1,000 USCIS Employees to be Hired for Obama DAPA/DACA Programs
United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has posted 1,000 job openings to implement the President's recently announced Deferred Action for Parental Accountability (DAPA) program and Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program extension. While the programs are officially temporary, the positions are permanent.
Most of these new employees will be housed at a new immigration processing facility near Arlington, Virginia.
To find out more about the positions, go to this link:
Don't Want to Wait at the Border? CBP has an App for That!
U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) yesterday launched the Border Wait
Time App that makes it easier for travelers to plan their trip across the border.
The App provides estimated wait times and open lane status at land ports of entry. Wait times for pedestrian and
passenger and commercial vehicle crossings are broken down by lane type (standard, SENTRI, NEXUS, FAST, Ready Lane, etc.). This means travelers can plan ahead and decide where and when to cross the border.
You can download the App for free from Apple’s App Store and Google Play.
To find out more, go to:
How Obama's Executive Action Will Benefit Entrepreneurs
President Obama enacted sweeping immigration reform on November 20th when he issued a number of executive memos to United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). One of these memos directly addressed the United States failure to keep its best foreign entrepreneurs - and their businesses, innovations and jobs - here in the United States.
Two programs already in place and supported by long-existing statutes are likely to be expanded. The first is the national interest waiver ("NIW") program. Normally, employment-based green card applicants need to be sponsored by a U.S. company and then go through a long process to prove that there are no available U.S. applicants for the position. However, the NIW allows people who are extraordinary in important fields of work or research to self-petition for a green card. The reasoning is that these persons would be of such benefit to the U.S. that they should be admitted without having to overcome these other hurdles. The President has asked USCIS to expand this program to cover certain foreign inventors, researchers and founders of start-up enterprises.
In addition, the President has asked USCIS to authorize "parole in place" for eligible inventors, researchers and founders of start-up enterprises who may not yet qualify for a national interest waiver, but who have been awarded substantial U.S. investor financing or otherwise hold the promise of innovation and job creation through the development of new technologies or the pursuit of cutting-edge research.
To read the President's Memo, go to:
http://www.dhs.gov/sites/default/files/publications/14_1120_memo_business_actions.pdf
To find out more about how these programs can benefit you and your new company, contact us at TheTeam@huwelaw.com.
Mayors Work to Support President Obama's DAPA and DACA Programs
New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio recently hosted mayors and other officials from 25 cities across the United States to brainstorm and prepare for President Obama's immigration changes. Mayors from major cities such as Los Angeles, San Francisco, Houston, Denver, Philadelphia and Baltimore got together to plan how best to notify citizens about the Deferred Action for Parental Accountability (DAPA) and Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) programs and prepare the city's infrastructure to enact the programs. The group, called Cities United for Immigration Action, also plans on rallying political support for the new programs at the local and federal levels.
To find out more about Cities United for Immigration Action, go to:
http://citiesforaction.us/
To find out more about how the DAPA and DACA programs can help you and your family, contact us at TheTeam@huwelaw.com.
Hurtubise Weber Law Helping Undocumented Victims of Domestic Violence
Hurtubise Weber Law is very excited about our recent partnership with Valley Crisis Center (VCC) in Merced, California. VCC provides "hope, support and recovery for those who are or who have been victims" of domestic violence.
They "
seek to prevent domestic and sexual violence by advocating for positive changes in the societal systems that may lead to oppression, fostering a better understanding of domestic and sexual violence through community education, and providing culturally relevant direct services that empower victims of abuse and their children."
http://www.valleycrisiscenter.org/
We work with VCC to determine how we can help undocumented victims of domestic violence, many of whom have United States citizen children, to remain in the United States lawfully. One option is through the U visa for victims of crime. This visa is available to certain victims of domestic violence who have been helpful in the investigation or prosecution of a crime committed against them. Another option is self-sponsorship for permanent residency (a "green card") under the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA).
Our fabulous paralegal Teri Picart gave a presentation about the U visa for victims of crime and obtaining a green card under the special provisions of VAWA to around twenty volunteers at VCC on November 18, 2014. Teri covered eligibility for both types of relief, as well as the general processes involved. She was very warmly received and profusely thanked for her time and vast knowledge in this area!
To learn whether you qualify for the U visa, a green card under VAWA, or some other form of immigration relief, please contact us at TheTeam@Huwelaw.com or 415-548-7067 or 650-691-8370.
