ABC’s Jeffrey Kofman on Becoming an American Citizen

n February 25, 2010, Jeffrey Kofman, ABC’s Miami-based Correspondent for Florida, the Caribbean and Latin America, became a U.S. citizen. Kofman was born in Toronto, Canada. He moved to the United States in 1997 and joined ABC News in 2001.

He was asked to deliver the keynote address to the 224 other New Americans who were sworn in at the same ceremony at the Miami headquarters of U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services.

Here are his remarks:

We are now Americans.

We ARE Americans.

To all of you – all 224 of you – congratulations!

While today’s ceremony makes it official, the significance of this moment actually hit me about six weeks ago, when I came to this same building  for my citizenship interview.  There I sat in the waiting room, perhaps with some of you along with many others.  I could tell some were anxious and nervous, awaiting what I sensed was the most important test of their lives.

I heard my name called out and I was ushered into my interview to be quizzed by a friendly but no-nonsense immigration officer. She went through the same routine that all of you now know. Had I ever been a member of the Communist Party? No. Had I ever been a War Criminal? No. The questions continued. I answered them honestly and appropriately.

Then I was asked to read a sentence to prove my literacy:  ABRAHAM LINCOLN WAS PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES, or something like that.

Then I was asked to write a sentence.  I think it was something about George Washington.

And then history quiz. I knew I had to get six out of ten right. I am journalist. I grew up in Canada, English is my native language. So, the process was less daunting for me than it might have been for others. And it helps that I’ve reported and written on American politics. But I humbly did not want to take to take this important moment for granted. And so, like you, I studied the 100 possible questions in the booklet we were all given. For me, the answers to most of the questions were familiar.

And so when I was asked to name one of the two biggest rivers in the United States, I confidently responded: Mississippi.

When I was asked to name the Speaker of the House of Representatives, no problem. I knew that too:  Nancy Pelosi.

But when I was asked what the first ten amendments to the constitution are called, I was glad I had studied, because I confess I did not know the answer to that question until I did my home work: The Bill of Rights.

I was beginning to have fun. I began to feel like a contestant on a TV game show. And I guess in a certain way that’s what we all were. In this case the prize behind Door #1 is the passport so much of the world can only dream of.

Like all of you, I passed. I got the first six questions right.  But I suddenly found myself wanting to answer more questions to prove my worthiness.  So I was a little disappointed when I didn’t get to answer questions 7, 8, 9 and 10. Clearly, the process only needed correct answers for six questions, so no more were asked.

When the interview was over the immigration officer reached to the far side of her desk and grabbed a bulky rubber stamp. I watched as it hit the paper. When she lifted it, it left behind a big red imprint. In the middle, the single word “APPROVED.” As I looked at my application and at the bright red stamp, it hit me.

I am now an American.

Read the rest of the story on ABC

The Startup Visa: Create Jobs, Get A Green Card

A bill introduced today in the Senate by Democrat John Kerry and Republican Richard Lugar proposes a new type of visa for immigrants who create startups and jobs in the U.S. A similar proposal is part of an immigration reform bill in the House. The Startup Visa Act of 2010 would create a two year visa for immigrant entrepreneurs who are able to raise a minimum of $250,000, with $100,000 coming from a qualified U.S. angel or venture investor. After two years, if the immigrant entrepreneur is able to create five or more jobs (not including their children or spouse), attract an additional $1 million in investment, or produce $1 million in revenues, he or she will become a legal resident.The bill would carve out a new “EB-6″ class of visas from the existing “EB-5″ class of visas which has a higher threshold for becoming a legal resident. So it’s not really that radical. The EB-5 requires immigrants to invest at least $1 million in the U.S. and employ ten people.

Read the full story on the Washington Post

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Many H-1B workers get temporary jobs, study finds

Many employers sponsor H-1B holders to have them fill temporary posts, not to become full-time residents of the U.S., according to a study released last week by the Economic Policy Institute, a Washington-based nonprofit think tank.

The differences in the ways companies use H-1B visas can be stark, according to the study, which was authored by Ron Hira, an associate professor of public policy at the Rochester Institute of Technology and a longtime critic of the H-1B visa program.

The study was called misleading by a spokesman for Compete America, a coalition of vendors, universities and other sponsors of H-1B visa holders. Spokesman Eric Thomas in particular questioned the use of L-1 visa data in the study. The L-1 visa is used by multinational companies for intracompany transfers. “That’s how the system was designed, and that’s how it’s working. Lumping different visa categories into one bucket is a clear attempt to skew the data,” he said.

Hira argues that visa rules put most of the power to control H-1B workers in the hands of employers. Visa workers can “switch jobs in very limited circumstances, and their employer can revoke the visa at any time by terminating their employment, forcing the worker out of status with immigration authorities. If employment is terminated, the worker must leave the country immediately,” the study said.

