With the establishment of a new Visa Pilot Program, the department plans to reduce the amount of visa interviews for certain foreign visitors, including people renewing their visas, and children or elderly first-time applicants. This will not only save foreign travellers a considerable amount of time and money, but also free up resources at Embassies and Consulates to focus on higher-risk cases. In the end, a much more streamlined visa application process for everyone.

This is, in my opinion, long overdue! Take my parents as an example, they are over 70 years old and have been to the U.S. six times in the past ten years. We have taken many out-of-state vacations together, as well as frequent weekend trips. Despite their contribution to the travel industry and their track record of never over-staying their B2 visas, they had to re-apply every couple of years. Even with automatic visa re-validation (they were eligible once or twice before), it was still a hassle. And they are even considered lucky because there is an U.S. embassy in the city they live in. Others may have to travel by train, stay at a hotel, and wait for several days just to get a B visa which they had before.

I’m glad the administration recognizes the unbelievable waste of resources on processing these low-risk applications, and are taking initiatives to improve it. The pilot program (details still to be released) is certainly a step in the right direction:

The pilot program will streamline visa processing for certain low-risk applicants, such as individuals renewing expired visas, or some categories of younger or older first-time applicants. We expect that this will benefit tens of thousands of applicants in Brazil and China; saving them time and money, and encouraging them to choose to visit the United States again. However, given that national security remains this Administration’s highest priority, individuals identified as higher-risk will remain subject to interviews – in addition to the full screening and review all visa applicants receive.

The department also provided some figures to demonstrate the economic impact of the new policy:

For example, this will make it much easier for many Chinese tourists to renew their visas – a group that spends more than $6,000 per person, per trip, according to the Department of Commerce. Over the course of the year, this policy could open as many as 100,000 interview appointments for Chinese travelers applying for visas for the first time. That increase in tourism could support as many as 1,500 travel and tourism-related jobs.

Alaska Coupon Books

Even if you are not a typical “coupon clipper,” don’t overlook the Alaska Coupon Books. They can easily save you hundreds of dollars. The one I bought is called Alaska TourSaver, priced at $99.95 on Amazon. Despite the high price, I’m glad I bought it since the first two coupons I used already recouped the book cost. If your plans include train tours, glacier cruises, flightseeing, river rafting…your savings could quickly add up with those buy-one-get-one coupons.

Some places, especially hotels, accept only a limited number of coupons per day. So again, book early if possible. The TourSaver’s website lists all the coupons in the book. You can find out beforehand if a particular activity offers a coupon, and whether there are validation or other limitations. Do not tear off the coupons just yet; many places require the entire book, with the coupon still attached, to honor the discount. Alaska Railroad, on the other hand, asked me to mail the coupons to them, which was interesting.

Other than the Tour Saver, another coupon book called Northern Lights is also quite popular. Although there are overlaps, the two books do offer different coupons. Another tip, if you’re planning a trip for later in the summer, you can probably grab a lightly used coupon book off eBay for half the price.

Best Time to Visit Alaska

Alaska is open to tourists all year round, but obviously the majority of people go during the summer. Alaska’s travel season is usually May 15 through September 15, peaking from mid-June to mid-August.

Our late July trip was during the peak season, but honestly I didn’t feel over crowded at all. The sky was light nearly all night long, air was fresh and pure, temperature was surprisingly pleasant (even at night), and nature was in full bloom. If I’m travelling to Alaska again I might choose early June or late September, just to see something different, but I wouldn’t mind any month, really.

Cruise or Fly

We thought about going for an Alaska cruise, which is certainly more comfortable and relaxing than a road trip. And cruise excursions do offer opportunities to further explore the inland. However, we decided to fly to Anchorage instead, especially since JetBlue just launched a non-stop flight from Long Beach to Anchorage in 2011. A DIY road trip can be more flexible and does allow a more up-close experience with Alaska, in my opinion.

Hotels

Being a tourism state, Alaska offers plenty of lodging options. In Anchorage, you will see luxury hotels, national chains, independent inns, and many bed-and-breakfasts scattered across the city. They are on the expensive side – roughly double the price I usually pay at similar hotels elsewhere. It is understandable, though, given that many hotels will probably only see guests one third of the time in a year.

