Comprehensive Immigration Reform (CIR) Dead
On June 28 the final nail was put into the Senate’s much-debated and much-hated Comprehensive Immigration Reform bill. CIR would not have solved retrogression, nor have provided H-1 cap relief, and likely not even have solved this country’s undocumented worker phenomenon.
http://hammondlawgroup.blogspot.com/2007/06/dead.html

HLG Blog: Retrogression Battle
Read about HLG’s ongoing effort to work on Congress to have a Schedule A visa bill passed that ends retrogression. This month’s Blog entries include: the death of the Senate’s CIR, the Visa Bulletin play by play, your advocacy responsibility, and many other entries. Are you checking it regularly?
http://hammondlawgroup.blogspot.com/

Visa Bulletin Yo-Yo-Ing
June was quite a month for the DOS’ Visa Bulletin. The DOS first announced that the dates would be “current” for all employment-based visa categories, which led most to believe that retrogression was over, perhaps until October. Two weeks later the DOS completely reversed course and announced that all visa numbers had been allocated until the end of the fiscal year (September 30).
http://www.hammondlawfirm.com/alerts/no_visa_numbers_for_FY2007.htm

USCIS Suspends Premium Processing of I-140's
As of July 2, USCIS no longer will allow petitioners to file their I-140's under the premium processing program. This is expected to be a temporary measure; starting August 1 petitioners will be allowed to file their I-140 cases under the premium processing program.
http://www.aila.org/content/default.aspx?docid=22772

USCIS Filing Fee Increase
The USCIS announced that as of July 30th there will be a new fee structure implemented in an effort to reduce processing times by the end of fiscal year 2009. The final rule is based on the USCIS’ proposed fee structure released on February 1, 2007 and comments submitted from more than 3,900 individuals and organizations.
http://www.hammondlawfirm.com/alerts/USCIS_filing_fee_increase.htm

Strategically Thinking About Retrogression
HLG's Chris Musillo just had his article, Strategically Thinking About The Retrogression of Schedule A Occupations, selected for publication in the 2007-08 AILA Annual Immigration & Nationality Law Handbook. The article talks about the history of Schedule A, retrogression, approaches during retrogressed periods, and suggestions for government legislation.
http://www.hammondlawfirm.com/Retrogression%20Article.CTM.pdf

American Nurses Association (ANA) and International Center on Nurse Migration (ICNM) Set Foreign Nurse Conference Date
This conference focuses on strategies that create a positive work environment and facilitate the successful integration of internationally recruited nurses into the health care team and provides a better understanding of the immigration processes related to internationally recruited nurses.
http://www.nursingworld.org/meetings/

Kaplan and CGFNS to Co-Market Testing Products and Services
Kaplan and CGFNS recently announced a preliminary agreement to create a strategic alliance to develop online and offline nursing education and test preparation products and services. Under the agreement the companies will provide co-branded nursing education and test preparation products and services to hospital organizations, international schools of nursing, and individual international nurses.
http://www.cgfns.org/files/pdf/docs/Kaplan_CGFNS.pdf

FCCPT Provides Substantial Compliance Checklist
FCCPT has just updated its international educational substantial compliance checklist. PT’s are encouraged to check this and make sure that their education is compliant.
http://www.fccpt.org/pdf/Sample_CWT_Checklist_440.pdf

PROCESSING TIMES CHART