Recent NewsAugust 14, 2008House approves 5-year extension of E-VerifyThe House has voted to extend E-Verify for an additional 5 years. Legislation is now pending in the Senate. E-Verify is the online system where participating employers can check the work status of new hires by comparing information from an employee's I-9 form against SSA and Department of Homeland Security databases. The program is due to expire this November under previous legislation. E-Verify has been praised by some for helping to decrease illegal immigration by reducing the number of jobs available to undocumented people. Others criticize the program for inefficiency, proneness to error, and susceptibility to identity theft. Currently, E-Verify is optional for employers, but proponents want to make participation mandatory. Some critics instead hope to overhaul the program and address employment verification as part of a comprehensive immigration reform which would include a path to citizenship for "illegal workers". Currently, there are more than 69,000 employers enrolled in the E-Verify and there have been more than 4 million queries run so far in 2008. For more information: http://www.workforce.com/section/00/article/25/68/71.php To see a copy of the bill passed by the House: How to Contact Us: If you have questions about an immigration matter, and/or you need help in the process, please contact our immigration attorneys or call the law firm of Shihab & Associates Co., LPA at the nearest office close to you to speak with an attorney. We handle various matters including family immigration, immigrant visas, non-immigrant visas, employment visas and H1B visas, Investor Visas, PERM applications, Green Cards and Permanent Residence, and many more. Please contact us and experience how "We Embrace your Dreams and Make Them Our Goal." The Law Firm of Shihab & Associates, Co., LPA has offices in Columbus Ohio; Cleveland Ohio, Detroit Metro Area, Southfield, Michigan; and Washington, DC. At Shihab & Associates, our experienced attorneys provide services to clients in many Ohio cities including Akron, Columbus, Cincinnati, Cleveland, Dayton and Toledo, OH. We also serve clients in different locations around the state of Michigan and the Detroit Metro Area including Canton, Dearborn, Detroit, Southfield and Westland MI. We help a diverse clientele in the Washington DC Metro Area including, Alexandria, Arlington VA, Silver Spring MD, and Washington DC. We have assisted clients from virtually every state in the USA as well as many countries around the world. |
- 10/11/2008 High level of fraud in H-1B cases may lead to changes in the application process
- 10/07/2008 Presidential Candidates on the H-1B Visa
- 10/06/2008 Green card applicants required to get HPV vaccine
- 10/03/2008 New rule to streamline issuance of visas to people infected with HIV
- 09/03/2008 Clarification of attorneys' role in the recruitment and hiring process for PERM / Labor Certification cases
- 09/03/2008 Update on the Petition Information Management Service (PIMS)
- 08/25/2008 While H-1b visa issues remain unresolved, USCIS Proposes Changes to the H-2B Temporary Non-agricultural Worker Program
- 08/25/2008 US Consulate in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico no longer applies “exception for minors” when determining period of unlawful presence in some situations
- 08/19/2008 Lawsuit opposing extension on student visa dismissed for lack of standing
- 08/14/2008 USCIS extends Temporary Protected Status for Sudanese
- 08/14/2008 House approves 5-year extension of E-Verify
INVESTORS:
• Do I qualify for a US Treaty Trader Visa (E-1)?
• What are the requirements for obtaining a Treaty investor visa (E-2)?
• Who is Eligible for an Intra-company Transferee Visa (L-1)?
GREEN CARD:
• Permanent Work Visas
• Employment Visas
• What Are Grounds For Inadmissibility?
• Will Utilizing Governmental Assistance Render Me A "Public Charge?"
• Preserving your green card
• Rights and obligations of the green card holder
• Do I have to sign up for selective service?
FAMILY:
• How can I prepare for the marriage interview
• What to expect in an embassy Fiancé interview
• How long does it take to get my green card?
DEPORTATION:
• Available Waivers in the Removal process
• What is an aggravated felony
• What are the Consequences of an Aggravated Felony
• Appealing negative Removal decision
NATURALIZATION:
• Citizenship by acquisition, what is it and who is eligible?
• Common pitfalls: failure to sign up for selective service.
• What is good moral character?
HEALTH CARE:
• H-1B and H-1C Visas For The Registered Nurse (RN)
• VisaScreen: What is it and why is it required?
• Schedule A: Positions that are exempt from the Labor Certification Process
• J-1 visas: Waiving the 2 year foreign residency requirement.
