Aug/100
US Education and H1B
- H-4 spouses and defendant children can attend school on a full- or part-time basis.
- The same rules hold for most other nonimmigrant statuses, with the exception of F-2s.
- Individuals with pending adjustment-of-status (I-485) cases can also attend school.
Jul/090
US DV Lottery 2010 Status Check Available online
The DOS has provided an online status check for those who applied for DV-2010
To use the online system, you must:
- the confirmation number received following submission of the DV lottery application.
- The name and birth date information.
Selection alone does not grant individuals or immediate family members U.S. permanent residence. You must move forward either to adjust their status to permanent residence in the United States, or to complete consular processing for an immigrant visa at the appropriate U.S. consulate abroad within the time-frames required by law. You must meet general requirements for these procedures, as well as requirements for the DV lottery. More people are granted winner letters than ultimately receive permanent residence under the DV program.
The online form is at the dv lottery site at http;//www.dvlottery.state.gov/ESC/
Aug/080
New Vaccinations and Revised Medical Form for Green Card applications
Now females need the new ( and controversial for the desire to administer it to girls in 6ith grade) HPV vaccine!
Green card applicants have been required to have vaccinations for the following:
mumps, measles, rubella, polio, tetanus and diphtheria toxoids, pertussis, influenzae Type B (HIB), hepatitis B, varicella, pneumococcal, and influenza.
Now, begining August 1st 2008, approval of I-485 needs these extra vaccines:
rotavirus, hepatitis A (for young children), meningococcal, human papillomavirus (HPV) ( recommended for females 11 to 26 ) and zoster vaccines ( (for shingles- needed for those over 60 years of age )
As such, the Form I-693, Report of Medical Examination and Vaccination Record, has been revised to reflect the new vaccination requirements. The revised ( June 5, 2008 edition of Form I-693 for medical examinations) to be completed, must be used for medical exams completed on or after August 1, 2008.
More informations:
Oct/070
Got the Green Card, Now what? (Where is my Credit Card?)
This is part III of the Mwalimu series, “Got the Green Card, now what?” These very short and helpful informational articles are for the benefit of those who are newly arrived in the USA with a Green Card or those who may contemplate getting the Green card some times in the near future. Previous articles are here:
Now, most people, coming from Kenya where it is traditionally difficult to get credit from any financial institution, get very excited when they hear about credit cards. Some jama cannot just fathom that “someone would give me so many $000s of dollars, free?”
Now a little background first. You must have heard of the so called “American dream”; flashy cars, top of the line SUVs, a Big home with Pool, new fashion every Season? Can these be yours, too? Of course. But if you are not careful, you may end up paying for it all your life, and dearly too.
Oct/070
Green Card (DV 2009) Lottery Opens October 3rd to December 2
The Diversity Visa (DV) 2009 Lottery online entry begins at Noon EDT on October 3, 2007, and ends at Noon EST on December 2, 2007. After you have carefully reviewed the instructions, access the Diversity Visa electronic Entry Form during the entry period explained above.
The English version of the DV-2009 Lottery Instructions is available in PDF format for your convenience.
Points to remember:
- The earlier you file the better.
- It is free. You do not need to pay anyone to apply for you.
- All entries must be entered at the government site above. Do not be conned.
- If you find it difficult to file by yourself, there are commercial sites that can do this for you for a fee ( e.g. Safari Group’s online lotterygc.com that seems to be targeted at Kenyans)
Foremost, do read this post and this post if you are wondering how life will be once you get the sought after but elusive Green Card
Oct/073
Got the Green Card, Now what? (Should i go? Take my Family?)
This is part two of the Mwalimu “Got the Green Card, now what?” series.
These pieces of advice are meant for the benefit of those who have gotten the US Green Card status recently or those who are hoping to
get the Green Card in the near future. If you missed part one, find it here.
- OK, so you have heard all the good things about the USA, right?. But is it all true? For example:
- Why do well qualified professionals who left their jobs take between 3-5 years to get a decent job?
- Why do so many student get “lost”, not coming back even for important issues?
- Why do most Kenyans spend many many years doing non fulfilling survival jobs?
Here are some of the issues that you need to consider before making that all important life decision.(And for some, before abandoning your plum Kenyan job)
Sep/072
Got a green card, now what?
Have you just arrived with your gleaming new green card and are wondering what next?
First, congratulations on your green card. As you will soon realize, the possession of this vital document makes you the envy of many immigrants in stato. But do remember that the Green Card is revocable. So, as a general advice, keep it in mind that if you do something illegal or “kichini-chini” your Green card may be canceled, so you really want to be careful what you engage in, more so now that Kenyans are in the limelight over such things as non-payment of Tax, etc.
Second, what you will soon learn is that even with good professional qualifications or mighty degrees from Kenya, you may still have to upgrade your skills. Three reasons why this will be necessary:
Jul/070
USCIS now Allows EB I-485 Filings through Aug 17, 2007
NewsFlash! USCIS now Allows EB I-485 Filings through Aug 17, 2007
The U.S. Department of State (DOS) issued the August 2007 Visa Bulletin late this afternoon (July 17, 2007), showing “unavailability” in all the employment-based (EB) categories. The DOS also confirmed that it is withdrawing the July 2, 2007 revised Visa Bulletin, so that the original July 2007 Visa Bulletin remains in effect, showing availability for all EB applicants to file the I-485s in July, except for the narrow category of “other workers.” The original July Visa Bulletin of June 12, 2007, however, would have given only until July 31, 2007 to file I-485 cases with the USCIS.
Shortly after the DOS issuance of the August Visa Bulletin, the USCIS released an announcement that a revised procedure would accept I-485 Adjustment of Status applications received not later than Friday, August 17, 2007. The full text of the USCIS announcement is available at http://www.murthy.com/uscis_update.pdf. The USCIS announcement also stated that EB I-485 applications already properly filed at the USCIS would be accepted and that the current filing fees for all eligible July 2007 EB cases would remain in effect through August 17, 2007.
Jul/071
For those seeking Work based green Card, a petition to DHS on I-485 rejections
Sign a petition at http://www.immigrantslist.org/Chertoff
It calls on Secretary Chertoff regarding the Department of Homeland Security’s decision to reject I-485 adjustment of status applications.
We need to make sure he knows that this is unacceptable! Please join me by signing this petition:
Jul/070
What Happens to I-140s Filed Concurrently with I-485 in July 2007?
USCIS says that, if a person concurrently filed the I-140 with the I-485 in July 2007, the USCIS mailroom will only retain the I-140 petition for processing and will reject the I-485 package. However, this separation can take place only if the filing fees for the I-140 and the I-485 were submitted as separate checks. If there was only one check for the entire filing, then the entire package will be rejected. For this reason, normally issue separate checks for each form to avoid rejection of the entire package, whenever possible. Even in the I-485 package, it is recommended that you include separate checks for the I-485, the I-765, and the I-131 to avoid a problem with one form affecting the entire filing.