Immigration Resources
List of Immigration Website ResourcesThe Nuñez Firm has compiled an extensive list of
immigration-related resources with the hope that you will be able to
find answers to your immigration questions. Some immigration issues are
relatively simple and can be handled without the assistance of an
attorney if an individual has the right resources available. However, if
you are unable to find the answer you are looking for, contact The
Nuñez Firm to schedule a confidential consultation.
IMMIGRATION NEWS AND LAW: Bender's Immigration Bulletin: Daily updates on immigration news, recent immigration case law and government immigration agency memos. http://www.bibdaily.com/ Immigration Policy Center: The IPC provides accurate information about the effects of immigration on the U.S. economy and society. The IPC publishes timely reports on immigration policy and the role of immigrants. http://www.immigrationpolicy.org/ AILA InfoNet: With 5-10 immigration-related news items posted per day, the AILA InfoNet provides comprehensive updates on all aspects of immigration law's current events. http://aila.org/ GOVERNMENT WEBSITES: U.S. Department of State: The Department of State oversees the U.S. Consulates and Embassies in foreign countries. If you or a loved one is consular processing for a visa or green card, the Department of State is responsible for the consular interview and final decision on the visa application. http://www.state.gov/ U.S. Department of Homeland Security: DHS is the federal umbrella organization that houses most of the immigration-related government agencies including Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Citizenship and Immigration Services and Customs and Border Protection. http://www.dhs.gov/ Immigration & Customs Enforcement: ICE investigates and arrests individuals suspected of violating U.S. immigration laws. ICE is responsible for prosecuting and deporting non-citizens for immigration violations. During immigration hearings, the government is represented by ICE attorneys. http://www.ice.gov/ U.S. Citizenship & Immigration Services: USCIS has offices all over the country, and it is responsible for processing most immigration applications. When a U.S. Citizen petitions for a foreign relative to immigrate to the United States, USCIS adjudicates the petition. When a lawful permanent resident applies to become a naturalized U.S. Citizen, USCIS grants or denies the application. http://www.uscis.gov/portal/site/uscis Infopass: The Infopass system was established by the U.S. Government to allow individuals and attorneys to inquire as to the status of an immigration case. Individuals must schedule an infopass appointment in order to speak to an infopass officer. Depending on the infopass office, the wait times can be several hours (even with a scheduled appointment). For example, the wait times in Los Angeles are often 3-4 hours, while the Santa Ana wait times are 15 minutes. http://infopass.uscis.gov/ USCIS Field Office Locator: This website allows users to find the nearest USCIS field office. https://egov.uscis.gov/ Visa Bulletin: The Visa Bulletin is published every month by the Department of State. The Visa Bulletin establishes the current processing times for various types of visa petitions depending on the priority date. http://travel.state.gov/visa/frvi/bulletin/bulletin_1360.html Foreign Affairs Manual: The Foreign Affairs Manual (FAM) is published by the U.S. Department of State. In the immigration context, the FAM establishes the proper procedure for consular officers in handling various immigration scenarios. The FAM is often used by immigration attorneys to show consular officers that their handling of a particular situation contradicted a mandated procedure. http://www.state.gov/m/a/dir/regs/ IMMIGRATION FORMS: Department of State Forms: These forms are used when an individual's immigration case must be handled by the Department of State. For example, an individual consular processing for an immigrant visa must use Department of State forms for the visa application and consular interview portion of the process. http://www.travel.state.gov/visa/frvi/forms/forms_1342.html USCIS Forms: These forms are used if an individual is affirmatively applying for an immigration benefit such as naturalization, adjustment of status or another type of visa. Some of these forms are not used if an individual is currently in immigration court proceedings. http://www.uscis.gov/portal/site/ EOIR Forms: These forms are generally used if an individual is in immigration court proceedings or appealing an immigration court decision. http://www.usdoj.gov/eoir/formslist.htm IMMIGRATION ORGANIZATIONS: AILA: The American Immigration Lawyers Association is the national association for immigration attorneys. The AILA website provides up-to-date information on new immigration laws, cases and conferences. http://www.aila.org/ Public Law Center: The Orange County Public Law Center helps low income individuals with all types of legal problems including immigration. PLC helps individuals find pro bono attorneys to assist them. http://www.publiclawcenter.org/ Catholic Charities: Catholic Charities of Orange County helps refugees and other individuals with immigration problems find the help they need. http://www.ccoc.org/ American Civil Liberties Union Immigrants' Rights Group: The ACLU has been a leader in the fight for immigrants’ rights for many years. The ACLU generally handles cases with widespread civil liberty violations and national implications such as illegal workplace