01.05.10
Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Janet Napolitano announced the designation of Greece as a member of the Visa Waiver Program (VWP) - strengthening passenger information sharing and ensuring strict security standards while streamlining travel for Greek citizens visiting the United States.
“Our efforts to guard against terrorism while enhancing legal travel and trade depend upon close collaboration with our international partners,” said Secretary Napolitano. “I commend our partners in Greece for committing to strong screening and security standards and enhanced information sharing for travel by Greek citizens to the United States as we work together to protect our citizens and strengthen our economies.”
Greece’s Visa Waiver Program (VWP) designation represents a major step forward in the continued and long-standing economic and security partnership between the United States and Greece - reflecting more than two years of coordination between the two countries on Greece’s entry into Visa Waiver Program (VWP).
In accordance with the VWP designation process, DHS determined that Greece complies with key security and information-sharing requirements—such as enhanced law enforcement and security-related data sharing with the United States; timely reporting of lost and stolen passports; and the maintenance of high counterterrorism, law enforcement, border control, aviation and document security standards. In turn, Greek citizens will be permitted to travel to the United States for up to 90 days without obtaining a visa.
With this announcement, Greece joins the 35 nations already participating in Visa Waiver Program (VWP) - established as a pilot program in 1986 to help eliminate unnecessary barriers to travel and made permanent on October 30, 2000. Like VWP travelers from other countries, Greek citizens will be required to apply for an Electronic System Travel Authorization (ESTA) through the Web-based system. Greek citizens will be able to visit the United States without visas in approximately 30 days.
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01.05.10
Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Janet Napolitano joined U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) Director Alejandro Mayorkas to announce a trio of initiatives to strengthen the efficiency and accuracy of the E-Verify system.
These initiatives include a new agreement with the Department of Justice that will streamline the adjudication process in cases of E-Verify misuse and discrimination; an informational telephone hotline for employees to provide a more timely, effective and seamless customer experience for workers seeking E-Verify information; and new training videos focusing on E-Verify procedures and policies, employee rights and employer responsibilities in English and Spanish.
“E-Verify is a smart, simple and effective tool that helps employers across the country maintain a legal workforce,” said Secretary Napolitano. “The initiatives announced today will provide essential information to workers about their rights and ensure that E-Verify is used fairly while bolstering the Department's efforts to protect critical employment opportunities.”
“USCIS continues to partner with our federal colleagues, as well as industry and employee representatives, to build a verification program that is accurate, efficient and fair for employers and workers alike,” said Director Mayorkas. “We look forward to working with our colleagues in the Department of Justice to ensure the continued integrity and improvement of E-Verify.”
“This agreement will better enable us to protect individuals who are authorized to work in this country from national origin or citizenship-status discrimination,” said Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights Division Thomas Perez. “We will not hesitate to take action against employers who violate our nation’s civil rights laws.”
The Memorandum of Agreement signed between USCIS and the Department of Justice’s Office of Special Counsel for Unfair Immigration-Related Employment Practices establishes a streamlined process for addressing potential cases of discrimination and employer misuse of E-Verify and establishes protocol between USCIS and the Department of Justice for referring matters that fall within the agencies’ respective jurisdictions.
Additionally, the USCIS E-Verify help line will now offer employees information about the E-Verify process, as well as assistance in completing the Form I-9 (Employment Eligibility Verification). Callers can also use the help line to file complaints about possible discrimination or employer misuse of the E-Verify program. The hotline number is (888) 897-7781 and will be active beginning April 5, 2010.
E-Verify is a free, easy-to-use Web-based system—operated in partnership by USCIS and the Social Security Administration—that allows participating employers to electronically verify the employment eligibility of newly-hired employees. More than 192,000 participating employers at more than 705,000 worksites nationwide currently use E-Verify to electronically verify their workers’ employment eligibility. Since Oct. 1, 2009, E-Verify has processed more than six million queries.
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29.01.10
WASHINGTON - The Department of Homeland Security and Immigration (DHS) today announced a 12-month extension of Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for nationals of Somalia until September 17, 2005. Under this extension, those who have already been granted TPS are eligible to live and work in the United States for an additional year and continue to maintain their status. There are approximately 324 nationals of Somalia (or aliens having no nationality who last habitually resided in Somalia) who are eligible for re-registration.
The extension of TPS for Somalia is effective September 17, 2004, and will remain in effect until September 17, 2005. Nationals of Somalia who have been granted TPS must re-register for the 12-month extension during the 60-day re-registration period, which begins on August 6, 2004 and will remain in effect until October 5, 2004. USCIS sought to give TPS beneficiaries a full 60 days to re-register. However, those Somalia TPS beneficiaries who are applying for work authorization should do so before their current EAD expires.