Since we prefer suites, we quickly narrowed down our choices in Anchorage and eventually booked Homewood Suites by Hilton, through Expedia.com. It was very nice with complimentary breakfast, free wifi (that actually worked), and a tiny kitchen in the room. All the hotels we looked at offered free shuttle service too. The shuttles not only pick up and drop off guests at the airport, but also go to the train station, downtown and a few other designated locations. All we had to do was to call dispatch and a shuttle usually showed up within 10 minutes.

If you are also heading up to Denali, my recommendation is to stay at a Bed-and-Breakfast in Healy, a short drive from the park. I would avoid the pricey and over-crowded hotels at the park entrance. More on this later.

Train, Bus, Shuttle, Rental Car, RV

Although a rental car gives you flexibility and convenience, you don’t necessarily need one in Anchorage. Shuttles can take you around town, and trains/motor coaches connect Anchorage to everywhere. Alaska Railroad operates scenic train tours (slow but very comfortable) to Seward, Denali, Fairbanks and Spencer. The trains are narrated and will even slow down when noteworthy animals (bears, anyone?) are present. The schedule is also coordinated with many local tours, such as glacier cruises. You just have to try it!

We didn’t have a rental car for the first three days of our trip, then rented a minivan to drive to Denali National Park. I reserved it in mid-May, and at that time almost all rental companies were out of minivans. I eventually spotted one at Budget, but for a six-day rental, they were asking for $1700. I tried all the codes I could find from Costco or AAA, but none worked in Alaska. Just when I was about to give up and shell out the money, a coupon offered by an airline that I found online magically worked, and knocked the price to about $900. I took it without any hesitation

At Denali I saw an army of six RVs leaving the park together. They were apparently rentals. I thought that is a good idea too, especially if you have friends going with you. They aren’t cheap, but offer a unique experience. I’m actually thinking about giving it a shot, maybe at Yellowstone.

Attractions and Activities

Anchorage is Alaska’s largest city, and acts as a hub to other parts of the state:

• North: Denali National Park, Talkeetna, Fairbanks
• South: Seward, Kenai Fjords, Whittier, Homer, Central Kenai Peninsula, Girdwood
• East: Valdez, McCarthy Kennicott
• Inside Passage: Juneau, Skagway, Sitka, Yakutat

Some of the most popular tourist activities include:

• Glacier and Wildlife Cruises
• Flightseeing
• Rafting, Kayaking
• Fishing
• Dog Sledding
• Northern Lights Viewing
• Hiking and Camping
• National Park Tours
• Train or Road Tours
• Marine Highway

Anchorage Weather and Rain

On our July trip the weather was very pleasant in Alaska, around 70′s during most of the day and dropping only to the 50′s at night. The weather forecast, before our trip, showed 50% chance of rain everyday, but it only hit us on the last day. Below is a chart I made based weather.com data for Anchorage:

Miscellaneous Equipment to Bring

Mosquito Repellent: We definitely heard about Alaska mosquitoes, so we brought plenty of bug repellent with us. Fortunately in the Anchorage area mosquito wasn’t a problem at all. At Denali National Park, however, we did see more than a few and the battery-powered mosquito repeller we brought helped (kids somehow didn’t like the spray-on type of repellent). The bed-and-breakfast hotel we stayed at sit deep in a wooded area, and had a pond nearby, so yes, there were plenty of mosquitoes.

Binoculars: Good binoculars make glacier cruises, bird viewing and bear searching more enjoyable. I would recommend them. Some day cruises also loan binoculars to passengers if they don’t have their own.

Portable GPS: If your rental car isn’t equipped with GPS, a portable one does come in handy. However, the highway system in Alaska is the easiest to navigate through compared to every other state I’ve been to. I would recommend one for the peace of mind, but you probably won’t need it much.

Lots of storage for your photos and videos: I brought a laptop (primarily for this reason) and was glad I did. I had to transfer images and videos off our cameras and camcorder everyday. In the end I managed to come home with about 50GB of digital files – a lot more than I expected.

Don’t worry if you forget anything; shopping is very easy in Anchorage. The Costco we visited had some huge fishing nets for sale – now that is convenient.

