Dear Friends,

As we have shared throughout last year in newsletters sent on Jul 15, Nov 19 and again on Nov 20, Immigration Voice has been advocating for specific administrative fixes while we all wait for Congress to pass a Comprehensive Immigration Reform bill.

On November 21, 2014, President Obama announced Executive Action on Immigration which included several of the fixes that we have been advocating for many years. These fixes will alleviate the problems faced by skilled immigrants and their families waiting in green card backlogs enabling them to live free and not be bound to the same employer. We believe that these fixes will not only curb the exploitation of immigrants but will also prevent discrimination against U.S. workers in the marketplace. Such fixes will promote innovation and competitiveness by unleashing the full potential of immigrants for the benefit of all society, rather than forfeiting much of the potential economic gain for society so that a handful of specific or selected existing employers can harness some lesser percentage of the benefit for themselves.

While things are being worked upon, we want to ensure that you are equipped to take benefit of these fixes on short notice. We think it is in your best interest to make this a priority and be prepared if/when an opportunity is presented. We have put together a summary document that will help to get ready for one of the most important fixes – filing of Adjustment of Status (I-485).

  • Please review this summary document (goo.gl/Au5K6q) thoroughly
  • Consider getting all the supporting documents ready to avoid any delays

Please note that this summary document is only for your reference and should not be treated as legal advice. Contact your attorney for further questions.

Additionally, due to the persistent efforts of our members to advocate their Representatives in the U.S. Congress, we are delighted to share that the list of co-sponsors for the bill H.R.213 has grown. While administrative fixes are welcome, the long term relief to eliminate the green card backlog requires a coordinated effort from all of us invested in resolving this issue. We strongly believe that H.R.213 is the only immigration bill that has the potential to pass in the 114th Congress. We, therefore, request you to:

  • Visit congress.gov/bill/114th-congress/house-bill/213 or perhaps make it the home page on your internet browsers. It will help you stay up to date on any activity around this common-sense bill.
  • Please review this guidebook on how to meet your lawmakers (goo.gl/JiLnMa)
  • Using the above guide, contact the local office of your Representative in the U.S. Congress to arrange one on one meeting to seek co-sponsorship and support for H.R.213

Thank you,
Immigration Voice