Immigration Visa Attorney Blog

Although the controversial Arizona immigration law will still go into effect tomorrow, portions of the law have been blocked by the Federal District Court Judge Susan Bolton. Judge Bolton has issued a preliminary injunction to "put on hold" the proposed part of the law that would require Arizona law enforcement to determine whether a person is here in the country legally or not. Mistaken arrests of US citizens have already been made since the law's proposal.

The Court ruled in favor of the preliminary injunction primarily on federal preemption grounds, as our nation's immigration law is a matter of federal jurisdiction. This means that immigration law is governed and enforced by the federal government, not by individual states in the union. It is expected that Arizona will appeal, allowing the Ninth Circuit to review the issue as the nation's debate over immigration continues to roar. --ecf

The attorneys at Fong & Chun, LLP are often asked whether using a re-entry permit "guarantees" re-entry to the US after a prolonged absence. A lot of people seem to think that there is some guarantee that using the re-entry permit will ensure their safe return to the US. In most cases, this is true, but it's important to remember that the Customs and Border Protection (CBP) can and now will often still interrogate returning permanent residents about their reasons for leaving the US for long periods of time, most especially, those trips outside the US that are more than 6 months.

Using a re-entry permit allows a permanent resident to ask for re-entry to the US, but it only ensures that the CBP cannot use the length of absence as the only reason for denying entry. If CBP finds that a person holding a re-entry permit may have been employed abroad, or took up formal residence abroad, CBP can refer an individual for removal proceedings or deferred inspection when CBP will conduct a more formal interview of the applicant for re-admission. This will give you, the applicant a chance to rebut any allegation that you have abandoned your US permanent residency. If you are facing an abandonment interview with CBP, you will have one chance to show that you are eligible to keep your status. Contact the attorneys at Fong & Chun, LLP if you would like a free consultation regarding your case. ---ecf

The US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has said that it will start phasing out use of the I-94W Arrival-Departure Card. Immigration lawyers at Fong & Chun have been practicing law a very long time, and the I-94 is a venerable old immigration law fixture. It appears that DHS has decided to attune to the times, automating the gathering and review of biographic information about persons entering on the Visa Waiver program.

The Visa Waiver program allows nationals of certain countries to enter the USA without a visa, provided the entry is for touristic or non-employment business reasons. In the past, Visa Waiver entrants had to fill out the green I-94W card and present that card to a border guard at the Port of Entry (POE). Over a period of time, DHS will phase out the use of the I-94W, and a Visa Waiver entrant will simply show a passport at the POE, be photographed and fingerprinted, and then the passport will be franked (stamped). This new arrangement is similar to the pre-arrival gathering of information used by Australia's "electronic visa" system. --jcf

"What's the difference between my visa and the I-94 landing card?"
"If my visitor visa is good for five years, why can't I stay in the USA for five years?"

The immigration lawyers at Fong & Chun in Los Angeles get this type of question all the time. Let's see if we can't explain this.

This is basically what a US visa looks like. It has the bearer's photo, date of birth, nationality, passport number, and validity dates. It also has various codes that tell the border guard what kind of entry is needed, how many entries will be permitted, and so forth. The most important thing is this: a visa give the bearer the right -- during the validity period of the visa -- to approach the US border and request to be admitted in the category noted on the visa (student, diplomat, investor).

The visa does NOT guarantee admission. The visa does NOT dictate how long of a stay the border guard may grant to you. The visa does not even guarantee in which category (visitor, student, worker, company transferee, investor) the bearer will ultimately be admitted. None of this is dictated or guaranteed by the visa itself. The visa is permission to approach the border.

I-94.pdfThis is the I-94 Arrival-Departure Control Card. All aliens (except US legal permanet residents) are required to fill out the I-94 on the airplane prior to landing at the port of entry (POE). At the POE, the alien presents the I-94 together with passport and visa to the border guard. In most cases -- unless the border guard thinks you're not who you say you are, or that you've previously violated US immigration law, or that you are not qualified to be in the visa category listed on your visa -- the border guard will swipe your passport and visa into the computer, take your picture and fingerprint, and admit you to the USA in the category appropriate to your visa (E-1 trader, F-1 student, H-1b worker, L-1 company transferee, etc.).

