Visa Bulletin for June 2009 released

The US Department of State has released the new Visa Bulletin for June 2009. In family-based categories, there is very slight movement forward, but just by a few weeks in most categories. Some categories do not advance at all, but none have retrogressed.

Employment-based categories have not changed for 1st preference applicants, and the entire 3rd preference and Other Workers category is "Unavailable", like it was in May. The biggest change is that the priority date for India EB-2 category has retrogressed from 2/15/04 in May to 1/1/00 in June. This is bad news for 2nd preference applicants from India, unfortunately.

H-1B cap count updated May 4 - no change

According to USCIS, the agency has still just received 45,000 new H-1B petitions towards the regular cap of 65,000. See here for details.

Worksite Enforcement Fact Sheet issued by ICE

Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) issued a new Fact Sheet last week with FAQs on ICE's worksite enforcement procedures, figures, and reasons. The Fact Sheet explains that in Fiscal Year 2008

• Of the individuals criminally arrested, 135 were owners, managers, supervisors or human resources employees facing charges including harboring or knowingly hiring illegal aliens. The remaining workers criminally arrested are facing charges including aggravated identity theft and Social Security fraud.
• ICE has also made more than 5,100 administrative arrests for immigration violations during worksite enforcement operations.
• ICE made more than 1,100 criminal arrests tied to worksite enforcement investigations.

In April 2009, Secretary Napolitano issued guidance outlining that ICE will focus its resources in the worksite enforcement program on the criminal prosecution of employers who knowingly hire illegal workers in order to target the root cause of illegal immigration. ICE will continue to arrest and process for removal any illegal workers who are found in the course of these worksite enforcement actions in a manner consistent with immigration law and DHS priorities. Furthermore, ICE will use all available civil and administrative tools, including civil fines and debarment, to penalize and deter illegal employment.