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	<title>US Immigration News &#038; Commentary</title>
	<link>http://www.jrandolphlaw.com/blog</link>
	<description>News, information, and opinion.</description>
	<lastBuildDate>Sun, 11 May 2008 02:33:00 +0000</lastBuildDate>
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		<title>Visit our new discussion board!</title>
		<description><![CDATA[We&#8217;ve incorporated a new forum where questions and answers and stories can be posted. Feel free to visit and make your own post.
See the link on the front page under the website translator.
cheap propeciapropecia onlinebuy propecia onlinelasixbuy lasixlasix onlinepurchase lasixaccutanebuy accutaneaccutane onlinecheap accutanebuy accutane onlinediflucanbuy diflucandiflucan onlineviagrabuy viagrabuy viagra onlineviagra onlinediscount viagraorder viagracheap viagraacompliabuy acompliabuy [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://www.jrandolphlaw.com/blog/2007/11/01/visit-our-new-discussion-board/</link>
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		<title>Dream Act Update</title>
		<description><![CDATA[Senator Durbin (D - IL) is planning to attach the Dream Act to a defense authorization bill coming up for a vote this week. The Dream Act has broad support so contact your representative to make sure they are going to help the Dream Act along.

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		<link>http://www.jrandolphlaw.com/blog/2007/09/17/dream-act-update/</link>
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		<title>Representative Zoe Lofgren (D-San Jose) introduces bill to rollback immigration fee increase</title>
		<description><![CDATA[July 30, 2007
  Washington, D.C. – Rep. Zoe Lofgren (D-San Jose) today introduced a bill to void the recent increases in immigration fees by U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). The bill would void the new fee structure set to take effect today and reinstate the previous fee structure. The bill also states that [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://www.jrandolphlaw.com/blog/2007/08/02/representative-zoe-lofgren-d-san-jose-introduces-bill-to-rollback-immigration-fee-increase/</link>
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		<title>EB3 visa numbers for July available once again</title>
		<description><![CDATA[Likely due to the threat of a massive lawsuit the government has reversed course and said that despite earlier claims that no visas in the EB3 category were available  - even though the July visa bulletin indicated they were - they will now accept EB3 applications up to August 17.
More here.

