2016 Diversity Immigrant Visa Program (DV-2016) lottery

DV-2016 lottery is open now.  All entries must be submitted electronically at www.dvlottery.gov between noon, EDT Wednesday, 10/01/2014 and noon, EDT Monday, 11/03/2014.  Do not wait until the last week of the registration period to enter as heavy demand is expected, resulting in website delays. 




Requirements:




Requirement 1:  Individuals born in countries whose natives qualify may be eligible to enter.
If you were not born in an eligible country, there are two other ways you might be able to qualify.



 (1)  Your spouse was born in a country whose natives are eligible, provided that both you and your spouse are named on the selected entry, are issued diversity visas, and enter the United States simultaneously.



(2) If you were born in a country whose natives are ineligible, but in which neither of your parents was born or legally resident at the time of your birth, and one of your parents was born in a country whose natives are eligible for the DV-2016 program.



Requirement 2: Each applicant must meet the education/work experience requirement of the DV program by having either:



(1) a high school education or its equivalent, defined as successful completion of a 12-year course of formal elementary and secondary education; or




(2) two years of work experience within the past five years in an occupation requiring at least two years of training or experience to perform.






For DV-2016 instruction, click here.

If you need any assistance in submitting your entry to DV-2016,

please contact us at (808)380-3075 or info@ailovisas.com

DV2016 グリーンカード抽選の受付が始まりました！

国務省よりDiversity Visa (DV) Lottery (永住権抽選)プログラムの応募要項が発表されました。

このＤＶプログラムは、抽選によって、永住権（グリーンカード）取得の権利を、様々な出身国の移民に与えるものです。特に移民率の低い国には多くの数が配分され、アメリカに移民として来る人々の多様化を図ることを目的としたプログラムです。

２０１６年度の抽選では、５万人の移民が割り当てられています。

 
応募受付期間

アメリカの東部夏時間 (Eastern Daylight Time)

 ２０１４年１０月１日の正午～２０１４年１１月３日正午まで

応募方法

オンライン申請方式により、国務省の永住権抽選ウェブサイトから申請。www.dvlottery.state.gov 　

※　国務省サイトを真似た業者のウェブサイトもあるのでご注意ください。

※　応募は一人につき一回のみです。 重複して申請した応募者は無効となります。

※　配偶者がいる方は、本人と配偶者の両方が応募条件を満たしている場合、各自１回のエントリーが可能です。どちらかが当選した場合、その配偶者にも永住権を取得する権利が与えられます。

応募資格

• 応募者が該当する国の出身者（生まれた国）であること。日本は従来通り対象国です。対象国以外の出身者であっても、以下の場合は申請が可能。
• 配偶者が対象国で生まれた場合。ただし、ビザが発行された場合、配偶者と同時にアメリカに入国すること。
• 対象外の国で生まれたが、両親がその国の永住者ではなく一時的に滞在していた、もしくはその国で生まれていない場合、両親どちらか一方の出身国が対象国であること
• 応募者が高校を卒業している、もしくは高校卒業と同等の教育を終了している。または、過去５年間に２年の経験や訓練を要する職業に、２年間以上従事していた。

永住権の抽選に当選した応募者は、その後、永住権取得の手続きを開始します。ただし、ＤＶプログラムは、実際に永住権を取得できる人数枠を上回る数の応募者を当選者として登録するため、当選番号が最後のほうの当選者は、永住権を取得できない場合もあります。同様に、健康診査や犯罪歴審査などの必要条件を満たしていない場合、抽選に当選した場合であっても永住権を取得することができません。

申請期間の最後の一週間はアクセス数が増え、ウェブサイトに繋がりにくくなります。早めに申請しましょう。

当事務所でも、応募の代行サービスを行なっています。興味のある方は、お時間に余裕をもってお早めにお問い合わせください。

アクセスインターナショナル法律事務所

移民法・ビジネス法・家庭法

（８０８）９２７－２１０１

info@ailovisas.com

Approved H-1Bs with a 10/1/14 Start Date May File Visa Applications Now

The American Immigration Lawyers Association has issued an alert that
beneficiaries of approved H-1B petitions with an October 1, 2014 start date may now begin filing their visa applications at U.S. consular posts.

