News Update - May 30, 2009

By Alan Lee, Esq.

- Warning to Travelers to Canada and Mexico of Stricter Document requirements to Return as of 6/1/09;
- Last on the H-1B Cap Count

A reminder to potential U.S. citizen travelers to Canada and Mexico that reentry to the United States as of June 1st will require more than a driver's license and birth certificate. Under the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative (WHTI), land crossings at the borders will require a U.S. passport, U.S. passport card, enhanced drivers license, or a SENTRI , NEXUS or FAST card. Both SENTRI and NEXUS are trusted traveler cards, SENTRI for travel between the U.S. and Mexico and NEXUS for travel between the U.S. and Canada. The FAST card, used by commercial truck drivers, is acceptable at both borders. The enhanced drivers licenses (EDL) issued by New York, Vermont, Washington, and Michigan are acceptable. Children under the age of 16 can present the original or copy of their birth certificate, naturalization certificate, or consular report of birth of a U.S. citizen.

The enhanced documentary requirements will have no effect upon green card holders who will continue to present their green cards upon reentry.

On the H-1B cap count, as of May 22nd, the count stood at approximately 65,700 of approximately 85,000 numbers to be allocated.

 


The author is a 26+ year practitioner of immigration law based in New York City. He was awarded the Sidney A. Levine prize for best legal writing at the Cleveland-Marshall College of Law in 1977 and has written extensively on immigration over the past years for the ethnic newspapers, World Journal, Sing Tao, Pakistan Calling, Muhasha and OCS. He has testified as an expert on immigration in civil court proceedings and was recognized by the Taiwan government in 1985 for his work protecting human rights. His article, "The Bush Temporary Worker Proposal and Comparative Pending Legislation: an Analysis" was Interpreter Releases' cover display article at the American Immigration Lawyers Association annual conference in 2004, and his victory in the Second Circuit Court of Appeals in a case of first impression nationwide, Firstland International v. INS, successfully challenged INS' policy of over 40 years of revoking approved immigrant visa petitions under a nebulous standard of proof. Its value as precedent, however, was short-lived as it was specifically targeted by the Administration in the Intelligence Reform Act of 2004.

This article © 2009 Alan Lee, Esq.

 

Copyright © 2003-2012 Alan Lee, Esq.
The information provided here is of a general nature and may not apply to any particular set of facts or circumstances. It should not be construed as legal advice and does not constitute an engagement of the Law Office of Alan Lee or establish an attorney-client relationship.