Outside the U.S. Call
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Without setting a timetable, a recent U.S. Department of Homeland Security statement said that the U.S. VISIT system will replace the currently existing special registration (NSEERS) program, integrate the SEVIS (Student and Exchange Visitor Information System) program, and encompass the Congressional requirements of the automated entry-exit system. DHS Secretary Tom Ridge said that U.S. VISIT, the first phase of which is expected to be launched by the end of 2003 at international air and sea ports of entry, will use information and biometric identifiers, such as photographs, fingerprints, or iris scans, to create an "electronic check-in/check-out system for people who come to the United States to work or to study or visit."
DHS to Create New Office for Visa Compliance (5/20/03)
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security is planning to create a new Office of Compliance to handle visa compliance issues. The office will refer violations to enforcement officials for further investigation.
BICE Announces Reorganization (5/19/03)
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS)'s Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (BICE) announced on May 16, 2003, a reorganization plan that creates a headquarters structure for the agency's operational components and a field structure that provides an integrated chain of command and more streamlined operations. The plan will be effective on June 9. The BICE, which is the investigative arm of the DHS, has a workforce of nearly 14,000. The agency is comprised of several components from the former U.S. Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS), the U.S. Customs Service, and the Federal Protective Service (FPS).
Ousted BIA Members Accept New Positions (5/19/03)
Five Board of Immigration Appeals (BIA) Members were expected to leave as part of the broad reorganization begun with the publication of final regulations revising the structure and procedures of the Board. The changes implemented by Attorney General John Ashcroft eventually shrunk the Board from 23 members to 11, resulting in resignations and in the apparently involuntary termination of five members, all Clinton-era appointees. Interpreter Releases has learned from multiple sources that the five Board Members have now left, or will leave shortly, for other positions. Paul W. Schmidt has become an Immigration Judge (IJ) in Arlington, Virginia. Noel A. Brennan is expected to become an IJ in New York City some time later this year, possibly by the end of the summer. Gustavo D. Villageliu and Cecelia M. Espenoza will shortly begin new positions with the Executive Office for Immigration Review's (EOIR's) Office of General Counsel. John Guendelsberger has reportedly accepted an unspecified position with the BIA.
India Family Fourth Over Subscription Likely in July; Keep an Eye on Philippines (5/19/03)
In a recent Visa Bulletin, the U.S. Department of State warned that continued heavy applicant demand in the India family fourth preference category is likely to require the over subscription of this chargeability for July, necessitating the establishment of a cut-off date in that category that is earlier than the Worldwide date. The Department also warned that the Philippines family first, third, and fourth preference cut-off dates have moved forward very quickly, possibly requiring retrogression as early as July.
BCIS Extends TPS for Hondurans, Nicaraguans; EADs Automatically Extended (5/5/03)
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security's Bureau of Citizenship and Immigration Services (BCIS) has announced an 18-month extension of temporary protected status (TPS) for an estimated 85,000 Hondurans and 6,000 Nicaraguans, until January 5, 2005, and an automatic extension of the expiration date of the Employment Authorization Document (EAD) for eligible Hondurans and Nicaraguans to December 5, 2003. The TPS extension is effective July 5, 2003. The 60-day TPS re-registration period began May 5, 2003, and will remain in effect until July 7, 2003.
DOJ Proposes Revising International Prisoner Transfer Case File System, Instructs on How to Obtain Access (5/5/03)
The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) published a notice on April 29, 2003, proposing under the Privacy Act of 1974 to revise the Criminal Division's system of records, "Index of Prisoners Transferred Under Prisoner Transfer Treaties," which covers records maintained by the International Prisoner Transfer Unit. The DOJ is renaming the system to the "International Prisoner Transfer Case Files/International Prisoner Transfer Tracking System," to update and clarify the scope of the records, to describe more accurately how such records are currently maintained, and to specify the duration for which such records are to be retained. The revised system of records also expands upon the routine uses of records maintained in the system, and adds routine uses lately incorporated into other DOJ systems pertaining to law enforcement. The notice sets forth how to request access to a record in the system, and how to contest or amend information maintained in the system.
Immigration News Archives