I-9 effective date delayed to April 3, 2009

The USCIS has delayed the effective date of the new I-9 form for 60 days, to April 3, 2009. See the CIS website here.

2009 Poverty Guidelines published

The US Department of Health and Human Services has published its poverty guidelines for 2009. The guidelines for the 48 contiguous states and DC are:

1 person in family: $10,830
2 people: $14,570
3 people: $18,310
4 people: $22,050
5 people: $25,790
6 people: $29,530
7 people:$33,270
8 people: $37,010

Alaska has different levels.

These guidelines are relevant in immigration law because family-based permanent resident applications require an Affidavit of Support from the "sponsoring" relative. The relative must show that s/he has income or assets worth at least 125% of the relevant poverty guideline figure. So, for example, a woman in New York who is petitioning for her husband and his child needs to show income/assets of at least $22,887.50 to meet the I-824, Affidavit of Support requirements.

New Form I-9 published

NEW FORM I-9 PUBLISHED ON CIS WEBSITE

The US Citizenship and Immigration Service has now posted the new Form I-9 on its website. The new form MUST be used from 2/2/09 onwards. The major changes are:

• Expired documents are no longer acceptable. A document containing no expiration date, such as a Social Security card, will be deemed unexpired.

• 
  Documents that are no longer issued by USCIS, such as the Form I-688 "Temporary Resident Card" and forms I-688A and I-688B "Employment Authorization Cards" are no longer acceptable documents.
• 
  The following documents are now acceptable for establishing both identity and employment authorization and have therefore been added to List A of the List of Acceptable Documents:

1. Foreign passports containing a temporary I-551 printed notation on a machine-readable immigrant visa. The pre-printed temporary I-551 notation is issued after the individual is admitted to the United States as a lawful permanent resident.
2. Passports from the Federated States of Micronesia or the Republic of the Marshall Islands with a form I-94 or I-94A.