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Deadline for the 2007 Green Card Lottery: December 2nd, 2007
 WASHINGTON, DC
- The Diversity Immigrant Visa Program, commonly known as the
Green Card
Lottery, starts at 12.00 pm on October 3rd, 2007 and ends on December 2nd,
2007. The U.S. Department of State
continues to encourage all applicants to apply early in the two-month registration period. It is
important to understand that being selected in the lottery does not
automatically guarantee a Green Card. The requirements are strict and many
applicants selected in the lottery do not receive a green card because
they do not meet the educational or professional requirements. There are 50,000
immigrant visas (Green Cards) available in the
2007 Green Card Lottery
(DV-2009). The odds of being selected depend on the total number of
eligible entries received by the Department of State. There are also country
quotas, which cause some countries to receive more Green Cards than others. Citizens of
most countries qualify for the visa lottery program; however, there are few
exceptions. The full list of eligible countries can be found in the
Green Card
Lottery Application Guide.
Warning: It is important to not fall victim to Green Card Lottery scams. Many
fraudulent websites claim to be the official Green Card Lottery website. These
fraudulent websites charge a fee to submit Green Card Lottery applications. There is no cost to submit
an
application.
Click here to learn more.
Download the
Green Card Lottery Application Guide and submit your
own application today.
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Immigrant Families Often Separated After Deportations
 MIAMI, FL
- One prevalent fear of illegal immigrants is
deportation. Many have been deported after being detained in an immigration
raid or being pulled over for a simple traffic violation. Last month an
immigrant couple was pulled over by Miami police for having expired tags on
their car. When police discovered they were illegally in the country, they
contacted the Immigration and Customs Enforcement or ICE. The couple, Lucia
Mendoza-Santoyo and Constantino Vazquez-Tapia, have an 11 year old child and
both worked at a plant nursery. They mentioned to ICE officials that they had a
child who was under the care of a family member. The uncle who lived with the
parents was the one who looked after the child when the parents worked. Once the
parents were
deported others helped to take care of the child. Immigration activists were
outraged that the child was separated from his parents. Immigration officials
have stressed that in deportation cases involving children, usually one parent
would be allowed to remain in the country to care for the child, or the state
would maintain temporary custody of the child while deportation proceedings took
place. Immigrant advocates claim that
children are now often being separated from their parents due to the increased
number of raids and
deportations. The Miami Mexican Consulate has gained custody of the child
whose identity is being protected. The consulate is working on reuniting him
with his parents in Morelia, Mexico.
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Canadians Alarmed by Tax Interrogation at Border
 NIAGARA FALLS, NY
- Canadians with a
United States permanent residency card or those with
U.S.
citizenship have started being interrogated about taxes when crossing the
border. This group is comprised of about 70,000 individuals. Agencies such as the IRS
(Internal Revenue Service) and the Canada Revenue Agency share information and
have done so for years. Recently the Canada Revenue Agency admitted to sharing
information with the Canada Border Services Agency. Border agents seem to be
more knowledgeable about U.S. taxes and this has alarmed many Canadians. Some
are unaware that they must file U.S. taxes annually even though they resided
briefly in the United States. As a U.S. citizen, the individual must file U.S.
taxes as required by law. If they have paid their Canadian taxes this will most
likely result in no tax liability. So, while they have to file taxes, chances are
they will end up not owing taxes to the American government. There are some
exceptions to this general rule. If an
American citizen lives in Canada they
will be liable for taxes on their global income. In addition, they are liable
for paying taxes on global assets, U.S. gifts and estate. Border crossing guards
may have more U.S. tax information at their fingertips but are not taking on the
role of the IRS. Even if the individual is not “caught” owing taxes at the
border at some point in their life, the U.S. government may still recover the
taxes owed. They may go after the U.S. assets of the deceased individual and
even after the assets of their heirs.
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States and Counties Approaching Immigration Differently
 HAZLETON, PA
- The federal government has not
reformed immigration laws, so some are taking
matters into their own hands. Some states and cities have tried to pass
anti-immigration legislation to discourage illegal immigrants. They claim that illegal immigrants increase crime rates and represent a financial burden to the
U.S. government on many levels (local, state and federal). Examples of
anti-immigration policy include requiring police to inquire about the legal
status of a detainee and forbidding landlords from renting to illegal
immigrants. One city that has gained a reputation for taking a tough stance
against illegal immigrants is Hazleton, Pennsylvania. The city passed an
ordinance that penalized employers who hired illegal workers and landlords who
rented to illegal immigrants. The ordinance was not allowed to go into effect as
it was considered unconstitutional by the federal court. However, Hazleton is
appealing the decision. Some places like California have taken a different
approach. It is estimated that California is home to nearly up to three million
illegal immigrants. They have become the first state to not allow landlords to
inquire about the legal status of a tenant. Immigrant advocates voiced their
concern that allowing landlords who are not educated in immigration law
to determine if an individual is legally in the U.S. would likely be problematic.
Laws are complicated and some landlords could make decisions based upon accents
and looks of potential tenants which could then lead to discrimination.
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The Contributions of Immigrants Sometimes Overlooked
 HOUSTON, TX
- Immigrants have played a crucial role throughout American history. The United
States has always been a land of opportunities. Immigrants have used various
means to make their voyage. Getting here is half the struggle and immigrants
have not always been welcomed. Among the first immigrants to the U.S. were
Europeans. Asians and Africans came afterwards. Today the group of immigrants
that is often targeted is Hispanics. Immigrants tend to have common qualities
like close families, a hard work ethic and the desire for a better life.
Education is stressed since it is seen as the gateway to an improved quality of
life. Immigrants contribute to America’s culture and add to its richness. They
take on jobs that are considered dirty by many Americans who refuse to do them.
These jobs are relatively low paying and offer limited benefits if any. However,
there are some Americans who believe the United States would be better off
without immigrants. They take negative stereotypes about immigrants and then
generalize. Some will also look down upon immigrants and discriminate against
them. This type of behavior will not deter immigrants from coming to the United
States,
because their situation tends to be worse in their homelands. It is estimated
that there are up to 12 million
illegal immigrants in the United States.
Immigrants have helped make the United States what it is today and will continue
to make contributions in the future.
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American Unable to Bring Cuban Wife to the U.S.
 ATLANTA, GA
- An American who marries a foreigner faces many challenges when it comes to
immigration. Byron Edwards, a Georgia man, met the love of his life while
vacationing in Cuba. Shortly afterwards they were married but she has not been
allowed to enter the United States. Deynis and Byron have now been married for
three years but have been unable to obtain a
visa. She remains in Cuba and Byron
in Georgia. Deynis speaks limited English and Byron speaks limited Spanish. They
communicate through a translator which has made it harder to prove to the U.S.
Citizenship and Immigration Service that they have a
legitimate marriage.
The
general process an American citizen must go through involves filing an
application for the spouse and prove that the spouse is really the spouse. In
addition they must wait several months to be granted a USCIS interview. If the
USCIS official believes the marriage is legitimate then a K1 visa is approved.
Edwards is just one of over 5,000 Georgians this year who filed an application
to obtain a visa for their foreign spouse. The application fee alone runs nearly
$500 with other fees and then an additional $300 to $400 for the interview.
Byron has not given up on bringing his wife to the United States. He continues
to provide as much evidence as he can such as pictures, phone bills and airline ticket receipts to
Cuba. The visa for Deynis was approved but later denied. Deynis
is currently trying to learn English for the next interview.
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The U.S. Immigration Newsletter is published by:
U.S. Immigration Support
511 Avenue of the Americas # 45
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Web: www.usimmigrationsupport.org
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