Eleanor Pelta, first vice president of the American Immigration Lawyers Association, was critical of Hira’s assessment of the role that H-1B workers play in the workforce and noted that visa proponents are hoping that Congress reforms the current rules. Such reforms, expected in a comprehensive immigration bill, could make it easier for highly skilled workers to get permanent residency.

Citing the multiyear backlog in green card applications, Pelta said that she doesn’t believe visa holders should come to the US “and then wait 10 to 15 years for a green card; I think that is really bad for the economy.”

Read the full story on Computer World

Naturalization Update

Never has there been a better time for eligible applicants to Naturalize and become U.S. Citizens. Recent Naturalization cases successfully accomplished by Reeves and Associates show a timeframe of about 3-8 months in most cases.

In a surprising Press Release announcement dated January 28, 2010, USCIS stated that there are nearly 3.5 million Legal Permanent Residents (Green Card Holders) in the State of California. According to USCIS, 2.5 million of these legal permanent residents are currently eligible to naturalize and become U.S. Citizens.

Source: Rreeves

Immigration laws quash many dreams

UNDER CURRENT U.S. immigration law, there are three primary ways to gain legal entry into the country other than for a limited stay as a tourist.

• The first is through the annual “green card diversity lottery,” held each year by the Department of Homeland Security, for citizens of countries that have “low rates of immigration” to the United States. Millions of people from specified countries around the world apply to take part in the lottery, but only 50,000 green cards are made available through the process. Each participant in the lottery is issued a number, the government draws about 150,000 numbers, and the people with those numbers then are allowed to apply for one of the 50,000 slots.

• The second way to gain legal entry is to be a spouse, sibling, child or parent of an American citizen or the spouse or minor child of someone who holds a green card and is willing to sponsor your entrance into the United States.

• The third is through an employer, who must complete a lengthy application process that requires proof that the has a unique skill necessary to the business.

THERE ARE other provisions of immigration law that allow people who are seeking asylum to gain legal entry into the country, but being granted asylum is an extraordinarily difficult process.

An additional number of other immigrants are admitted each year under temporary work permits and student visas, however those visas generally do not permit conversion to immigrant status, and they require the holder to leave after a specified length of stay.

And then there is the “S” visa. Essentially a free pass, the visa is awarded only to those who work for law enforcement and must be applied for by law-enforcement officials. The Mayas say immigration officials promised them the “S” visa, but then reneged.

According to immigration officials, only 250 “S” visas are available each year, and fewer than 60 were awarded in 2009.

CONGRESS last year set immigration visa limits at 700,000 for employment and family preferences, excluding refugees and those entering the country on temporary work or student visas.

In 2008, the total number of immigrants admitted to the country (excluding refugees and those on temporary non-tourist visas) tallied just under 750,000.

Source: Daily Free Man

Green Card Through Marriage

You do not have to use a lawyer to apply for a green card through marriage. Easygration offers you a better option!

Congratulations on getting married!

As part of this exciting time-of-life, you are probably also looking for an affordable, simple and quick option for filing your green card application.

Did you know that you do not have to use a lawyer to file the application? Many couples choose to complete the application process by themselves and avoid the huge fees that lawyers charge (which range from $1,000 to $5,000).

Easygration offers you an even better option than paying these fees or spending lots of time learning all the legal jargon and studying the different forms. Since we are not lawyers, but experts on green card through marriage, we do not charge hefty legal fees, and since we review every case and only take green card cases that do not require a lawyer, you can feel rest assured that you are in good hands.

We prepare the forms for you and you do the rest:
✓All required forms to successfully apply for a Green Card through marriage.
✓Forms for work authorization, so the alien spouse can work in the USA while waiting for the green card to be processed.
✓Forms for travel authorization (advance parole), so the alien spouse can travel outside the USA while waiting for the green card to be processed.
✓Detailed instructions on how to file the green card application.

Contact Easygration for your green card through marriage application.

Note: Easygration is not a law firm.

For more information:
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Immigrants take vows to stay here

Federal agents used old-fashioned detective work to prove that a professional couple from Ghana was trying to dodge immigration laws when they dissolved their marriage and wed U.S. citizens.

According to court documents, immigration agents placed the couple’s Blacklick house under surveillance, interviewed their next-door neighbors and sorted through trash bags taken from their curbside refuse container.

The agents collected enough evidence to establish that Kwadwo Asante and Lilian Asante were living as husband and wife but had entered sham marriages with others in hopes of gaining permanent residency in the United States.

Both pleaded guilty and were sentenced yesterday to two years on probation. An immigration judge is expected to deport them.

The tactics used by agents in the case aren’t typical, said a Columbus immigration lawyer, but they illustrate the extremes to which officials will go to investigate the validity of marriages between citizen and noncitizens.

“The truth is, if the government suspects that a marriage isn’t bona fide, they’ll investigate mightily,” said Kenneth J. Robinson.

Federal law is clear: Any individual who “knowingly enters into a marriage for the purpose of evading any immigration law” faces up to five years in prison and a $250,000 fine.

