BAGON LAW FIRM

On Monday, June 25, 2012, the US Supreme Court upheld the main provision of Arizona's crackdown on illegal immigrants but threw out three other parts.   These three provisions required immigrants to carry immigration papers at all times, banned illegal immigrants from soliciting work in public places, and requires state law enforcement officials to determine the immigration status of anyone they stop or arrest if they have reason to suspect that the individual might be in the country illegally.  Though the court gave the go-ahead to a key provision of Arizona's crackdown on illegal immigrants, it also warned that people could not be held for extended periods for not having proper immigration papers. In their ruling, the justices said the federal government had the ultimate authority to decide who would be held on immigration charges and possibly deported. Arizona police officers must also check with federal immigratio...

On June 15, 2012, DHS announced that certain young people who entered the US before age 16 will no longer be removed from the United States. Qualifying individuals will be granted "deferred action" and be eligible for a work permit. In order to be eligible for deferred action an individual must prove that he or she:  Was under 31 years old on June 15, 2012 Came to the United States at the age of 16 Has continuously resided in the United States for at least 5 years before June 15, 2012, and was physically present in the United States on June 15, 2012. Is currently attending school, has graduated from high school, has obtained a G.E.D. certificate or is an honorably discharged veteran of the US Armed Forces or Coast Guard. Has not been convicted of a felony offense,significant misdemeanor offense, multiple misdemeanor offenses, or otherwise possessed a threat to the community or national security. The government will inform the public how to apply within 60 days ...

On June 15, 2012, Secretary Janet Napolitano issued a memorandum directing DHS components to exercise prosecutorial discretion on an individualized basis with respect to certain individuals who came to the United States as children. If an individual is in removal proceedings or subject to a final order of removal, that person will be eligible for an exercise of discretion, specifically deferred action, on a case-by-case basis if the following requirements are met. 1.) Came to the United States under the age of sixteen; 2.) Have continuously resided in the United States for a least five years preceding the date of this memorandum and are present in the United States on the date of this memorandum; 3.) Are currently in school, have graduated from high school, have obtained a general education development certificate, or are honorably discharged veterans of the Coast Guard or Armed Forces of the United States; 4.) Have not been convicted of a felony offense, a significant misdemeano...

The Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) system in San Francisco experienced a fire today and, as a result of the disruption to service, some applicants may be unable to get to the San Francisco Field Office for their scheduled interviews.  USCIS will automatically reschedule interviews for those affected. Source: USCIS-NEWS If you have any questions or need assistance with your immigration matter,  please do not hesitate to contact our office.  Sharlene Mae Bagon, Esq. BAGON LAW FIRM 6700 Fallbrook Avenue Suite 125H West Hills, CA 91307 Toll Free: (888) 992-2466 Main Tel.: (818) 539-0120 Fax: (888) 589-0804 www.bagonlawfirm.com

O n June 11, 2012, USCIS received a sufficient number of petitions to reach the statutory cap for FY 2013.   On June 7, 2012, USCIS also received more than 20,000 H-1B petitions on behalf of persons exempt from the cap under the advanced degree exemption.  USCIS will reject petitions subject to the cap for H-1B specialty occupation workers seeking an employment start date in FY 2013 that are received after June 11, 2012. FY 2013 H-1B Cap Count Cap Type Cap Amount Cap Eligible Petitions Date of Last Count H-1B Regular Cap 65,000 65,000 06/11/2012 H-1B Master’s Degree Exemption 20,000 20,000 06/11/2012 Source: USCIS If you have any questions or need assistance with your immigration matter,  please do not hesitate to contact our office.  Sharlene Mae Bagon, Esq. BAGON LAW FIRM 6700 Fallbrook Avenue Suite 125H West Hills, CA ...

FAMILY – SPONSORED PREFERENCES F1 : A good movement for all chargeability areas, China and India  (22 Jun to 08 Jul 2005).  A good movement for Mexico (15 May to 08 Jun 1993),  two weeks of progress for Philippines (01 Jul to 15 Jul 1997). F2A:  A progress move to all chargeability areas, China, India and Philippines (01 Jan to 15 Feb 2010). A good leap of progress for Mexico (8 Dec 2009 to 01 Feb 2010). F2B: A positive movement for all chargeability areas, China and India (15 Apr to 01 May 2004). For Mexico and Philippines, from Visa Retrogression to no movement at all.        F3: A good movement for all chargeability areas, China and India  (01 Apr to 15 Apr 2002). A week of progress for Mexico (15 Jan to 22 Jan 1993) and no progress Philippines. F4: Slight movement for all chargeability areas and India  (08 Jan to 22 Jan 2001), good leap of progress for China (15 Dec 2000 to 22 Jan...

Have you ever wondered about your great-grandparents and when they became a U.S. Citizen? Or have you wanted to work on your family's migration history?   If you are someone who is interested in discovering your lineage, USCIS offers Genealogy Program. It is a free based service providing family historian and other researchers with timely and accurate  access to historical immigration and naturalization records. For most genealogical researchers, the services offered by the Genealogy Program are more efficient than filing freedom of Information Act Request. Request maybe submitted online using a credit card or via postal mail using money order or cashiers check with Form G-1041, Genealogy Index Search Request, or Form G-1041A, Genealogy Records Request. Completed forms can be sent to:                               ...

USCIS celebrates the 235th anniversary of the adoption of the official national symbol—the Stars and Stripes—by welcoming thousands of new citizens in special naturalization ceremonies across the nation.  Flag Day celebrations run June 8-22 and include events in towns from Alaska to Maine.   Date City, State Location 6/8/2012 New York, NY New York City Field Office 6/14/2012 Philadelphia, PA US District Court, Eastern District of PA 6/14/2012 Mystic, CT Mystic Seaport 6/14/2012 Buffalo, NY The Buffalo and Erie County Historical Society 6/14/2012 Las Vegas, NV US District Court 6/14/2012 Irving, TX Dallas Field Office 6/14/2012 Baltimore, MD Maryland Historical Society Museum 6/14/2012 St. Louis, MO Jefferson National Expansion Memorial - Old Courthouse 6/14/2012 ...

The Ombudsman provides individual assistance to members of the public who have not been able to resolve a problem with USCIS application or petition. USCIS are often asked in what kinds of situations is most effective. Below are recent examples in which USCIS resolved problems  in response to inquiries to Ombudsman's office. Expedited Processing for Military Move A military service member's dependent spouse and children filed applications to adjust status. While the applications within the processing times, the service members received to move duty stations outside the United States. When the service member's family attempted to alert USCIS of his new orders, they could not locate the receipt numbers, and contacted the Ombudsman's office for assistance. The Ombudsman's Office located the service  member's family's information, and asked USCIS to expedite the request. The USCIS expedited, processed and approved the applications before th...

  Source: www.uscis.gov If you have any questions or need assistance with your immigration matter,  please do not hesitate to contact our office.  Sharlene Mae Bagon, Esq. BAGON LAW FIRM 6700 Fallbrook Avenue Suite 125H West Hills, CA 91307 Toll Free: (888) 992-2466 Main Tel.: (818) 539-0120 Fax: (888) 589-0804 www.bagonlawfirm.com