At the POE, the border guard will stamp the passport, stamp the I-94, and endorse the I-94 for the visa category (B-2, F-1, H-4), and write in the expiration date of the authorized stay in the USA. The alien must either exit the USA or seek an appropriate extension of stay (EOS) or change of status (COS) prior to this expiration date.

The length of stay granted by the border guard is a function of (a) established policy, and (b) the whim of the officer. Most officers will grant the "normal" amount of time established for the type of visa. B visaholders typically get 6 months. E visaholders typically get two years -- regardless of when their visa expires. H visaholders are typically granted until the expiration of the underlying I-129 petition.

The date written or stamped onto the I-94 governs the alien's length of stay in the USA -- not the visa itself. --jcf

In our blog of yesterday, 1 April 2010, we mentioned the new screening procedures at US ports of entry (POE). Fong & Chun's clients travel a great deal, passing through Los Angeles and other immigration ports of entry. As lawyers to so many travelers, we try to provide accurate information about border issues. We have learned a little more about the new screening protocol.

In the past, all citizens of certain countries believed to be supporters of terrorism would all be scrutinized indiscriminately. Cuba, Iran, Iraq, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Somalia, and Sudan are widely believed to have been on this list of soi-disant unfriendly countries. Citizens of other countries -- perceived as "friendly" to the USA -- would be subject to less scrutiny.

The new POE screening procedures use intelligence-based threat assessments. This information will be applied to all persons arriving at a POE, including Americans. If border guards have intelligence that -- let's pretend for a moment -- a university-age male student from Africa might be trying to engage in dangerous activity, then the border guards would be on the lookout for university-age male students from Africa. In contrast, university-age male students from, say, Malaysia, México, Moldova, Monaco, or Myanmar would not be subject to the same scrutiny.

This new, intelligence-based approach makes the most of the information provided by US intelligence sources without painting everyone with an indiscriminately broad brush. --jcf

The Barack Obama Administration recently announced that border guards at United States Ports of Entry (POE) will begin screening aliens arriving from certain countries based on specific information about threats to the USA. The immigration attorneys at Los Angeles' Fong & Chun immigration law firm are advocates for national security balanced against sensible protections for civil rights. We hope this change will reduce the number of unwarranted, unreasonable, and (usually) unfriendly challenges to certain arriving visitors.

Since the New York terrorist attack in September 2001, the USA has maintained a list of approximately fourteen countries (the so-called "group of fourteen") which are considered to encourage state-sponsored terrorism, or which are believed to provide assistance to terrorists. The US would not even officially name the specific countries, or confirm the exact number of countries, on the list. All citizens of one of these countries -- of any gender, any age, any social class, any educational level, for any reason -- would be subjected to additional interrogation by US Border Guards.

The newly-announced change sets up a system which uses intelligence information and threat assessment -- about specific persons, specific targets, and specific descriptions, to identify passengers who might have a link to terrorism. Quite properly, those persons would be subjected to additional scrutiny. Others who do not meet the more reasoned threat profiles would be allowed to enter the USA in the way of other visitors.

For example: most people in the know would say that the Islamic Republic of Iran was part of the group of fourteen. All citizens from Iran -- absolutely all -- would be pulled aside and interrogated at POEs. Under the new system, if the US has specific information about a 26-year old male Iranian student, or an Iranian woman with a certain name, or even someone with a partial passport number, then persons meeting those descriptions will be pulled aside. This allows border guards to focus their efforts on persons about whom the USA has specific threat-related information. --jcf

The citizens of some countries are allowed to enter the USA as touristic or business visitors without first obtaining a B-1/B-2 visitor visa. As Los Angeles immigration lawyers, Fong & Chun often receives questions about whether a particular country is eligible for this Visa Waiver Program (VWP).