Last year we spent our summer vacation in Alaska. For a family that tends to choose nature over big cities, the trip was truly amazing and unforgettable. I always wanted to write something (sort of like a user review), or just post some photos, but never got to it until the other day when I talked about fee-free entrance days in the national parks.

I realized that if you are thinking about visiting Alaska in 2012, the time to start planning is about now. Alaska is a busy and expensive place to visit during peak travel seasons, so it pays off to get a head start. In the next few posts I’ll talk more about the trip, and along the way provide my personal reviews, a few tips and of course lots of pictures.

Our itinerary, although not perfect, worked out quite well for us. As a family of six (grandparents, two kids, wife and me), we felt that we experienced Alaska as much as we could, without feeling exhausted or rushed. We certainly missed some “adventurous” activities, but no regrets whatsoever.

• Day 1: Fly to Alaska on JetBlue (non-stop Long Beach to Anchorage), check in with Homewood Suite
• Day 2: Anchorage downtown, local fair, Anchorage Zoo
• Day 3: Alaska Railroad 5-hr train tour to Seward, Major Marines 3-hr Wildlife Cruise, same train back to Anchorage
• Day 4: Pick up rental car, drive to Whittier, take 6-hr glacier cruise by 26Glaciers, back to Anchorage
• Day 5: Drive to Denali National Park, check in at Faith Hill Bed-and-Breakfast
• Day 6: Take Denali’s 8-hr Tundra Wilderness Bus Tour
• Day 7: Denali Wilderness Center, Sled Dog Show, Savage River
• Day 8: Return to Anchorage
• Day 9: ULU factory tour, local parks, evening flight back to Long Beach

Now off to trip planning.

Some national parks don’t charge an entrance fee, but others do. However, every year those parks that usually charge a fee will be open for free on given days. For 2012, the fee-free days are listed below:

• January 14-16 (Martin Luther King Jr. weekend)
• April 21-29 (National Park Week)
• June 9 (Get Outdoors Day)
• September 29 (National Public Lands Day)
• November 10-12 (Veterans Day weekend)

New Grounds – Isle of Hope, Isle of Tears
by Brendan Graham

On the first day of January,
Eighteen ninety-two,
They opened Ellis Island and they let
The people through.
And the first to cross that threshold
Of the isle of hope and tears,
Was Annie Moore from Ireland
Who was all of fifteen years.

CHORUS:
Isle of hope, isle of tears,
Isle of freedom, isle of fears,
But it’s not the isle you left behind.
That isle of hunger, isle of pain,
Isle you’ll never see again,
But the isle of home is always on your mind.

In her little bag she carried
All her past and history,
And her dreams for the future
In the land of liberty.
The courage is the passport
When your old world disappears,
But there’s no future in the past
When you’re fifteen years.

CHORUS:
Isle of hope, isle of tears,
Isle of freedom, isle of fears,
But it’s not the isle you left behind.
That isle of hunger, isle of pain,
Isle you’ll never see again,
But the isle of home is always on your mind.

When they closed down Ellis Island
In nineteen forty-three,
Seventeen million people
Had come there for sanctuary.
And in Springtime when I came here
And I stepped onto its piers,
I thought of how it must have been
When you’re only fifteen years.

CHORUS:
Isle of hope, isle of tears,
Isle of freedom, isle of fears,
But it’s not the isle you left behind.
That isle of hunger, isle of pain,
Isle you’ll never see again,
But the isle of home is always on your mind.

I don’t remember how much taxes I paid over the years, but I do recall the pain every year before April 15. So today when I saw a hot deal on Amazon’s tax software, I jumped on it. Now, I may still find other excuses to procrastinate, but at least shopping for a tax program can’t be one.

I have been using tax software and e-filing for nearly 10 years, mostly TaxCut (now called H&R Block at Home – quite intuitive, huh?) but for a couple years I did try TurboTax. I never had an accountant do my taxes before, although some friends strongly recommend it. Maybe some day I’ll give it a shot. I only know one person that still fills out paper forms and does calculations by hand, so he is my hero.

