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E-mail: psg@immigrationguru.com
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BREAKING IMMIGRATION NEWS
08/31/2021 Issue
WANT A GREEN CARD?
             Whatever your application is – for Political Asylum, for Immigrant Visa at an American Consulate, for Adjustment of Status at an immigration office in the U.S. – you must undergo a medical exam by a physician authorized for this purpose by the U.S. government.
           As of October 1, 2021 you, the applicant, would have to prove to the examining physician one more thing – that you have been fully vaccinated against Covid-19. Excuses not to be vaccinated are available.
 AFGHANS
 
           Tens of thousands of Afghans were airlifted to the U.S.: What would be their immigration status?
           These Afghans would not be like the tens of thousands of people from Central and South America who are crowding our southern border, submitting applications for Political Asylum. These Afghans would arrive here with immediate legal status.
           Some arrive with legal immigrant visas, under a program Congress created especially for them and which is called SIV (Special Immigrant Visas). They would be Legal Permanent Residents from date of arrival and would get Green Cards immediately. The others would arrive with pre-approved refugee status, and would be eligible for Green Cards in one (1) year after arrival.
           Of course all of them would be expected to observe all the laws of the U.S. and if not – the violators will be deported as would be other Legal Permanent Residents.
           Welcome, Afghans - one more ingredient to the American melting pot.
 
PROCESSING OF APPLICATIONS
 
           The influx of tens of thousands of Afghans in a relatively short time, would be a big, heavy project for the U.S. Immigration Service and the U.S. Department of State.
           The question that immigration lawyers are whispering (to themselves) is – would this new burden on the administration of immigration create an additional distraction from the urgent internal task: to speed up the time it takes to process normal, regular petitions and applications at immigration offices in the U.S. and at American Consulates around the world?
           And what about the Biden program to make a new Immigration Law – is it still on track?
           In this connection, is it worthwhile to mention that some immigration offices began scheduling interviews in early morning and on Saturdays.

SPEED UP BORDER ASYLUM
 
           Currently, persons at the border, or at a port of entry, applying for asylum, are subjected to a “threshold” hearing to establish whether they have “credible fear” of persecution in their home countries. Whether the finding is “yes” or “no”, the case is transferred to the Immigration Court for an Immigration Judge to make the final decision.
The new proposal is to authorize Immigration Officers to make the decision. If “yes”, the applicant gets status as an asylee immediately. If no, the applicant gets a deportation order immediately, but with a right of appeal to an Immigration Judge.
           The idea is that this new procedure would reduce the backlog at the Immigration Courts. At present, this is only a proposal.

WANT U.S. CITIZENSHIP?
 
           You need to have a Green Card for a certain number of years, you need to have physical presence in the U.S. for a certain amount of time, you need to meet all kinds of other requirements – but you need, also, to pass a secret test.
           This is a secret survey that the U.S. government conducts on you, by searching many sources: official data bases, computer systems, social media, etc. The purpose is to find any mention or reference to you which might be contradictory or inconsistent with what you stated about yourself in your application for naturalization.
           One very useful tool used in this secret survey is your FINGERPRINTS. Many official and unofficial entities maintain data bases of fingerprints collected from persons with whom they have contracts. Very useful for this secret cross-testing of applicants.
           This kind of secret survey is going on even after people naturalize and become American citizens. If the government finds some inconsistent information about the new U.S. citizen, the government may – and actually does – start a process of revocation or de-naturalization.
 
NEW LEGALIZATION PROGRAM
 
           The U.S. House of Representatives passed a BUDGET RESOLUTION that covers many, many new programs. One of them is a program to legalize a great number of non-citizens who are currently in the U.S. The Resolution allocates 10 billion dollars for this purpose.
           Who would be eligible? Who would be covered? When would this program begin?
           All this is still not spelled out, still unknown.
           It must be remembered that the House of Representatives is only one half (1/2) of the U.S. Congress. The other half is the Senate, and they (the 100 Senators) still have to vote on this.
           It is expected that the final vote would happen in 3-4 months, in September or October of this year.
           Have patience. Wait and see.
FOR IMMIGRATION QUESTIONS, CALL: (213)383-3222
3250 Wilshire Blvd., Suite 1918
Los Angeles, CA 90010
(213) 383-3222
psg@immigrationguru.com