June 3rd 2009 IMMIGRATION NEWSLETTER

Are You Waiting For Your Green Card?

On May 29th, USCIS announced that approved applicants may experience up to an 8 week delay in the delivery of their permanent resident card. USCIS is currently upgrading their card production equipment.

Still Thinking about Applying for an H1-B Visa?

As of May 29th, 2009, USCIS has only received approximately 45,800 H1-B petitions that count towards their 65,000 cap (quota limit). It is highly unlikely that this extra availability will happen next year as the economy improves. Also, F-1 students who recently graduated (or will be graduating soon) and have U.S. job offers should consider filing an H1-B petition now. USCIS will also continue to accept Master's Cap H1-B petitions for individuals with advanced degrees. Please contact our office to schedule a consultation if you are considering applying for an H1-B Visa.

Will You Be Departing the U.S. from Georgia or Michigan?

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) will begin collecting digital fingerprints from non-U.S. citizens departing America at the Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (Georgia) and Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport (Michigan). DHS plans to implement new biometric exit procedures for all non-U.S. citizens departing America by air within the next year.

Are You a Citizen of Greece?

Greece may be added to the list of countries of the Visa Waiver Program as new legislation has been introduced in Congress. If this legislation becomes law, citizens of Greece will be able to travel to the U.S. for business or tourism without a visa for up to 90 days. We will keep you updated of any legislation changes.