IMMIGRATION 101 Overview by Amy R. Novick Shareholder and Senior Attorney Maggio Kattar 11 Dupont Circle, NW Suite 775

1. IMMIGRATION 101Overviewby Amy R. NovickShareholder and Senior AttorneyMaggio & Kattar11 Dupont Circle, NWSuite 775Washington, DC 20036

2. “Be careful with your immigration laws, we were careless with ours.”Chief Ben Wildhorse to Vice President Lyndon Johnson - 1961

3.   THE PLAYERS: 3 main – DHS, DOS, DOL 1. DHS – Department of Homeland Security (Homeland Security Act of 2002) consolidated functions and decisions established 3 separate agencies (formerly INS) U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) Responsible for adjudicating immigration benefits Determining eligibility for status Granting green cards Asylum Naturalization b. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Inspection of people and goods at borders and ports of entry E.g., inspectors at airports, seaports, etc. c. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Interior enforcement Investigates violations of immigration laws, enforces departures (deportation and removal) Not all receipt numbers are showing up on USCIS’s web site. There is a significant delay between their receipting system and the web site.Not all receipt numbers are showing up on USCIS’s web site. There is a significant delay between their receipting system and the web site.

6. Sources of LawThe patchwork quilt of laws woven together Statutory 1790 Naturalization Act – established requirements for citizenship 1882 Chinese Exclusion Act – repealed in 1943 1924 – National Origins Quota Act Favored European immigrants

7. 1952 Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) (McCarran-Walter Act) Comprehensive immigration legislation that forms core of contemporary immigration laws Established visa allocation preference system based on skills and family relationships List of excludable and deportable individuals Entry procedures System of relief from deportation

9. Regulatory 8 CFR – mostly INS/DHS, DOJ 20 – DOL 22, 42 – DOS 28 – DOJ Administrative BIA decisions – precedent, index and non precedent BALCA – Board of Alien Labor Certification Appeals AAO – Administrative Appeals Office – USCIS appellate OCAHO Judicial District Courts Circuit Court

10. Agency Memoranda, Cables, Manuals DHS Memos, Press Releases DOS Cables DOL Field Guidance (TALS) Foreign Affairs Manual – 9 FAM Field Manuals – Inspectors, Adjudications Immigration Judge Manual Instructions to forms

11. Visa

12. I-94 Card

13.

14. Nonimmigrant Visa ClassificationsINA § 101 (a)(15)

15. Admission of NonimmigrantsINA § 214 INA Section 214(a) gives the Attorney General the authority to determine the period of admission for nonimmigrants. Every alien (other than a nonimmigrant described in subparagraph (L) or (V) of section 1101(a)(15) of this title, and other than a nonimmigrant described in any provision of section 1101(a)(15)(H)(i) of this title except subclause (b)(1) of such section) shall be presumed to be an immigrant until he establishes to the satisfaction of the consular officer, at the time of application for a visa, and the immigration officers, at the time of application for admission, that he is entitled to a nonimmigrant status under section 1101(a)(15) of this title…(INA Section 214(b). INA Section 214(c) sets forth additional documentary and evidentiary requirements necessary to obtain a nonimmigrant visa.

16. Visitors B-1/B-2 – Visitor for business or for pleasure – 13 million issued annually Cannot work or obtain remuneration Must depart at end of visit Must maintain residence in a foreign country which national does not intended to abandon Business (B-1) Can engage in commercial transactions Negotiate contacts Consult with business associates Litigate Attend conferences Undertake independent research Limited honoraria permitted Pleasure (B-2) Tourism Medical treatments Participate in amateur athletics

18. Educational F-1 – Foreign Students Students who engage in an academic full course of study Admitted for duration of status (D/S) Monitored by DSO (designated school official) at an approved institution Eligible for optional practical training (OPT) for 12 months after completion of program 29 mo. OPT for students in STEM fields: science, technology, engineering and math.

