US immigration launches campaign against human trafficking

US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has launched an outdoor publicity campaign to raise awareness of the plight of human-trafficking victims in the United States.   The campaign, called "Hidden in Plain Sight,"  explains that human trafficking includes those who are sexually exploited or forced to work against their will.

Posters, billboards and transit shelter signs were rolled out last month bearing the slogan "Hidden in Plain Sight." They are displayed in Atlanta, Boston, Dallas, Detroit, Los Angeles, Miami, Philadelphia, Newark, New Orleans, New York, St Paul, San Antonio, San Francisco and Tampa.

ICE states

It is estimated that 800,000 men, women and children are trafficked around the world each year. These victims are trafficked into the commercial sex trade, and into forced-labor situations. Many of these victims are lured from their homes with false promises of well-paying jobs; instead, they are forced or coerced into prostitution, domestic servitude, farm or factory labor, or other types of forced labor.

ICE is asking for the public's help to remain alert to recognize and identify victims of modern-day slavery who are in our midst. They are domestic servants, sweat-shop employees, sex workers and fruit pickers who were lured here by the promise of prosperity. Ultimately, they are forced to work without pay and are unable to leave their situation. ICE is committed to giving them the help they need to come forward and help us end human trafficking with vigorous enforcement and tough penalties. As a primary mission area, ICE has the overall goal of preventing human trafficking in the United States by prosecuting the traffickers, and rescuing and protecting the victims.

For more information, see here.

Photo courtesy of http://www.flickr.com/photos/missy-and-the-universe/

New USCIS SAVE video released

US immigration has published a video explaining its Systematic Alien Verification for Entitlements (SAVE) program.  The SAVE website explains that 

the SAVE Program is an inter-governmental initiative designed to aid benefit-granting agencies in determining an applicant’s immigration status, and thereby ensure that only entitled applicants receive federal, state, or local public benefits and licenses. The Program is an information service for benefit-issuing agencies, institutions, licensing bureaus, and other governmental entities.

The website continues by noting that 

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  The SAVE Program does not make determinations on any applicant's eligibility for a specific benefit or license.
  

  
  
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  The SAVE Program does not verify status for employment.
  

  
  

For more information on the SAVE program, see here.

H-1B cap count updated

USCIS has updated the H-1B cap count. As of October 30, 2009, CIS has received approximately 53,800 cases against the regular (non-Master's) H-1B cap. For more information, see the previous blog posts here.

CIS issues "Public Charge" fact sheet

USCIS has issued a Fact Sheet explaining what renders a person a "public charge" and therefore inadmissible to the US and ineligible to become a permanent resident. This inadmissibility applies to anyone who "at the time of application for admission or adjustment of status, is likely at any time to become a public charge."

The Fact Sheet explains that  "public charge" means

an individual who is likely to become “primarily dependent on the government for subsistence, as demonstrated by either the receipt of public cash assistance for income maintenance, or institutionalization for long-term care at government expense.....In determining whether an alien meets this definition for public charge inadmissibility, a number of factors must be considered, including age, health, family status, assets, resources, financial status, education, and skills.  No single factor - other than the lack of an affidavit of support, if required - will determine whether an individual is a public charge. 

The following are not considered for "public charge" purposes because they are "non-cash benefits or special-purpose cash benefits that are not intended for income maintenance":

• Medicaid and other health insurance and health services (including public assistance for immunizations and for testing and treatment of symptoms of communicable diseases, use of health clinics, short-term rehabilitation services, prenatal care, and emergency medical services) other than support for long-term institutional care
• Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP)
• Nutrition programs, including Food Stamps, the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children (WIC), the National School Lunch and School Breakfast Program, and other supplementary and emergency food assistance programs
• Housing benefits
• Child care services 
• Energy assistance, such as the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP)
• Emergency disaster relief
• Foster care and adoption assistance
• Educational assistance (such as attending public school), including benefits under the Head Start Act and aid for elementary, secondary, or higher education 
• Job training programs
• In-kind, community-based programs, services, or assistance (such as soup kitchens, crisis counseling and intervention, and short-term shelter) 
• Non cash benefits under TANF such as subsidized child care or transit subsidies 
• Cash payments that have been earned, such as Title II Social Security benefits, government pensions, and veterans' benefits, among other forms of earned benefits, do not support a public charge determination. 
• Unemployment compensation is also not considered for public charge purposes.

USCIS: Naturalization Information Sessions

USCIS is holding free information sessions for people interested in becoming US citizens.  See here for details:  USCIS: Naturalization Information Sessions