BAGON LAW FIRM

Undocumented immigrants would be able to seek legal status without first going home under a compromise framework floated Monday by a bipartisan group of senators, according to a source familiar with the plan. The outline for a possible immigration reform bill reflects a mainstream Republican willingness to compromise on what President Barack Obama calls a top priority of his second term. However, conservatives immediately voiced their opposition to providing undocumented immigrants a path to legal status, especially in the Republican-led House. The legislators based the proposal on four "pillars." These include: -- A "tough but fair" path to citizenship for undocumented immigrants already living in the United States, after bolstering the nation's border security; --Overhauling the country's legal immigration system, including attaching green cards to advanced degrees in science, technology, engineering, or math from U.S. universities;

FEBRUARY 2013 VISA BULLETIN FAMILY-SPONSORED PREFERENCES   Family-Sponsored All Charge-ability Areas Except Those Listed CHINA- mainland born INDIA MEXICO PHILIPPINES F1 15JAN06 15JAN06 15JAN06 15JUL93 08MAR98 F2A 22OCT10 22OCT10 22OCT10 08OCT10 22OCT10 F2B 15JAN05 15JAN05 15JAN05 15DEC92 15MAY02 F3 08JUL02 08JUL02 08JUL02 08MAR93 22AUG92 F4 15APR01 15APR01 15APR01 01AUG96 01JUN89   Summary of the February 2013 Visa Bulletin – Family-Based (F) F1 Good forward movement for all chargeability areas, China and India (22 Dec 2005 to 15 Jan 2006). A week of forward movement for Mexico (08 Jul 1993 to 15 Jul 1993) and a significant movement for the Philippines (22 Dec 1997 to 08 Mar 1998). F2A Forward movement for all chargeability areas, China, India and Philippines (22 Sep 2010 to 22 Oct 2010). Good forward movement for Mexico as well (01 Sept 2010 to 08 Oct

U.S. Ambassador to Canada David Jacobson and the Canadian Minister of Citizenship, Immigration and Multiculturalism Jason Kenney signed a U.S.-Canada Visa and Immigration Information-Sharing Agreement   on December 13, 2012. This agreement will enable Canada and the United States to  share information from third country nationals who apply for a visa or permit to travel to either country . This will better protect the safety and security of Americans and Canadians and facilitate legitimate travel and business. Increased information sharing will support better decision-making by both countries to confirm applicants’ identities, and identify risks and inadmissible persons at the earliest opportunity. It will increase safety and security, as both countries work to identify terrorists, violent criminals, and others who pose a risk before they reach our borders. All officers working on immigration and refugee protection will be equipped with more information to make decisions.

On Feb. 1, 2013,U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) will begin collecting a new USCIS Immigrant Fee of $165 from foreign nationals seeking permanent residence in the United States. The new fee of $165 was established in USCIS’s final rule adjusting fees for immigration applications and petitions announced on Sept. 24, 2010. USCIS has worked closely with the Department of State (DOS) to implement the new fee which allows USCIS to recover the cost of processing that is performed in the United States after immigrant visa holders receive their visa packages from DOS and are admitted to the United States. Note: Applicants will now have two separate fees to pay. They are still required to pay the DOS visa application processing fee, and will now also have to pay the USCIS Immigrant Fee. Who Needs to Pay the Fee Any individual who on or after February 1, 2013 receives an immigrant visa package from a United States consulate or embassy abroad (including Canada and M

On January 2, 2013, Secretary of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano announced the posting of a final rule in the Federal Register that reduces the time U.S. citizens are separated from their immediate relatives (spouse, children and parents), who are in the process of obtaining visas to become lawful permanent residents of the United States under certain circumstances. The final rule establishes a process that allows certain individuals to apply for a provisional unlawful presence waiver before they depart the United States to attend immigrant visa interviews in their countries of origin. The process will be effective on March 4, 2013 and more information about the filing process will be made available in the coming weeks at www.uscis.gov. “This final rule facilitates the legal immigration process and reduces the amount of time that U.S. citizens are separated from their immediate relatives who are in the process of obtaining an immigrant visa,” said Secretary Napolitano. U.S. Cit