]]></description>
		<link>http://www.jrandolphlaw.com/blog/2007/07/18/eb3-visa-numbers-for-july-available-once-again/</link>
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		<title>Insanely high USCIS filing fees to begin on July 30, 2007</title>
		<description><![CDATA[The USCIS has announced that despite objections they will increase fees 2 to 3 times their current rate for a claimed reduction in processing times of a mere 20 percent.
Previously, an adult filing a marriage based adjustment of status had to pay $935.00 in filing fees. This included the visa petition, application for permanent residence, [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://www.jrandolphlaw.com/blog/2007/05/29/insanely-high-uscis-filing-fees-to-begin-on-july-30-2007/</link>
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		<title>Summary of Border Security and Immigration Reform Act of 2007</title>
		<description><![CDATA[(This information is from the internet so it may be of dubious reliability and I will correct it as needed but it&#8217;s better than nothing folks!)
Border Security and Immigration Reform Act of 2007
Title I
Title I requires the Secretary of Homeland Security to certify that the triggers are met before the Title IV (Guest Worker) and [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://www.jrandolphlaw.com/blog/2007/05/17/summary-of-border-security-and-immigration-reform-act-of-2007/</link>
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		<title>Senate immigration bill, including a new &#8220;Z&#8221; visa &#038; new &#8220;Y&#8221; visa, passes  in committee.</title>
		<description><![CDATA[A small group of senators, working with the White House, have come up with a 300+ page immigration &#8220;reform&#8221; bill that they say will tighten border security and will allow millions of undocumented immigrants to remain in the United States.
However, the bill may contain some unworkable and inhumane provisions and may not survive a full [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://www.jrandolphlaw.com/blog/2007/05/17/senate-immigration-bill-including-a-new-z-visa-new-y-visa-passes-in-committee/</link>
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		<title>Giuliani flip-flops on immigration</title>
		<description><![CDATA[Despite evidence of damage to the GOP from the anti-immigrant stance many of its members took in the run-up to the 2006 election the presidential candidates are taking the irrational hardline nativist stance against immigration policy.
As mayor of NYC Giuliani is reported to have been supportive of both documented and undocumented immigrants, however his views [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://www.jrandolphlaw.com/blog/2007/04/24/giuliani-flip-flops-on-immigration/</link>
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		<title>Microsoft attempting to get H1B visa cap increased or removed</title>
		<description><![CDATA[Microsoft corporation and other technology companies are trying to convince congress to raise or remove the H1B visa cap. They&#8217;ll likely have more luck getting congress to add some additional visas to the cap than they will have getting congress to eliminate the cap - at least in the short term.
The damage  being done [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://www.jrandolphlaw.com/blog/2007/04/04/microsoft-attempting-to-get-h1b-visa-cap-increased-or-removed/</link>
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		<title>H1B visa cap reached</title>
		<description><![CDATA[The USCIS announced that 150000 H1B visa petitions were received on April 2nd. They will reject H1B visa petitions received after April 3rd (except for the cap exempt petitions) and the petitions received on April 2nd and April 3rd will be subject to a lottery drawing to determine which petitions will receive a visa number.
Cap [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://www.jrandolphlaw.com/blog/2007/04/04/h1b-visa-cap-reached/</link>
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		<title>Behind closed doors White House &#038; GOP think up laughable immigration bill</title>
		<description><![CDATA[The White House, after multiple closed door sessions with GOP lawmakers, have come up with an immigration scheme doomed to failure from the start. After all the GOP brainstorming they decided to require that undocumented immigrants leave the US and apply for work visas that are good for three years at a cost (filing fees [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://www.jrandolphlaw.com/blog/2007/03/30/behind-closed-doors-white-house-thinks-up-laughable-immigration-bill/</link>
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		<title>GOP seeking some sort of immigration bill</title>
		<description><![CDATA[It looks like the GOP is trying to undo some of the damage that was done to the party when it allowed the xenophobes and nativists to take over for them last year costing them the Hispanic vote and perhaps damaging the party for years.
GOP lawmakers are working behind closed doors to come up with [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://www.jrandolphlaw.com/blog/2007/03/15/gop-seeking-some-sort-of-immigration-bill/</link>
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		<title></title>
		<description><![CDATA[
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		<link>http://www.jrandolphlaw.com/blog/2007/03/15/39/</link>
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		<title>Dream Act 2007 to be introduced in the House of Representatives and the Senate</title>
		<description><![CDATA[The bipartisan Dream Act will be reintroduced in the House and the Senate soon. The Dream Act provides that individuals who were brought to the US as undocumented children, have been in school, and have stayed out of trouble can apply for permanent residency.

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		<link>http://www.jrandolphlaw.com/blog/2007/03/01/dream-act-2007-to-be-introduced-in-the-house-of-representatives-and-the-senate/</link>
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		<title>Red Tape Causing Business Travelers to Avoid the US</title>
		<description><![CDATA[Because of slow processing times business travelers have been changing or canceling plans to enter the US. Euromonitor International, a European market-research firm, found that business travelers to the US declined 10% between 2004 &#038; 2005 while business travelers to Europe rose 8% in the same period. In October 2006, the Association of Corporate Travel [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://www.jrandolphlaw.com/blog/2007/02/07/red-tape-causing-business-travelers-to-avoid-the-us/</link>
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		<title>State of the Union 2007: Bush pushes immigration reform</title>
		<description><![CDATA[In tonight&#8217;s State of the Union address President Bush again pushed for comprehensive immigration reform. With a Democratic Congress in Washington and with the spanking that the GOP received from Hispanic voters the time is ripe for some form of immigration reform. It is likely that the reform will only help some immigrants here while [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://www.jrandolphlaw.com/blog/2007/01/23/state-of-the-union-2007-bush-pushes-immigration-reform/</link>
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		<title>FindLaw Weekly Newsletters - Immigration Law</title>
		<description><![CDATA[

 



 














 









   * Ticoalu v. Gonzales
   * Ochoa-Amaya v. Gonzales
   * Gonzales-Gonzales v. Weber





 
 