There are two major commercial tax programs on the market: TurboTax and TaxCut (H&R Block at Home), with TaxAct being a third option. They are priced pretty much in that order, from high to low. They can all import last year’s tax returns, as well as financial data from certain institutions. They are somewhat cross-compatible. There are many articles on the Internet to compare the three, but my personal experience is that they all get the job done. You may prefer one’s user interface, or certain features, more than the others. For me I started with TaxCut and found no reason to switch.

Tax software usually comes with four editions: Basic, Deluxe, Premium, and Business. The basic version handles simple returns (1040EZ, e.g.) and is often free. Deluxe is the most popular, which covers common tax situations including regular 1040, investment, home mortgage interests, donations, other itemized deductions and tax credits. Premium adds income/expenses from rental properties, self-employment and more complicated investment. The business version is useful for small business owners.

If you live in a state that collects state income tax, you will need to select the combo pack while purchasing the tax software. Although you can add the state option later on, it will certainly cost you more money. As to e-filing, the software you purchase usually comes with one free federal efile (or even five), but will charge you somewhere around $20 for electronically filing your state tax return. A smart marketing move, because at that point most people will probably just pay up to get the thing done. Note that if you have the simplest return to file, or your income is below certain level, you can use many free programs online to prepare and e-file your return.

All three tax programs mentioned above have desktop and online versions. You can buy the desktop version either in a retail package that includes a physical CD, or by downloading it directly from an online store. While preparing your tax return, you save the data locally on your own computer. You only submit them to the IRS and/or state board when you are done. The online version, on the other hand, stores your personal, financial and tax information in the Cloud – the software company’s web server. Your data will be encrypted, and you can access them anywhere. Online security is indeed a concern for many people, but your own computer may be hacked too. So neither method is risk-free.

A few tips for new immigrants and non-immigrant visitors:

• You may have to file a tax return even if you don’t owe any tax. This may be a new concept to many who are not familiar with the U.S. tax system. So double and triple check if you think you can legally skip it. The IRS has many helpful documents.
• Some tax software programs may not include all necessary forms for non-resident aliens.
• Non-resident alien and resident alien for tax purposes is different from your immigration status. You may be an H-1B worker without a green card, but must file tax as a resident alien, for example.
• Most F-1 and J-1 students can file tax as nonresidents during their first five calendar years, while J-1 scholars are considered nonresidents for taxation purposes during their first two calendar years of presence in the U.S. Your filing status is very important because your tax return should be prepared differently due treaties, social security taxes, etc.

In just three months, EB2 waiting time has theoretically been cut by half, from 4 to 2.08 years. See our retrogression tracker here.

DOS cited the same reason for such rapid movement of EB2: Low level of new I-485 filings:

Reports from U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) indicate that the rate of new filings for adjustment of status in recent months has been extremely low. This fact has required the continued rapid forward movement of the cut-off date, in an attempt to generate demand and maximize number use under the annual limit. Once the level of new filings or USCIS processing increases significantly, it will be necessary to slow or stop the movement of the cut-off. Readers are once again advised that an eventual need to retrogress the cut-off date is also a distinct possibility.

All EB3 categories continued their slow pace in February. But what is more frustrating for applicants is DOS’ prediction for the coming months on EB3: Up to one month of movement.

All categories that are “Current” will remain so in February, and will likely stay this way for the foreseeable future

It is not that the authors are biased. With the Supreme Court’s decision to review Arizona’s controversial S.B. 1070, Obama Adminitration’s record-setting year for deportation, and the roller coaster ride of the DREAM Act, it is hard to look elsewhere. It is simply a reflection of the fact that legal immigration, once again, was thrown into the back seat for much of 2011.

But there are things happening. And below are my picks for the top 5 stories for legal immigrants:

1. H.R. 3012 and Efforts to Eliminate Per-Country Limit
On 11/29/2011, the House passed H.R. 3012, the Fairness for High-Skilled Immigrants Act by a vote of 389-15. The bill aims to eliminate the employment-based per-country annual cap, currently at 7%, and raise the family-sponsored cap to 15%. If enacted, H.R. 3012 would re-shuffle the waiting lines for green cards, effectively altering the current system in which EB immigrants born in India and China have to wait much longer

than people from other countries. With such a strong bipartisan support, people had high expectations that the measure would sail through the Senate. But Senator Grassley (R-IA) poured cold water on the crowd right away, by placing a hold on the bill the next day. He was “concerned that it [H.R. 3012] does nothing to better protect Americans at home who seek high-skilled jobs during this time of record high unemployment.” He didn’t mention that the bill would not increase the total number of immigrants currently authorized by law.

