We are at last seeing some movement on PERM applications. In the recent stakeholders’ meeting, the DOL provided the following information concerning processing dates:

“As of late January 2009, DOL is processing[regular PERM] cases with priority dates in June 2008, cases in the audit queue with priority dates in August 2007, and cases in the appeal queue of April 2007.”

Have any of you thought about an Individual Retirement Account (IRA)?  These are savings accounts that can grow by dividend reinvestment, interest reinvestment and by appreciation, tax free.  There are some restrictions in the types of investments these IRA’s can be invested in, but for the most part people place their money in mutual funds, bonds or certificates of deposit. 

Adjustment of status (AOS) applicants with applications on file for at least 180 days, and who have employment authorization documents (EAD) are entitled to apply for and receive unemployment insurance if they lose their jobs. Without unrestricted work authorization (which an EAD grants), you do not qualify for unemployment compensation. If you do have an EAD, however, you are eligible and may receive UI benefits while you look for new employment.

Under Section 245(k) of the Immigration and Nationality Act, an employment based AOS applicant may file for adjustment of status even if the applicant has violated his or her status. This benefit is limited, however, by a requirement that the applicant must not have accumulated mo re than 180 days of status violations since his or her last entry into the US prior to filing for adjustment of status.

Our philosophy is very simple: the most important aspect of any case is our client’s state of mind. Designing and implementing an immigration solution is a simple engineering problem. It is not at all difficult for experienced immigration professionals. The difficult part of representation, the art of practicing immigration law effectively, is dealing with our clients’ worries and concerns.