TSRI International Office

Alerts & Immigration News

Up to the Minute Immigration News

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2010 Diversity Visa Lottery Registration
Begins 2 October 2008 and Ends 1 December 2008

The Department of State has announced that registration for the 2010 Diversity Visa (DV) Lottery will begin at noon (EDT)(GMT-4) Thursday, 02 October 2008. Persons seeking to enter the lottery program must register online through the designated Internet website during the registration period. The website for registering for the 2010 DV Lottery is located at: www.dvlottery.state.gov.
The website will be available from noon (EDT)(GMT-4) Thursday, 02 October 2008 until noon (EST)(GMT-5) Monday, 01 December 2008.

For DV-2010, Russia has returned to the list of eligible countries. Kosovo has also been added to the list of eligible countries.
For the full Public Notice and information on alternative ways of becoming eligible for the DV-2010, please read: DV 2010 Announcement.

DHS Announces H Cap reached for 2008

The Department of Homeland Security, U.S. Citizen and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced on April 3, 2007 that it has received enough H-1B petitions to meet the mandated cap for fiscal year 2008. Read the USCIS Press Release. Note: The Scripps Research Institute is exempt from the H-1B cap.

USCIS Fee Adjustment Announcement

USCIS announced a revised fee structure for Immigration benefits. Read the USCIS Press Release. Fees for most petitions have changed - please contact the International Office for more information or refer to the following link for the latest fee structure: Current USCIS fees.

5 Year J-1 Visa Now Available

The Departments of State (DOS) and Homeland Security (DHS) announced on 11 January 2007 that the five-year J-1 visa for Researcher/Scholar/Professor category is fully operational retroactive to 17 November 2006. This change increases the maximum duration of participation for J Professors and Research Scholars from three to five years. The five-year maximum duration begins with the J-1 program's start date and ends five years later, provided that the sponsor does not end or terminate the exchange visitor's SEVIS record.

SEVIS Fee Announcement

As of September 1, 2004, all new F-1 students with Form I-20 and J-1 students and scholars with Form DS-2019 will be required to pay the new SEVIS fee, in addition to the visa application fee, as part of the visa application process. Continuing students and scholars are not required to pay the new SEVIS fee except under certain circumstances. F-2 and J-2 dependents are not required to pay the new SEVIS fee, but they are responsible for the visa application fee. For more information about the SEVIS "I-901" fee, please visit: http://www.fmjfee.com/index.html.

State Department Ends Visa Revalidations in Washington D.C.

The Visa Office service of renewing H-1B visa stamps in Washington D.C. was discontinued pursuant a State Department announcement on July 6, 2004. The State Department elected to stop this service because it lacks the capacity to acquire the new biometric identifier requirements for all visas issued after October 26, 2005. The Visa Office stated that they will process all applications currently in their office and ceased accepting applications on July 16, 2004.

U.S. Visit - New Procedures at U.S. Ports of Entry

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) launched U.S. VISIT (Visitor Immigrant Status Indicator Technology), an integrated, automated U.S. entry-exit system that records the arrivals and departures of non-immigrant visitors in the U.S., on January 5, 2004 at selected sea and airports of entry. By scanning travel documents and collecting biometrics (finger scan) the system verifies the visitor's identity, authenticates the visitor's immigration documents and confirms the visitor's compliance with U.S. immigration regulations. On August 3, 2004, DHS announced an expansion of the system to thirteen additional air and sea ports, including LAX. All visitors are now required to provide fingerprints, photographs or other data when departing the U.S. See complete information about U.S. VISIT here.