Immigration

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.

USCIS Reverse 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.

Woman Believed She Was A Citizen and Voted, She Now Faces Possible Deportation

ADELANTO, CA - After running for a council seat in Adelanto, California and winning in 2004 did Zoila Meyer discover shortly that she was not an American citizen. Officials investigated Meyer’s birthplace and current status after someone mentioned she had been born in Cuba. It turned out that she was a permanent resident but not a U.S. citizen. She gave up her council seat and applied for citizenship afterwards. Meyers’ parents brought her to the U.S. as a one year-old infant but she had believed all her life that she was an American citizen. Now the mother of four is facing deportation charges because she broke the law by voting three years ago. In the United States, voting is a right and privilege reserved for only American citizens. Meyers pleaded guilty to misdemeanor charges of voting fraudulently. However, voting without being an American citizen is a serious crime. It is considered a felony offense and could easily result in deportation. Meyers is terrified of deportation since that could mean leaving her family behind and leaving the place where she has grown up most of her life. Meyer has her hearing on July 18 where an immigration judge will decide whether to deport Meyer or not. In the case of deportation, Meyer would be deported to Canada since that is the last entry point on her immigration documents. The only thing Meyer can do at this point to avoid deportation is to plead her case at the immigration hearing.