Cuban Migration Accords 3rd Talk

From the Department of State

On Friday, June 18, 2010, the United States and Cuba met in Washington, D.C. to discuss the implementation of the
U.S.-Cuba Migration Accords. This was the third such meeting since the decision to resume the Cuba Migration Talks
in 2009. In the course of the meeting, the U.S. team, led by Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Western
Hemisphere Affairs Craig Kelly, reaffirmed the U.S. commitment to promote safe, legal, and orderly migration. The
Cuban delegation was led by Vice Foreign Minister Dagoberto Rodriguez Barrera.
The U.S. delegation separately raised the case of Alan Gross, the U.S. citizen detained in Cuba since December 4,
2009, and called for his immediate release.
Engaging in these talks underscores our interest in pursuing constructive discussions with the Government of Cuba to
advance U.S. interests. The U.S. delegation highlighted areas of successful cooperation in migration, while also
identifying issues that have been obstacles to the full implementation of the Accords. The agenda for the talks reflected
longstanding U.S. priorities on Cuba migration issues, including: ensuring that the U.S. Interests Section in Havana is
able to operate fully and effectively; ensuring that the U.S. Interests Section in Havana is able to monitor the welfare of
repatriated migrants; and gaining Cuban Government acceptance for the repatriation of Cuban nationals who are
subject to removal from the United States on criminal grounds.

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Supreme Ct. remands 14 immigration cases

USSC remands 14 cases per Carachuri-Rosendo
“In each of the 14 cases, the court said the petition for a writ of certiorari was granted, the judgment vacated and the case remanded to district appeals court from which it came “for further consideration in light of Carachuri-Rosendo vs. Holder.”" UPI, June 21, 2010.

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Proposed Changes likely to violate other commitments

Legal Analysis: Proposed Changes to Skilled Worker Visa Laws Likely to Violate Major U.S. Trade Commitments
“Current legislative proposals to place new restrictions on employers petitioning for skilled foreign nationals on H-1B and L-1 visas contain provisions likely to violate U.S. commitments under the General Agreement on Trade in Services (GATS).” Jochum Shore & Trossevin, PC, June 2010.

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Love and Marriage

A recent New York Times article linked to a USCIS Fraud Referral Sheet, a sort of a field officer’s guide to general and case-specific fraud indicators.
In the I-130 family-based context, listed fraud indicators include features that can be found in a great many marriages in America: “unusual cultural differences,” “low employment/financial status of petitioner,” and “divorce/new marriage dates close.”
Another listed fraud indicator is “short time between entry and marriage,” which is of course something parents and priests have longed warned against.
In a follow-up article, the Times listed sample marriage interview questions meant to ferret out fraud. Among the examples:
⇒ If you are standing at and facing your kitchen sink, where is the microwave oven?
⇒ Is your microwave stationary or does it have a revolving plate?
⇒ Do you have any tattoos? Where? What do they look like? What about your spouse?
⇒ If you are lying in bed, which side does your spouse sleep on?
⇒ How is your bedroom closet split up?
⇒ Where do you keep your clean underwear?
⇒ Do you and your spouse use birth control? What kind?
⇒ What was the last movie you went out to see together?
Although the Times readership generally comprises people who do well on tests, many readers who have written into the paper claim to have failed this one, and miserably. Some representative responses:
“My wife and I got eight answers wrong! We’re both American citizens who’ve been married 10 years. If one of us were an immigrant, he/she’d probably be on a boat right now.”
“My husband and I have been happily married for 38 years but I’m sure he couldn’t answer many of these questions. I’m going to start packing his bags.”
“I think that we met in December, On second thought maybe September, But now it appears After Sixty great years, The truth is I just don’t remember.”

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Your Guide to InfoPass

InfoPass is a free service that lets you schedule an appointment with a U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) Immigration Officer by using the Internet at any time of day or night. If you have an immigration issue that is best handled by a trained USCIS Immigration Officer, InfoPass will let you schedule your appointment instead of requesting it in person at your local USCIS office.

How can InfoPass make your life easier?
It’s free: Scheduling your own appointment costs you nothing
It’s convenient: Make your appointment via the Internet (from your laptop at home, or the computer at your local public library)
It’s easy: Choose one of 12 languages you want to work in:
Select “Make An Appointment”
Type in your mailing address ZIP code (so that InfoPass will assign you to the correct office)
Select the type of appointment you need to solve your problem (always important)
Provide your name, date of birth, ZIP code and telephone number
Choose a date and time for your appointment (if you don’t see a convenient time, check back with InfoPass – new appointment choices are made available each working day); and
When the appointment notice appears on your computer screen (showing the time, date and location of your appointment), print it out to show at your InfoPass appointment.
How do you access InfoPass to make an appointment?
To use InfoPass you will need:

A computer with an Internet connection
Internet Explorer or any other similar browser.

What documents should you bring to the appointment?
This section is very important; read it carefully. To resolve your problem or inquiry, you will need to bring documents that identify and explain the problem. Some of the documents you will need include:

Printout of the InfoPass appointment notice confirmation
Government-issued identification. This could be any of the following:
government-issued photo ID card
passport
valid driver’s license
Employment Authorization Document, or Form I-551, Permanent Resident Card (‘green card”)
Form I-94, Arrival-Departure Record; note: if your Form I-94 does not have a photo of you attached to it, then a passport or valid driver’s license would have to accompany as an additional form of identification.
All immigration forms, receipt notices, approval or denial letters, translations and original documents that relate to your inquiry.
What if you need to reschedule the appointment?
InfoPass allows you to cancel or reschedule appointments by using the identification numbers at the bottom of your printed out appointment confirmation notice.
To allow us to serve the most customers possible, please cancel your appointment if you cannot make it at the appointed time. There is no penalty for rescheduling or canceling an appointment.
If you lose your appointment notice, you can print a replacement by accessing InfoPass and entering the information requested.

What if I just have a routine inquiry?
For routine matters, such as [insert examples noted below] you do not need to meet with USCIS officers in person. Routine inquiries can be handled easily and quickly by telephone or over the Internet:

Forms – All immigration forms are free and can be downloaded from www.uscis.gov. You may also call our National Customer Service Center (NCSC) at 1-800-375-5283 and request that a form be mailed to you.
Case Status – For the status of a case filed with a USCIS Service Center, go to www.uscis.gov and select “Check My Case Status” under “Customer Tools” on the right side of the home page. Using your Service Center receipt number, enter three letters followed by 10 numbers (no spaces or dashes).
Renew or Replace a Permanent Resident Card – The form you need is Form I-90, Application to Replace Permanent Resident Card. Go to www.uscis.gov and select “Forms” in the top left corner, then scroll down to I-90.
Employment Authorization – To apply or renew employment authorization, you need Form I-765, Application for Employment Authorization. Go to www.uscis.gov and select “Forms” in the top left corner, then scroll down to I-765.

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