USCIS

More than 800 immigrants accidentally granted U.S. citizenship

The U.S. government has mistakenly granted citizenship to at least 858 immigrants from countries of concern to national security or with high rates of immigration fraud who had pending deportation orders, according to an internal Homeland Security audit released Monday.

EB-5 visa program may expire on Sept. 30 if Congress doesn’t take action

The investor visa program, EB-5, is set to expire on September 30, unless Congress can temporarily extend it, or reform it to cut down the loopholes and eliminate the numerous cases of fraud that surface with the program.

Three Immigration Lawyers Sanctioned by SEC for Brokering EB-5 Investment

The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has just published three new decisions in connection with administrative proceedings against two well known immigration lawyers, as well as against a third lawyer. One party has allegedly earned $450,000 in commissions from one EB-5 Offeror alone.

 

https://www.sec.gov/litigation/admin/2016/34-78658.pdf
https://www.sec.gov/litigation/admin/2016/34-78657.pdf
https://www.sec.gov/litigation/admin/2016/34-78656.pdf

Visa Bulletin (September 2016)

This bulletin summarizes the availability of immigrant numbers during September 2016 for: “Final Action Dates” and “Dates for Filing Applications,” indicating when immigrant visa applicants should be notified to assemble and submit required documentation to the National Visa Center.

Clinton Vows to Expand Obama's Immigration Executive Actions

HILLARY CLINTON vowed to expand President Obama's executive actions on immigration and cast the 2016 presidential election as critical for Latino voters because Donald Trump is the presumptive Republican nominee.

VT reaches $5.95 million settlement with Raymond James

The Vermont Department of Regulation has reached a settlement with Raymond James and Associates, Inc., in connection with the EB-5 scandal in the Northeast Kingdom.

Supreme Court Immigration Decision: 4-4 Tie Blocks Obama’s Executive Action Helping Immigrants

Breaking News:  The Supreme Court announced today that it was deadlocked in a 4-4 tie in a decision on the immigration policies of U.S. President Barack Obama. The decision effectively blocks Obama's action, allowing an appeals court decision to stand.

Price for a Green Card: $500,000 Stadium Stake

For years, sports teams have tried to defray the multimillion-dollar costs of their new stadiums by asking fans to pay thousands for personal seat licenses that entitle them to buy season tickets.

Flávio Augusto da Silva is taking the concept further. In what may be the first deal of its kind, Mr. da Silva, the majority owner of Orlando City of Major League Soccer, is asking investors from Brazil, China and elsewhere to pay $500,000 each for a stake in the stadium he is building near downtown Orlando. In return, the foreign investors receive annual dividends, two season tickets and something even more valuable: a green card that allows them, their spouses and sometimes even their children to live and work in the United States.

Sting Operation by the Department of Homeland Security Leads to Visa Fraud Arrests

NEWARK — On the surface, the University of Northern New Jersey seemed legitimate. It had a website, with a seal featuring the Latin words “Humanus, Scientia, Integritas,” a list of business-oriented degrees offered and a promise of “an exceptional educational experience.”

It was so exceptional it did not exist.

Instead, the university was a fake, set up by the Homeland Security Department as part of a sting operation to ensnare criminals involved in student visa fraud.

USCIS Completes Data Entry of Fiscal Year 2017 H-1B Cap-Subject Petitions

USCIS announced on May 2, 2016, that it has completed data entry of all fiscal year 2017 H-1B cap-subject petitions selected in our computer-generated random process. USCIS will now begin returning all H-1B cap-subject petitions that were not selected.