On October 20, 2010, the Administrative Appeals Office (AAO) issued a precedent that clarifies the meaning of "American Firm or Corporation" in N-470 applications if the corporation in question is a publicly held company. Under current immigration law, a legal permanent resident (LPR) needs to file N-470 Application Preserve Residence for Naturalization Purpose if the LPR needs to be absent from the United States to work overseas for an employer that is an American firm or corporation. But how do we define "American firm or corporation" when the corporation is a publicly held company and its stocks are sold in the market? The AAO clarifies the law in this new precedent, Matter of Chawathe. In this decision, the AAO held that if a N-470 applicant can show that his/her employer is incorporated in the United States and its stocks are EXCLUSIVELY traded in the United States, then the N-470 applicant does not need to show that the majority of the corporation's shareholders are U.S. citizens (51% of shares are owned by U.S. citizens). As a result, many potential naturalization applicants who work for these publicly held and traded companies can have one fewer thing to worry about when they decide to work for their companies overseas.
Disclaimer: Information included in this page does not constitute as legal advice and receipt of this page does not establish attorney-client relationship. For specific inquiries, please call my office and schedule an appointment.
在2010年10月20日，負責處理移民局上訴的行政上訴辦事處(AAO) 判下新的案例，闡明在N-470申請中「美國公司」的定義。根據現行法例，永久居民/綠卡持有人如果會因被美國公司雇主派往海外工作而無法滿足在美國連續居住五年的入籍條件，那他們應該到移民局遞交N-470申請表。但是在N-470申請中如果美國公司是一家上市公司，其股份可以在市場公開買賣，那麼申請人應如果證明他的雇主是一家美國公司？行政上訴辦事處(AAO) 在Matter of Chawathe一案中裁定N-470申請人只要能夠證明他們的雇主是一家上市公司，而公司是在美國註冊，及其股份只可以在美國買賣，那就已經可以證明其雇主是一所美國公司。這對很多N-470的申請人真是一項喜訊！
以上資料僅供參考之用，並非法律意見。如有個別問題，請致電本所查詢。
10/25/2010
10/18/2010
Election and Immigration Law 投票與移民法
The mid-election of 2010 is around the corner and many campaign volunteers are going around to ask people to complete voter registration and vote for the candidate/party they support. If you are not a U.S. citizen, please beware of this dangerous trap.
According to current law, only U.S. citizens are allowed to register and vote in a federal election in the United States. In other words, even permanent residents (i.e., green card holders) are not allowed to vote in a federal election, including presidential and congressional elections. If a non-citizen votes in a federal election, he/she is subject to deportation. A New York Times Article published on October 15, 2010 reports that a legal permanent resident from St. Kitts is currently being placed under deportation proceeding for voting in presidential elections in the past.
To muddy the waters, several municipalities allow legal permanent residents to vote in county or city elections. State legislatures can also adopt their own set of eligibility rules on statewide elections. Therefore, if you are a legal permanent resident and not a United States citizen, it may be wise for you to just stay at home and watch the elections on TV, unless the county office of where you reside have confirmed with you (preferably in writing) that you are eligible to vote as a non-citizen in a local election. Doing so can protect you and your family from unnecessary hardship.
Disclaimer: Information included in this page does not constitute as legal advice and receipt of this page does not establish attorney-client relationship. For specific inquiries, please call my office and schedule an appointment.
2010年的中期選舉快將來到，很多不同的志願者都在馬不停蹄地為自己支持的候選人拉票及呼籲他人登記當選民。但是如果您不是美國公民，投票可以變成一個陷阱。
根據現行法例，只有美國公民可以在聯邦選舉中投票。換言之合法永久居民/綠卡持有人是不能在如總統或國會等聯邦選舉中投票。如果非公民在聯邦選舉中投票，他們有可能會被驅逐出境。紐約時報在十月十五日中便報導有一位來自聖基茨島的合法永久居民因為曾經在總統選舉中投票而面臨被驅逐出境的危險。
令情況更糟的是有一些地區及市政府容許非公民在地方市政府選舉中投票。另一方面，各州政府可以自行訂立州政府選舉的選民資格。因此，如果您並不是美國公民，除非您得到您所居住的郡政府的確認(最好是書面的確認)，您可以在某次選舉中投票，否則您應該留在家中，避免投票及因投票而惹來的問題。
以上資料僅供參考之用，並非法律意見。如有個別問題，請致電本人查詢。
According to current law, only U.S. citizens are allowed to register and vote in a federal election in the United States. In other words, even permanent residents (i.e., green card holders) are not allowed to vote in a federal election, including presidential and congressional elections. If a non-citizen votes in a federal election, he/she is subject to deportation. A New York Times Article published on October 15, 2010 reports that a legal permanent resident from St. Kitts is currently being placed under deportation proceeding for voting in presidential elections in the past.
To muddy the waters, several municipalities allow legal permanent residents to vote in county or city elections. State legislatures can also adopt their own set of eligibility rules on statewide elections. Therefore, if you are a legal permanent resident and not a United States citizen, it may be wise for you to just stay at home and watch the elections on TV, unless the county office of where you reside have confirmed with you (preferably in writing) that you are eligible to vote as a non-citizen in a local election. Doing so can protect you and your family from unnecessary hardship.
Disclaimer: Information included in this page does not constitute as legal advice and receipt of this page does not establish attorney-client relationship. For specific inquiries, please call my office and schedule an appointment.