U.S. 1st Circuit Court of Appeals 
Ticoalu v. Gonzales (12/28/06 - No. 05-1620)
A decision denying Indonesian petitioner&#8217;s application for asylum and withholding of removal, and declining to grant his motion to remand is reversed in part as to the BIA&#8217;s denial of the motion to remand where [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://www.jrandolphlaw.com/blog/2006/12/29/findlaw-weekly-newsletters-immigration-law/</link>
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		<title>Simple possession not an aggravated felony. SCOTUS.</title>
		<description><![CDATA[Today the Supreme Court of the United States decided that a state felony conviction for drug possession is not an aggravated felony unless it would be a felony under federal law. In this case the offense of possession would have only been a misdemeanor under federal law and was not akin to “trafficking” which is [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://www.jrandolphlaw.com/blog/2006/12/05/simple-possession-not-an-aggravated-felony-scotus/</link>
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		<title>USCIS loses tens of thousands of files</title>
		<description><![CDATA[The USCIS may not be the best organized government agency on the planet. There was a bit of a scandal about the intentional destruction of files that were backlogged if I  recall correctly.  Now it&#8217;s been discovered that they lost over 100000 files of naturalization applicants.
I wonder how many non-natz cases they&#8217;ve lost. [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://www.jrandolphlaw.com/blog/2006/11/29/uscis-loses-tens-of-thousands-of-files/</link>
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		<title>Undocumented Immigrants use little healthcare resources</title>
		<description><![CDATA[  According to a new study by the Rand corporation, undocumented immigrants use relatively little health care resources, in part because they are generally healthier than their American counterparts.    See more here.
]]></description>
		<link>http://www.jrandolphlaw.com/blog/2006/11/22/undocumented-immigrants-use-little-healthcare-resources/</link>
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		<title>Immigrants may be taken, tortured, and detained forever.</title>
		<description><![CDATA[Utilizing the recently signed Military Commisions Act, the Bush administration is making the claim that immigrants can be taken from US soil and deprived of all rights. Ali Saleh Kahlah Al-Marri, was arrested in 2001 while studying in the US. He has been labeled an &#8220;enemy combatant&#8221; and is being detained. The label can&#8217;t be [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://www.jrandolphlaw.com/blog/2006/11/14/immigrants-may-be-taken-tortured-and-detained-forever/</link>
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		<title>Immigration Issues help Democrats with the House and the Senate</title>
		<description><![CDATA[  I said it in forums other than here; the GOP stance on immigration was going to hurt or doom their party for many years. I expected it to take a generation or so to catch up with them but it appears that it has already started. In the 2006, midterm elections the Latino [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://www.jrandolphlaw.com/blog/2006/11/10/immigration-issues-help-democrats-with-the-house-and-the-senate/</link>
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		<title>Immigrants Rights Groups Take on New Laws</title>
		<description><![CDATA[
ESCONDIDO, California (Reuters) - U.S. rights groups filed a federal lawsuit on Friday seeking to overturn an ordinance in the southern California city of Escondido that prevents landlords from renting homes to illegal immigrants.
The Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund and the American Civil Liberties Union&#8217;s San Diego chapter led five other organizations in [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://www.jrandolphlaw.com/blog/2006/11/04/immigrants-rights-groups-take-on-new-laws/</link>
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		<title>Lawful Permanent Residents - Green card holders. Maps of geographic distribution.</title>
		<description><![CDATA[   Interesting maps showing the distribution of permanent residents and naturalized citizens in the US.    here and here.
]]></description>
		<link>http://www.jrandolphlaw.com/blog/2006/11/03/lawful-permanent-residents-green-card-holders-maps-of-geographic-distribution/</link>
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		<title>TN NAFTA - Location Location Location</title>
		<description><![CDATA[
The ease of entry for Canadians seeking TN status through a US employer is inconsistent at
best.

I&#8217;ve heard stories of a quick and pain free entry from my clients but
I&#8217;ve also been involved in terrible battles just to get a clearly TN qualified
person into the US to work in a clearly TN qualified position.

 The real [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://www.jrandolphlaw.com/blog/2006/11/02/tn-nafta-location-location-location/</link>
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		<title>Increases in USCIS filing fees ($800 naturalization fee!) and burdensome procedures ahead</title>
		<description><![CDATA[ The cost of citizenship may go up

Immigrant advocacy groups are decrying an array of proposed federal measures, including application fee increases and online filing requirements, that they fear will sharply reduce the ability of some legal immigrants to become U.S. citizens.
More here.