The notion that marriage to a citizen is a simple path to a green card visa granting permanent residency is a common misconception, said Dennis Muchnicki, a Dublin-based immigration lawyer. “People think the process is easy, but it’s no walk in the park,” he said.

The couple must file forms with immigration officials asking the government to formally recognize the relationship and grant the noncitizen permanent residency.

The process can take five to seven months, requires exhaustive documentation and includes an interview with an immigration official who separates the couple and asks personal questions, such as where they put their dirty clothes and which side of the bed each sleeps on.

The filing fees for a green card visa cost $1,365. Couples who hire a lawyer to assist them with the process can expect to pay an additional $1,000 to $2,000, Robinson said.

The process isn’t open to all noncitizens. Those who scramble across the border without passing through inspection checkpoints aren’t eligible to gain residency through marriage.

Those who enter the U.S. through customs with fraudulent documents can seek residency through marriage, but the bureaucratic hurdles are significant.

“The majority of those who gain residency benefits through marriage entered the country lawfully,” Robinson said.

Most often, they came to the United States with temporary work or student visas. That was the path taken by the Asantes. Lilian Asante came to attend law school at Ohio State University. Kwadwo Asante was attending Case Western Reserve University’s MBA program.

“When people come here legally from the proverbial Third World countries with a student visa and realize everything this country has to offer, a lot of them don’t want to go back,” said Daniel A. Brown, an assistant U.S. attorney in Columbus.

And some are willing to pay to find a fraudulent spouse, he said.

In December, 11 central Ohio residents were indicted for their involvement in sham marriages arranged for about $17,000 each. Federal prosecutors determined that none of the couples lived together after they were married.

Brown said sham-marriage prosecutions are rare in central Ohio, but he suspects that many escape the scrutiny of investigators.

When couples approach Robinson about helping them with the green card visa process, he puts them through the same kind of questioning they’ll get from an immigration official.

“For every 10 I take, I probably turn away two,” he said.

But he assumes that most find another lawyer willing to help them. “I don’t envy the government’s job.”

Source: The Columbus Dispatch

China narrows technology gap with US

America remains the world’s science and technology leader by minting a record number of patents and having “prolific inventors” in Silicon Valley and university and company labs, but China is gaining ground, the National Science Board said Friday in its congressionally mandated biennial report on science and engineering.
“The report is not just about where we stand, it’s about where we are headed,” National Science Foundation director Arden Bement said at the White House while rolling out the report.

The 2010 report declared 2007 was the year China caught up to the US in the number of researchers and doctoral degrees it handed out in natural sciences and engineering. The US awarded 22,500 doctorates in natural sciences and engineering in 2007, but more than half of them were awarded to foreign nationals from countries like India, China and Russia.

Past experience suggests that most new Ph.D.s will stay in the US. Despite the long wait to get a Green card visa, sluggish US economy and hype about reverse brain drain, the report shows that 60 per cent of temporary visa holders who earned doctorates in science in engineering in 1997 were still working in the US — and had no intention of leaving.

“While the US is the largest R&D performing nation — representing one-third of total world investment — Asia has narrowed the gap due to the sustained annual increases by China,” said Jose-Marie Griffiths, a member of the National Science Board.

Read the full story on DNA India

Sides forming in next immigration-reform push

he prospect of millions of illegal immigrants earning a path to citizenship is now back on the table in Congress, though the first bill out of the chute has already split some California progressives and has zero support from Republicans.
Bay Area immigrant families and their allies rallied Friday at a San Francisco high school to promote legalization and other measures that would overhaul U.S. immigration policy, which has not substantially changed for more than a decade.
They were united in favor of a humanitarian approach to reforming immigration policy, though disagreed on the finer details of a 650-page reform bill introduced last week by 92 liberal Democratic lawmakers, including four from the Bay Area.
At its crux, the bill introduced by Rep. Luis Gutierrez, D-Ill., would allow people living in the U.S. without legal documents to pay a $500 fee and show they made contributions to the U.S. through work, school, volunteering or military service. After six years on a conditional visa, those who qualify can get a green card visa and eventually obtain citizenship.
The bill is designed in part to put pressure on President Barack Obama, who has pledged to take on immigration reform next year and has advocated an overhaul that would include a path to citizenship. Opponents have characterized the bill as permissive and doomed to fail.

Read the full story on Contra Costa Times

Immigration overhaul would allow legalization of undocumented immigrants

A large group of Democratic lawmakers introduced legislation Tuesday that would allow millions of undocumented immigrants to stay in the country legally if they pay a fine, learn English and meet other requirements.
Republicans questioned the timing of adding millions of legal workers to the nation’s workforce – especially when there’s record unemployment.

“With over 15 million Americans unemployed and seven million illegals employed, amnesty legislation is an affront to American citizens and legal residents,” said Rep. Gary Miller, R-Brea.

The legislation would legalize undocumented immigrants by requiring them to register with the federal government, pay a $500 fine, learn English, pass background checks and meet other requirements. They then are eligible for a six-year visa and then a green card visa.

Source: Whittier Daily News