The DV-2010 ("Green Card Lottery") online entry ends at Noon EST on December 1, 2008.

For additional information please contact Ortega-Medina & Associates. http://www.Ortega-Medina.com

US Customs and Border Protection has announced that 15,000 airline personnel have been trained through its Carrier Liaison program to identify improperly documented passengers destined for the USA.

For additional information please contact Ortega-Medina & Associates. http://www.Ortega-Medina.com

On 26 November 2008 USCIS published a final rule amending special immigrant and nonimmigrant (R-1) religious worker regulations. The new rule amends regulations to reduce fraud related to the granting of special immigrant status for nonminister religious workers. The notice is required by the Special Immigrant Nonminister Religious Worker Program Act, Public Law 110-391. (See 73 FR 72275, 73 FR 72298)

For additional information please contact Ortega-Medina & Associates. http://www.Ortega-Medina.com

US Immigration and Customs Enforcement has posted a notice on its website (www.ice.gov) that the Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP) is moving to new offices in Northern Virginia.

For more information, please contact Ortega-Medina & Associates. http://www.Ortega-Medina.com

Alexander Aleinikoff and Mariano-Florentino Cuéllar have been named to President-elect Obama's Immigration Policy Working Group for the presidential transition. The focus of the Policy Working Groups is to develop the priority policy proposals and plans from the Obama Campaign for action during the Obama-Biden Administration.

For more information, please contact Ortega-Medina & Associates. http://www.Ortega-Medina.com

On 19 November 2009, USCIS released a chart depicting its progress towards meeting its Fiscal Year 2009 processing goals following the surge of applications received in connection with the fee increases implemented on 30 July 2007.

For more information contact Ortega-Medina & Associates. http://www.Ortega-Medina.com

On 18 November, the Department of State reported that it issued a record high number of student (F, M) and exchange visitor (J) visas in Fiscal Year 2008. This represented a 9.1 percent increase over fiscal year 2007; and a more than 26 percent increase over fiscal year 2001. This is the third fiscal year in a row the State Department has broken records in this area. The State Department continues to issue student and exchange visas well above highs before 9/11.

For more information contact Ortega-Medina & Associates. http://www.Ortega-Medina.com

The nonimmigrant E visa unit of the consular section in London has announced that it will be closed and unable to offer any service from 24 December 2008 - 2 January 2009. The last available appointment for approved treaty company employees scheduled through the Embassy's Operator Assisted Information Service and invited treaty (E-2)investor/(E-1)trader interviews scheduled through the E visa unit by email will be 23 December 2008 at 8.00 am; all E visa interviews will resume on 5 January 2009 at 8.00 am.

For more information contact Ortega-Medina & Associates. http://www.Ortega-Medina.com

On 17 November 2008, the Department of State announced the launch of a website (Adoption.state.gov) devoted exclusively to intercountry adoption, with information such as who is eligible to adopt, from which countries Americans adopt children, what protections the Hague Adoption Convention provides families and more.

For more information contact Ortega-Medina & Associates. http://www.Ortega-Medina.com

USCIS has announced that its Sub-Office in Lima, Peru will be closed to the public from 19 - 21 November, 2008.

For more information contact Ortega-Medina & Associates. http://www.Ortega-Medina.com

The Texas Service Center (TSC) of the USCIS has introduced a new e-mail procedure to help identify I-485 and I-140 cases that have remained pending beyond the stated TSC processing times posted on the USCIS website. I-485 cases may be identified only when immigrant visa availability has been reached, based on publication of the monthly State Department Visa Bulletin.

For more information contact Ortega-Medina & Associates. http://www.Ortega-Medina.com

On 18 November 2008, the Department of Homeland Security announced the expansion of the Advanced Passenger Information system of records to additionally encompass private aircraft, rail, and bus travel. (See 73 FR 68435).

For more information contact Ortega-Medina & Associates. http://www.Ortega-Medina.com

On 17 November 2008, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) published a final rule adding the following countries to the Visa Waiver Program: Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, the Republic of Korea, and the Slovak Republic. (See 73 FR 67711.)

In addition, the DHS released a companion fact sheet on the expansion of the Visa Waiver Program. The 34 presently participating countries are listed, and the upcoming required use of ESTA is highlighted.

For more information contact Ortega-Medina & Associates. http://www.Ortega-Medina.com

On 17 November 2008, the Department of Homeland Security issued a reminder addressed to ESTA applicants that any passport issued by a Visa Waiver Program (VWP) country after 26 October 2008 must be an e-Passport for VWP travelers to be eligible to enter the U.S. without a visa.

For more information contact Ortega-Medina & Associates. http://www.Ortega-Medina.com

On 17 November 2008, the Department of Homeland Security announced that Secretary Chertoff signed an agreement on new aviation preclearance security operations with Irish Minister of Transport Noel Dempsey. The agreement broadens Customs and Border Protection (CBP) operations in Shannon and Dublin, Ireland, to include full preclearance of commercial and private air passenger flights destined for the USA.

For more information contact Ortega-Medina & Associates. http://www.Ortega-Medina.com

On 15 November 2008, the Department of State announced that the consular section of the U.S. Embassy in Asmara, Eritrea is temporarily closed because of interference with the delivery of the U.S. Embassy's diplomatic pouches.

For more information contact Ortega-Medina & Associates. http://www.Ortega-Medina.com

On 10 November 2008, various United Kingdom news outlets, including the Metro newspaper, reported on a United Kingdom man who won an expense paid trip to New York from a radio station, but now believes his trip to be ruined due to a petty theft conviction. In 1971, the man stole an apple from a shop and was fined £10 for the offence. Based on the conviction, the man now believes that he is ineligible to travel to the United States on the Visa Waiver Program and needs to apply for a visa at the US Embassy. However, the earliest appointment that the US Embassy in London had available for an appointment was in February, nearly two months after the trip is scheduled. In any case, we are of the opinion that the "Petty Offence Exception" applies to this situation, and that the subject individual is not required to be interviewed by the US embassy in advance of his trip.

For more information, please contact Ortega-Medina & Associates. http://www.Ortega-Medina.com