US Senators Urge Crack Down On “Sham” Universities

A number of prominent US senators recently sent a letter to President Barack Obama's administration, urging it deal with supposed "sham" universities that exist solely to give US student visas to illegal immigrants.

"These so-called schools not only defraud students and violate immigration laws, but they pose a real threat to our country," the senators wrote in a letter to officials at the US Citizenship and Immigration Services and Immigration and Customs Enforcement. "When the student visa program can easily be manipulated by bad actors, it threatens the viability of the entire program for the large majority of bona fide participants.

According to Fox News, the letter was signed by senators Dianne Feinstein, Chuck Schumer, Claire McCaskill and Jon Tester, all of whom are Democrats.

The letter cited the example of California's Tri-Valley University, which was investigated after officials noticed that its enrollment soared to 1,500, and many of the students came from the same area in India. A sting operation found that the school may not have ever provided classwork or courses.

NY1 reports that some of the people involved in the 9/11 terrorist attacks entered the country via student visas.

Source: US senators urge crack down on “sham” universities

Green Card Through Family

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Family immigration is the process where you are sponsored by your family member for legal stay in the US. Green card gives you legal resident status in the US. With a green card, you can live and work in the US permanently. There are different ways through which you can get a green card. You can get one through employment or through the Diversity Visa lottery program. Family immigration is also possible where you can be sponsored by your US citizen or permanent resident family member for a green card.

Family based green card :

In the family based green card process, as a legal permanent resident, you can sponsor your spouse and unmarried children. But to sponsor your parents or siblings, you need to be a US citizen. You can get a green card by being the immediate relative or as a family member in a preference category. But who is an immediate relative in the family immigration context? You are a immediate relative if you are the child (unmarried and under 21 years old) of a U.S. Citizen or the spouse (husband or wife) of a U.S. Citizen or the parent of a U.S. citizen (if the U.S. citizen is 21 years or older).

Whereas you will fall into the preference category in the family immigration context if you are the unmarried son or daughter (21 years or older) of a U.S. Citizen or a married son or daughter (any age) of a U.S. Citizen or a sibling (brother or sister) of a U.S. Citizen. So being an immediate relative or in the preference category will be an advantage in the family immigration process.

While sponsoring your family member, the US citizen or lawful permanent resident needs to file an Affidavit of Support. The US citizen or lawful permanent resident (green card holder) needs to file Form I-130, Petition for Alien Relative with the concerned authority that is the USCIS. Once the petition is approved, the USCIS sends a notification to the US citizen or permanent resident who filed this petition and to the National Visa Center. There is a limit to the number of family-based immigrants in certain categories every year. So the petition will remain in the National Visa Center until an immigrant visa number is available. But here, the immediate relatives of the US citizen, namely parents, spouse and children have an advantage as they need not wait for this visa number as a number is made available as soon the visa petition is approved. The foreign relative will then be informed by the National Visa Center about the petition received and will also notify as soon as the visa number is available. So when the petition is approved, the foreign relative can apply for an immigrant visa at the US embassy or Consulate in their country which is called Consular processing. Whereas, if the foreign relative is already in the US, he/she can adjust non immigrant status to a permanent resident status as soon as the petition is approved by the USCIS. Here the foreign relative can complete the processing without even having to return to his home country.

You can also get a permanent resident card through special categories of the family immigration namely, being a battered child OR you obtained V non immigrant status OR born to a foreign diplomat in the United States to name a few.

What kind of relatives can I sponsor for a Green Card?

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immigration is the process of sponsoring your relatives to enter inside the United States. Family immigration depends on the the type of relation you are to them. It also depends on whether you are a U.S citizen or a Green Card holder. This plays a vital role in family based immigration because U.S. citizens are allowed to bring relatives like parents, brothers, sisters, spouse and children, where Green card holders are limited to sponsor spouse and unmarried children. Best part in family immigration of being a U.S. citizen is that in many cases your family members can immigrate faster than you being a Green Card holder.

There are two groups of family visas categories including immediate relatives and family preference categories:

Family Immigration - Immediate Relatives: People who fall under immediate relatives are spouse, unmarried child under twenty one years of age of a U.S. citizen. Parent will also fall under immediate relative category provided U.S. citizen son/daughter is at least twenty one years of age. Orphan adopted abroad or to be adopted inside the United States also fall under immediate relative.

There are no limitations of family immigration visas for those who fall under immediate relative category. Number of immediate relatives immigrating to the U.S. are unlimited. They are not controlled by any annual set limit or by any quota.

Family Immigration - Preference Relatives: People who fall under preference category are more distant relationship with U.S. citizens and in some cases the specified relationship with lawful permanent resident ("Green Card" holder). Family preference categories are further divided into the following categories:

Family First Preference (F1): People who fall under this preference category are unmarried sons and daughter of a United States citizen.

Family Second Preference (F2): People who fall under this preference category are spouses, minor children. unmarried sons and daughters of a lawful permanent resident ("Green Card" holder)

Family Third Preference (F3): People who fall under this preference category are married sons and daughters of a U.S. citizens, Son's/daughter's spouses and children will also fall under this category.

Family Fourth Preference (F4): People who fall under this preference category are brothers and sisters of U.S. citizens. Brother's/sister's spouses and minor children will also fall under this category. In order to sponsor family members under this category, U.S. citizens must be at least 21 years of age.

There are set limitations of family immigration visas for those who fall under preference category. Whenever the number of family immigration applicants for a category exceeds the available family immigration visas, there will be an immigration wait period. In this case, the available immigrant visas will be issued in the order in which the petitions were filed using their priority date. The date when the petition was filed or the filing date called the applicant's priority date. Remember that the immigrant visas cannot be issued until an applicant's priority date is reached. In certain categories there may be a waiting period of several years, or more, before a priority date is reached.