We
are closing-in on the one year anniversary of President Obama's
Executive Actions. So much has happened with the the President's
Executive Action Plan and so much has NOT happened. In general, the
initiatives set forth in the various memoranda promulgated by the Obama
Administration have taken shape: (1) The Visa Bulletin has been
modified; and (2) STEM OPT is proposed to be extended; and (3)
Priorities for Enforcement have been revamped; and (4) H-4 dependents
are eligible (in some cases) to work; and (5) The Provisional Waiver
Program is slotted to be expanded; and (6) The definition of "Extreme
Hardship" has been clarified; and (7) the definition of "specialized
knowledge" in the L-1B context was clarified.
are closing-in on the one year anniversary of President Obama's
Executive Actions. So much has happened with the the President's
Executive Action Plan and so much has NOT happened. In general, the
initiatives set forth in the various memoranda promulgated by the Obama
Administration have taken shape: (1) The Visa Bulletin has been
modified; and (2) STEM OPT is proposed to be extended; and (3)
Priorities for Enforcement have been revamped; and (4) H-4 dependents
are eligible (in some cases) to work; and (5) The Provisional Waiver
Program is slotted to be expanded; and (6) The definition of "Extreme
Hardship" has been clarified; and (7) the definition of "specialized
knowledge" in the L-1B context was clarified.
Another part of President
Obama's Administrative Actions was the promise of expansion of the U.S.
Naturalization Application Process. Recently, the USCIS announced the
ability of applicants to pay the Naturalization Application fee by
credit card. Also recently, the Obama Administration launched a new,
multilingual campaign to encourage eligible immigrants to become U.S.
citizens. "It's not about changing who you are, it's about adding a new
chapter to your journey, as an American citizen. And to our journey as a
nation of immigrants," President Obama says in a promotional video. "If
you're eligible, commit to becoming a citizen today," he adds. "Help
others who are ready to take this step as well. It is an important step
for you and an important step for our nation. Join us, together we can
make America stand even stronger." According to the White
House, there are 13.3 million legal permanent residents in the United
States, 8.8 million of whom are eligible to apply for citizenship.
Obama's Administrative Actions was the promise of expansion of the U.S.
Naturalization Application Process. Recently, the USCIS announced the
ability of applicants to pay the Naturalization Application fee by
credit card. Also recently, the Obama Administration launched a new,
multilingual campaign to encourage eligible immigrants to become U.S.
citizens. "It's not about changing who you are, it's about adding a new
chapter to your journey, as an American citizen. And to our journey as a
nation of immigrants," President Obama says in a promotional video. "If
you're eligible, commit to becoming a citizen today," he adds. "Help
others who are ready to take this step as well. It is an important step
for you and an important step for our nation. Join us, together we can
make America stand even stronger." According to the White
House, there are 13.3 million legal permanent residents in the United
States, 8.8 million of whom are eligible to apply for citizenship.