19. M-1 – Vocational Students Similar to F-1 but for vocational institutions J-1– Exchange Visitors Exchange students coming through programs specifically approved by the State Department Two year home residency requirement Waivers are available Educational(continued)

20. Work - Most CommonA Threat to the American Workforce or Fueling Economic Growth? H – temporary workers and trainees H-1B – for temporary professionals Must have sponsoring employer Persons who will engage in a specialty occupation, defined expansively Position requires specialized knowledge Must have a bachelor’s degree or higher or its equivalent (experience for education is permissible) Employer must obtain certification from DOL in which employer attests among other things, that the wage paid to alien is the prevailing wage or no less than wage paid to similarly qualified workers Spouse and dependents cannot work Six year limit with exceptions 65,000 annual quota – can file April 1 for positions starting October 1, an additional 20,000 H-1B visas are given to foreign nationals with advanced degrees from U.S. universities & colleges

21. H-1B Employer Liabilities Pay government fees totaling $2320 per worker. Higher salary to H workers when prevailing wage above the actual wage. Notify workers of plan to employ H worker. Liable for back wages to foreign worker. Retention of Paperwork for all H-1B workers. Inability to plan and allocate resources in the U.S. Lost revenues associated with H-1B filings that are not selected for processing.

22. H-1B Workers Stimulate U.S. Economic Growth “[W]hile nine out of 10 of our employees are citizens or permanent residents, our need to find specialized skills required to run our business successfully requires us to look at candidates from around the globe – many of whom are already in the U.S. studying at one of our great universities. It is no stretch to say that without these employees, we might not be able to develop future revolutionary products like the next Gmail or Google Earth.” -Laszlo Bock, Vice-President for People Operations, Google. National Foundation For American Policy Report found that for each H-1B employee that a company hires, employers with less than 5,000 employees hire an additional 7.5 workers. Companies with more than 5,000 employees hire an additional 4.7 workers and those entities with 5,000 plus workers hire an additional 4.0 workers. National Foundation For American Policy Report confirms that employers will go out of their way by paying additional fees and higher salaries to hire H-1B workers because these workers have specific skill sets that are in short supply. National Foundation For American Policy’s survey of companies reveal that the numerical limitations of H-1B visas result in companies resorting to locating jobs offshore due to an inability to find qualified U.S. workers. Forty-six percent of surveyed companies stated that they “delayed or changed plans for projects due to the unavailability of H-1B visas.” Seventy-four percent reported that the lack of H-1B visas could affect their competitiveness against companies outside the U.S.

23. Work - Most Common(continued) H – temporary workers and trainees (continued) H-1C – for certain nurses H-2A/H-2B – temporary or seasonal positions where no U.S. workers are available H-3 – trainees in certain fields E-3 temporary professional workers from Australia Similar to H-1B Spouses can work

24. L – intracompany transferees: managers, executives, or those with specialized knowledge Have been employed abroad by affiliate, subsidiary, branch, or parent to corporation with U.S. entity Employed 1 year of last 3 years Spouse can work 5/7 year limit Direct pathway to immigrant visa as executive/manager E-1/E-2 – Treaty Trader or Investor Must be national of country where reciprocal treaty of commerce or navigation between U.S. and country of nationality Approximately 80 countries Spouse can work Does not need sponsoring employer Can be renewed indefinitely trade must be substantial E-2 Treaty Investor - investment in new commercial enterprise must be substantial No set formula for determining “substantial” - $100,000 or more often required

26. Work (Miscellaneous) A – diplomats, their families and attendants G – employees of international organizations, their families and domestic employees I – journalists

27. Miscellaneous K – Fiancés S – Persons who have information concerning criminal enterprise or organizations T – subjects of trafficking U – victims of serious violent crimes D – transit visas C – crew members (airline, vessels)

28. Visa Bulletin for October 2008

29. Immigrant VisasAbout 700,000 immigrant visas available per year Employment-Based Categories – 140,000 visas - Employees Who Require Certification From the Department Of Labor - Employees Who Are Pre-Certified Family-Based Categories - Immediate Relatives - Other Family-Based Categories Asylees & Refugees Special Immigrants Others (Section 13 of the Act, Cancellation of Removal)

30. Employment-Based Immigrant Visas First Preference Category - Multinational Executives and Managers - Outstanding Researchers - Extraordinary Ability Second Preference Category - Exceptional Ability Or Advanced Degree Professionals Whose Work Is In The National Interest - Approved Labor Certification Applications For Positions That Require An Advanced Degree Or Its Equivalent Third Preference Category - Approved Labor Certification Applications For Positions That Require Less Than An Advanced Degree, But At Least 2 Years Of Experience - Other Workers Fourth Preference Category - Religious Workers - Person seeking reacquisition of citizenship or permanent resident status. - Retired G-4 officer and family and the widow of G-4 employees or retired employees - Panama Canal Treaty employees Fifth Preference - Employment Creation Visas

