Page 3 - Us Immigration

Over 8,5000 migrants died worldwide, highest since UN started counting

A total of 8,565 migrants died on land and sea routes worldwide last year, the U.N. migration agency said Wednesday, a record high since it began counting deaths a decade ago. The International Organization for Migration said the biggest increase in deaths last year was on the treacherous Mediterranean Sea crossing, to 3,129 from 2,411 in 2022. However, that was well below the record 5,136 deaths recorded on the Mediterranean in 2016 as huge numbers of Syrians, Afghans and others fled conflicts toward Europe. IOM said the total number of deaths among migrants in 2023 was nearly 20% more than the previous year. It said most of the deaths last year, about 3,700, came from drowning. The count also includes migrants who vanished often while trying to cross by sea and are presumed dead even if their bodies were not found. The Geneva-based migration agency cautioned that the figures likely underestimate the real toll, and factors such as improved data collection methods play a part in

Surge in immigration to boost US GDP by $7 trn over decade, says CBO

The agency's estimates come amid a fierce political debate in Washington over the surge of migration at the US-Mexico border and what should be done to control it

Spouses, kids of H1-B visa holders to get automatic work authorisation

In a huge relief for H-1B visa holders, a White House-backed bipartisan deal has been unveiled under which automatic work authorisation would be granted to about 100,000 H-4 visa holders, who are spouses and children of a certain category of H-1B visa holders. The National Security Agreement that was announced on Sunday after long negotiations between the Republican and the Democratic leadership in the US Senate also provides a solution to about 250,000 aged-out children of H-1B visa holders. The move comes as good news for hundreds and thousands of Indian technology professionals who are waiting in a painstakingly long wait for a Green Card, in the absence of which their spouses cannot work and their aged-out children face the threat of deportation. A Green Card, known officially as a Permanent Resident Card, is a document issued to immigrants to the US as evidence that the bearer has been granted the privilege of residing permanently. The per-country caps are numerical limits on t

US announces overhaul of its annual lottery for H-1B visas to reduce fraud

The US has announced a major overhaul of its annual lottery for the H-1B speciality occupation visas, popular among Indian IT professionals, to curtail the potential for fraud and improve and streamline the registration system. Separately, the US on January 29 has formally launched a pilot programme to renew the much sought-after H-1B visas domestically, a move that is likely to benefit thousands of Indian tech professionals. The H-1B visa is a non-immigrant visa that allows US companies to employ foreign workers in speciality occupations that require theoretical or technical expertise. Technology companies depend on it to hire tens of thousands of employees each year from countries like India and China. The new overhauled system, among other things, includes the provision of a beneficiary-centric selection process for registrations by employers. As a result, unlike in the past when multiple applications by an individual often resulted in abuse in fraud of the system, the H-1B vis

Immigrants wait 10 years in US just for a court date, system overwhelmed

US immigration offices have become so overwhelmed with processing migrants for court that some some asylum-seekers who crossed the border at Mexico may be waiting a decade before they even get a date to see a judge. The backlog stems from a change made two months after President Joe Biden took office, when Border Patrol agents began now-defunct practice of quickly releasing immigrants on parole. They were given instructions to report to a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement office at their final destination to be processed for court work previously done by the Border Patrol. The change prevented the kind of massive overcrowding of holding cells in 2019, when some migrants stood on toilets for room to breathe. But the cost became evident as ICE officers tasked with issuing court papers couldn't keep pace. Offices in some cities are now telling migrants to come back years from now, and the extra work has strained ICE's capacity for its traditional work of enforcing immigration .

US to start premium processing of work permits for certain intl students

The United States on Monday announced premium processing of work authorisation applications for certain categories of international students, which is likely to benefit a large number of Indian students who come to study in the US in the STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) field. US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced the premium processing of applications for OPT (optional practical training) from international students in the STEM field or its extension. The premium processing begins March 6, a media release said, adding that for some other categories, it would begin from April 3. "The availability of premium processing for certain F-1 students, in addition to the ease of online filing, will streamline the immigration experience for a great many international students," said USCIS Director Ur M Jaddou. "The ongoing expansion of online filing is a priority for USCIS as we continue to create operational efficiencies and increase access to the .

H-1B, EB-5 visa application fees to shoot up under proposed USCIS rule

H-1B visa petitioners would also need to pay $215 in pre-registration fees, up from the current $10 fee

US plans for more migrant releases when asylum restrictions end next week

The Department of Homeland Security said more migrants may be released into the United States to pursue immigration cases when Trump-era asylum restrictions end next week in one of its most detailed assessments ahead of the major policy shift. The department reported faster processing for migrants in custody on the border, more temporary detention tents, staffing surges and increased criminal prosecutions of smugglers, noting progress on a plan announced in April. But the seven-page document dated Tuesday included no major structural changes amid unusually large numbers of migrants entering the country. More are expected with the end of Title 42 authority, under which migrants have been denied rights to seek asylum more than 2.5 million times on grounds of preventing spread of COVID-19. A federal judge in Washington ordered Title 42 to end December 21 but Republican-led states asked an appeals court to keep it in place. The Biden administration has also challenged some aspects of