According to 9 FAM 41.53 N8.4(b), “Posts are authorized to accept H visa petitions and issue visas to qualified applicants up to 90 days in advance of applicants’ beginning of employment status. Post must inform applicants verbally and in writing that they can only use the visa to apply for admission to the United States starting ten days prior to the beginning of the approved status period. In addition, such visas must be annotated, “Not valid until (ten days prior to the petition validity date.)”


Source:  AILA InfoNet Doc. No. 14070740 (posted Jul. 7, 2014)

Osaka-Kobe U.S. Consulate Stopping E-1/E-2 Visa Interviews

From June 1 through August 31, 2014, the U.S. Consulate in Osaka/Kobe will temporarily stop accepting E-1 and E-2 non-immigrant visa appointments. 


During this time, all E-1/E-2 visa applicants will have to interview at the U.S. Embassy in Tokyo or Consulate in Fukuoka. However, the Consulate will continue to accept the following processes:

• renewal cases, and minor dependent (under the age of 14) as per normal mail-in (no-interview) procedure 
• Companies who are registering for the first time as an E visa company with Osaka are able to submit their paper-work and per normal procedures.  The Consulate in Osaka-Kobe will contact first time applicants on an individual basis to set-up as needed appointments. 

Consulate in Osaka-Kobe will resume normal proceeding of all E applications as usual from September 1, 2014.




６月１日から８月３１日まで、大阪・神戸領事館で、E-1/E-2非移民ビザの面接が一時停止となります。


この期間中、すべてのE ビザ申請者は、東京のアメリカ大使館もしくは福岡領事館で面接を受けてください。　ただし、下記申請については、これまで通り、大阪総領事館で受付しています。

• Eビザ更新、および１４歳未満の郵送申請
• 新規会社登録。 登録申請書類を大阪に郵送ください。審査終了後、個別に面接日を設定し、大阪領事館がお知らせします。新規会社登録には約１０～１２週間を要します。

９月１日より、また全てのEビザの申請手続きを大阪総領事館で行なうことがでｋいます。

Follow us on Twitter and Facebook!  

Resident Nonimmigrant Population in the U.S.

The Department of Homeland Security recently released a report, “Estimates of the Size and Characteristics of the Resident Nonimmigrant Population in the United States: January 2012.”

 

It analyzes the size and characteristics of resident “nonimmigrants” in the U.S.  in terms of variables such as age, country of origin, and type of visa. Nonimmigrants are defined as foreign-born nationals with a visa as opposed to permanent residents, tourists or business travelers.

 

The report showed:

• A total of about 1.9 million nonimmigrants lived in the U.S. in 2012.
• Majority of them (80%) were between the ages of 18 and 44.
• About half of the resident nonimmigrants (980,000) were citizens of Asian countries, including India (23% or 430,000), China (11% or 210,000), South Korea (8% or 140,000) and Japan (5% or 90,000).
• The largest categories (45% or 840,000) were temporary workers and their families and students (38% or 720,000) and their families.
• Nearly 50% of the students were citizens of China (22%), India (14%) or South Korea (13%).
• Their top destination states were California, New York, Texas, Florida, and Massachusetts.

Starting June 1, USCIS will limit the validity period for all Forms I-693 to 1 year from the date of submission to USCIS.

In the email sent by USCIS earlier today (May 30, 2014), it was incorrectly stated that starting today, USCIS will limit the validity period for all Forms I-693, Report of Medical Examination and Vaccination Record, to one year from the date of submission to USCIS.

The correct date is June 1, 2014.

Starting June 1, 2014, USCIS will limit the validity period for all Forms I-693, Report of Medical Examination and Vaccination Record, to one year from the date of submission to USCIS. Applicants must also submit Form I-693 to USCIS within one year of the immigration medical examination.

USCIS will also provide additional ways to submit Form I-693. As outlined in policy alert PA-2014-005, this updated policy applies to any Form I-693 supporting a benefit application that USCIS adjudicates on or after June 1, 2014.

USCIS will hold an engagement on June 12, 2014 to address questions about the new policy and provide guidance on filing Form I-693. The Form I-693 has been updated on their website.

