Green Card Lottery Scams on the Rise

by Wendy on March 8, 2011

According to the State Department, email scams regarding the Diversity Visa Lottery (“Green Card Lottery”) are on the rise.  Scammers frequently contact Diversity Visa Lottery applicants to extract money or personal information through websites, emails, and letters.  Here are some tips to avoid being scammed:

1.  Diversity Visa Lottery winners are never notified by e-mail.

2.  Never transfer money to anyone who e-mails you claiming that you have won the Diversity Visa lottery or been selected for a Green Card.

3.  Some websites and emails try to mislead customers and members of the public into thinking they are official U.S. government websites.  Any website address that does not end in “.gov” should be considered suspect.

4.  The only official information about the DV program is found on U.S. government websites ending in “.gov,” such as http://travel.state.gov or http://www.dvlottery.state.gov. The only official way to apply for the DV program is directly through the official U.S. Department of State website during the specified and limited registration period.

5.  Entrants to the DV program must check their status of their DV lottery entry online at http://www.dvlottery.state.gov.

To file a complaint about internet fraud,  visit econsumer.gov, which is a joint effort of consumer protection agencies from 17 nations, hosted by the Federal Trade Commission. You can also visit the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) website.

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Washington DC Immigration Law Firm Moves to Arkansas

by Wendy on February 22, 2011

Little Rock, AR – February 21, 2011 – The Whitt Law Firm, PLLC, a law firm established in Washington, DC, today announced that it has permanently relocated its headquarters to Little Rock, Arkansas.  The Whitt Law Firm provides immigration assistance to individuals and businesses in all 50 states and abroad.

“I am extremely pleased to announce The Whitt Firm has chosen to make Arkansas its new home,” said Wendy Whitt, founder and attorney at The Whitt Law Firm.  “Arkansas’ continued population growth suggests the world is becoming aware of what Arkansans have always known:  it’s a wonderful place to live and work.  We look forward to serving the immigration needs of the state’s new residents as well as established businesses.”

Whitt, a native Arkansan, founded The Whitt Firm following her active duty career in the U.S. Air Force Judge Advocate General’s Corps.  Whitt brings a decade of legal experience in international and immigration law to her home state.

The Whitt Firm will assist Arkansas businesses in hiring and retaining foreign talent and in complying with federal laws related to employment.  The Whitt Firm will also provide family immigration and deportation defense services.

To find out more about The Whitt Firm, contact Wendy Whitt at 501-588-1947 or visit www.whittfirm.com.

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Alien Labor-Safety Deal Signed

February 22, 2011

The federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration in Little Rock and the Mexican government signed a deal on Friday allowing Mexicans to report workplace safety violations without fear of deportation.   Under the agreement, the identity of the workers will remain confidential and will not be shared with other federal agencies such as U.S. Immigration and [...]

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House Bill Would Provide 55,000 Green Cards to Graduates

January 13, 2011

Representative Darrell Issa (R-Calif) has introduced a bill which would provide green cards for up to 55,000 foreign graduate students at American universities provided they found employment “in the sciences or medicine.”  The bill would not authorize new visas.  Instead, the visas allocated to  the diversity visa lottery would be transferred to the new program.  [...]

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Few H-1B Visas Left for FY 2011

January 13, 2011

As of January 11, 2011, the USCIS has received approximately 58, 700 cap subject H-1B visa petitions.  The cap is 65,000.   It is likely that available H-1B visas will run out by the end of the month.

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H-1B Visa Lawyer: New Petition for Nonimmigrant Worker

November 24, 2010

USCIS has revised the Form I-129, Petition for Nonimmigrant Worker which employers use to petition for temporary workers, including the H-1B Visa.  The revised form I-129 became available on November 23, 2010.  USCIS will accept previous editions of the form for 30 days or until December 22, 2010.  Petitions must be postmarked or filed on or before [...]

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