DOL ANNOUNCES NEW iCERT PORTAL SYSTEM FOR TEMPORARY AND PERMANENT LABOR CERTIFICATIONS

The Employment and Training Administration (ETA) is announcing a new electronic system for submitting the Labor Condition Application (LCA) and the Application for Permanent Employment Certification.

The Department plans to initially activate the iCERT system for purposes of establishing user accounts and filing the new LCA form (9035E). The system will be located at http://icert.doleta.gov. On and after April 15, 2009, the iCERT portal will be available for the sumission of ETA 9035E (electronic LCA H-1B application). The current electronic LCA system will continue to be available through May 14, 2009. However, effective May 15, 2009, the LCA for the H-1B program will be available for submission only through the iCERT portal system.

The PERM application, FORM ETA 9089, will become available for application submission on September 1, 2009. To allow for an appropriate transition, both systems will be active during the month of September. However, beginning October 1, 2009, PERM applications will be submitted electronically only through iCERT system accounts.

For more information, visit the ETA website for the iCERT Factsheet.

Bookmark this post with:

• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 

OBAMA TO PUSH IMMIGRATION BILL AS ONE PRIORITY

While acknowledging that the recession makes the political battle more difficult, President Obama plans to begin addressing the country's immigration system this year, including looking for a path for illegal immigrants to become legal, a senior administration official said on Wednesday. Mr. Obama will frame the new effort - likely to rouse passions on all sides of the highly divisive issue - as "policy reform that controls immigration and makes it an orderly system," said the official, Cecilia Muñoz, deputy assistant to the president and director of intergovernmental affairs in the White House.

Mr. Obama plans to speak publicly about the issue in May, administration officials said, and over the summer he will convene working groups, including lawmakers from both parties and a range of immigration groups, to begin discussing possible legislation for as early as this fall.

He said then that comprehensive immigration legislation, including a plan to make legal status possible for an estimated 12 million illegal immigrants, would be a priority in his first year in office. Latino voters turned out strongly for Mr. Obama in the election.

To read more about this story visit the New York Times Website at: www.NYTimes.com

Bookmark this post with:

• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 

USCIS CONTINUES TO ACCEPT H-1B PETITIONS

There are still a number of H1-B Visas available, but you will need to file now!
Contact Joseph Law Firm, P.C. at 303-297-9171 to inquire about the available H1-B visas.

USCIS announced it continues to accept H-1B nonimmigrant visa petitions subject to the fiscal year 2010 (FY 2010) cap. USCIS will continue to monitor the number of H-1B petitions received for both the 65,000 regular cap and the 20,000 U.S. master's degree or higher educational exemption cap.

USCIS has received approximately 42,000 H-1B petitions counting toward the Congressionally-mandated 65,000 cap. The agency continues to accept petitions subject to the general cap.

Additionally, the agency has received approximately 20,000 petitions for aliens with advanced degrees; however, we continue to accept advanced degree petitions since experience has shown that not all petitions received are approvable. Congress mandated that the first 20,000 of these types of petitions are exempt from any fiscal year cap on available H-1B visas.

Petitions filed on behalf of current H-1B workers, who have been counted previously against the cap, will not count toward the congressionally mandated FY 2010 H-1B cap.
Therefore, USCIS will continue to process petitions filed to:

- Extend the amount of time a current H-1B worker may remain in the United States.

- Change the terms of employment for current H-1B workers.

- Allow current H-1B workers to change employers.

- Allow current H-1B workers to work concurrently in a second H-1B position.

U.S. businesses use the H-1B program to employ foreign workers in specialty occupations that require theoretical or technical expertise in fields, such as scientists, engineers, or computer programmers.

To read more about this update, visit the USCIS website at: www.USCIS.gov

For more information about H-1B Visas, visit the Joseph Law Firm, P.C. website at: www.immigrationissues.com

Bookmark this post with:

• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 

VIOLATIONS OF FEDERAL IMMIGRATION LAW

ALABASTER CONSTRUCTION COMPANY OWNER CHARGED WITH EMPLOYING ILLEGAL ALIENS

BIRMINGHAM, AL - A 38-year-old woman was indicted here yesterday on charges for harboring and employing undocumented persons following a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Alabaster Police Department Investigation. Beverly Linan, who owned and operated Rodriguez Construction Company with offices in Alabaster, Alabama, was charged in a three-count indictment.

Rodriguez Construction performed masonry work throughout the Jefferson and Shelby County areas. Count one charged Linan with harboring undocumented persons and counts two and three charged her with knowingly employing undocumented persons and a forfeiture to recover profits made from employing undocumented persons respectively. If convicted on all counts, Linan faces a maximum term of imprisonment of 10 years and a fine of $250,000. More on Employer Compliance

SUPERSEDING INDICTMENTS CHARGE 7 IFCO MANAGERS WITH VIOLATING FEDERAL IMMIGRATION LAW

ALBANY, NY - A federal grand jury today returned superseding indictments on seven IFCO Systems of North America managers stemming from a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) investigation of undocumented immigration and employment-related practices at IFCO's pallet management services plants nationwide. So far in the investigation 16 IFCO managers and employees are facing criminal charges. Of those, nine have already pleaded guilty to a variety of federal criminal immigration charges and the remaining seven have been indicted.

On April 19, 2006, ICE agents, in concert with other federal and state authorities, conducted a work site enforcement action at over 40 IFCO pallet plants in 26 states, which resulted in the detention of 1,182 undocumented persons working at those plants. Last month, the United States reached a record corporate settlement with IFCO, pursuant to which the company agreed to pay $20.7 million dollars in civil forfeitures and penalties over four years. The settlement amount included $2.6 million dollars in back pay and penalties relating to IFCO's overtime violations with respect to 1,700 of its pallet workers. IFCO also agreed to pay $18.1 million in civil forefeitures that will be available to support future law enforcement actitivities. More on Employer Compliance.

FOR MORE INFORMATION VISIT www.ice.gov

Bookmark this post with:

• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 

Secretary Napolitano Issues Immigration and Border Security Action Directive

U.S. Department of Homeland Security(DHS) Secretary Janet Napolitano announced today a wide-ranging action directive on immigration and border security.

The Directive requires specific department offices and components to work together and with state and local partners to review and assess the plans and policies to address: criminal and fugitive undocumented persons; legal immigration benefit backlogs; southbound gun smuggling; cooperation with the National Guard; widows and widowers of U.S. citizens; immigration detention centers; and electronic employee verification.

CLICK FOR THE FULL ACTION DIRECTIVE

Bookmark this post with:

• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
•