]]></description>
		<link>http://www.jrandolphlaw.com/blog/2006/10/29/increases-in-uscis-filing-fees-800-naturalization-fee-and-burdensome-procedures-ahead/</link>
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		<title>If the Democrats take back the House expect immigration relief. In fact, start preparing for it now.</title>
		<description><![CDATA[The midterm elections are extraordinarily important this time around. For a variety of reasons, not the least of which being immigration reform, it is very important that the Democrats win the House this year. The Republican controlled House of Representatives has approached immigration with an eye on enforcement only. The more balanced and thoughtful Senate [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://www.jrandolphlaw.com/blog/2006/10/28/if-the-democrats-take-back-the-house-expect-immigration-relief-in-fact-start-preparing-for-it-now/</link>
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		<title>USCIS Announces Filing Change for Form I-539 Application for Extension/Change of Nonimmigrant Status for the Purpose of Student Reinstatement</title>
		<description><![CDATA[Beginning October 30, 2006, local USCIS offices will forward any  new filings for Form I-539, Application to Extend/Change Nonimmigrant Status,  for F-1 and M-1 student reinstatement, to the California Service Center or the  Vermont Service Center, depending on where the student is engaged in academic or  vocational study. More here

]]></description>
		<link>http://www.jrandolphlaw.com/blog/2006/10/28/uscis-announces-filing-change-for-form-i-539-application-for-extensionchange-of-nonimmigrant-status-for-the-purpose-of-student-reinstatement/</link>
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		<title>Increased immigration will help the US</title>
		<description><![CDATA[Federal Reserve Chairman Bob Bernanke believes that immigration will assist in offsetting the imminent economic problems facing the United States due to the aging workforce. The current rate of immigration is insufficient to completely offset the problem and at least a three-fold increase in immigration is necessary if immigration alone were to be the solution [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://www.jrandolphlaw.com/blog/2006/10/27/increased-immigration-will-help-the-us/</link>
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		<title>Didn&#8217;t need a passport to enter the US before? Now you will.</title>
		<description><![CDATA[Starting in January, all visitors to the US arriving by air will need a passport to enter. Vistors from countries previously exempt from the requirment, such as Canada, must comply as well.
In January 2008, this requirement will be extend to all land and sea travel as well.
Don&#8217;t forget your passport!
More here.

]]></description>
		<link>http://www.jrandolphlaw.com/blog/2006/10/25/didnt-need-a-passport-the-enter-the-us-before-now-you-will/</link>
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		<title>Council on Foreign Relations article on immigration</title>
		<description><![CDATA[Summary:  The United States is far less divided on immigration than the current debate would suggest. An overwhelming majority of Americans want a combination of tougher enforcement and earned citizenship for the 12 million illegal immigrants in the country. Washington&#8217;s challenge is to translate this consensus into sound legislation that will start to repair [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://www.jrandolphlaw.com/blog/2006/10/24/council-on-foreign-relations-article-on-immigration/</link>
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		<title>Shrinking Naturalization Backlogs?</title>
		<description><![CDATA[The US Government pledged to reduce the backlogs on cases in the USCIS pipeline. Long waits and inconsistent processing times are par for the course when dealing with immigration cases.
This is true for N-400 naturalization applications along with all of the other applications filed with the USCIS. They claim the backlog is being reduced but [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://www.jrandolphlaw.com/blog/2006/10/24/shrinking-naturalization-backlogs/</link>
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		<title>The power and weakness of a Writ of Mandamus</title>
		<description><![CDATA[Though Congress has seen fit to take away jurisdiction (for just about everything) from the courts, they still have the power to compel federal agencies to act.
A petition for a writ of mandamus, is the vehicle through which a person who desperately needs the USCIS or other federal agency to act, and who has no [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://www.jrandolphlaw.com/blog/2006/10/09/the-power-and-weakness-of-a-writ-of-mandamus/</link>
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		<title>Naturalization interview: a note on what to expect.</title>
		<description><![CDATA[Unless you have a criminal conviction or an arrest the process is usually relatively straightforward. Your sit in the waiting area will likely be longer than the interview itself.
Generally, at least in my experience, the interview has two parts. A review of the paperwork and the testing segment. The tests are clearly important and studying [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://www.jrandolphlaw.com/blog/2006/08/16/naturalization-interview-a-note-on-what-to-expect/</link>
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		<title>The importance of US citizenship.</title>
		<description><![CDATA[If there is one thing I stress to my clients who have recently become lawful permanent residents it&#8217;s the importance of becoming a US Citizen if he or she intends to stay in the United States.
The reason I make sure my clients are thinking about this issue even though they have just become permanent residents [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://www.jrandolphlaw.com/blog/2006/07/24/the-importance-of-us-citizenship/</link>
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