Processing times update:

All service centers updated processing times (date May 18, 2007, published today):

• California
• Nebraska
• Texas
• Vermont

Open letter in support of immigration reform

Leading technology companies issued an open letter to Congress asking to take steps towards immigration reform, do not hold legal immigration because of illegal immigration compromises and streamline the process of bringing talent to US in order to stay competitive.
Full text can be found here:
http://www.competeamerica.org/hill/letter_congress/letter_5-7-07.pdf

Yet another name check story

On NPR now.
Full text.

Blind person, who came to the country more than 15 years ago had problems clearing name check for 2 years and had to file a lawsuit.

Some people took different avenue to clean name check: newspaper

Chicago Tribune article

THE PROBLEM

Promila Mehta and Stanislaw Makarewicz passed their naturalization tests, but years later they had not been sworn in as U.S. citizens.

THE SOLUTION

Tuesday morning, both took an oath to their new country.

Processing times updates

All service centers updated processing times (date April 18, 2007, published today):

• California
• Nebraska
• Texas
• Vermont
  

SKIL Act of 2007 introduced

SKIL bill of 2007 was introduced to Senate and House.
Senate: [S.1083.IS] (Apr, 10 2007, Sen. Cronyn)
House:[H.R.1930.IH](Apr, 18 2007, Mr. Shadegg)

While granting a lot of relief for filing permanent residence and receiving work visas this bill potentially leaves unattended a very serious problem of name check clearance. More over it removes any known ways to influence agencies involved in name check processing by making any lawsuit meaningless. In other proposed bill, STRIVE 2007 , there is a special section 208 that imposes time limits and requires explanation of delays from the agencies. Citizen Promotion Act of 2007 also has a section 5 dedicated to streamlining of name check processing.

Attempt to get immigration news aggregator

I just put together new aggregator based on Y! Pipes and Dapper. You can check it out right HERE.
Just enter search criteria in the text box (like "H-1B" or "fbi" or leave it empty to get all recent postings).

Let me know if you liked it or have ideas on improvement.

URL is: http://pipes.yahoo.com/pipes/pipe.info?_id=gH48BHvv2xGOTe6JyjUFzw

September? Really?

"Ninety seven percent of applicants are cleared in less than six months, Gonzalez said, but three percent get stuck in name check limbo. The situation has led thousands to sue Gonzalez's agency.

Gonzalez is negotiating with the FBI on ways to speed the process as early as September. One solution: his agency may pay the FBI more money and provide trained clerks to cut back on delays."

Full text at KRT Wire