New in I-601 Adjudications (Waiver of Inadmissibility), Changes coming end of spring - beginning of summer 2012.

On March 9, 2012, the USCIS held the Teleconference addressing new changes in how the USCIS is adjudicating Waivers of Inadmissibility (USCIS Form I-601).

These new changes are different from the announced earlier this year "Conditional Waiver" which is expected to take effect by the end of 2012.

However, procedural changes in adjudication of I-601 are expected to take effect as soon as end of spring - beginning summer 2012.

I've attended the Teleconference, and these are my brief notes.

(1) The filing fee will remain the same, US$585.

(2) Filing location for ALL I-601 will change. There will be one nationwide central filing location - a Lockbox in Phoenix, Arizona. All I-601 filed from within the USA or from abroad will be filed at the Lockbox in Phoenix.

(3) ALL I-601 petitions will be received in Phoenix and forwarded for adjudication to Nebraska (Nebraska Service Center).

(4) Goal is to reduce processing time to no more than 6 months.

(5) An applicant will be able to check case status for a pending I-601 petition online at uscis.gov website. And the USCIS will start publishing I-601 processing times.

(6) Procedures for requesting to expedite processing of the I-601 will remain the same. Military families are one of the examples of people who can request to expedite processing of the I-601 Waiver. (For more details see May 2011 USCIS Memo).

These changes are designed to lead to uniform and fast adjudication of all I-601 waivers. As USCIS reported, there are approximately 23,000 waivers filed every year with USCIS. Often, I-601 can take more than a year. With the new system of adjudication in place, I-601 processing should not take more than 6 months.

If you require assistance with preparing and filing of your Waiver of Inadmissibility (form I-601) or Permission to apply for readmission after Deportation (form I-212), you are welcome to contact our office and to schedule a telephone or Skype consultation. Please email at Attorney@law-visa-usa.com

Note: This information is provided for legal information purposes only and should not be considered a legal advice; it doesn’t create an attorney-client relationship. For more information or to schedule a consultation please visit http://www.law-visa-usa.com/contact_us.html or email at Attorney @law-visa-usa.com

ICE established a 24/7 Hotline for detainees.

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has established a toll-free hotline – (855) 448-6903. 

Detained individuals can call this hotline if they believe they may be U.S. citizens or victims of a crime. The hotline will be staffed 24 hours a day, seven days a week by ICE personnel at the Law Enforcement Support Center. 

Translation services will be available in several languages from 7 a.m. to midnight (Eastern). 

ICE personnel will collect information from the individual and refer it to the relevant ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) Field Office for immediate action.

If you are a detained individual and believe you may be a U.S. citizen or a victim of a crime, please call (855) 448-6903.

http://www.ice.gov/detention-reform/toll-free-hotline/

Transmission of the U.S. citizenship to IVF babies born abroad to American mothers and/or fathers.

Some experts are questioning the virtue of current rules on the transmission of U.S. citizenship to IVF babies born to American mothers and/or fathers abroad, ans especially those cases where donor's eggs and sperm have been used.

According to a June 2011 report by the State Department's Office of Inspector General, the Bureau of Consular Affairs "is aware that the regulations and laws [relating to the transmission of citizenship through surrogacy] have not kept pace with technology and is working with legal advisers and other agencies to update policies

http://www.haaretz.com/print-edition/news/u-s-demands-proof-of-parentage-for-ivf-babies-1.410690 

How much it would cost to deport all undocumented (illegal) immigrants currently living in the U.S.A. - at least US$285 Billion, or $23,480 per person.

Cost of deportation: Deporting all of America's illegal immigrants would cost US$285 Billion.

A year ago, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) deputy director told Congress it costs about $12,500 to deport an undocumented immigrant.

However, a 2010 report by Center for American Progress and Rob Paral and Associates took a close look at all the budget appropriations for ICE and broke down the costs per person for each one of the four stages of deportation process: apprehension, detention, legal proceeding and transportation. The whopping cost of deportation per person that they came up with is $23,480.