2010年的中期選舉快將來到，很多不同的志願者都在馬不停蹄地為自己支持的候選人拉票及呼籲他人登記當選民。但是如果您不是美國公民，投票可以變成一個陷阱。
根據現行法例，只有美國公民可以在聯邦選舉中投票。換言之合法永久居民/綠卡持有人是不能在如總統或國會等聯邦選舉中投票。如果非公民在聯邦選舉中投票，他們有可能會被驅逐出境。紐約時報在十月十五日中便報導有一位來自聖基茨島的合法永久居民因為曾經在總統選舉中投票而面臨被驅逐出境的危險。
令情況更糟的是有一些地區及市政府容許非公民在地方市政府選舉中投票。另一方面，各州政府可以自行訂立州政府選舉的選民資格。因此，如果您並不是美國公民，除非您得到您所居住的郡政府的確認(最好是書面的確認)，您可以在某次選舉中投票，否則您應該留在家中，避免投票及因投票而惹來的問題。
以上資料僅供參考之用，並非法律意見。如有個別問題，請致電本人查詢。
10/04/2010
2012 Diversity Visa Lottery Program 多國籍移民簽證計劃
If you are interested in the diversity lottery program for the fiscal year of 2012, you may start submitting application from October 5 to November 3, 2010. Like last year, 50,000 immigrant visas will be available under the program for the fiscal year of 2012. Result of the lottery will be made available on May 1, 2011.
Please notice that there are a couple of changes in this year's program. First of all, the State Department is reverting the registration period from 60 days to 30 days. Therefore, you would have less time to submit an application for the lottery and should act quickly.
Second, the State Department will not mail a selection notice to those who have been selected under the program. Moreover, the Kentucky Consular Center will not mail an interview notice as well. Instead, online notification and interview notice will be made through the Entry Status Check function at dvlottery.state.gov.
Finally, it is free to participate in the lottery. Only those who have been selected for interviews will have to pay a fee at the U.S. consulate or embassy at the time of the interview. The interviewee will have to pay $745 USD ($305 for immigrant visa fee and $440 for diversity visa fee).
If you wonder how well of a chance you can win to get an immigrant visa, it is not very high. For the fiscal year of 2011, the chance of winning was 1/320, or 0.31%. This year would probably be more or less the same.
Disclaimer: Information included in this page does not constitute as legal advice and receipt of this page does not establish attorney-client relationship. For specific inquiries, please call my office and schedule an appointment.
申請人請注意今年美國國務院對計劃所作出的改變。首先，今年的申請期限由60天縮短至30天。因此申請人會比去年少了一些時間準備其申請。
其次，國務院不會將中籤通知書寄給被抽中的幸運兒。肯塔基領事中心也不會將面談通知書寄給符合資格的申請人。取而代之的是申請人需到國務院多國籍移民簽證計劃的網址，輸入在遞交申請表時得到的個人申請號碼，自行檢查是否被抽中及面談時間。
多國籍移民簽證計劃是免費參加的。只有符合資格而被選中面談的申請人需在前往美國駐海外的領事館面談的時候繳交$745美元的申請費(包括$305移民簽證申請費及格$440的多國籍移民簽證計劃申請費)。
透過多國籍移民簽證計劃成功被抽中的機會不算太高。在2011年的財政年度，有一千六百萬申請人爭奪五萬個簽證配額(每一個配額有三百二十個申請人爭奪)，即中籤機會大概有0.31%。
以上資料僅供參考之用，並非法律意見。如有個別問題，請致電本人查詢。
Please notice that there are a couple of changes in this year's program. First of all, the State Department is reverting the registration period from 60 days to 30 days. Therefore, you would have less time to submit an application for the lottery and should act quickly.
Second, the State Department will not mail a selection notice to those who have been selected under the program. Moreover, the Kentucky Consular Center will not mail an interview notice as well. Instead, online notification and interview notice will be made through the Entry Status Check function at dvlottery.state.gov.
Finally, it is free to participate in the lottery. Only those who have been selected for interviews will have to pay a fee at the U.S. consulate or embassy at the time of the interview. The interviewee will have to pay $745 USD ($305 for immigrant visa fee and $440 for diversity visa fee).
If you wonder how well of a chance you can win to get an immigrant visa, it is not very high. For the fiscal year of 2011, the chance of winning was 1/320, or 0.31%. This year would probably be more or less the same.
Disclaimer: Information included in this page does not constitute as legal advice and receipt of this page does not establish attorney-client relationship. For specific inquiries, please call my office and schedule an appointment.
如果你有興趣參加2012財政年度的多國籍移民簽證計劃，你需要在2010年10月5日至11月3日期間遞交申請表。與去年一樣，多國籍移民簽證計劃今年將會提供50,000個移民簽證配額。抽籤結果將會在2011年5月1日公佈。
申請人請注意今年美國國務院對計劃所作出的改變。首先，今年的申請期限由60天縮短至30天。因此申請人會比去年少了一些時間準備其申請。
其次，國務院不會將中籤通知書寄給被抽中的幸運兒。肯塔基領事中心也不會將面談通知書寄給符合資格的申請人。取而代之的是申請人需到國務院多國籍移民簽證計劃的網址，輸入在遞交申請表時得到的個人申請號碼，自行檢查是否被抽中及面談時間。
多國籍移民簽證計劃是免費參加的。只有符合資格而被選中面談的申請人需在前往美國駐海外的領事館面談的時候繳交$745美元的申請費(包括$305移民簽證申請費及格$440的多國籍移民簽證計劃申請費)。
透過多國籍移民簽證計劃成功被抽中的機會不算太高。在2011年的財政年度，有一千六百萬申請人爭奪五萬個簽證配額(每一個配額有三百二十個申請人爭奪)，即中籤機會大概有0.31%。
以上資料僅供參考之用，並非法律意見。如有個別問題，請致電本人查詢。
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)