On 12/15/2011, Senator Grassley offered an amendment making dramatic changes to the bill. Since then, it has been mostly silence, although it is safe to speculate that a lot of behind-the-door negotiations must be happening. The fate of H.R. 3012 depends on these politicians’ arm wrestling, and as it stands now, the outcome is anybody’s guess.

It is worth mentioning that not all EB immigrants support the bill. EB2 applicants from countries other than India and China, for example, may prefer the existing system because they don’t have to wait at all. With H.R. 3012, they would have to wait in the same line with Indian and Chinese citizens for a visa number. Fair? – that is another story.

2. Green Card Lottery Blunder
In early May, the Department of State notified 22,000 people worldwide that they had won the green card lottery, which offers a quick and easy path to U.S. permanent residence. On May 13, they were told the results were invalid, and the drawing would be held again.

DOS blamed a computer software glitch that caused 90% of the lottery winners to be selected from the first two days of registration, rather than the entire 30-day period.

Disappointed and shocked, the early winners rushed to facebook and other online forums in an attempt to persuade DOS to honor their initial selection. A class-action lawsuit was also filed on behalf of the applicants. All efforts failed, however, and a second drawing was conducted in the summer.

3. Rapid Visa Bulletin Movement
There are two stories actually.
For EB2 India and China, all is good. The visa bulletin cutoff dates jumped from 4/15/2007 all the way to 1/1/2009, over the last four months of 2011. Given the long black-out period following the 2007 visa bulletin fiasco, this is more phenomenal than it appears. In addition to long-awaited green card approvals, many people were finally eligible to submit I-485 applications, along with employment authorization and travel documents.

Unfortunately, EB3 continues to be in limbo. Most EB3 categories advanced only a few months for the entire year. Without additional visa numbers due to “spill-over,” it is hard to imagine the situation would improve anytime soon. New legislation, especially those that could potentially recapture unused visa numbers or even increase the total, are certainly much needed. But does anyone realistically expect much, given 2012 being an election year?

4. Renewed Focus on Immigrant Investors and Entrepreneurers
The EB5 investor visa has been around for 20 years, but 2011 witnessed rejuvenated interest from the U.S. government and private businesses.

On May 19, USCIS outlined a series of policy enhancements to make the EB-5 program more attractive to foreign investors. Among them, a premium processing option and a direct email communication venue for applicants and petitioners.

On August 2, USCIS unveiled a series of initiatives to promote the so-called “start-up visas” which would allow entrepreneurs to obtain H-1B visas and EB-2 green card classification. Several policy, operational and outreach efforts were also outlined as part of the White House’s “Startup America” campaign.

A slew of commercial EB5 and regional center Websites popped up one after another on the Internet this year, as businesses try to seize the opportunity by acting as bridges between foreign investors and investment projects in the U.S.

5. Ongoing Digital Transformation
USCIS has been undertaking a multi-year initiative to move immigration services from a paper-based system to a new electronic, account-based system. Over the next several years, USCIS will deploy a simplified, web-based system that will allow customers to apply online and also easily track their case status.

The first release of the new system was originally planned for December 2011, using the stand-alone Application to Extend/Change Nonimmigrant Status (Form I-539). But the launch was delayed due to the need for more ”post-development testing.” Despite the setback, the trend toward digital is inevitable. DOS’ Non-immigrant visa application is now almost entirely online (DS-160), the Green Card Lottery is all electronic (registration, status check and notification), the paper-based Advance Parole can now be built into the EAD card, and so on. Hopefully, 2012 will bring us one step closer to the digital world, making everybody’s life easier.

A school must be SEVP approved in order to accept international students. However, a school may lose its SEVIS certification at any time, although not common, as a result of SEVP audit or re-certification process. If you are currently enrolled in a school that is no longer SEVP certified, you need to take immediate actions.

First of all, stay in touch with your school’s Designated School Official (DSO). Make sure your contact information is up to date with your DSO. Discuss potential options and your plans.