raids and substandard detention facilities. http://www.aclu.org/immigrants/index.html United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees: The UNHCR was established almost 60 years ago to organize international action to resolve refugee problems and protect refugees all over the world. http://www.unhcr.org/cgi-bin/texis/vtx/home Human Rights Watch: Human Rights Watch is an independent international organization focused on defending and protecting human rights. HRW publishes reports on human rights violations around the world. In the immigration context, these reports can help establish an asylum claim. http://www.hrw.org/ Amnesty International: Amnesty International is a worldwide organization dedicated to achieving internationally mandated human rights for all. In the immigration context, Amnesty International publishes reports and news stories on human rights violations around the world. The Nuñez Firm uses these reports to strengthen and establish asylum cases for our clients. http://www.amnesty.org/ CHECK CASE STATUS: Status on Freedom of Information Act Request: Check FOIA Request status using this site. http://www.uscis.gov/portal/ Passport Application Status: Check the status of your passport application here. http://travel.state.gov/passport/get/status/status_2567.html Border Wait Times: Customs and Border Protection wait times for all U.S. borders with Canada and Mexico. This website includes information regarding hours of operation, open lanes and wait times for commercial and passenger vehicles along with pedestrian wait times. http://apps.cbp.gov/bwt/ Processing Times: Check the processing times for various applications and petitions for all U.S. field offices, California Service Center, Texas Service Center, Vermont Service Center, Nebraska Service Center and National Benefits Center. https://egov.uscis.gov/cris/jsps/ptimes.jsp IMMIGRATION RESEARCH: Code of Federal Regulations Search Page: This website allows users to search the Code of Federal Regulations (CFRs). The CFRs are legally binding as statutory law as long as they are reasonable interpretations of the federal statutes they are based on. Once a bill becomes law, federal executive branch agencies create federal regulations to clarify the intent and scope of the federal statutes. CFRs are often more detailed and easier to understand than federal statutes. http://www.gpoaccess.gov/cfr/index.html FindLaw's Immigration Answers: Post immigration questions and ask for immigration help from other website visitors. http://boards.answers.findlaw.com/ Who is my congress member: This website informs users of their elected representative in Congress. You can write your congressperson to express your views on all issues including immigration. https://writerep.house.gov/writerep/welcome.shtml Cornell Legal Information Institute: A research and electronic publishing resource from Cornell Law School which includes U.S. Immigration Code Sections and U.S. Supreme Court Opinions on all types of law including immigration. http://www.law.cornell.edu/ Thomas Legislation Tracker: Users can track the progress of legislation and bills. Additionally, the full text of bills can be read here. http://thomas.loc.gov/ Refuge Case Law Search: This website allows users to search case law from other countries relating to refugees. The collection includes cases from the highest courts of Australia, Canada, Germany, New Zealand, Switzerland, United Kingdom and the United States. http://www.refugeecaselaw.org Asylumlaw.org: This website is an invaluable resource for helping individuals and attorneys prepare a more effective asylum case. Asylumlaw.org has collected and organized country reports, news articles and case law that can help to prove that an asylum seeker has a legitimate fear of returning to her country of origin. http://www.asylumlaw.org/ State Department Human Rights Reports: The Department of State provides annual reports on the human rights practices for each country. These reports are often used in asylum cases and other immigration situations to show that an individual would not be safe if she is returned to a specific country. http://www.state.gov/g/drl/rls/hrrpt/index.htm State Department Religious Freedom Reports: Similar to the Human Rights Reports, the International Religious Freedom Report is submitted to Congress by the U.S. Department of State on an annual basis. These reports are used in the immigration context for religion-based asylum claims. http://www.state.gov/g/drl/rls/irf/ IMMIGRATION COURT SYSTEM: U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals: The United States federal court system is divided into 11 circuit courts of appeals. In the immigration context, immigration court cases are appealed to the Board of Immigration Appeals (BIA). BIA decisions can be appealed to the circuit court with jurisdiction over the state in which the case originated. Circuit court decisions are appealed to the U.S. Supreme Court. Find out which circuit you live in. http://www.uscourts.gov/courtlinks/ Board of Immigration Appeals: The Board of Immigration Appeals (BIA) handles appeals from every immigration court in the country. If a respondent in immigration court proceedings received an unfavorable ruling, the respondent can appeal the decision to the BIA. http://www.usdoj.gov/eoir/biainfo.htm MISCELLANEOUS RESOURCES: Currency Converter: This website allows users to convert any international currency to U.S. dollars or another form of currency. http://www.xe.com/ucc/ |
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