2004 Yearbook of Immigration Statistics
2004 Yearbook of Immigration Statistics
The Yearbook is a compendium of
tables that provides data on foreign nationals who, during fiscal year
2004, were granted lawful permanent residence, were admitted into the
United States on a temporary basis, applied for asylum or refugee
status, or were naturalized. The Yearbook also presents data on immigration law enforcement actions.
DHHS Announces 2006 Poverty Guidelines
[Federal Register: January 24, 2006 (Volume 71, Number 15)]
[Notices]
[Page 3848-3849]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr24ja06-66]
=======================================================================
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES
Office of the Secretary
Annual Update of the HHS Poverty Guidelines
AGENCY: Department of Health and Human Services.
ACTION: Notice.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: This notice provides an update of the HHS poverty guidelines
to account for last calendar year's increase in prices as measured by
the Consumer Price Index.
DATES: Effective Date: Date of publication, unless an office
administering a program using the guidelines specifies a different
effective date for that particular program.
ADDRESSES: Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and
Evaluation, Room 404E, Humphrey Building, Department of Health and
Human Services (HHS), Washington, DC 20201.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For information about how the
guidelines are used or how income is defined in a particular program,
contact the Federal, state, or local office that is responsible for
that program. Contact information for two frequently requested programs
is given below:
For information about the Hill-Burton Uncompensated Services
Program (free or reduced-fee health care services at certain hospitals
and other facilities for persons meeting eligibility criteria involving
the poverty guidelines), contact the Office of the Director, Division
of Facilities Compliance and Recovery, Health Resources and Services
Administration, HHS, Room 10-105, Parklawn Building, 5600 Fishers Lane,
Rockville, Maryland 20857. To speak to a person, call (301) 443-5656.
To receive a Hill-Burton information package, call 1-800-638-0742 (for
callers outside Maryland) or 1-800-492-0359 (for callers in Maryland).
You may also visit http://www.hrsa.gov/osp/dfcr/. The Division of
Facilities Compliance and Recovery notes that as set by 42 CFR
124.505(b), the effective date of this update of the poverty guidelines
for facilities obligated under the Hill-Burton Uncompensated Services
Program is sixty days from the date of this publication.
For information about the percentage multiple of the poverty
guidelines to be used on immigration forms such as USCIS Form I-864,
Affidavit of Support, contact U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services
at 1-800-375-5283 or visit http://uscis.gov/graphics/howdoi/affsupp.htm
.
For information about the number of people in poverty or about the
Census Bureau poverty thresholds, visit the Poverty section of the
Census Bureau's Web site at http://www.census.gov/hhes/www/poverty/poverty.html
or contact the Housing and Household Economic Statistics
Information Staff at (301) 763-3242.
For general questions about the poverty guidelines themselves,
contact Gordon Fisher, Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning
and Evaluation, Room 404E, Humphrey Building, Department of Health and
Human Services, Washington, DC 20201--telephone: (202) 690-7507--or
visit http://aspe.hhs.gov/poverty/.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Background
Section 673(2) of the Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act (OBRA) of
1981 (42 U.S.C. 9902(2)) requires the Secretary of the Department of
Health and Human Services to update, at least annually, the poverty
guidelines, which shall be used as an eligibility criterion for the
Community Services Block Grant program. The poverty guidelines also are
used as an eligibility criterion by a number of other Federal programs.
The poverty guidelines issued here are a simplified version of the
poverty thresholds that the Census Bureau uses to prepare its estimates
of the number of individuals and families in poverty.
As required by law, this update is accomplished by increasing the
latest published Census Bureau poverty thresholds by the relevant
percentage change in the Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers
(CPI-U). The guidelines in this 2006 notice reflect the 3.4 percent
price increase between calendar years 2004 and 2005. After this
inflation adjustment, the guidelines are rounded and adjusted to
standardize the differences between family sizes. The same calculation
procedure was used this year as in previous years. (Note that these
2006 guidelines are roughly equal to the poverty thresholds for
calendar year 2005 which the Census Bureau expects to publish in final
form in August 2006.)
2006 Poverty Guidelines for the 48 Contiguous States and the District of
Columbia
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Poverty
Persons in family unit guideline
------------------------------------------------------------------------
1....................................................... $9,800
2....................................................... 13,200
3....................................................... 16,600
4....................................................... 20,000
5....................................................... 23,400
6....................................................... 26,800
7....................................................... 30,200
8....................................................... 33,600
------------------------------------------------------------------------
For family units with more than 8 persons, add $3,400 for each
additional person.
2006 Poverty Guidelines for Alaska
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Poverty
Persons in family unit guideline
------------------------------------------------------------------------
1....................................................... $12,250
2....................................................... 16,500
3....................................................... 20,750
4....................................................... 25,000
5....................................................... 29,250
6....................................................... 33,500
7....................................................... 37,750
8....................................................... 42,000
------------------------------------------------------------------------
For family units with more than 8 persons, add $4,250 for each
additional person.
2006 Poverty Guidelines for Hawaii
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Poverty
Persons in family unit guideline
------------------------------------------------------------------------
1....................................................... $11,270
2....................................................... 15,180
3....................................................... 19,090
4....................................................... 23,000
5....................................................... 26,910
6....................................................... 30,820
7................................................. ...... 34,730
[[Page 3849]]
8....................................................... 38,640
------------------------------------------------------------------------
For family units with more than 8 persons, add $3,910 for each
additional person.
Separate poverty guideline figures for Alaska and Hawaii reflect
Office of Economic Opportunity administrative practice beginning in the
1966-1970 period. (Note that the Census Bureau poverty thresholds--the
version of the poverty measure used for statistical purposes--have
never had separate figures for Alaska and Hawaii). The poverty
guidelines are not defined for Puerto Rico or other outlying
jurisdictions. In cases in which a Federal program using the poverty
guidelines serves any of those jurisdictions, the Federal office that
administers the program is responsible for deciding whether to use the
contiguous-states-and-DC guidelines for those jurisdictions or to
follow some other procedure.
Due to confusing legislative language dating back to 1972, the
poverty guidelines have sometimes been mistakenly referred to as the
``OMB'' (Office of Management and Budget) poverty guidelines or poverty
line. In fact, OMB has never issued the guidelines; the guidelines are
issued each year by the Department of Health and Human Services. The
poverty guidelines may be formally referenced as ``the poverty
guidelines updated periodically in the Federal Register by the U.S.
Department of Health and Human Services under the authority of 42
U.S.C. 9902(2).''
Some programs use a percentage multiple of the guidelines (for
example, 125 percent or 185 percent of the guidelines), as noted in
relevant authorizing legislation or program regulations. Non-Federal
organizations that use the poverty guidelines under their own authority
in non-Federally-funded activities can choose to use a percentage
multiple of the guidelines such as 125 percent or 185 percent.
The poverty guidelines do not make a distinction between farm and
non-farm families or between aged and non-aged units. (Only the Census
Bureau poverty thresholds have separate figures for aged and non-aged
one-person and two-person units).
Note that this notice does not provide definitions of such terms as
``income'' or ``family.'' This is because there is considerable
variation in how different programs that use the guidelines define
these terms, traceable to the different laws and regulations that
govern the various programs. Therefore, questions about how a
particular program applies the poverty guidelines (e.g., Is income
before or after taxes? Should a particular type of income be counted?
Should a particular person be counted in the family or household unit?)
should be directed to the organization that administers the program.
Dated: January 18, 2006.
Michael O. Leavitt,
Secretary of Health and Human Services.
[FR Doc. 06-624 Filed 1-20-06; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4151-05-P
US-VISIT under the microscope
Via FCW.com
02/13/2006
The honeymoon appears to be over for the Homeland Security
Department’s system for spotting criminal aliens when they cross U.S.
borders.
For the past three years, the U.S. Visitor and
Immigrant Status Indicator Technology program had escaped much of the
criticism other DHS programs received. Congress generally praised the
program’s progress since its creation in 2003 in response to the 2001
terrorist attacks. The 9/11 Public Discourse Project, successor to the
9/11 Commission, gave US-VISIT a B, the highest grade it gave to any
DHS program, when its members issued a final report last December.
Last
month, however, the Senate Appropriations Committee’s Homeland Security
Subcommittee and the Government Accountability Office said they had
concerns about whether US-VISIT is effective and well-managed.
INS into DHS – Where is it now?
On November 25, 2002, the President signed the Homeland Security
Act of 2002 into law. This law transferred INS functions to the new Department
of Homeland Security (DHS). Immigration enforcement functions were placed within
the Directorate of Border and Transportation Security (BTS), either directly, or under
Customs and Border Protection (CBP) (which includes the Border Patrol and INS
Inspections) or Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) (which includes the
enforcement and investigation components of INS such as Investigations,
Intelligence, Detention and Removals).
As of March 1, 2003, the former Immigration and Naturalization
Service (INS) was abolished and its functions and units incorporated into the new
Department. Below are links to Web information about
the new locations, responsibilities and contacts (HQs/field) of the former INS
immigration services and immigration enforcement units.
Immigration ombudsman hears today from immigrants, employers
The Miami Herald – 02/02/2006 – Immigrants in South Florida have a chance today to tell the
government what they think of the U.S. Office of Citizenship and
Immigration Services.
Prakash I. Khatri, the ombudsman for the citizenship agency, will be
at a community forum tonight at the Stephen P. Clark Government Center,
111 N.W. 1st St. in Miami. The forum runs from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the
Board of County Commissioners chambers.
The agency oversees immigrant visas, employment petitions,
citizenship naturalization, asylum and refugee processing and
humanitarian and temporary protective status programs.
Khatri reports directly to the U.S. deputy secretary for Homeland
Security and to Congress. He is responsible for working with
individuals and employers to resolve problems with USCIS. The office of
the ombudsman operates independently. Tonight’s event is sponsored by
the Miami-Dade County Community Relations Board.
An Employer’s Handbook to completing Form I-9
All U.S. employers are responsible for completion and retention of Form I-9 for each individual they hire for employment in the United States. This includes citizens and noncitizens. On the form, the employer must verify the employment eligibility and identity documents presented by the employee and record the document information on the Form I-9. Acceptable documents are listed on the back of the form, and detailed below under “Special Instructions.” Failure to complete the Form I-9 could result in fines & other penalties.
Click here to view the Employer’s Handbook to completing the Form I-9.
The employer should not file Form I-9 with U.S. Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (ICE) or USCIS. Form I-9 must be kept by the employer either for three years after the date of hire or for one year after employment is terminated, whichever is later. The form must be available for inspection by the authorized U.S. Government officials (e.g., ICE, Department of Labor).
Click here for fillable Form I-9.
Please note the following changes to the Form I-9 process:
- Form I-766 (Employment Authorization Document), although not listed on the 5/31/05 version of the Form I-9, is an acceptable List A document #10.
- Form I-151 is no longer an acceptable List A document #5. However, Form I-551 remains an acceptable List A document #5.
- The following documents have been removed from the list of acceptable identity and work authorization documents: Certificate of U.S. Citizenship (List A #2), Certificate of Naturalization (List A #3), Unexpired Reentry Permit (List A #8) and Unexpired Refugee Travel Document (List A #9).
Frequently Asked Questions
Do citizens and nationals of the U. S. need to prove to their employers that they are eligible to work?
Yes. While citizens and nationals of the U.S. are automatically eligible for employment, they too must present proof of employment eligibility and identity and complete an Employment Eligibility Verification form (Form I-9). Citizens of the U.S. include persons born in Puerto Rico, Guam, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and the Northern Mariana Islands. Nationals of the U.S. include persons born in American Samoa, including Swains Island.
Do I need to complete a Form I-9 for everyone who applies for a job with my company?
No. You need to complete Form I-9 only for people you actually hire. For purposes of the I-9 rules, a person is “hired” when he or she begins to work for you for wages or other compensation.
I understand that I must complete a Form I-9 for anyone I hire to perform labor or services in return for wages or other remuneration. What is “remuneration”?
Remuneration is anything of value given in exchange for labor or services rendered by an employee, including food and lodging.
Can I fire an employee who fails to produce the required document(s) within three (3) business days?
Yes. You can terminate an employee who fails to produce the required document(s), or a receipt for a replacement document(s) (in the case of lost, stolen or destroyed documents), within three (3) business days of the date employment begins. However, you must apply these practices uniformly to all employees. If an employee has presented a receipt for a replacement document(s), he or she must produce the actual document(s) within 90 days of the date employment begins.
What happens if I properly complete a Form I-9 and the ICE discovers that my employee is not actually authorized to work?
You cannot be charged with a verification violation; however, you cannot knowingly continue to employ this individual. You will have a good faith defense against the imposition of employer sanctions penalties for knowingly hiring an unauthorized alien unless the government can prove you had actual knowledge of the unauthorized status of the employee.
What is my responsibility concerning the authenticity of document(s) presented to me?
You must examine the document(s) and, if they reasonably appear on their face to be genuine and to relate to the person presenting them, you must accept them. To do otherwise could be an unfair immigration-related employment practice. If a document does not reasonably appear on its face to be genuine and to relate to the person presenting it, you must not accept it. You may contact your local ICE office for assistance. To get the address and telephone number of the ICE office nearest you, please click the ICE district office directory.
May I accept a photocopy of a document presented by an employee?
No. Employees must present original documents. The only exception is an employee may present a certified copy of a birth certificate.
USCIS Announces a Standard RFE Response Timeframe
Via AILA (01/25/2006) – AILA-SCOPS liaison asked USCIS to estimate a reasonable timeframe within which one could expect a decision on a matter after submission of a response to a Request for Evidence. USCIS informed AILA that after 60 days it is appropriate to make inquiries on cases where a timely a response to a Request for Evidence had been made and no decision has been received from USCIS. If members have not received a decision within this 60 day period, they should contact the USCIS National Customer Service Center (NCSC) at 1-800-375-5283, and, if the matter remains unresolved after an additional 30 days, as prescribed by NCSC, the proper liaison channels for that jurisdiction should be utilized. Notably, this does not apply to mass mailing RFEs, e.g. asylum I-485s in which USCIS issues mass mailings (17,000-21,000 cases) in six-month intervals.
Approved by Paul Pierre for USCIS Service Center Operations.
USCIS to Decouple Naturalization Applications – Public Notice
In order to speed the processing of naturalization cases, USCIS will no longer group naturalization applications (a systems function known as Group Management) unless specifically requested by a family. Following a careful study of the operational impact of the Group Management option upon our naturalization case processing system, USCIS learned that the function is adversely affecting our ability to provide timely customer service. This adverse impact is primarily a result of the many system stages that a naturalization application must pass through before processing has been completed. The Group Management option requires that all applicants in a group successfully complete each processing stage before the group as a whole can move on to the next stage. For example, all members of a group must have their background checks completed before the group can proceed to the interview stage. If one individual in a group of 50 hasn’t successfully completed this stage, the remaining 49 cases cannot proceed and their processing will unnecessarily stall. USCIS has identified more that 10,000 naturalization cases currently affected by the Group Management function. Effective immediately, USCIS will decouple, or “ungroup,” all currently established groups allowing individual cases to proceed through the process independently. Upon request, group management will remain a customer service option for USCIS family applicants who desire group processing. This will allow our customers the option to schedule interviews for family members on the same day. Family applicants who wish to take advantage of Group Management should submit a written request for grouping when their naturalization application is mailed to the Service Center with jurisdiction.
AIR Assesses Naturalization Test for U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Service
WASHINGTON, Jan. 24 /PRNewswire/ — The American Institutes for Research
(AIR), on behalf of the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Service — formerly
known as the U.S. Immigration and Naturalization Service — has been
conducting an assessment of the current U.S. Naturalization Test to determine
options for redesigning the test.
In September 2005, AIR was asked to assess the Naturalization Test process
to help determine how to make the test’s content and testing procedures more
efficient, fair, secure, and applicant-centered. AIR’s report to Citizenship
and Immigration Service considers the value and feasibility of strategies to
rewrite the entire Naturalization Test, and to redesign only certain sections
of the test, as well as strategies to continue using parts of the current test
in their existing form.
About AIR
Established in 1946, the American Institutes for Research (AIR) is a
nonpartisan not-for-profit organization that conducts behavioral and social
science research on important social issues and delivers technical assistance
both domestically and internationally in the areas of health, education, and
workforce productivity.
SOURCE American Institutes for Research
http://www.prnewswire.com/cgi-bin/stories.pl?ACCT=104&STORY=/www/story/01-24-2006/0004266756&EDATE=
USCIS Clarifies Payee for Filing Fee Checks
According to the USCIS, checks for Immigration form fees can be made payable to either the Department of Homeland Security or U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services.
Updated USCIS Service Center Processing Dates (01/24/2006)
The following processing dates are current as of
January 24, 2006:
Current Vermont SC Processing Dates
Current California SC Processing Dates
Current Missouri/NBC Processing Dates
USCIS REACHES H-1B EXEMPTION CAP FOR FISCAL YEAR 2006
USCIS – 01/18/2006 – Washington, D.C.– U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced today that it has received enough H-1B petitions that qualify for the exemption from the H-1B numerical limitations for foreign workers with a U.S.-earned master’s or higher degree (the number of aliens exempted from the H-1B cap on this basis may not exceed 20,000 per fiscal year). Consequently, USCIS has determined that the “final receipt date” for these 20,000 cap-exempt H-1B petitions is January 17, 2006. Petitions received on January 17th are subject to the random selection process described below. USCIS will reject petitions requesting a foreign worker with a U.S.-earned master’s or higher degree that are received after the “final receipt date” unless the petitioner or beneficiary is eligible for a separate cap exemption.
USCIS has implemented the following procedure for H-1B filings for FY 2006 in accordance with the procedures announced in 70 FR 23775 (Allocation of Additional H-1B Visas Created by the H-1B Visa Reform Act of 2004):
• USCIS has closely monitored FY 2006 H-1B filings for foreign workers with a U.S.-earned master’s or higher degree and used projections to determine the number of petitions necessary to reach the congressionally mandated cap exemption of 20,000.
• Having determined that a sufficient number of petitions have been received, USCIS will identify all H-1B petitions seeking an FY 2006 number that were received on the day USCIS received the number of petitions necessary to meet the 20,000 cap exemption (“final receipt date”).
• For petitions received on the “final receipt date,” USCIS will apply a computer-generated random selection process. This process will randomly select the exact number of petitions from the day’s receipts needed to meet the congressionally mandated cap exemption of 20,000.
• After random selection, any remaining H-1B petitions for foreign workers with a U.S.-earned master’s or higher degree that do not receive an FY 2006 number and are not otherwise exempt will be rejected and returned along with the filing fee(s).
• Petitioners may re-submit their petitions when H-1B visas become available for FY 2007.
• The earliest date for which a petitioner may file a petition requesting FY 2007 H-1B employment with an employment start date of October 1, 2006, is April 1, 2006.
The U.S. Immigration Law Blog by Ashwin Sharma 