You are allowed to finish your current semester or quarter as long as you maintain their active status in a manner required by regulations.

If your school’s SEVP Certification is being re-instated, you may continue to enroll at your current school.

If your school’s withdrawal from SEVP stands, you will be notified by letter from SEVP with further instructions. Usually, you will have three options in this case:

• Transfer to another SEVP certified school and maintain your F, M or J status;
• Change your status to another non-immigrant category; or,
• Depart the United States.

Throughout the process, keep in touch with your school’s DSO. Every step you take will likely require his/her approval or assistance.

Lastly, below is one example of such incident involving University of Northern Virginia Students earlier this year:

SEVP-certified schools are subject to a review of their certification at any time based on regulations. On July 28, 2011, pursuant to a review of UNVA certification, a SEVP representative served school officials at UNVA with a Notice of Intent to Withdraw (NOIW) the school’s SEVP-certification.

UNVA students have two choices (click the links to learn more):

• Continue to attend classes at UNVA and maintain their active status in a manner required by regulations.
• Seek transfer to another SEVP-approved institution.

UNVA students must immediately depart the country if they are unable to continue to attend classes and maintain their active status in a manner required by the regulation or if they are unable or do not wish to seek transfer to another SEVP-certified institution.

Below is the USCIS email message:

Thank you for your inquiry regarding the new I-766 Combo card. We have had recent reports the Beijing Entry/Exit bureau was not recognizing the validity of the new card. Please be advised that the United States Embassy provided a formal notification to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and Ministry of Public Security on December 20, 2011. We believe this will eliminate any confusion as to the validity of the new Advance Parole cards.

Please note that the card must either state: “Valid for Reentry to the U.S.”, or” Serves as I-512 Advance Parole”, to be a valid advance parole document and in order to allow travel to the United States.

Thanks,

Sincerely,

USCIS, Beijing China

Update 12/23/2011: Confirmed by Beijing Station of Exit and Entry Inspection that the combo EAD/AP card is now accepted as valid travel document.

I called the Beijing station (8610-58105400) and a gentleman answering the phone confirmed such policy. He said they were instructed not to allow a traveler to board his/her flight if the sole proof of eligibility for entering the U.S. is the combo EAD/AP card. And in order for them to accept the combo card, the U.S. government must notify China, through official channels, to establish them as valid travel documents.

With the holiday season just around the corner, this is certainly shocking news. Many Chinese nationals may have plans to visit families in China with their EAD/AP card. Also because of recent visa bulletin movement, a large number of people just recently became eligible to file I-485 (along with EAD and AP), and were excited that they could finally visit China after a few years of visa retrogression. Although people could use non-immigrant visas to re-enter the U.S., advance parole (AP) is supposed to be a much easier and safer way for travel.

There is no indication when the Beijing Station will begin to accept EAD/AP combo cards, and there is no published information from either the Chinese or the U.S. government with regard to this issue.

If your trip to China is coming up, you may want to monitor the situation closely. If you’re already in China, contact the U.S. embassy or consulate in your area, or a USCIS local office if available, as soon as possible to seek assistance. Some reported on the internet that other cities in China, such as Shanghai, did accept the combo card. But this could change without notice.

I don’t think this particular issue will last long, but you never know. I’ll update this post as soon as I hear anything. In the mean time, good luck and travel safely.

Update 1 (12/20/2011): U.S. Embassy Sent Official Notification to China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and Ministry of Public Security on December 20, 2011.

The reason for such rapid movement of EB2, as explained by DOS, is that the level of new filings in the past couple of months have not been as high as expected. Advancing the cutoff date aggressively would allow more people to become eligible for I-485 or consular processing. Once enough applications have been received by USCIS and NVC, cut-off dates will stop advancing or even begin to retrogress. In fact, a fast movement like this makes it more likely that retrogress will happen, as compared to a slower but more steady pace.

Although DOS’ intention is to spur new applications, January 2012 visa bulletin does allow more time for older cases (especially those with PDs around July 2007) to be processed. Many of them have been current for a few months, but may be stuck for some reason. So overall, the January bulletin brings nothing but good news for EB2, even though some of you will have to spend your Christmas holidays getting all the documents ready.