31. Family-Based Immigration§ 203(a) - allocation of immigrant visas 480,000 visas available for preference categories annually minus number of immediate relatives Persons who have a familial relationship with a U.S. citizen (USC) or lawful permanent resident )(LPR) may seek status through a petition filed by a family member INA defines all terms, including child, marriage, parent, siblings, etc. USC or LPR is petitioner; foreign national is beneficiary

32. Preference Categories

33. Immediate Relatives of U.S. Citizens (children, spouses, parents)

34. Consular Processing CIS notifies Department of State National Visa Center upon approval of I-140 National Visa Center will commence application process by sending forms to the applicant for completion Applicants must present police clearances from each country where they have lived since the age of 16 Military records may be required Visa interview will be scheduled when all necessary documents have been assembled Medical examination conducted in-country at the time of the interview Upon approval of visa application, immigrant visa is placed in passport and the individual may enter the U.S. as LPR within 6 months of interview

35. Comprehensive Immigration Reform Increase temporary visa numbers (for both skilled and unskilled workers); Eradicate visa per country quotas Increase U.S. companies’ ability to compete for highly skilled workers in the global marketplace CIR facilitates assimilation into American society, not Amnesty Credit individuals with strong work ethic and commitment to self-improvement UC San Diego study shows that illegal entrants would prefer to in guest worker program Facilitate Mexican government’s ability to develop long-term solutions for the communities with high instance of illegal entry to the U.S Recognizes reality of American economy’s reliance of immigrant workforce. Steers American society from the Prohibition, zero tolerance mentality that has permeated throughout certain American communities Enforcement only strategy gives individuals no realistic opportunity to enter the U.S. legally

36. Proposals To Increase Enforcement Without Comprehensive Immigration Reform E-Verify - A Department of Homeland Security-sponsored survey raised serious doubts about this program’s capacity to uncover document fraud. - The report also pointed out that use of E-Verify will increase the likelihood of lawsuits against employers for alleged violations of the anti-discrimination and document abuse provisions of the Immigration & Nationality Act. - E-Verify will use information submitted by employers to the Social Security Administration and the Internal Revenue Service that is inconsistent with information in these agencies’ systems as “proof” of an individual’s ineligibility for employment. The DHS-sponsored report estimates an 8% error rate. If an employer does not take action to rectify the situation quickly, DHS could levy sanctions against the employer for “knowingly” hiring an undocumented worker. - To implement a nationwide mandatory E-Verify program, conservative estimates state that it would cost $765 million from 2009 to 2012.

37. Increased Enforcement Without Reform Undermines American Economic Stability SAVE Act (Also known as the Full Employment Act For Immigration Lawyers) - Would make mandatory the use of E-Verify for all employers. - Enactment of the SAVE Act would decrease federal revenues by $17.3 billion as undocumented workers are increasingly paid outside the tax system. - The SAVE Act would result in the hiring of new federal judges, increasing direct spending by $30 million. Report by Center for Comparative Immigration Studies, UC-San Diego shows that tougher enforcement measures, including raids, detention and separation from U.S. citizen family members has not resulted in a decrease in illegal immigration. Undocumented workers are relocating families to the U.S., rather than returning to Mexico. Longer stays are the result of the increased dangers of entering without inspection through the use of “coyotes” or smugglers. Documentation is critical to migrants’ ability to assimilate. Documented workers from same communities in Mexico have a high school completion rate of 80%. American communities have begun to reverse prior anti-immigrant legislation because detrimental economic impact. (e.g. Arizona and Colorado guest worker programs).

38. Basic TerminologyINA § 101(a) sets out key definitions Nonimmigrant vs. Immigrant Key distinction – temporary vs. permanent and matter of intent Presumption of intent §214(b) Every alien shall be presumed to be an immigrant until he establishes to a consular officer and immigration officer at the time of application for admission that he is entitled to a nonimmigrant status Immigrant – defined at INA §101(a)(15) Means every alien except an alien within one of the following classes of nonimmigrant aliens as listed in INA §101(a)(15) Green Card Used to be a green colored card that was issued to lawful permanent residents (now a white card) Often used interchangeably – erroneously – as work permit.