US IMMIGRATION

USCIS ANNOUNCES A PROPOSAL TO INCREASE PERIODS OF STAY FOR TN PROFESSIONAL WORKERS FROM CANADA OR MEXICO

WASHINGTON—U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced today that it is publishing a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) to increase the maximum amount of time a Trade- NAFTA (TN) professional worker from Canada or Mexico can remain in the United States before seeking readmission or obtaining an extension of stay. The proposal will extend the maximum period of admission for TN workers from one year to three years, the same term that USCIS currently may grant to H-1B specialty occupation workers...

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17-Month Extension of Optional Practical Training for
Certain Highly Skilled Foreign Students

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security released today an interim final rule extending the period of Optional Practical Training (OPT) from 12 to 29 months for qualified F-1 non-immigrant students. The extension will be available to F-1 students with a degree in science, technology, engineering, or mathematics who are employed by businesses enrolled in the E-Verify program...

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Spring Break Announcement

If You Leave U.S., Take Appropriate Travel Documents
Washington - U.S. Customs and Border Protection is reminding travelers planning spring
break trips to Canada, Mexico, Bermuda or the Caribbean to make sure they have the proper documents. All travelers, including U.S. and Canadian citizens, are now required to present proof of citizenship and identity to enter the United States at land and sea ports of entry... Full Article »

U.S. Passport Card Frequently Asked Questions
Why a Passport Card? The Department of State has  developed a Passport Card as a more portable and less expensive alternative to the traditional passport book. The passport card is a basic component of the PASS (People Access Security Service) system announced by Secretaries Rice and Chertoff in January 2006, and will meet the specific requirements of the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative (WHTI) to secure and expedite... Details »

DHS Ends Oral Declarations at Borders, Reminds Travelers of New Procedures on January 31

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) reminds travelers that beginning January 31, 2008, border crossers will be asked to present documents denoting citizenship and identity when entering the United States through land and sea ports of entry. This change primarily affects United States and Canadian citizens, who have previously been permitted entry by oral declaration alone... Details »

Frequently Asked Questions: New Border Crossing Procedures Beginning January 31, 2008

What is the change beginning January 31, 2008?
Currently, upon entering the United States at a land border port of entry, an individual without documentation can verbally claim to be a U. S. citizen. On January 31, DHS is ending this practice such that oral declarations alone to prove identity and citizenship will no longer be sufficient... Details »

Fact Sheet
Transition to 10-Fingerprint Collection

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is transitioning from collecting two digital
fingerprints to collecting 10 fingerprints from international visitors to the United States. This
transition is one of the department’s top priorities because it furthers DHS’s ability to keep
dangerous people out of the United States, while making legitimate travel more efficient...

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U.S. Citizens with Pending Passport Applications Allowed Temporary Travel Flexibility

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Departments of State and Homeland Security announced June 8, 2007 that U.S. citizens traveling to Canada, Mexico, the Caribbean, and Bermuda who have applied for but not yet received passports can nevertheless temporarily enter and depart from the United States by air with a government issued photo identification and Department of State official proof of application for a passport through September 30, 2007.  The federal government is making this accommodation for air travel due to longer than expected processing times for passport applications in the face of record-breaking demand....

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