Section 244 of the Immigration and Nationality Act authorizes the Secretary of Homeland Security to grant TPS to aliens in the United States who are nationals of countries that are subject to ongoing armed conflict, environmental disaster, or other extraordinary and temporary conditions. On September 16, 1991 and September 4, 2001, the Attorney General (who retained authority over TPS designations prior to the creation of the Department of Homeland Security on March 1, 2003) designated TPS for Somalia based on extraordinary and temporary conditions resulting from the armed conflict there. TPS for Somalia has been extended annually and the most recent extension expires on September 17, 2004. The U.S. Government continues to examine conditions in Somalia and finds that an extension of TPS is warranted because the extraordinary and temporary conditions that prompted designation persist.
To re-register for TPS under the extension, a TPS applicant must submit Form I-821 (Application for Temporary Protected Status) without the filing fee, Form I-765 (Application for Employment Authorization), two identification photographs (full face frontal, 2"x2") and a $70 biometrics services fee for each applicant age 14 and older to the local U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) district office. Both the Form I-765 and I-821 must be submitted for re-registration. If the applicant is only seeking to re-register for TPS and not seeking an extension of employment authorization, there is no filing fee for the Form I-765. However, all applicants seeking an extension of employment authorization until September 17, 2005 must submit a $175 filing fee with Form I-765. Applicants may request a fee waiver in accordance with the regulations. All applicants age 14 and older are required to submit the $70 biometric service fee. Failure to submit the required photographs and filing fees will result in the rejection of the re-registration application.
USCIS has published a revised Form I-821, Application for Temporary Protected Status. This form is available on the USCIS web site at www.uscis.gov and will be made available at local USCIS offices. USCIS will continue to accept the former I-821 Form until September 30, 2004. Applications for TPS re-registration submitted after September 30, 2004 must be filed using the revised Form I-821.
More information can be obtained from the USCIS National Customer Service Center toll-free number:
-USCIS-
On March 1, 2003, U.S Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) became one of three former Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS) components to join the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. USCIS is charged with fundamentally transforming and improving the delivery of immigration and citizenship services, while enhancing the integrity of our nation's security.
29.01.10
Department of Homeland Security Under Secretary for Border and Transportation Security Asa Hutchinson announced plans to expand control of the United States borders through increased use of immigration laws to combat illegal entry between the ports of entry while facilitating travel for legitimate Mexican visitors.
This will be accomplished by:
"We want to send a clear message that those individuals who follow legal immigration procedures will benefit while those who choose to break our nation's immigration laws will be promptly removed from the U.S.," said Under Secretary Hutchinson.
Expedited Removal
While expedited removal has been effectively used at official ports of entry in the U.S. since 1997, it has not been applied on the land borders between the ports of entry. The expansion of expedited removal processing will allow DHS to speed the removal of illegal aliens who are caught while attempting to enter the United States by fraudulent means or while attempting to elude Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Border Patrol agents. This new procedure will only apply to those caught within 100 miles of the Mexican or Canadian borders, and only if they are apprehended within their first 14 days in the U.S. The expanded use of expedited removal is primarily directed at those illegal aliens who are not citizens of Mexico or Canada.
When a person is apprehended and placed in expedited removal proceedings by a CBP Border Patrol agent, he or she generally will be detained and removed to his or her country of origin as soon as circumstances allow. They will not be released into the U.S. in most cases, and is not provided a hearing before an Immigration Judge unless he or she is determined to have a credible fear of return to his or her country.
Any person who expresses an intention to apply for asylum, or a fear of persecution or torture, or a fear of return to his or her home country will be referred to a U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (CIS) asylum officer for a "credible fear" interview. If the person is found to have a credible fear, he or she will be removed from the expedited removal process and may seek protection in a removal hearing before an Immigration Judge.
Border Crossing Card
DHS also has decided to expand the time restriction on border crossing cards (BCCs) used by Mexicans to enter the U.S. for temporary visits. This decision was closely coordinated between Secretary for Homeland Security Tom Ridge and Mexican Secretary of Government Santiago Creel. Current rules limit the BCC holder to visits of up to 72 hours within the border zone of 25 miles along the border in Texas, New Mexico, and California and 75 miles of the border in Arizona. Cardholders are exempt from US-VISIT processing for their short, border-zone visits. In order to travel in the U.S. for longer periods or outside of the border zone, a cardholder must obtain an I-94 form (Record of Entry/Departure), which allows travel throughout the U.S. for up to six months.
The forthcoming rule will extend the time limit for BCC visitors from 72 hours to a period of 30 days. As a result of this change, only BCC holders applying for entry of more than 30 days or travel outside of the border zone would be processed through US-VISIT at the time they apply for an I-94 form. This would begin prior to the implementation of US-VISIT at the 50 busiest land border ports-of-entry, scheduled to start on Dec. 31, 2004.
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