Month: September 2009

USCIS OFFICIALS CONSIDERING FEE INCREASES

According to an article on latimes.com:  “U.S. immigration officials are considering another possible round of fee increases and budget cuts next year, prompting concern among immigrant rights groups.”

When we started our practice in 2000, the filing fee for an H-1B petition was under $200, it then increased substantially to $320.  The total USCIS filing fees for new H-1Bs now range from $820 (for training-fee exempt organizations) to $2320 for companies that employ more than 25 persons.  To put these figures in perspective, this increase is the equivalent of a $15,000 new car in 2000 being sold for more than $165,000 today.  Any buyers? 

Please visit our website at www.immigrantconnect.com.

CAMPAIGN UNDERWAY FOR CNN TO FIRE LOU DOBBS

America’s Voice is launching an ad campaign to persuade CNN to drop Lou Dobbs, a “news” personality.  According to the organization’s website:  “Every weeknight, CNN airs one full hour of Hate TV — it’s called, ‘Lou Dobbs Tonight.'”  The television commercial that has been produced uses Dobbs’ words and images to shine light on his anti-immigration rhetoric and equating undocumented aliens with serious criminals. 

For those of us who have been critical of Lou Dobbs for some time, the ad seems to hit the nail on the head. 

Please visit our website at www.immigrantconnect.com.

AND YOU THOUGHT THE HEALTH CARE DEBATE WAS HEATED…

The debate over Health Care Reform has been a roller coaster. Even if such reform were to become law, without the much-debated “public option”, its enactment may be more of a political victory than an actual one for the administration.

The turning point in the debate that may have brought Health Care Reform back from the dead is arguable when Congressman Joe Wilson, Republican from South Carolina, exclaimed “you lie!” in the miiddle of President Obama’s speech to the joint session of Congress.  The disruption came in response to the President’s contention that it is a myth that undocumented aliens would be covered by the proposed reform.  What is most interesting is the passion and anger that the mere mention of undocumented aliens brings out in some.  I always wonder whether it is genuine or played up for political purposes or, in the case of media news personalities, for ratings.

Absent more delays, by early next year there should be at least the start of an immigration reform debate that hopefully will eventually result in some much-needed changes to our immigration laws.  The devil will be in the details.  There are currently discussions underway of what provisions such a bill would need to contain to gain passage. 

President Obama is a master at communicating clear, logical messages and we will need his skills to be at their sharpest in order to drown out the voices of the very loud and vocal anti-immigration minority who tend to blanket the airwaves.

Please visit our website at www.immigrantconnect.com.