Indian national pleads guilty to illegally entering US after being deported

An Indian national Thursday pleaded guilty before a court that he illegally entered the United States after he was deported from the country two years ago. Ashok Kumar Prahladbhai Patel, 40, could face imprisonment of up to two years. Sentencing is scheduled for April 5, 2023. According to the court documents, Patel, an Indian national, appeared before US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers on November 24, 2021 at the Henry E Rohlsen Airport in St Croix for pre-boarding inspection for his flight to Fort Lauderdale, Florida. During his inspection, Patel presented a fraudulent Florida driver's license, the Department of Justice said. The officers then conducted a database inquiry which revealed that on August 17, 2019, Patel was apprehended and detained by the CBP in Tecate, California, and was processed for expedited removal, it said. Patel was subsequently removed from the United States to India on November 21, 2019. After his removal, Patel did not obtain express consent

Nearly one million immigrants gained US citizenship in FY22: Report

Nearly one million immigrants obtained US citizenship during 2022, the highest number of naturalized citizens in almost 15 years, according to a US Citizenship and Immigration Services report

US govt appeals ruling that would lift asylum restrictions for migrants

The US government said Wednesday it is appealing a court ruling that would otherwise lift asylum restrictions that have become the cornerstone of border enforcement in recent years. The enforcement rule first took effect in March 2020, denying migrants' rights to seek asylum under US and international law on grounds of preventing the spread of COVID-19. The Homeland Security Department said it would file an appeal with the US Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia, challenging a November ruling by US District Judge Emmet Sullivan that ordered President Joe Biden's administration to lift the asylum restrictions. The restrictions were put in place under former President Donald Trump at the outset of the COVID-19 pandemic. The practice was authorized under Title 42 of a broader 1944 law covering public health, and has been used to expel migrants more than 2.4 million times.

Will expand temporary legal status for Haitians residing in country: US

The Biden administration said Monday that it would expand temporary legal status for Haitians already living in the United States, determining conditions in the Caribbean nation were too dangerous for their forced return. The Homeland Security Department said Haitians who were in the United States November 6 could apply for Temporary Protected Status and those who were granted it last year could stay an additional 18 months until August 3, 2024. The administration has extended temporary status for several countries and expanded or introduced it for Haiti, Afghanistan, Ukraine, Myanmar, Cameroon and Venezuela, reversing a Trump-era trend to cut back on protections for those already in the United States. TPS, which typically comes with authorisation to work, may be extended in increments up to 18 months for countries struck by natural disasters or civil strife. Haiti has seen increasingly brazen attacks by gangs that have grown more powerful since the July 2021 assassination of ...

Illegal border crossings to US from Mexico hit annual high: Authorities

A surge in migration from Venezuela, Cuba and Nicaragua in September brought the number of illegal crossings to the highest level ever recorded in a fiscal year, according to U.S. Customs and Border Protection. The year-end numbers reflect deteriorating economic and political conditions in some countries, the relative strength of the U.S. economy and uneven enforcement of Trump-era asylum restrictions. Migrants were stopped 2,27,547 times in September at the U.S. border with Mexico, the third-highest month of Joe Biden's presidency. It was up 11.5 per cent from 2,04,087 times in August and 18.5 per cent from 1,92,001 times in September 2021. In the fiscal year that ended September 30, migrants were stopped 2.38 million times, up 37 per cent from 1.73 million times the year before, according to figures released late Friday night. The annual total surpassed 2 million for the first time in August and is more than twice the highest level during Donald Trump's presidency in 2019. Nearly

US immigration agency accused of failing to protect detainees from Covid-19

Covid-19 "continues to spread rapidly throughout" detention centres run by the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), according to an attorney with the non-profit ACLU

Legislation introduced in US Senate to reform, stop abuse of H-1B visas

The H-1B visa is a non-immigrant visa that allows US companies to employ foreign workers in speciality occupations that require theoretical or technical expertise.

Can US President Joe Biden find the right balance on immigration?

Most Washington lawmakers are largely holding their tongues, unwilling to criticise their leader on a polarising topic

US administration and Mexico seek ways to do more on irregular immigration

Kamala Harris and Homeland Security Secretary have conveyed to the most important US partner that the Biden administration is taking a more nuanced approach to immigration than its predecessor

Bill to remove per country cap on Green Card introduced in US Congress

A bipartisan legislation has been introduced in the US House of Representatives to eliminate the per country cap on employment-based Green Card

Google leads US business push to preserve work permits for H-1B spouses

Businesses in ongoing litigation also are fighting rules Trump imposed requiring higher wages for H-1B holders and prioritizing workers with higher pay for the visas.

Migrants separated from their children will be allowed into the US

A handful of parents from Mexico and Central America who were deported under the Trump administration's family separation policy will be reunited this week with their children