Short News

H-1B Visa more expensive

A new law makes H-1B Visa applications more expensive. The employer must pay a ‘training fee' of $500 for each application for an H-1B Visa. The US government wants to use this money to finance special training programs for US workers. This drastically increases the fees from $110 to $510. This probably doesn't make it easier to find a US employer willing to hire you.

INS officers dissatisfied

Not only potential immigrants are occasionally dissatisfied with INS practices - apparently, even the officials working there occasionally are. According to a new governmental survey, INS officers are the most dissatisfied of all US officials. Only 45% like their job. The most content ones are the officials working for NASA and the Environmental Protection Agency. Altogether, an average of 60% of all US officials are content with their jobs.

Airport of Portland in disrepute

The airport of Portland, Oregon has made a bad name for itself recently since an above-average number of people there have been denied admission into the US and have been sent back immediately. Occasionally, people have to wait in prison until a plane left for their home country. According to official statements, the reason is that comparatively less people come to the US via this airport than via the nearby airport in Seattle, for example. This means, the officials simply have more time to check each person in detail. The problem especially applied to Asian businessmen. On a B-2 Visa you may also work in the US, as long as you are paid for it by a foreign company. This, however, must be sufficiently documented. Unfortunately, the consulates that issue the visas are being controlled by the US State Department, but admission into the US is under control of the INS, and the two sometimes have different ideas about who to admit. Last year, Portland alone has denied admission to 447 international passengers. This could even lead to the cancellation of several flights to Portland, since Asian companies by now tend to prefer a little detour and book tickets to Seattle for their employees.

Hopkins becomes US citizen

Anthony Hopkins, a highly renowned British actor, who became famous with movies such as The Silence of the Lambs, became a US citizen in April. With this, he lost the title ‘Sir' he was awarded in England, since US citizens cannot have any such titles. However, since Great Britain (unlike Germany) permits dual citizenship, he can at least be called ‘Sir' every time he returns to his old home.

Los Angeles: rights for illegal immigrants

In Los Angeles, the police still is not allowed to ask for documents that show a person's immigration status. So illegal immigrants need not be afraid of the police, only INS officials and border officials have the authority to check their status. This law was introduced to encourage even illegal immigrants to report crimes, without having to be afraid that they themselves will become the center of investigation.

Dangerous border

According to the California Rural Legal Assistance Foundation, 37 persons died while trying to cross the Mexican-American border in the first 3 months of 2000 alone. The INS cannot confirm this number as of yet, but admits that since 1998 a total of 217 persons died at the border.

Political ramifications of the Elian affair

The Elian Gonzalez case is still making headlines in Miami, even though the Cuban refugee is with his father in Washington by now. The mayor of Miami, Joe Carollo, who spoke out in favor of Elian staying in the US, demanded that the chief of police of Miami retire from office after he had let the FBI have free rein with the actions around Easter 2000: However, the mayor can't just fire the chief of police. The only person who is legally authorized to do this is the city manager Donald Warshaw. Since he refused, he was fired by the mayor himself. As an act of protest, the chief of police, William O'Brien, has now resigned anyway... (to be continued)