The China and India Employment Second preference cut-off date has been advanced at a rapid rate in recent months. As previously noted, this action was intended to generate significant levels of new filings for adjustment of status at U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) offices. USCIS has reported that the rate of new filings is currently far below that which they had anticipated, prompting an even more aggressive movement of the cut-off date for January and possibly beyond. While this action greatly increases the potential for an eventual retrogression of the cut-off at some point during the year, it also provides the best opportunity to utilize all numbers available under the annual limit. – DOS

Below is the what our EB2 visa bulletin tracker shows (declining curve means improving retrogression):

All EB3 categories, unfortunately, continued their crawling pace to advance just a few days to a couple of weeks.

Is H.R. 3012 fair? Well, it depends on whom you ask.

Immigration attorney Cyrus D. Mehta posted a blog yesterday offering his opinions: How Fair is the Fairness for High Skilled Immigrants Act.

The passage of H.R. 3012 has been met with jubilation by Indians and Chinese, but those from the rest of the world may not be so happy. While Indians and Chinese may still need to wait, the waiting times will get more tolerable, but others who did not have to wait in the EB-2 will now need to wait. While it is hard to predict, there may eventually be waiting times of 1-2 years for all countries in the EB-2. While everyone in the EB-3 is subject to unreasonable waiting times, upon the elimination of the per country limits, Indians may still need to wait but it will not be for 70 years. Instead, it may be 10-12 years for all EB-3 nationals, according to the NFAP report.

In addition, you can also sign up to receive crime alerts by email, for free. Check it out!

CrimeMapping.com utilizes ESRI’s advanced mapping engine which helps us provide a high level of functionality as well as flexibility to the agencies we serve. Crime data is extracted on a regular basis from each department’s records system so that the information being viewed through a Web browser is the most current available. This data is always verified for accuracy and all address information is generalized by block in order to help insure privacy is protected.

In recent weeks, USCIS has received a large number of applications prepared by an online business that charges users to complete their USCIS forms. In most cases, the charge for preparing an application is the same as the USCIS filing fee. When applicants pay these businesses online using an electronic check, the applicant is only paying for the service provided to prepare the application, and not the actual USCIS filing fee. As a result, applicants are attaching a copy of a cashed electronic check when mailing their applications to USCIS. Because the applicant has not paid the USCIS filing fee, USCIS cannot process these applications and must return them to the applicant.

Clearly, USCIS knows about this website…but isn’t planning to tell you. USCIS even worded their alert carefully to avoid calling such practice fraud or scam. I don’t know about you, but I’m kind of confused. So if an online business intentionally charges the same amount for preparing an immigration form as the USCIS filing fee, and as a result, a large number of its customers mistakenly think they are paying the government rather than the business, does USCIS consider it a scam or not? What about selling free USCIS forms for a profit?

Maybe USCIS is worried about getting themselves into legal trouble by disclosing these companies’ names; maybe they don’t think they are in a position to do anything — USCIS is not a law enforcement agency, after all. But I still hope they would do a bit more in the future, other than relying on public warnings. The intended audience here is the immigrant community which consists, obviously, immigrants. Many of them are new to America, don’t know much about immigration, and aren’t fluent in English. This is a group that is hard to reach, but in the mean time, the most vulnerable and easiest target for scammers.

In recent years we’ve seen increased efforts from USCIS, DOS, DOJ and other government agencies to fight immigration scams. There are also broader media coverage (see BBB, Union Tribune and the Beacon) and more ways for consumers to report fraudulent activities (see FTC Complaint Center and eConsumer.gov). Most recently the National Initiative to Combat Immigration Services Scams also kicked off. Let’s hope all the hard work will soon pay off.

Update 9/19/2011: USCIS posted another blog entry on this subject, again without releasing any names.

Update 9/23/2011: Illinois Attorney General has filed a law suit against a Chicago man for immigration fraud:

The lawsuit alleges Lekarauskas deceptively marketed and represented his website, www.USAimmigrationsupport.com, as an official government site. The website features a logo that closely mimics a federal seal next to the title “United States Immigration Organization,” and attempts to make consumers believe it is an official government site where they can obtain passports, visa and citizenship applications.