The report states that ICE and US Customs and Borders Protection budgets have increased by 80% since 2005, amounting to $17.1 billion in FY2010. If US were to undertake a mass deportation campaign its cost over five years would be $285 billion.

Here is the breakdown of the $23,480 figure:
1. Apprehension: $18,310
2. Detention: $3,355
3. Legal Proceedings: $817
4. Transportation: $1,000.

Read more at http://www.businessinsider.com/deporting-all-of-americas-illegal-immigrants-would-cost-a-whopping-285-billion-2012-1?utm_source=twbutton&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=bi 

Official statistics by the U.S. Dept of State of rate of B-1/B-2 visa denial worldwide, including Moscow, Russia. Официальная статистика уровня отказа в туристической визе в посольстве США в Москве и по другим странам.

Официальная статистика опубликованная Госдепом США за 2011, 2010 и 2009 года показывает, что процент отказов на гостевые (туристические) визы в московском посольстве США вырос с 4.9% (2009) до 10.1% (2010) до 10.3% (2011).

Интересно отметить, что уровень отказов в Бразилии, которую нередко сравнивают с Россией по темпам экономического роста и размерам, составлял 5.2% в 2010 и 3.8% в 2011 – более, чем в два раза ниже, чем в России.

По сравнению с этим, уровень отказов в гостевой визе на Украине намного выше - 31.8% (в 2010) и 29% (в 2011).

Уровень отказов в гостевой (туристической) визе в странах бывшего Советского Союза и сопредельных государствах остается очень высоким:

Россия - 10.1% (2010) - 10.3% (2011)
Украина - 31.8% (2010) - 29.0% (2011)
Беларусь - 19.7% (2010) - 19.4% (2011)
Казахстан - 9.4% (2010) - 8.3% (2011)
Армения - 51.4% (2010) - 54.5% (2011)
Молдавия - 38.5% (2010) - 44.5% (2011)
Узбекистан - 46.8% (2010) - 50.2% (2011)
Монголия - 37.1% (2010) - 44.5% (2011)
Израель - 6.4% (2010) - 6.9% (2011).

Для перехода на безвизовый режим поездок между странами, уровень отказов должен быть менее 3%. Как показывает статистика, большинству стран до этого ещн далеко.

Избежать отказов не всегда возможно. Но с помощью хорошего иммиграционного адвоката можно постараться преодалеть прошлые отказы, предотвратить ошибки, приводящие к отказам в визе и улучшить свои шансы на успешное получение гостевой или туристической визы в США. Мы будем рады вам помочь. Обращайтесь за помощью по электронной почте. Наши контактные данные указаны на этой странице - http://www.law-visa-usa.com/ru/contact_us.html . 

С официальной статистикой по отказу в американской туристической или гостевой визе во всех странах мира можно ознакомиться по следующим ссылкам:

2011 http://www.travel.state.gov/pdf/FY11.pdf

2010 http://www.travel.state.gov/pdf/FY10.pdf

2009 http://www.travel.state.gov/pdf/FY09.pdf

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Statistics for 2009 and 2010 and 2011 demonstrates that rate of visa denials by the U.S. embassy in Moscow, Russia, has increased from 4.9% to 10.1% in 2010 to 10.3% in 2011. This is twice higher than visa denial rate in the U.S. embassy in Brazil, 5.2% (2010) and 3.8% (2011), for example. In comparison, rate B-1/B-2 visa denials in Ukraine is 31.8% (2010) and 29.0% (2011).

Please see official statistics for B-1/B-2 U.S. visa denial rates for all countries of the world here:

2011 http://www.travel.state.gov/pdf/FY11.pdf

2010 http://www.travel.state.gov/pdf/FY10.pdf

2009 http://www.travel.state.gov/pdf/FY09.pdf