Today, the US Department of Homeland Security announced that citizens of Greece are now eligible to enter the USA as visitors, using the VWP. Eligibility for the VWP is based on a country's compliance with security and data-sharing requirements--such as law enforcement and security-related data sharing with the United States; timely reporting of lost and stolen passports; and maintenance of strong law enforcement, counterterrorism, border, aviation, and document security protocols. In turn, citizens of Greece will be permitted to travel to the United States for up to 90 days as visitors without first obtaining a visa.

Any Greek citizen that wishes to enter the USA as a visitor using the VWP must first register him/her self under the US government's Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA). This registration must take place prior to boarding any flight to the USA. Information about ESTA is available here. --jcf

The powerful earthquake that hit Chile moved the entire city of Concepcíon, Chile 3 meters to the west! When such a natural calamity strikes a particular country, the immigration lawyers at Fong & Chun in Los Angeles receive many calls and e-mails from citizens from that country about the possibility of staying in the USA, because of the problems back home.

The US government sometimes permits citizens from that country to remain in the USA -- even after their visas or landing permits have expired -- due to the emergency circumstances in the home country. This designation -- which is called Temporary Protected Status (TPS) -- is made by the US government. At the present time, Chile has not yet been designated a TPS-eligible country by the US government.

A veces, por situaciones de urgencia nacional, el gobierno estadounidense les permite a ciudadanos de algunos paises de quedar en los EE.UU. -- aunque sus visas o permisos sean vencidos. Esta designación se llama Estado Protegido Temporal (TPS, en inglés). En este momento, los ciudadanos de La República de Chile todavía no han sido nombrado como eligible por TPS por el gobierno estadounidense.

If you are from Chile and wish to contact the attorneys at Fong & Chun to discuss your options, please call to make an appointment. --jcf

Chile: an 8.8 magnitude earthquake hit Chile today. Lasting 90 seconds it was 500x more powerful than the one that shook Haiti. Tsunami warnings and alerts are now in place from South America to Asia and throughout the Pacific. Evacuations have already begun in Hawai'i. Fong & Chun, LLP sends a message of hope and support to our Chilean clients who may have relatives or loved ones in the country.

Like Haitians present in the United States after the devastating earthquake in their home country, Chileans in the United States may soon be eligible for "Temporary Protected Status" or "TPS" if Congress designates Chile as a country where nationals cannot return safely because of dire conditions impacting the country. Haiti was designated a TPS country on January 21, 2010, only nine days after the January 12 earthquake.

Travel back to Chile may be impossible for quite some time, however those who have H-1B1 or other temporary visas, and who want to travel to the country in the weeks to come should review the Department of State website for all warnings on travel conditions.

Please contact Fong & Chun, LLP if you are from Chile and your visa has expired or if you have other questions about possible TPS status. ---ecf

All immigration law attorneys must deal with foreign countries, unique international legal issues, and some quaint interpretations of law. The lawyers at Los Angeles' Fong & Chun are no exception, and in fact, this recent change affects some of our clients who do business in or own businesses in the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI).

On 28 November 2008, "the United States" as defined for purposes of the Immigration & Nationality Act (INA) just got bigger, with the addition of the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands. Although there are probably wrinkles I have not yet read in the treaty, this essentially puts the CNMI on the same footing as Puerto Rico. Here's the cute part:

Because the CNMI will become part of the "United States" as defined by §101(a)(38) of the INA, "residence or presence in the CNMI before 28 November 2009 shall NOT be considered residence or physical presence within the USA for INA purposes. Thus, on 29 November 2009, all persons physically present in the CNMI are considered "to be present in the United States without inspection, by operation of law."

Will these PWIs (present without inspection) be eligible to adjust status? Unclear? Are they working "abroad" for purposes of L visas? Yes, as it turns out. One thing is clear: Legal Permanent Residents (so-called "green" card holders) who wish to base a naturalization application based on physical presence in the CNMI will NOT be able to do so for pre-29 November 2009 periods of time. Isn't this esoterica fun? --jcf

We at Fong & Chun in Los Angeles believe in keeping the USA safe; however, we are also aware that many security measures can be a burden. As immigration attorneys, we are alert to security mechanisms which may violate the civil rights of immigrants and visitors.