For more information, please visit http://go.usa.gov/8y9d

アメリカ大使館内 持込制限についてのお知らせ

２０１４年６月２日より、在日アメリカ大使館、領事館にて、ビザ申請者の大使館・領事館への持ち込み不可品を預かることができなくなりました。


持ち込み可能品目：

• 携帯電話１台まで（セキュリティーゲートで預ける）
• 手持ち可能な小さなバッグ１点（２５ｘ２５ｃｍ以下）
• ビザ申請関連書類が入った透明なクリアフォルダー
• 傘（荷物検査前にセキュリティーゲートの外の傘立てに置くこと）

持ち込み不可品目：

• ノートパソコン、iPad、USBメモリ、電子手帳、スマートウォッチ、ポケベル、カメラ、オーディオ、ビデオカセット、コンパクトディスク、MP3、フロッピーディスク、ポータブル音楽プレーヤー等の電子機器
• 旅行かばん、トランク、スーツケース
• その他バッグ全般（リュックサック、ブリーフケース、皮製・布製バッグ等）
• 大型ショルダーバッグ
• 食品全般
• 葉巻、タバコ、ライター、マッチ
• はさみやナイフ、爪やすりなど、先の尖った物
• 全ての武器、凶器、火薬、爆発物

６～８月は、他のどの月よりも多くのビザを発給している時期です。東京の大使館では毎日３００件を超えるビザ面接を行なっていますので、大使館での待ち時間を短縮するために、上記の手荷物は、持込み不可となりました。


上記に示す手荷物を所持して来館した場合は、それらを持たずに再度来館しなければいけません。または、自己負担でどこかの場所い一時保管しなければいけません。気をつけてください。

Hilary Clinton, "a Huge Supporter" of Immigration Reform and Her Promise to Push Comprehensive Immigration Reform

Hilary Rodham Clinton, the former secretary of state, said that she was a strong supporter of comprehensive immigration reform and the path to citizenship for the nation's 11 million unauthorized immigrants.  "I'm a huge supporter of immigration reform and a path to citizenship and will continue to advocate for that," said Clinton.


At an event hosted by the Clinton Foundation Thursday, Clinton was asked by a 19-year old woman, an undocumented immigrant, what she would do about immigration.
The young woman explained that her family had illegally brought her to the US from Croatia when she was five-years-old.  "It's been very hard ... because I don't have the documentation to get a job, to vote—which is essential obviously to women representation—to buy an apartment, to take out a loan to go to college, so I couldn't even go to my dream college because of that, to get no financial aid."


Clinton responded, "I believe strongly that we are missing a great opportunity by not welcoming people like you and 11 million others who have made contributions to our country, into a legal status so you don't have to worry, you can go to school, you can work, you can pursue your dreams."  Clinton made it clear that reforming the broken system would be one of her priorities.  She is “strongly in favor” of the bipartisan immigration bill passed in the Senate and that it is “a big missed opportunity for our country” that the House has not yet taken up the legislation.


Clinton has also supported the Obama administration's deferred action initiative for young unauthorized immigrants who would benefit from congressional approval of Dream Act legislation.


Follow us on Twitter! 

Poll Shows Wide Support for Immigration Reform

According to the poll released by POLITICO, voters showed broad support for comprehensive immigration reform, even among Republicans.  64% of GOP respondents said they want comprehensive reform, compared with 78% of Democrats and 71% of independents.  The POLITICO poll is just the latest in a long line of national surveys that has found wide support for immigration reform.

Congress has not been able to get nothing done on legislations since the Senate passed its bill last June.  Overall, only 12% of those respondents in the POLITICO survey said they "strongly oppose" the reform.  Hispanics and Latinos "strongly supported" comprehensive reform while 85% of those respondents said it was "important" and 53% said it was "very important."  Most of the opposition was from Republican conservatives and Tea Party members.

Follow us on Twitter!

アメリカ大使館での面接の手順って？

東京のアメリカ大使館での面接ってどんなのでしょうか？


アメリカ大使館が製作されたオフィシャルなビデオがあります。
ビデオの中で、アメリカ大使館でのビザ面接のプロセスを、大使館に到着した時から、面接が終了するまで、詳しく解説されています。


アメリカ大使館での面接前には、是非ご覧ください。


ビデオを見る


※東京以外での領事部でビザ面接を受ける場合は、手順が異なる場合があります。
詳細は各領事館でご確認ください。

Source：アメリカ大使館 領事部・広報文化交流部


Follow us on Twitter!

Immigration Legislation: Deadline is this August??

According to Florida Rep., Mario Diaz-Balart, the deadline to pass immigration legislation is this August. Diaz-Balart is part of the effort to develop an immigration bill that could pass the House.


Diaz-Balart told CQ Roll Call at the Congressional Hispanic Leadership Institute's awards gala that "the legislative process in essence, frankly, has to work on deadlines.  There's a deadline.  And the deadline is that if we don't get it done by August, it doesn't happen."


"If Congress doesn't act by the August break, the president is going to do something.  And once that happens, two things happen... No. 1 is that the possibility of any further negotiations - of any - disintegrate" said Diaz-Balart.


Diaz-Balart feels optimistic that it will get done because he "thinks most people in the House understand that what we have is unacceptable" and "if we don't get it done by this August, it just doesn't get done."


He cautioned that an immigration overhaul still faces an uphill climb to pass the House.  However, "I wouldn't be working hard at it if I didn't think there was a legitimate chance of getting it done," he stated.

Leaving the Country without Obtaining Advance Parole

Advance Parole is most commonly used when someone has pending Form I-485 (application to register permanent residence or to adjust status).  If you depart the United States while your I-485 application is still pending without first obtaining Advance Parole, your case will be denied unless you fit into a narrow exception for those maintaining certain nonimmigrant status.


If you have an emergency and need to leave the United states without having advance parole, what can you do?


If you experience an extremely urgent situation where you need to leave the country, you may visit your local USCIS office to request an emergency advance parole document.  When visiting a field office to request emergency advance parole, please bring the following items:

• A completed and signed Form I-131 (Application for travel document)
• The correct I-131 filing fee, or receipt of a pending Form I-131, if already filed
• Evidence to support the emergency request (e.g. medical documentation, death certificate)
• Two passport-style photographs

Please follow us on twitter and facebook!

Spouses of H-1B Holders May Be Able To Work

According to a proposed rule change the Department of Homeland Sec, spouses of H-1B visa holders may be able to receive work authorization in the U.S.  This would remove obstacles for some high-skilled workers to staying in the U.S. 


DHS Deputy Secretary, Alejandro Mayorkas, stated "these steps will help the U.S. maintain competitiveness with other countries in our efforts to attract the best and the brightest high-skilled workers from around the world to support companies here at home.  Businesses continue to need these high-skilled workers, and these rules ensure we do not cede the upper hand to other countries competing for the same talent."


The current regulations do not allow employment authorization to dependents of H-1B highly-skilled non-immigration workers, or H-4 non-immigrants.  This has "long caused difficulties for the spouses of skilled immigrants, mainly from China, India and the Philippines, who are working here on temporary visas known as H-1B.  The spouses, mainly wives, often have skills and education too, but are not authorized to work in the United States, causing their careers to languish" according to the New York Times.


The proposed rule would allow H-4 non-immigrants to request employment authorization as long as the H-1B visa holder has already started the process of seeking lawful permanent residence through employment.




* Follow us on Twitter!

DV-2005 ビザ抽選プログラムの当選者が決定しました

DV-2015 Winners Announced!

２０１５年のビザ抽選プログラムの結果が発表されました。応募された方は、結果を確認してみてください。

２０１５年のDVプログラムには、９００万人以上の方の応募がありました。そのうち、１２５，５１４人の方が当選しています。今回は、日本人で当選した方が６３６名いらっしゃいます。前年より２００名ほど少ない結果となりました。

当選された方、おめでとうございます。

次回２０１６年のDVプログラムについての応募情報については、来月発表されます。

 

以下、各国の当選者数の発表です。

(source:  http://travel.state.gov/content/visas/english/law-and-policy/bulletin/2014/visa-bulletin-for-june-2014.html )

