U.S. Citizenship and Immigration
Your Complete Guide
~ Updates and Errata ~
January 1999
Naturalization Filing Fees to Increase
Fees for naturalization applications will jump 137 percent from $95 to
$225 on January 15. Mail your applications early to make sure you can meet
the deadline. If you are filing before the deadline, include a check or
money order for $95 plus a second check or money order for $25 for
fingerprinting. Beginning January 15, 1998, you'll need checks for $225
and $25.
"Alien Registration" Cards Now Called Permanent Resident"
Cards
Alien registration cards (USCIS form I-551)
are now called permanent resident cards.
New Procedures for Processing Affidavits of
Support
The U.S. Department of State issued the
following statement regarding the processing of the new affidavits of
support.
STATEMENT BY JAMES B. FOLEY, DEPUTY SPOKESMAN
DEPARTMENT IMPROVES IMMIGRANT VISA PROCESSING
Effective December 14, the Department of State is implementing a new procedure to assist prospective immigrants to comply with the requirement to demonstrate that they are not likely to become a public charge to the U.S. government. This is another example of the Department's effort to streamline immigrant visa processing, and to use its limited resources as efficiently as possible.
The State Department's National Visa Center (NVC), located in Portsmouth, N.H., will mail the Affidavit of Support Form I-864 directly to the U.S. petitioner who is sponsoring the prospective immigrant's visa application. Under the old system, NVC sent the form to the applicant, who then had to forward it to the petitioner in the United States. In most cases, NVC will instruct the petitioner to send the completed Affidavit of Support form to the applicant for presentation to the Embassy or Consulate at the time of the visa interview.
However, beginning January 4, 1999, for the State Department's three largest immigrant visa processing posts (Ciudad Juarez, Manila, and Santo Domingo), NVC will instruct the petitioner to return the completed form to NVC for a technical review. NVC will verify that the form has been completed, signed and notarized and that the requisite tax returns are present. If it is determined that one or more of these steps has not been done, NVC will correspond with the petitioner to assist him or her in properly completing the form. NVC then forwards the file to the Embassy or Consulate where the interview takes place. The final decision regarding the sufficiency of the affidavit is made by the interviewing consular officer.
By having NVC send the Affidavit of Support form directly to the petitioner, and by pre-screening the completed form for our three largest posts, we hope to reduce processing time and improve the likelihood that the form will be fully completed by the time of the visa interview. Using these steps, we can minimize the number of refusals due to incomplete documentation, and save the applicant from having to make unnecessary visits to our Embassies and Consulates.
USCIS on TPS for Mitch Victims
Here's the latest USCIS info on temporary protected status for Mitch victims.
U.S. Department of JusticeIMMIGRATION AND NATURALIZATION SERVICEFACT SHEET12/30/98
TPS Designation Will Last 18 Months
The
designation of TPS for Honduras and Nicaragua, announced today by
Immigration and Naturalization Service (USCIS) Commissioner Doris Meissner,
was issued for the maximum 18 months and can be extended by the Attorney
General if she determines that conditions warrant.
TPS is a temporary immigration status granted to eligible nationals of designated countries. TPS beneficiaries are granted a stay of removal and work authorization for the designated TPS period and for any extensions of the designation. TPS does not lead to, and cannot be used to obtain, permanent resident status.
What is the procedure to apply for
TPS?
Applicants will need to file an Application
for Temporary Protected Status, Form I-821, along with the supporting
evidence for TPS, and an Application for Employment Authorization, Form
1-765, for work authorization. The completed forms must then be mailed to
the USCIS Service Center with jurisdiction over where the applicant lives.
The ENS Service Center will notify applicants when to get their
fingerprints taken at their nearest USCIS Applicant Support Center (NSC).
The costs associated with applying for TPS are $50 to file for TPS, S100
to file for a work authorization card, and $25 to be fingerprinted, for a
total cost of $175. Applicants who already have or do not wish to receive
employment authorization still must submit a completed Form I-765, but
without the accompanying fee. Applicants may request a waiver of
TPS-related application filing fees but not the fingerprinting fee--by
submitting proper documentation of inability to pay.
USCIS will establish a 1-800 hot line phone number for information and instructions on filing for TPS. In addition, the USCIS Forms Line, 1-800-870-3676, will have a listing for TPS forms that applicants can then order and have mailed to their residence. The forms can also be obtained from the USCIS Website, www.ins.usdoj.gov.
Applicants will not have to visit their local USCIS district office during the TPS process.
What happens to Hondurans and Nicaraguans currently in
detention?
In general, those in detention who
are eligible for TPS will be released. However, many aliens including
those who have been convicted of a felony or two or more misdemeanors
committed in the United States and those for whom an asylum bar would
apply are not eligible for TPS and will not be released from detention.
Will Hondurans or Nicaraguans who arrive in the United States after
December 30, 1998, be eligible for TPS?
No. TPS
is an emergency relief measure intended to assist those nationals of a
given country who are already in the United States at the time of the
designation. The cases of Hondurans and Nicaraguans who arrive after
December 30, 1998, will be handled in accordance with U.S. immigration
law.
Will Honduran and Nicaraguan nationals protected by TPS be permitted
to travel to their home countries during the TPS period?
USCIS will base its decision on an advance parole
application and decide on a case-by-case basis.