Mexican Immigrants Can Obtain Birth Certificates in U.S.
Mexico is now allowing its citizens to request birth certificates at Mexican consulates in the U.S. Before the policy change, Mexican citizens were required travel to Mexico or contact family in Mexico to request the records on their behalf. Now Mexican citizens may request their own records without extensive travel delays or risk of losing materials in the mail. This change in policy will make it easier for Mexican immigrants to apply for U.S. work permits and driver’s licenses, but Republicans worry that the policy – in addition to the roughly 3 million deportation deferrals made possible by President Obama’s recent immigration action – will encourage an increase in illegal border activity.
http://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/immigrants-now-mexican-birth-certificates-us-28252142
DHS Extends Employment Authorization for Syrian F-1 Nonimmigrant Students
Department of Homeland Security extended the effective date of an earlier notice which suspends certain employment authorization requirements for Syrian F-1 nonimmigrant students experiencing financial hardship directly related to civil unrest in Syria. The 18 month extension – effective March 31, 2015 through September 30, 2016 – will allow those students to maintain F-1 status while working more hours per week and reducing academic course loads.
USCIS Establishes Haitian Family Reunification Program
On February 2nd, the National Visa Center will begin sending notices to eligible petitioners inviting them to apply for the Haitian Family Reunification Program (HFRP). HFRP will allow certain Haitian family members of U.S. citizens and lawful permanent residents to immigrate safely and legally to the U.S. in order to reunite with their families.
Under the program guidelines, certain Haitian beneficiaries of family-based visa petitions approved on or before December 28, 2014 may be paroled into the U.S. up to two years before their priority dates become current. Once in the U.S., the beneficiaries will be eligible to apply for work permits while they wait for their immigrant visas to become available. With an immigrant visa they may then apply for lawful permanent resident status.
Once USCIS begins accepting applications, eligible applicants will submit Form I-131, Application for Travel Document as well as the required fee or fee waiver request.
USCIS Adds New Requirements to CFRP
On December 18, 2014, USCIS announced that applicants to the Cuban Family Reunification Program (CFRP) will now be required to submit form I-131, Application for Travel Document and a required fee or fee waiver request. Cases already in process before December 18, 2014 will not be subject to the new filing requirements. Additionally, petitioners who received an eligibility notice from the NVC before December 18, 2014 and who submit complete applications to the CFRP program before February 17, 2015 will not be required to submit Form I-131 or the associated fee.
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