Immigration Quote of the Week

I got news for all of these critics, all of these politicians: I'm going to continue to do everything I've been doing--nothing changes. In fact, it's going to be easier not being under the control, and handcuffed by, the federal government and all [of] their Mickey Mouse bureaucracies and policies. So I am free of the federal government and I will now continue to concentrate as the elected sheriff of this county and arrest those people, here, in this county, illegally."

- Sheriff Joe Arpaio during a news conference on Tuesday, responding to Homeland Security's revised 287(g) federal immigration program. The renewed deal restricts the Sheriff's deputies' authority to make immigration arrests in the field. Sheriff Joe will only be authorized to perform immigration checks at his jails.

USCIS Updates Case Status Online

Thursday October 8, 2009

During President Obama's first immigration reform meeting back in June, we were told that the USCIS.gov website would undergo a facelift to make the site more "efficient, transparent and user-friendly." As part of this redesign project, "Case Status Online" is now called "My Case Status." With it, comes a few important updates.

For the first time, customers can view the steps associated in processing applications and petitions and get an description of each step. When customers enter a receipt number, they will see at what stage they are in the process.

On the same page, customers can also view USCIS national goals and national averages for different types of petitions and forms, as well as processing times for the office where their case is pending.

Customers may still sign up to receive automatic case status updates. Receiving these updates via e-mail is still an option, but USCIS has also added text message notifications. A U.S. cell phone number is required for the text message notifications and standard messaging rates apply, but this is a fabulous new offering for people on-the-go.

Read about all of your options for checking your case status.

Avoid Green Card Lottery Scams

Wednesday October 7, 2009

The DV-2011 green card lottery opened last Friday and you have until the end of November to register in this year's lottery. Before you take the plunge, be sure you understand how to enter the DV green card lottery and follow the official instructions published by the Department of State.

You should also pay close attention to the State Department's fraud warning. Here are 5 tips on how to avoid DV green card lottery scams.

Immigration Quote of the Week

Saturday October 3, 2009

"We hope that we'll be able to prevent what happened with health care to happening with immigration so people can grapple with the tough questions we're facing. Reform will happen because people are able to look at this issue in a much more informed and measured way."

- Liz Sevcenko, director of the International Coalition of Sites of Conscience. On September 30th, a national network of museums called the Immigration Sites of Conscience, launched special programs to educate their visitors and stimulate public conversation about immigration both past and present.