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)

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

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! 

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!