March 2015 Visa Bulletin Released
The Visa Bulletin for March 2015 has just been released. The employment-based second preference cut-off date for India moved from September 1, 2005, to January 1, 2007. There was also slight forward movement in most other visa categories.
See the full bulletin at:
If you have questions about your priority date or are ready to file your green card application, contact us at TheTeam@huwelaw.com.
Immigrants Grow the U.S. Economy
A long held misbelief is that immigrants are somehow a drain on the U.S. economy - they take our jobs and burden our social services programs.
That is simply not true.
Independent research shows that immigrants, especially immigrant entrepreneurs, benefit our economy - and create jobs. The President recognized this in his immigration reform speech on November 20th, 2014 and his subsequent memorandum. Several states and cities recognize this and are developing programs to support immigrant entrepreneurs.
See
.
The Kauffman Foundation recently issued a report stating that immigrants are twice as likely to start a business, and that these businesses create American jobs.
See
Kauffman January 2015 Policy Brief
. In 2012, in the engineering and high-tech sectors alone, immigrant-founded firms employed some 560,000 workers and generated $63 billion in sales.
Immigrant entrepreneurs also benefit the main streets of American. It is estimated that 28% of small businesses are owned by immigrants.
See
. These businesses make a direct contribution to the economy - they hire workers, purchase goods, pay taxes and increase competition and innovation. They also play a critical role in making neighborhoods attractive places to live and work.
Despite these obvious benefits, the Unites States does not make it easy for these immigrant entrepreneurs to start businesses here. There is no start-up visa like there is in Australia, Canada, the United Kingdom, and other countries. Rather, an entrepreneur must develop a creative strategy and hope to get a visa that sort-of fits their business.
Or, they simply take their idea, future jobs and revenue to a country whose immigration policy welcomes them.
If you are looking to create or expand your business in the United States, contact us at TheTeam@HuWeLaw.com to learn how.
Exploring U.S. Immigration Policy: Key Trends and Insights
The Congressional Research Service recently published a report titled "U.S. Immigration Policy: Chartbook of Key Trends," which explains historical trends in immigration to the United States, the nation's current immigrant profile, and what our federal government is doing to enforce our immigration laws. Data comes from administrative sources, including the Department of Homeland
Security and the Department of State, as well as the
U.S. Census Bureau.
Here are some of the highlights:
•
There were 41.3 million
foreign-born residents in the United States, 13.1% of the total U.S. population,
in year 2013, the
highest level in
U.S. history
• Annual levels of i
mmigration today are comparable to
those of the early years of the 20th Century
• For the past four decades, immigration has been from a more diverse range of countries than during the first part of the 20th Century
• There were
438,421 removals, or deportations, in year 2013, up
from 30,039 in year 1990
• Denials of applications for lawful permanent residency (green cards)
have increased in recent
years, with past immigration violations becoming
the leading grounds of inadmissibility
• The number of employers enrolled in the E-Verify employment eligibility
verification system grew from 5,900 at the close of year 2005 to 483,000 by the
end of year 2013, and
$15.8 million in administrative fines were imposed on employers who
engaged in unlawful employment in 2013, more than the total amount of fines imposed from year
1999 through year 2009
To read the full report, visit:
http://www.fas.org/sgp/crs/homesec/R42988.pdf
To learn about your immigration options, please visit us at
, or write to us at TheTeam@Huwelaw.com.
Oxfam Reports Richest 80 People Own as Much as Poorest 50% of the World Population
International nonprofit organization Oxfam has issued a report announcing that the richest 80 people in the world control more wealth than the poorest 3.5 billion people.
This enormous income disparity has been widening over the years. By 2016, it is estimated that the richest 1% of the global population will own 50% of the world's wealth.
Oxfam reports that the richest 1% protect and enhance their wealth by spending millions of dollars on lobbying, especially in the United States. The wealthy lobby for tax and budget protections, especially in the industries where their wealth is concentrated - the financial sector, the pharmaceutical industry and healthcare companies.
Meanwhile, the poorest 3.5 billion people live on less than $1.25 a day.
To calculate wealth, Oxfam used the Forbes's list of the world's richest billionaires and the Credit Suisse Global Wealth Databook as a starting point. They then researched the estimated values of each billionaire's ownership in various companies and properties.
Oxfam is a nonprofit that has been working to combat poverty since 1942. You can read the report and review the calculations at:
http://www.oxfam.org/en/research/wealth-having-it-all-and-wanting-more
You can find the Forbes list of the richest people in the world at:
http://www.forbes.com/billionaires/list/#tab:overall
To find out how your family or business can come to the U.S., contact us at TheTeam@huwelaw.com.
Visa Bulletin for February 2015
The Visa Bulletin for February 2015 has just been released. There was slight forward movement in most visa preference categories. The Bulletin includes information on potential monthly movement for family and employment categories through May 2015.
To see the entire Bulletin, visit:
