President Signs Defense Authorization, Enacting H-2B Relief
On October 17, 2006, President Bush signed the National Defense Authorization
Act for Fiscal Year 2007 (H.R. 5122) into law. Section 1074 of the bill includes
a one year extension of the returning worker exemption to the H-2B visa cap and
provides for the extension to take effect beginning October 1, 2006.
N. Jersey town sued over immigration law
Via The Washington Post
10/18/2006
PHILADELPHIA (Reuters) – Civil rights campaigners and
business groups sued the New Jersey township of Riverside on
Wednesday over a law that seeks to crack down on illegal
immigration.
The law called the Illegal Immigration Relief Act, passed
by Riverside’s city council in July, is designed to stop
businesses hiring or renting to illegal immigrants, who are
accused of overburdening local services without paying taxes.
Riverside’s law oversteps the city’s authority, violates
civil rights under state law and fails to clearly define who is
an illegal immigrant, according to the lawsuit.
Newspaper Articles on H-1Bs and Labor Certifications in Rural States like Maine
Via The Portland Press Herald Maine Sunday Telegram Online
Comprehensive and interesting article regarding some old loopholes (closed with the new PERM labor certification system) and containing a Department of Labor perspective. Report summarizes with the usual negative slant against the H-1B visa and labor certification program.
Here’s another one which focuses on LCA’s for H-1B workers.
When reading these articles, it is important to keep the H-1B program in perspective; an excerpt from the latter article:
contentions that American workers are hurt by the influx of skilled
immigrants, said Jeff Lande, senior vice president at the Information
Technology Association of America.
America,” said Lande. “We’re talking about a (H1B visa) cap of 65,000 a
year, maybe 20,000 of whom are technology workers. You’re barely
talking about a drop in the bucket spread out across the country. Any
complaints about this program having a serious impact on U.S. labor are
comical.” “
VISA BULLETIN FOR NOVEMBER 2006
Visa Bulletin
Number 99
Volume VIII
Washington, D.C.
VISA BULLETIN FOR NOVEMBER 2006
A. STATUTORY NUMBERS
1.
This bulletin summarizes the availability of immigrant numbers during
November. Consular officers are required to report to the Department of
State documentarily qualified applicants for numerically limited visas;
the Bureau of Citizenship and Immigration Services in the Department of
Homeland Security reports applicants for adjustment of status.
Allocations were made, to the extent possible under the numerical
limitations, for the demand received by October 6th in the
chronological order of the reported priority dates. If the demand could
not be satisfied within the statutory or regulatory limits, the
category or foreign state in which demand was excessive was deemed
oversubscribed. The cut-off date for an oversubscribed category is the
priority date of the first applicant who could not be reached within
the numerical limits.
Only
applicants who have a priority date earlier than the cut-off date may
be allotted a number. Immediately that it becomes necessary during the
monthly allocation process to retrogress a cut-off date, supplemental
requests for numbers will be honored only if the priority date falls
within the new cut-off date.
2.Section
201 of the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) sets an annual minimum
family-sponsored preference limit of 226,000. The worldwide level for
annual employment-based preference immigrants is at least 140,000.
Section 202 prescribes that the per-country limit for preference
immigrants is set at 7% of the total annual family-sponsored and
employment-based preference limits, i.e., 25,620. The dependent area
limit is set at 2%, or 7,320.
3. Section 203 of the INA prescribes preference classes for allotment of immigrant visas as follows:
FAMILY-SPONSORED PREFERENCES
First : Unmarried Sons and Daughters of Citizens: 23,400 plus any numbers not required for fourth preference.
Second : Spouses and Children, and Unmarried Sons and Daughters of Permanent
Residents: 114,200, plus the number (if any) by which the worldwide family preference level exceeds 226,000, and any unused
first preference numbers:
A. Spouses and Children: 77% of the overall second preference limitation, of which 75% are exempt from the per-country limit;
B. Unmarried Sons and Daughters (21 years of age or older): 23% of the overall second preference limitation.
Third : Married Sons and Daughters of Citizens: 23,400, plus any numbers not required by first and second preferences.
Fourth : Brothers and Sisters of Adult Citizens: 65,000, plus any numbers not required by first three preferences.
EMPLOYMENT-BASED PREFERENCES
First : Priority Workers: 28.6% of the worldwide employment-based preference level, plus any numbers not required for fourth
and fifth preferences.
Second
: Members of the Professions Holding Advanced Degrees or Persons of
Exceptional Ability: 28.6% of the worldwide employment-based preference
level, plus any numbers not required by first preference.
Third : Skilled Workers, Professionals, and Other Workers: 28.6% of the worldwide level, plus any numbers not required by
first and second preferences, not more than 10,000 of which to “Other Workers”.
Schedule
A Workers : Employment First, Second, and Third preference Schedule A
applicants are entitled to up to 50,000 “recaptured” numbers.
Fourth : Certain Special Immigrants: 7.1% of the worldwide level.
Fifth
: Employment Creation: 7.1% of the worldwide level, not less than 3,000
of which reserved for investors in a targeted rural or
high-unemployment area, and 3,000 set aside for investors in regional
centers by Sec. 610 of P.L. 102-395.
4.
INA Section 203(e) provides that family-sponsored and employment-based
preference visas be issued to eligible immigrants in the order in which
a petition in behalf of each has been filed. Section 203(d) provides
that spouses and children of preference immigrants are entitled to the
same status, and the same order of consideration, if accompanying or
following to join the principal. The visa prorating provisions of
Section 202(e) apply to allocations for a foreign state or dependent
area when visa demand exceeds the per-country limit. These provisions
apply at present to the following oversubscribed chargeability areas:
CHINA-mainland born, INDIA, MEXICO, and PHILIPPINES.
5.
On the chart below, the listing of a date for any class indicates that
the class is oversubscribed (see paragraph 1); “C” means current, i.e.,
numbers are available for all qualified applicants; and “U” means
unavailable, i.e., no numbers are available. (NOTE: Numbers are
available only for applicants whose priority date is earlier than the
cut-off date listed below.)
| Fam-ily | All Charge- ability Areas Except Those Listed | CHINA-mainland born | INDIA | MEXICO | PHILIPP-INES |
| 1st | 22APR01 | 22APR01 | 22APR01 | 01JUL93 | 15NOV91 |
| 2A | 01SEP01 | 01SEP01 | 01SEP01 | 01DEC99 | 01SEP01 |
| 2B | 01FEB97 | 01FEB97 | 01FEB97 | 22FEB92 | 15AUG96 |
| 3rd | 15NOV98 | 15NOV98 | 15NOV98 | 01JAN95 | 08FEB91 |
| 4th | 22OCT95 | 22APR95 | 01AUG95 | 22OCT93 | 01MAY84 |
*NOTE:
For November, 2A numbers EXEMPT from per-country limit are available to
applicants from all countries with priority dates earlier than 01DEC99.
2A numbers SUBJECT to per-country limit are available to applicants
chargeable to all countries EXCEPT MEXICO with priority dates
beginning 01DEC99 and earlier than 01SEP01. (All 2A numbers provided
for MEXICO are exempt from the per-country limit; there are no 2A
numbers for MEXICO subject to per-country limit.)
|
All |
CHINA- mainland born |
INDIA | MEXICO | PHILIP-PINES | |
| Employ-ment -Based |
|||||
| 1st | C | C | C | C | C |
| 2nd | C | 15APR05 | 01JAN03 | C | C |
| 3rd | 01JUL02 | 01JUL02 | 22APR01 | 08MAY01 | 01JUL02 |
| Schedule A Workers |
01OCT05 | 01OCT05 | 01OCT05 | 01OCT05 | 01OCT05 |
| Other Workers |
01MAY01 | 01MAY01 | 01MAY01 | 01MAY01 | 01MAY01 |
| 4th | C | C | C | C | C |
| Certain Religious Workers | C | C | C | C | C |
| 5th | C | C | C | C | C |
| Targeted Employ-ment Areas/ Regional Centers |
C | C | C | C | C |
The
Department of State has available a recorded message with visa
availability information which can be heard at: (area code 202)
663-1541. This recording will be updated in the middle of each month
with information on cut-off dates for the following month.
Employment
Third Preference Other Workers Category: Section 203(e) of the NACARA,
as amended by Section 1(e) of Pub. L. 105 – 139, provides that once the
Employment Third Preference Other Worker (EW) cut-off date has reached
the priority date of the latest EW petition approved prior to November
19, 1997, the 10,000 EW numbers available for a fiscal year are to be
reduced by up to 5,000 annually beginning in the following fiscal year.
This reduction is to be made for as long as necessary to offset
adjustments under the NACARA program. Since the EW cut-off date reached
November 19, 1997 during Fiscal Year 2001, the reduction in the EW
annual limit to 5,000 began in Fiscal Year 2002.
B. DIVERSITY IMMIGRANT (DV) CATEGORY
Section
203(c) of the Immigration and Nationality Act provides a maximum of up
to 55,000 immigrant visas each fiscal year to permit immigration
opportunities for persons from countries other than the principal
sources of current immigration to the United States. The Nicaraguan and
Central American Relief Act (NACARA) passed by Congress in November
1997 stipulates that beginning with DV-99, and for as long as
necessary, up to 5,000 of the 55,000 annually-allocated diversity visas
will be made available for use under the NACARA program. This reduction has resulted in the DV-2007 annual limit being reduced to 50,000.
DV visas are divided among six geographic regions. No one country can
receive more than seven percent of the available diversity visas in any
one year.
For
November, immigrant numbers in the DV category are available to
qualified DV-2007 applicants chargeable to all regions/eligible
countries as follows. When an allocation cut-off number is shown, visas
are available only for applicants with DV regional lottery rank numbers
BELOW the specified allocation cut-off number:
| Region | All DV Chargeability Areas Except Those Listed Separately | |
|---|---|---|
| AFRICA | 8,500 |
Except: |
| ASIA | 2,600 | |
| EUROPE | 5,700 | |
| NORTH AMERICA (BAHAMAS) | 6 | |
| OCEANIA | 280 | |
| SOUTH AMERICA, and the CARIBBEAN | 350 |
Entitlement
to immigrant status in the DV category lasts only through the end of
the fiscal (visa) year for which the applicant is selected in the
lottery. The year of entitlement for all applicants registered for the
DV-2007 program ends as of September 30, 2007. DV visas may not be
issued to DV-2007 applicants after that date. Similarly, spouses and
children accompanying or following to join DV-2007 principals are only
entitled to derivative DV status until September 30, 2007. DV visa
availability through the very end of FY-2007 cannot be taken for
granted. Numbers could be exhausted prior to September 30.
C. ADVANCE NOTIFICATION OF THE DIVERSITY (DV) IMMIGRANT CATEGORY RANK CUT-OFFS WHICH WILL APPLY IN DECEMBER
For
December, immigrant numbers in the DV category are available to
qualified DV-2007 applicants chargeable to all regions/eligible
countries as follows. When an allocation cut-off number is shown, visas
are available only for applicants with DV regional lottery rank numbers
BELOW the specified allocation cut-off number:
| Region | All DV Chargeability Areas Except Those Listed Separately | |
|---|---|---|
| AFRICA | 10,300 |
Except: |
| ASIA | 3,500 | |
| EUROPE | 7,700 | |
| NORTH AMERICA (BAHAMAS) | 7 | |
| OCEANIA | 375 | |
| SOUTH AMERICA, and the CARIBBEAN | 525 |
D. OVERSUBSCRIPTION OF THE SCHEDULE A WORKER (EX) VISA CATEGORY
Background:
Title V, Section 502 of the REAL ID Act of 2005 (Division B of Pub. L.
109-13 enacted May 11, 2005) provided for the recapture of 50,000
Employment-based immigrant visa numbers that were unused in fiscal
years 2001 through 2004. Such numbers have been made available to
Employment-based immigrants described in the Department of Labor’s
Schedule A and their accompanying spouses and children. The immigrant
category for these 50,000 visa numbers was designated as Schedule A
Workers in the cut-off date table.
Issue: The
Schedule A Workers category has become oversubscribed for November and
a cut-off date established to hold number use within the 50,000
numerical limit. It is expected that demand will bring allocations up
to the program limit during November. Once the limit is reached no
further allocations will be possible, and the category listing will be
removed from future cut-off date tables.
E. EMPLOYMENT-BASED VISA AVAILABILITY IN THE COMING MONTHS
Cut-off
date movements in recent months have been greater than might ordinarily
be expected, in an effort to maximize number use within the annual
numerical limits. This has been necessary because demand being received
from Citizenship and Immigration Services (CIS) Offices for adjustment
of status cases has been relatively light. As these dates have
advanced, however, many thousands of applicants have become eligible
for processing at CIS Offices. Once number use increases significantly
as CIS addresses its backlog, cut-off date movement will necessarily
slow or stop. Moreover, in some categories cut-off date retrogression
is a particular possibility.
Readers
should be aware that the recent rate of cut-off date advances will not
continue indefinitely; however, it is not possible to predict when
significantly increased CIS number use will begin to influence the
cut-off date determinations.
F. OBTAINING THE MONTHLY VISA BULLETIN
The Department of State’s Bureau of Consular Affairs offers the monthly “Visa Bulletin” on the INTERNET’S WORLDWIDE WEB. The
INTERNET Web address to access the Bulletin is:
From the home page, select the VISA section which contains the Visa Bulletin.
To
be placed on the Department of State’s E-mail subscription list for the
“Visa Bulletin”, please send an E-mail to the following E-mail address:
listserv@calist.state.gov
and in the message body type:
Subscribe Visa-Bulletin First name/Last name
(example: Subscribe Visa-Bulletin Sally Doe)
To be removed from the Department of State’s E-mail subscription list for the “Visa Bulletin”, send an e-mail message to the
following E-mail address :
listserv@calist.state.gov
and in the message body type: Signoff Visa-Bulletin
The
Department of State also has available a recorded message with visa
cut-off dates which can be heard at: (area code 202) 663-1541. The
recording is normally updated by the middle of each month with
information on cut-off dates for the following month.
Readers may submit questions regarding Visa Bulletin related items by E-mail at the following address:
VISABULLETIN@STATE.GOV
(This address cannot be used to subscribe to the Visa Bulletin.)
Department of State Publication 9514
CA/VO:October 6, 2006
USCIS Reminds Applicants to Obtain Advance Parole Prior to Holiday Travel
Via USCIS PRESS RELEASE
10/11/2006
WASHINGTON, DC – U. S. Citizenship and Immigration Service (USCIS) reminds individuals with a pending application for adjustment of status to that of lawful permanent resident, a pending application for relief under section 203 of the Nicaraguan Adjustment and Central American Relief Act (NACARA 203), a pending asylum application, or an approved application for Temporary Protected Status (TPS), to obtain Advance Parole by filing Form I-131, Application for Travel Document (available online at http://www.uscis.gov), from USCIS before traveling abroad.
Advance Parole is permission to re-enter the United States after traveling abroad in order to continue processing for adjustment of status or other benefits. Individuals must be approved for Advance Parole before leaving the United States. Travel outside of the United States without Advance Parole may result in serious consequences, including being unable to return to the United States and having pending immigration-related applications denied. An asylum applicant who leaves the United States on advance parole and returns to the country of claimed persecution shall be presumed to have abandoned his or her asylum application absent compelling reasons for such return.
Applicants can apply for Advance Parole at a USCIS Service Center. Processing times at Service Centers range from 90-150 days. Applicants planning travel abroad should plan ahead due to the busy holiday travel season. For more information on Advance Parole, see “How do I get a Travel Document?” at
http://www.uscis.gov/graphics/howdoi/travdoc.htm.
Note:
Under the Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act of 1996, aliens who depart the United States after being unlawfully present in the United States for certain periods can be barred from admission to lawful permanent resident status, even if they have obtained Advance Parole. Those aliens who have been unlawfully present in the United States for more than 180 days, but less than one year are inadmissible for three years; those who have been unlawfully present for a year or more are inadmissible for 10 years. Aliens who are unlawfully present, and who depart the U.S. and subsequently reenter under a grant of parole, may nevertheless be ineligible to adjust their status.
An alien who has been admitted as a refugee or has been granted asylum does not need to obtain advance parole, if applying for adjustment of status under the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA), however, such aliens need a refugee travel document in order to travel abroad. USCIS urges all aliens with pending applications for adjustment of status, relief under NACARA 203, asylum and those applicants currently in http://www.uscis.gov
Temporary Protected Status (TPS) to consult an immigration attorney, immigration assistance organization accredited by the Board of Immigration Appeals, the USCIS National Customer Service Center at
1-800-375-5283, or the USCIS web site: http://www.uscis.gov before making any foreign travel plans.
– USCIS –
Response to the article “The shifting debate over illegal immigration”
10/06/2006
Anti-multiculturalist Victor Davis Hanson, author of the book “Mexifornia” and senior fellow/historian at the Hoover Institution at Stanford University recently wrote about why he feels assimilation of immigrants should be an essential component of American Immigration.
An excerpt from the article pertaining to multiculturalism, via ChicagoTribune.com:
“Because the United States is
increasingly less a majority of whites of European ancestry and more a
mixture of dozens of races and ethnicities, the need for a common
unifying language and culture has never been more important. When
Americans look abroad at the violent messes in the Balkans, Rwanda,
Darfur and Iraq, the notion of emphasizing separation here at home by
race, tribe, language or religion makes absolutely no sense. But the
idea of letting only enough legal immigrants in who can be easily
assimilated surely does.”
I don’t believe Mr. Hanson has ever considered our neighbor to the north for inclusion into his research on the negative effects of multiculturalism. Canada doesn’t seem to suffer much [those pesky referendums aside] from the multicultural chaos theory that he so vividly describes. I assume that his purpose, position, and paper are better served by instead singling out “the Balkans, Rwanda,
Darfur and Iraq” as examples of “When-Multiculturalism-Goes-Wild”, though I’m almost positive there are a few other, more rational explanations for why these countries are in their present state.
Getting back to my point; it is my belief that there is absolutely nothing wrong with retaining ones’ cultural identity and language in the US as long as one has a working knowledge of the English language. I also believe that the anti-immigrationists who recently attempted to legislate English as the ‘official language’ of the US would do better to increase funding for and accessibility to ESL programs rather than politicizing a non-issue and fostering a false sense of cultural superiority.
Mexico angered by lack of immigration reform, decision to increase security at border
Via BostonHerald.com
10/06/2006
Mexico lobbied for six years for a comprehensive immigration reform that would allow millions to cross into the United States legally. Instead, they’re getting a fence.
Mexicans – from leading politicians to migrants preparing to cross illegally – consider the U.S. plan to fence off much of the border shameful, offensive and ill-conceived.
President Bush on Wednesday signed a bill that would allot $1.2 billion for hundreds of miles of fencing along the U.S.-Mexican border and for more vehicle barriers, lighting and infrared cameras.
But migrants resting
at a Tijuana shelter after being deported from the United States said
more walls wouldn’t deter them. Alfonso Martinez, a 32-year-old from
southern Mexico, had been working as a farmhand for six months in
Vista, Calif., when he was arrested and deported last week.
“Wall or no wall, I will try at least three times,” said Martinez, who
said he would try to cross by himself through Tecate, a mountainous
town about 35 miles east of Tijuana. “I have three girls that I have to
support, and in Mexico there is no work.”
Mexican immigrants in the United States and the Mexican government had
lobbied lawmakers for more ways to cross the border and work legally.
While Bush had proposed a temporary worker program, it didn’t garner
enough support in Congress for passage. The idea has been dropped by
Washington, at least until after the November congressional elections.
Congress focused on security over immigration, arguing that the porous
border could be used by terrorists who want to sneak into the U.S.
undetected. There is no evidence that has happened, however.
The Mexican government this week sent a diplomatic note to Washington
criticizing the plan for 700 miles of new fencing along the border.
Foreign Secretary Luis Ernesto Derbez called it an “offense” and said
his office was considering taking the issue to the United Nations.
100 Typical Questions on the Naturalization Exam
VIA THE DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE
I’ve listed 100 typical questions an applicant for US Naturalization (Citizenship) can be posed. For the record, my third generation US born drycleaner answered only 67 questions correctly.
QUESTIONS
1 . WHAT ARE THE COLORS OF OUR FLAG?
2. HOW MANY STARS ARE THERE IN OUR FLAG?
3. WHAT COLOR ARE THE STARS ON OUR FLAG?
4. WHAT DO THE STARS ON THE FLAG MEAN?
5. HOW MANY STRIPES ARE THERE IN THE FLAG?
6. WHAT COLOR ARE THE STRIPES?
7. WHAT DO THE STRIPES ON THE FLAG MEAN?
8. HOW MANY STATES ARE THERE IN THE UNION?
9. WHAT IS THE 4TH OF JULY?
10. WHAT IS THE DATE, OF INDEPENDENCE DAY?
11. INDEPENDENCE FROM WHOM?
12. WHAT COUNTRY DID WE FIGHT DURING THE REVOLUTIONARY WAR?
13. WHO WAS THE FIRST PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES?
14. WHO IS THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES TODAY?
15. WHO IS THE VICE-PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES TODAY?
16. WHO ELECTS THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES?
17. WHO BECOMES PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES IF THE PRESIDENT SHOULD DIE?
18. FOR HOW LONG DO WE ELECT THE PRESIDENT?
19. WHAT IS THE CONSTITUTION?
20. CAN THE CONSTITUTION BE CHANGED?
21. WHAT DO WE CALL A CHANGE TO THE CONSTITUTION?
22. HOW MANY CHANGES OR AMENDMENTS ARE THERE TO THE CONSTITUTION?
23. HOW MANY BRANCHES ARE THERE IN OUR GOVERNMENT?
24. WHAT ARE THE THREE BRANCHES OF OUR GOVERNMENT?
25. WHAT IS THE LEGISLATIVE BRANCH OF OUR GOVERNMENT?
26. WHO MAKES THE LAWS IN THE UNITED STATES?
27. WHAT IS CONGRESS?
28. WHAT ARE THE DUTIES OF CONGRESS?
29. WHO ELECTS CONGRESS?
30. HOW MANY SENATORS ARE THERE IN CONGRESS?
31. CAN YOU NAME THE TWO SENATORS FROM YOUR STATE?
32. FOR HOW LONG DO WE ELECT EACH SENATOR?
33. HOW MANY REPRESENTATIVES ARE THERE IN CONGRESS?
34. FOR HOW LONG DO WE ELECT THE REPRESENTATIVES?
35. WHAT IS THE EXECUTIVE BRANCH OF OUR GOVERNMENT?
36. WHAT IS THE JUDICIARY BRANCH OF OUR GOVERNMENT?
37. WHAT ARE THE DUTIES OF THE SUPREME COURT?
38. WHAT IS THE SUPREME LAW OF THE UNITED STATES?
39. WHAT IS THE BILL OF RIGHTS?
40. WHAT IS THE CAPITAL OF YOUR STATE?
41. WHO IS THE CURRENT GOVERNOR OF YOUR STATE?
42. WHO BECOMES PRESIDENT OF THE U.S.A. IF THE PRESIDENT AND THE VICE-PRESIDENT
SHOULD DIE?
43. WHO IS THE CHIEF JUSTICE OF THE SUPREME COURT?
44. CAN YOU NAME THE THIRTEEN ORIGINAL STATES?
45. WHO SAID, “GIVE ME LIBERTY OR GIVE ME DEATH”?
46. WHICH COUNTRIES WERE OUR ENEMIES DURING WORLD WAR II?
47. WHAT ARE THE 49TH AND 50TH STATES OF THE UNION?
48. HOW MANY TERMS CAN A PRESIDENT SERVE?
49. WHO WAS MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR.?
50. WHO IS THE HEAD OF YOUR LOCAL GOVERNMENT?
51. ACCORDING TO THE CONSTITUTION, A PERSON MUST MEET CERTAIN REQUIREMENTS IN
ORDER TO BE ELIGIBLE TO BECOME PRESIDENT. NAME ONE OF THESE REQUIREMENTS.
26. WHO MAKES THE LAWS IN THE UNITED STATES?
27. WHAT IS CONGRESS?
28. WHAT ARE THE DUTIES OF CONGRESS?
29. WHO ELECTS CONGRESS?
30. HOW MANY SENATORS ARE THERE IN CONGRESS?
31. CAN YOU NAME THE TWO SENATORS FROM YOUR STATE?
32. FOR HOW LONG DO WE ELECT EACH SENATOR?
33. HOW MANY REPRESENTATIVES ARE THERE IN CONGRESS?
34. FOR HOW LONG DO WE ELECT THE REPRESENTATIVES?
35. WHAT IS THE EXECUTIVE BRANCH OF OUR GOVERNMENT?
36. WHAT IS THE JUDICIARY BRANCH OF OUR GOVERNMENT?
37. WHAT ARE THE DUTIES OF THE SUPREME COURT?
38. WHAT IS THE SUPREME LAW OF THE UNITED STATES?
39. WHAT IS THE BILL OF RIGHTS?
40. WHAT IS THE CAPITAL OF YOUR STATE?
41. WHO IS THE CURRENT GOVERNOR OF YOUR STATE?
42. WHO BECOMES PRESIDENT OF THE U.S.A. IF THE PRESIDENT AND THE VICE-PRESIDENT
SHOULD DIE?
43. WHO IS THE CHIEF JUSTICE OF THE SUPREME COURT?
44. CAN YOU NAME THE THIRTEEN ORIGINAL STATES?
45. WHO SAID, “GIVE ME LIBERTY OR GIVE ME DEATH”?
46. WHICH COUNTRIES WERE OUR ENEMIES DURING WORLD WAR II?
47. WHAT ARE THE 49TH AND 50TH STATES OF THE UNION?
48. HOW MANY TERMS CAN A PRESIDENT SERVE?
49. WHO WAS MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR.?
50. WHO IS THE HEAD OF YOUR LOCAL GOVERNMENT?
51. ACCORDING TO THE CONSTITUTION, A PERSON MUST MEET CERTAIN REQUIREMENTS IN
ORDER TO BE ELIGIBLE TO BECOME PRESIDENT. NAME ONE OF THESE REQUIREMENTS.
78. WHAT KIND OF GOVERNMENT DOES THE UNITED STATES HAVE?
79. WHICH PRESIDENT FREED THE SLAVES?
80. IN WHAT YEAR WAS THE CONSTITUTION WRITTEN?
81. WHAT ARE THE FIRST 10 AMENDMENTS TO THE CONSTITUTION CALLED?
82. NAME ONE PURPOSE OF THE UNITED NATIONS.
83. WHERE DOES CONGRESS MEET?
84. WHOSE RIGHTS ARE GUARANTEED BY THE CONSTITUTION AND THE BILL OF RIGHTS?
85. WHAT IS THE INTRODUCTION TO THE CONSTITUTION CALLED?
86. NAME ONE BENEFIT OF BEING A CITIZEN OF THE UNITED STATES.
87. WHAT IS THE MOST IMPORTANT RIGHT GRANTED TO U.S. CITIZENS?
88. WHAT IS THE UNITED STATES CAPITOL?
89. WHAT IS THE WHITE HOUSE?
90. WHERE IS THE WHITE HOUSE LOCATED?
91. WHAT IS THE NAME OF THE PRESIDENT’S OFFICIAL HOME?
92. NAME ONE RIGHT GUARANTEED BY THE FIRST AMENDMENT.
93. WHO IS THE COMMANDER IN CHIEF OF THE U.S. MILITARY?
94. WHICH PRESIDENT WAS THE FIRST COMMANDER IN CHIEF OF THE U.S. MILITARY?
95. IN WHAT MONTH DO WE VOTE FOR THE PRESIDENT?
96. IN WHAT MONTH IS THE NEW PRESIDENT INAUGURATED?
97. HOW MANY TIMES MAY A SENATOR BE RE-ELECTED?
98. HOW MANY TIMES MAY A CONGRESSMAN BE RE-ELECTED?
99. WHAT ARE THE 2 MAJOR POLITICAL PARTIES IN THE U.S. TODAY?
100. HOW MANY STATES ARE THERE IN THE UNITED STATES?
ANSWER SHEET
1. RED, WHITE, AND BLUE
2. 50
3. WHITE
4. ONE FOR EACH STATE IN THE UNION
5. 13
6. RED AND WHITE
7. THEY REPRESENT TEE ORIGINAL 13 STATES
8. 50
9. INDEPENDENCE DAY
10. JULY 4TH
11. ENGLAND
12. ENGLAND
13. GEORGE WASHINGTON
14. GEORGE W. BUSH
15. DICK CHENEY
16. THE ELECTORAL COLLEGE
17. VICE PRESIDENT
18. FOUR YEARS
19. THE SUPREME LAW OF THE LAND
20. YES
21. AMENDMENTS
22. 27
23. 3
24. LEGISLATIVE, EXECUTIVE, AND JUDICIARY
25. CONGRESS
26. CONGRESS
27. THE SENATE AND THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
28. TO MAKE LAWS
29. THE PEOPLE
30. 100
31. (INSERT LOCAL INFORMATION)
32. 6 YEARS
33. 435
34. 2 YEARS
35. THE PRESIDENT, CABINET, AND DEPARTMENTS UNDER THE CABINET MEMBERS
36. THE SUPREME COURT
37. TO INTERPRET LAWS
38. THE CONSTITUTION
39. THE FIRST 10 AMENDMENTS OF THE CONSTITUTION
40. (INSERT LOCAL INFORMATION)
41. (INSERT LOCAL INFORMATION)
42. SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
43. WILLIAM REHNQUIST
44. CONNECTICUT, NEW HAMPSHIRE, NEW YORK, NEW JERSEY, MASSACHUSETTS,
PENNSYLVANIA, DELAWARE, VIRGINIA, NORTH CAROLINA, SOUTH CAROLINA, GEORGIA,
RHODE ISLAND, AND MARYLAND
45. PATRICK HENRY
46. GERMANY, ITALY, AND JAPAN
47. HAWAII AND ALASKA
48. 2
49. A CIVIL RIGHTS LEADER
50. (INSERT LOCAL INFORMATION)
51. MUST BE A NATURAL BORN CITIZEN OF THE UNITED STATES;
MUST BE AT LEAST 35 YEARS OLD BY THE TIME HE/SHE WILL SERVE; MUST HAVE LIVED
IN THE UNITED STATES FOR AT LEAST 14 YEARS
52. TWO (2) FROM EACH STATE
53. APPOINTED BY THE PRESIDENT
54. NINE (9)
55. FOR RELIGIOUS FREEDOM
56 GOVERNOR
57. MAYOR
58. THANKSGIVING
59. THOMAS JEFFERSON
60. JULY 4, 1776
61. THAT ALL MEN ARE CREATED EQUAL
62. THE STAR-SPANGLED BANNER
63. FRANCIS SCOTT KEY
64. THE BILL OF RIGHTS
65. EIGHTEEN (18)
66. THE PRESIDENT
67. THE SUPREME COURT
68. ABRAHAM LINCOLN
69. FREED MANY SLAVES
70. THE CABINET
71. GEORGE WASHINGTON
72. FORM N-400, “APPLICATION TO FILE PETITION FOR NATURALIZATION”
73. THE AMERICAN INDIANS (NATIVE AMERICANS)
74. THE MAYFLOWER
75. COLONIES
76.
(A) THE RIGHT OF FREEDOM OF SPEECH, PRESS, RELIGION, PEACEABLE ASSEMBLY AND
REQUESTING CHANGE OF GOVERNMENT.
(
THE RIGHT TO BEAR ARMS (THE RIGHT TO HAVE WEAPONS OR OWN A GUN, THOUGH
SUBJECT TO CERTAIN REGULATIONS).