AFRICA
ALGERIA  3,076	ETHIOPIA  4,988	NIGER  334
ANGOLA  173	GABON  81	RWANDA  690
BENIN  1,758	GAMBIA, THE  110	SAO TOME AND PRINCIPE  0
BOTSWANA  12	GHANA  3,381	SENEGAL  620
BURKINA FASO  390	GUINEA  2,314	SEYCHELLES  9
BURUNDI  188	GUINEA-BISSAU  7	SIERRA LEONE  2,182
CABO VERDE  20	KENYA  3,534	SOMALIA  275
CAMEROON  5,000	LESOTHO  3	SOUTH AFRICA  924
CENTRAL AFRICAN REP.  33	LIBERIA  5,000	SOUTH SUDAN  21
CHAD  99	LIBYA  263	SUDAN  3,484
COMOROS  6	MADAGASCAR  62	SWAZILAND  5
CONGO  243	MALAWI  27	TANZANIA  231
CONGO, DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF THE  4,943	MALI  123	TOGO  1,824
COTE D’IVOIRE  1,487	MAURITANIA  29	TUNISIA  221
DJIBOUTI  77	MAURITIUS  55	UGANDA  642
EGYPT  4,988	MOROCCO  2,844	ZAMBIA  116
EQUATORIAL GUINEA  14	MOZAMBIQUE  11	ZIMBABWE  249
ERITREA  815	NAMIBIA  19
ASIA
AFGHANISTAN  305	JAPAN  636	QATAR  51
BAHRAIN  12	JORDAN  374	SAUDI ARABIA  517
BHUTAN  45	NORTH KOREA  0	SINGAPORE  47
BRUNEI  0	KUWAIT  241	SRI LANKA  1,303
BURMA  453	LAOS  1	SYRIA  598
CAMBODIA  2,079	LEBANON  408	TAIWAN  498
HONG KONG SPECIAL	MALAYSIA  129	THAILAND  81
ADMIN. REGION  160
INDONESIA  288	MALDIVES  2	TIMOR-LESTE  0
IRAN  4,992	MONGOLIA  186	UNITED ARAB EMIRATES  195
IRAQ  289	NEPAL  4,991	YEMEN  875
ISRAEL  231	OMAN  15
EUROPE
ALBANIA  2,946	GREECE  147	NORTHERN IRELAND  41
ANDORRA  2	HUNGARY  329	NORWAY  49
ARMENIA  2,049	ICELAND  42	POLAND  961
AUSTRIA  134	IRELAND  157	PORTUGAL  82
AZERBAIJAN  454	ITALY  779	Macau  29
BELARUS  1,466	KAZAKHSTAN  772	ROMANIA  1,068
BELGIUM  107	KOSOVO  227	RUSSIA  4,103
BOSNIA & HERZEGOVINA  171	KYRGYZSTAN  403	SAN MARINO  0
BULGARIA  1,418	LATVIA  92	SERBIA  399
CROATIA  87	LIECHTENSTEIN  3	SLOVAKIA  110
CYPRUS  32	LITHUANIA  287	SLOVENIA  11
CZECH REPUBLIC  125	LUXEMBOURG  0	SPAIN  393
DENMARK  65	MACEDONIA  436	SWEDEN  217
ESTONIA  71	MALTA  16	SWITZERLAND  194
FINLAND  88	MOLDOVA  2,809	TAJIKISTAN  528
FRANCE  816	MONACO  1	TURKEY  3,688
French Polynesia  11	MONTENEGRO  16	TURKMENISTAN  191
Saint Martin  1	NETHERLANDS  151	UKRAINE  4,679
St. Pierre & Miquelon  2	Aruba  5	UZBEKISTAN  4,368
GEORGIA  804	Curacao  13	VATICAN CITY  0
GERMANY  1,354	Sint Maarten  1
NORTH AMERICA
BAHAMAS, THE  14
OCEANIA
AUSTRALIA  1,798	MICRONESIA, FEDERATED STATES OF  6	SAMOA  32
Christmas Island  1	NAURU  19	SOLOMON ISLANDS  3
Cocos Islands  1	NEW ZEALAND  589	TONGA  123
Norfolk Island  12	Cook Islands  14	TUVALU  1
FIJI  857	Niue  3	VANUATU  7
KIRIBATI  6	PALAU  6
MARSHALL ISLANDS  1	PAPUA NEW GUINEA  20
SOUTH AMERICA, CENTRAL AMERICA, AND THE CARIBBEAN
ANTIGUA AND BARBUDA  6	DOMINICA  5	SAINT KITTS AND NEVIS  7
ARGENTINA  109	GRENADA  8	SAINT LUCIA  18
BARBADOS  15	GUATEMALA  86	SAINT VINCENT AND THE GRENADINES  7
BELIZE  3	GUYANA  53	SURINAME  11
BOLIVIA  69	HONDURAS  165	TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO  193
CHILE  37	NICARAGUA  54	URUGUAY  20
COSTA RICA  72	PANAMA  19	VENEZUELA  1,556
CUBA  1,480	PARAGUAY  6