Month: November 2010

According to a USCIS News Release:  “For the first time, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) is introducing a standardized form for requesting waivers of the fees charged for immigration-benefit processing. Form I-912, Request for Fee Waiver, will become available for use on Nov. 23, 2010 – the same day USCIS’s latest fee schedule takes effect.”

Be sure to verify that you have submitted the correct USCIS Filing Fee for cases that will be received by the agency on or after November 23, 2010.

According to the USCIS, as of November 19th, 2010, the agency has received 48,977 out of 65,000 available cap-subject H-1B petitions for FY-2011 and 17,836 out of 20,000 available petitions under the H-1B Master’s Cap Exemption.

According to the USCIS, as of October 29th, 2010, the agency has received 47,800 out of 65,000 available cap-subject H-1B petitions for FY-2011 and 17,400 out of 20,000 available petitions under the H-1B Master’s Cap Exemption.

The following schedule lists the adjusted fees that will take effect on November 23, 2010, alongside the existing fees in effect until that date:

Form No.	Application/Petition Description	Existing Fees (effective through Nov. 22, 2010	Adjusted Fees (effective beginning Nov. 23, 2010)
I-90	Application to Replace Permanent Resident Card	$290	$365
I-102	Application for Replacement/Initial Nonimmigrant Arrival-Departure Document	$320	$330
I-129/129CW	Petition for a Nonimmigrant Worker	$320	$325
I-129F	Petition for Alien Fiancé(e)	$455	$340
I-130	Petition for Alien Relative	$355	$420
I-131	Application for Travel Document	$305	$360
I-140	Immigrant Petition for Alien Worker	$475	$580
I-191	Application for Advance Permission to Return to Unrelinquished Domicile	$545	$585
I-192	Application for Advance Permission to Enter as Nonimmigrant	$545	$585
I-193	Application for Waiver of Passport and/or Visa	$545	$585
I-212	Application for Permission to Reapply for Admission into the U.S. after Deportation or Removal	$545	$585
I-290B	Notice of Appeal or Motion	$585	$630
I-360	Petition for Amerasian, Widow(er), or Special Immigrant	$375	$405
I-485	Application to Register Permanent Residence or Adjust Status	$930	$985
I-526	Immigrant Petition by Alien Entrepreneur	$1,435	$1,500
I-539	Application to Extend/Change Nonimmigrant Status	$300	$290
I-600/600A I-800/800A	Petition to Classify Orphan as an Immediate Relative/Application for Advance Processing of Orphan Petition	$670	$720
I-601	Application for Waiver of Ground of Excludability	$545	$585
I-612	Application for Waiver of the Foreign Residence Requirement	$545	$585
I-687	Application for Status as a Temporary Resident under Sections 245A or 210 of the Immigration and Nationality Act	$710	$1,130
I-690	Application for Waiver of Grounds of Inadmissibility	$185	$200
I-694	Notice of Appeal of Decision under Sections 245A or 210 of the Immigration and Nationality Act	$545	$755
I-698	Application to Adjust Status from Temporary to Permanent Resident (Under Section 245A of Public Law 99-603)	$1,370	$1,020
I-751	Petition to Remove the Conditions of Residence	$465	$505
I-765	Application for Employment Authorization	$340	$380
I-817	Application for Family Unity Benefits	$440	$435
I-824	Application for Action on an Approved Application or Petition	$340	$405
I-829	Petition by Entrepreneur to Remove Conditions	$2,850	$3,750
I-881	Application for Suspension of Deportation or Special Rule Cancellation of Removal (Pursuant to Section 203 of Public Law 105–110)	$285	$285
I-907	Request for Premium Processing Service	$1,000	$1,225
	Civil Surgeon Designation	$0	$615
I-924	Application for Regional Center under the Immigrant Investor Pilot Program	$0	$6,230
N-300	Application to File Declaration of Intention	$235	$250
N-336	Request for Hearing on a Decision in Naturalization Proceedings	$605	$650
N-400	Application for Naturalization	$595	$595
N-470	Application to Preserve Residence for Naturalization Purposes	$305	$330
N-565	Application for Replacement Naturalization/Citizenship Document	$380	$345
N-600/600K	Application for Certification of Citizenship/ Application for Citizenship and Issuance of Certificate under Section 322	$460	$600
	Immigrant Visa DHS Domestic Processing	$0	$165
Biometrics	Capturing, Processing, and Storing Biometric Information	$80	$85

According to an article on boston.com:  “Federal immigration officials are increasingly imposing thousands of dollars in fines on New England companies — from Fenway Park snack vendors to a Maine blueberry grower — for failing to prove that all their employees are in the United States legally.”

This is an interesting article that again demonstrates how dysfunctional our current immigration system continues to be.  CIR is what is needed but will require a united, courageous congress to enact.

The December 2010 Visa Bulletin is now available.

According to the USCIS, as of October 29th, 2010, the agency has received 45,600 out of 65,000 available cap-subject H-1B petitions for FY-2011 and 16,700 out of 20,000 available petitions under the H-1B Master’s Cap Exemption.

Maged Rost congratulates partner Kristina Rost on a pair of honors.  Kristina was named as a Top Northeast Immigration Lawyer in a list compiled by Avvo that appeared in the November/December 2010 edition of Arrive Magazine.

Moreover, for the third year in a row, Kristina was selected for inclusion in Super Lawyers – Rising Stars, New England Edition by Super Lawyers Publication, no more than 2.5% of lawyers in the state are named to the Rising Stars list each year.

According to an interesting article that appeared on forbes.com;  “If this election proves anything, it is that immigrant bashing is not a white-only sport.  Non-whites can play it just as well.”

It seems unlikely that there will be any meaningful immigration reform in light of the election results.  We will have to wait and see whether the parties decide to compromise or continue with the status quo for at least another two years.