(C) THE GOVERNMENT MAY NOT QUARTER, OR HOUSE, SOLDIERS IN THE PEOPL
E’S
HOMES DURING PEACETIME WITHOUT THE PEOPLE’S CONSENT.
(D) THE GOVERNMENT MAY NOT SEARCH OR TAKE A PERSON’S PROPERTY WITHOUT A
WARRANT.
(E) A PERSON MAY NOT BE TRIED TWICE FOR THE SAME CRIME AND DOES NOT HAVE
TO TESTIFY AGAINST HIMSELF.
(F) A PERSON CHARGED WITH A CRIME STILL HAS SOME RIGHTS, SUCH AS THE RIGHT
TO A TRIAL AND TO HAVE A LAWYER.
(G) THE RIGHT TO TRIAL BY JURY IN MOST CASES.
(H) PROTECTS PEOPLE AGAINST EXCESSIVE OR UNREASONABLE FINES OR CRUEL AND
UNUSUAL PUNISHMENT.
(L) THE PEOPLE HAVE RIGHTS OTHER THAN THOSE MENTIONED IN THE CONSTITUTION.
ANY POWER NOT GIVEN TO THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT BY THE CONSTITUTION IS
A POWER OF EITHER THE STATE OR THE PEOPLE.
77. THE CONGRESS
78. REPUBLICAN
79. ABRAHAM LINCOLN
80. 1787
81. THE BILL OF RIGHTS
82. FOR COUNTRIES TO DISCUSS AND TRY TO RESOLVE WORLD PROBLEMS; TO PROVIDE
ECONOMIC AID TO MANY COUNTRIES.
83. IN THE CAPITOL IN WASHINGTON, D.C.
84. EVERYONE (CITIZENS AND NON-CITIZENS LIVING IN THE U.S.)
85. THE PREAMBLE
86. OBTAIN FEDERAL GOVERNMENT JOBS; TRAVEL WITH A U.S. PASSPORT; PETITION FOR
CLOSE RELATIVES TO COME TO THE U.S. TO LIVE
87. THE RIGHT TO VOTE
88. THE PLACE WHERE CONGRESS MEETS
89. THE PRESIDENTS OFFICIAL HOME
90. WASHINGTON, D.C. (1600 PENNSYLVANIA AVENUE, NW)
91. THE WHITE HOUSE
92. FREEDOM OF: SPEECH, PRESS, RELIGION, PEACEABLE ASSEMBLY, AND REQUESTING
CHANGE OF THE GOVERNMENT
93. THE PRESIDENT
94. GEORGE WASHINGTON
95. NOVEMBER
96. JANUARY
97. THERE IS NO LIMIT
98. THERE IS NO LIMIT
99. DEMOCRATIC AND REPUBLICAN
100. (50)
House Judiciary Committee Approves Physicians for Underserved Areas Act
Via AILA
10/04/2006
The House Judiciary Committee, on 9/27/06, amended and passed the
Physicians for Underserved Areas Act (H.R. 4997), legislation that
would reauthorize the J-1 visa waiver program for two years. The waiver
program permits foreign-born doctors to remain in the U.S. and receive
a waiver of the foreign country residence requirement if they spend
three years working in geographic areas where a shortage of doctors
exists. As introduced, the bill would have made the waiver program
permanent. However, prior to reporting out the measure, lawmakers
approved an amendment by Rep. John Hostettler (R-IN) that changed the
language making the program permanent to language reauthorizing the
program for two years only.
The U.S. Immigration Law Blog by Ashwin Sharma 
Diploma in Hand, But Visa in Limbo – Via The Harvard Crimson
Via The Harvard Crimson
Seniors are waiting to hear if they’ve been hired for lucrative jobs on
Wall Street and in Silicon Valley, but international students are
waiting to hear if they’ll even be allowed to hold jobs in the country.
Harvard’s late graduation date—and an unusually high volume of
visa applications—could put some seniors’ and recent graduates’ jobs in
jeopardy.
And with immigration reform efforts stalled on Capitol Hill, relief may be a long time coming.
Some international students in the Class of 2006 were unable to
apply for the H-1B visas required to seek employment in the United
States because they did not receive the necessary proof of graduation
until after the visa quota was filled.
Previously, the annual quota had not filled up until long
after Harvard’s June Commencement ceremonies—students in the class of
2005 faced a deadline of Aug. 10.
But last year, U.S. Citizen and Immigration Services (USCIS),
the federal agency that adjudicates visa petitions, announced that the
quota was filled on May 26—the same day finals period ended. That left
some graduating seniors without long-term employment permits.
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