“IMMIGRATION LAW CONNECTION”

The annual DV program, frequently referred to at the “Green Card Lottery”, makes visas available to persons meeting simple, but strict, eligibility requirements. A computer-generated, random lottery drawing chooses selectees for D(iversity) V(isas).
The visas are distributed among six geographic regions, with a greater number of visas going to regions with lower rates of immigration, and [...]

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The U.S. State Department (DOS) which governs visa matters, announced this year’s registation dates for the upcoming 2011 Greencard Lottery (properly known as DV 2011).
The online registration period will begin October 2 and run until November 30, 2009.
Please contact my office for additional details.

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USCIS has just announced a possible eight week delay in the production and delivery of their permanent resident cards while they are in the process of upgrading our card production equipment.
Local USCIS Field Offices will be issuing I-551 travel stamps to applicants approved for permanent residence at the time of their interview. [...]

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The EB-5 Regional Center Investment Program has been the focus of a lot of attention, in large part because this portion of the EB-5 Green Card category requires ongoing repetitive congressional action about every 6 months to keep the program from “sunsetting”.
Just a few weeks ago in early May, the Senate Judiciary Committee held [...]

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On March 20, President Obama extended the non-minister special immigrant religious worker program through Sept. 29, 2009.
The extended category covers special immigrant religious workers in professional or non-professional
capacity within a religious vocation or occupation. The extended date also applies to accompanying
spouses and children of these non-ministers. Workers entering the United States only [...]

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Following the footsteps of Congresswoman Heather Wilson (New Mexico), who introduced similar legislation in 2007, Florida Congressman Adam Putnam earlier this year introduced a new bill in the House of Representatives which would allow issuance of green cards for up to 3000 E-2 visa holders per year.
This newest legislative effort, the “E-2 Nonimmigrant Investor [...]

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While EB-5’s are apparently growing in popularity and there is significant curiosity surrounding the EB-5, there are many questions surrounding the “how to” aspects of it.
Essentially, the EB-5 is a Green Card category, the aim of which is to promote employment-creation and investment in the United States by foreign nationals, in exchange for granting [...]

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Very recently, USCIS approved a new Regional Investment Center, based in Orlando Florida. The Lake Buena Island Resort Village & Spa now holds “regional center” designation for the EB-5 Program.
The initial offering is limited to the first thirty-five investors. Each qualifying investor must invest $1 million and receive a 1/35th interest in a Florida limited [...]

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Some aspects of Immigration Reform are starting to materialize in Congress.
This week, Senators Durbin and Lugar introduced the DREAM Act  in the Senate while Representatives Berman and Diaz-Ballart did the same in the House.   Immediately below is background information on the DREAM Act.
DREAM Act
(based on prior Senate proposal in 2007)
Who is eligible?
Those who would qualify [...]

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Tuesday, March 10, 2009, The U.S. Senate passed the ‘omnibus appropriations bill’.
Now the bill is headed to President Obama for signature.   The six month extension for EB-5 remains in the bill that will be signed by President Obama on Wednesday.
The EB-5 regional center pilot program has been extended until September 30, 2009.   Interest groups and [...]

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