result in a financial burden for many immigrants. In addition, some Democrats in Congress tried to persuade the USCIS to not go ahead with the fee increases. |
|
Obtaining a Passport a Headache for Many Americans
 WASHINGTON, DC
- What used to be typically a six-week process of obtaining an American passport has now turned into a nightmare for many. Since the U.S. government added
new passport requirements effective January 23, 2007 many travelers and non-travelers rushed to submit applications. Heading into the summer, over two million applicants were still waiting for their
U.S. passport. About half a million of these Americans had been waiting for their passport for more than three months. This has caused many to change their travel plans by rescheduling summer vacations, business trips and even weddings and honeymoons. The
passport backlog has also resulted in some having to request time off from work to wait in what seem like never-ending lines at the passport offices. Some have lost wages and others have lost non-refundable deposits put in for traveling purposes. Congress Representatives have also received thousands of complaints from constituents regarding the passport backlog. Assistant Secretary of State Maura Harty, a top federal official, has publicly apologized for the passport delays. Harty is in charge of overseeing the
United States passport process and takes full responsibility for what is happening.
All applicants are encouraged to download to
United
States Passport Application Guide for additional information. |
|
New Haven offers Municipal ID Cards to Illegal Immigrants
 NEW HAVEN, CT
- New Haven, Connecticut is the first city in the United States to implement a municipal ID program open to all regardless of legal status. Of the 26 city officials who voted, only one voted against the program. The card will not make a distinction between citizens and non-citizens. The municipal ID will grant access to public services such as libraries and facilitate the payment of downtown meters for parking purposes. It will act like a debit card that also serves for identification purposes. The cost to obtain the city card will be $5 for children and $10 for adults. In addition, the city card will be a legitimate identification to open a bank account. Two New Haven banks have already agreed to accept this ID. Part of the reason why the card was proposed in the first place was to encourage illegal immigrants to open up bank accounts since they are commonly targeted for theft. Many of the estimated 15,000 illegal immigrants in New Haven do not have a bank account and sometimes have to carry large amounts on them. Now the city card will provide them the opportunity to open up a bank account since they will have an acceptable form of identification. Critics believe such program will encourage more illegal immigrants to reside in New Haven and put a strain on public services. Supporters argue the city card will increase public safety. Compared to other cities, New Haven is relative friendly to illegal immigrants as it bans police from inquiring about immigration status and provides them with federal tax help. |
|
Former Immigration Supervisor Accepted Bribes
 NEW YORK, NY
- Becoming a U.S. citizen is the dream of many immigrants. Along with submitting the appropriate paperwork, satisfying all the necessary requirements and paying fees, permanent residents must pass the U.S. citizenship test. Few exceptions may be made for certain individuals but do not count on these when submitting an application. Most will study for the citizenship test but some will look for an easy way out. They are willing to pay thousands of dollars to a corrupt immigration officer in order to make sure they pass the
U.S. citizenship test or for other types of “facilitations.” This was the case for Jimmie Ortega, a former immigration supervisor, who took bribes from permanent residents. In return, he would ensure the client a passing score on the
U.S. citizenship test. The fee was up to $3,000 per individual and he shared the profits with five other individuals.
The bribes were accepted from October 2004 to April 2006. Ortega retired in spring 2006 from the U.S. Bureau of Citizenship and Immigrations Services in New York. His position in the naturalization unit was supervisory district adjudications officer. Before working as an immigration officer, Ortega served in the U.S. Army for a period of 21 years. He recently admitted in court that he took in tens of thousands of dollars in bribes and is awaiting his sentence. The other five co-defendants have already pleaded guilty to unlawfully procuring naturalization. |
|
USCIS Reverses Earlier Decision
 WASHINGTON ,DC
- To the delight of many foreign skilled workers currently working in the United States, the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced in June that they would take
green card applications sponsored by businesses.
Green cards are highly coveted and many wait years before having the opportunity to gain legal status in the U.S. The wait is usually around five years but often longer. For dependents, the wait is even longer and they must meet certain criteria. The
Green Card is necessary to obtain U.S. citizenship, which is the final goal for many. After living in the U.S. legally for five years, a permanent resident may apply to become a U.S. citizen. That’s why on July 2 when the USCIS withdrew their previous offer, many workers and sponsors were infuriated after spending their time and resources. The explanation given was that the 60,000 visas that were available were no longer available because the application backlog had decreased. However, the USCIS has reversed the decision and has started processing the applications previously submitted. Individuals sponsored by businesses have until August 17 to submit their green card applications to the USCIS. Many foreigners will try to take advantage of this golden opportunity because these types of opportunities don’t come around often. |
|
Past Catches up to Canadian Fugitive
 DALLAS, TX
- Back in 1982, a young Canadian couple rented an airplane with plans to intentionally crash it in the United States. The crash took place at Little Bitterroot Lake in Montana but only one survived. Jerry Ambrozuk was able to swim ashore,
but Dianne Babcock drowned. He left the site without reporting the crash and then took on a new identity in the United States. Ambrozuk began going by Michael Lee Smith and claimed to be a U.S. citizen. In May 2004, he tried to obtain an
American passport as Michael Lee Smith by submitting a fraudulent
driving license. Ambrozuk was later caught and detained August 2005. He had made Texas his residence and was a fugitive on the run for 24 years. Ambrozak pleaded guilty to felony criminal mischief and guilty to felony criminal endangerment for what had happened the night of the plane crash. He was 19 back then and his girlfriend was 18 years old. Ambrozuk claimed that the young couple had planned on eloping in the United States. He received a 10-year concurrent sentence and was obligated to pay almost $35,000 in compensation charges. The breakdown of the restitution was $5,000 to Babcock’s family, about $20,000 to the plane’s owner and the remaining $10,000 for court and prosecution fees. Ambrozuk also pleaded guilty to fraud in the passport case and is currently awaiting his sentence.
|
|
HOW TO UNSUBSCRIBE:
If you no longer wish to receive the newsletter,
click here to unsubscribe. |
|
|
|
DISCLAIMER:
This newsletter is published by U.S. Immigration Support, an independent organization. U.S. Immigration Support is not affiliated with the United States government. Please review our disclaimer for more information. |
|
|
|
|
|
The U.S. Immigration Newsletter is published by:
U.S. Immigration Support
511 Avenue of the Americas # 45
New York, NY 10011
Web: www.usimmigrationsupport.org
Email: info@usimmigrationsupport.org |