We have recently recently received a report -- which we have not yet been able to verify -- that the Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and Newark, New Jersey ports of entry are conducting retina scans on arriving non-Americans and non-Legal Permanent Residents. This is in addition to the fingerprints that are routinely taken from all US visitors.

There may be other ports of entry using the retina scan, and we would appreciate hearing from anyone who knows which other POEs are using such scans.

Although the retina scan is not intrusive and does not cause any discomfort, it is an additional level of identify verification being used by the Department of Homeland Security. Visitors should not be surprised if they are asked to permit a retina scan. --jcf

With all our experience counseling on immigration law questions, the attorneys at Fong & Chun in Los Angeles do not regularly get the chance to see the day-in, day-out operations at airports and other ports of entry.

Whether it is Department of Homeland Security (DHS) policy or not, I do not know, but last week, I noticed DHS personnel roaming through the terminals at Dulles International Airport in Washington, DC. They actually went to various gates and randomly requested ID or passports from OUTBOUND passengers seated in the boarding areas.

That is, they checked the documents of both Americans and foreigners who were LEAVING the USA. Not entering.

I followed them around a little bit. The officers were friendly, civil. They approached passengers in the terminal, asked them their final destinations, and asked if they could see their passports. Interestingly, although I was standing right next to a bank of chairs in the boarding area, they did not ask me for my passport, nor did they ask anyone who was standing or walking through the terminal. They only approached persons seated in the departure gate area. I did not see them detain anyone.

I have often been asked whether DHS personnel made random checks of persons in airports. I used to say that "they could, but I've never seen it." Well, I have now. --jcf

Beginning January 4, 2010, applicants for visas or greencards will no longer be considered inadmissible for being HIV positive. Early last month, the Health and Human Services Department (HHS) removed HIV (human immunodeficiency virus) from the definition of a "communicable disease of public health significance."

This marks a major success by immigration advocates like Fong & Chun, LLP and HIV/AIDS health advocates. J Craig Fong was cited in a recent Los Angeles Times article as one of the few immigration attorneys in the nation who work with HIV positive immigrants and who has been extremely successful in HIV waiver applications with the USCIS to overcome this ban.

Fong & Chun, LLP applauds the Centers for Disease Control, the HHS, and USCIS in recognizing that the ban against nonimmigrant visa and permanent residency applications by HIV positive individuals was wrong. --ecf

At a ceremony at the White House today, President Barack Obama announced the publication on Monday, 2 November 2009 of the final rule repealing the HIV immigration restriction. The immigration lawyers here at Fong & Chun have worked here in Los Angeles and nationwide as part of the movement to have this onerous restriction on people with HIV/AIDS repealed. More details to follow, after we have seen and reviewed the "final rule." --jcf

The H-1B quota has now reached approximately 46,700 and although the USCIS has announced that they've received approximately 20,000 advanced degree applications, it still continues to accept advanced degree cases.

I have been fielding a lot of questions about whether a person is still "in H-1B status" even if they are no longer working for the employer who sponsored them. Simply put, the answer is "no." When H-1B workers are petitioned for by a specific employer, not only are they expected to work for that employer only (unless they have a concurrently approved H-1B for a separate employer), but they must always comply with the original terms of the H-1B petition. Any changes considered to be material to the employment must be reported to the US Department of Labor and possibly to the USCIS.

Further, H-1B employees are considered to be out of status if they lose their jobs or quit working for the H-1B sponsor. And as of late, the USCIS has been conducting random on-site visits to H-1B employers, interviewing the foreign worker(s), HR or the company owner, as well as verifying the terms and conditions of their work.

It shouldn't be a surprise to people that the Department of Homeland Security is utilizing their resources to crack down on employers and employees under the H-1B program.

Just 3 days ago, Senator Grassley of Iowa wrote a letter to USCIS Director, Alejandro Mayorkas, imploring him to "ensure accountability" in the H-1B program. This wasn't the first time Sen. Grassley has done so. Earlier this year, Sen. Grassley called out "Microsoft" for their usage of the H-1B program as well.

If your company is facing lay offs or you have lost your H-1B job, you need advice on how to maintain status (if possible) and/or guidance on what you may face in future applications for work authorization or work visas. ---ecf