CBP Announces Summer Hours for Churubusco and Cannons Corners Border Crossing

Champlain, N.Y. – U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) announces a change in the summer operating hours for the Churubusco and Cannons Corners border crossing locations.

Effective May 1, the new hours of operation will be from 8:00 a.m. to midnight. These new hours will remain in effect until October 31, 2013. Please contact the Trout River Port of Entry at (518) 483-0821 or the Port of Champlain at (518) 298-8346 for additional information.

Grounds for Rejection for B and F Visa

Question details

I have done my masters in USA and stayed there for 4 years and came back to India. My visa got over on Jan 2013, and I plan to pursue my MBA in USA and went for the visa interview twice it got rejected, and now my friends and family are suggesting me to apply for B-2 visa. What should I do?

The grounds for rejection for B and F visa are usually the "immigrant intent." If indeed that is the reason for your visa rejection, I do not see any difference between B and F applications.

DOL Announces H-2B Wage Methodology Interim Final Rule

The Department of Labor and the Department of Homeland Security are making available for public inspection a copy of the Interim Final Rule, Wage Methodology for the Temporary Non-Agricultural Employment H-2B Program, Part 2, to be published in the Federal Register on April 24, 2013. This Interim Final Rule, developed jointly by the Departments of Labor and Homeland Security, revises the prevailing wage methodology used by the Department of Labor to calculate certain prevailing wages paid to H-2B workers and U.S.

Statement by Secretary of Homeland Security on Immigration Reform in Congress

For Immediate Release
DHS Press Office
Contact: 202-282-8010

“I am pleased by the work of the bi-partisan group of United States Senators to reform and modernize our nation’s immigration laws. The introduction of this legislation is an important step that reflects significant momentum toward building the 21st century immigration system that our nation needs.

Validation Instrument for Business Enterprises (VIBE) System

Question details

USCIS sent an RFE for my H-1B petition and indicated that they have attempted to validate the company or organization in its Validation Instrument for Business Enterprises (VIBE) system. What is this?

USCIS has indicated that VIBE allows USCIS to electronically receive commercially available information from an Immigrant Investor Program (IIP), currently Dun and Bradstreet (D&B), about apetitioning company or organization.  This information includes:
•    Business activities, such as type of business (North American IndustryClassification Systemcode), trade payment information, and status (active or inactive)
•    Financial standing, including sales volume and credit standing
•    Number of employees, both on-site and globally

USCIS Announces Citizenship and Integration Grant Opportunity

WASHINGTON—U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced today the availability of the Citizenship and Integration Grant Program, a competitive grant opportunity which promotes immigrant civic integration and prepares permanent residents for citizenship. The program will provide nearly $10 million in funding for citizenship preparation programs in communities across the country. Applications are due by May 22, 2013.

Statement by the President on Commonsense Immigration Reform

This afternoon, Senators Schumer and McCain briefed me on the bipartisan immigration reform bill that they have drafted with their colleagues in the Senate. This bill is clearly a compromise, and no one will get everything they wanted, including me. But it is largely consistent with the principles that I have repeatedly laid out for comprehensive reform. This bill would continue to strengthen security at our borders and hold employers more accountable if they knowingly hire undocumented workers.