NHPR’s Qué Hay de Nuevo team spoke with Enrique Mesa, an immigration attorney based in Manchester with over 10 years of experience, about what people need to know to face this situation.
Mesa said people he’s spoken with are nervous about immigration right now – even those who have been in this country for a long time without any problems.
“People are so worried about what’s happening with this administration that this is really a very frustrating time,” he said in Spanish.
He added that new measures from the Trump administration mainly affect undocumented people. Because of this, immigrants who have permanent residency or are citizens have protections.
Meg Moran is the Removal Defense Project and Immigrant Justice Project director at New Hampshire Legal Assistance. She represents noncitizens in all aspects of the immigration process, particularly people facing imminent removal from the U.S. Her clients include people who have suffered violations of their human rights, including torture, persecution, and other crimes, and are seeking safety in the United in applications for humanitarian-based relief against removal. Meg provides full representation for detained and non-detained clients, defending clients against deportation in immigration removal proceedings, in their affirmative applications before USCIS, and for their stay of removal requests, motions to reopen, and appeals.
Welcoming NH, with generous funding from the NH AARP has 100 $15 vouchers for people taking digital Literacy or Cyber Security classes across the state. If you or a client like to take one of these training s and are in need of assistance for transportation, email dholt@miracoalition.org. This is for individuals over 50 and we just ask to provide a link or information on the class you are taking including the date the voucher is needed.
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services today announced a Federal Register notice (FRN) providing updated procedures for submitting a Form I-140, Immigrant Petition for Alien Workers, accompanied by a permanent labor certification, application for Schedule A designation, or national interest waiver (NIW) request.
On June 1, 2023, the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) implemented a new system for permanent labor certifications, called the Foreign Labor Application Gateway (FLAG), and revised the Application for Permanent Employment Certification (Form ETA-9089) for use within the FLAG system. The revised Form ETA-9089 collects more detailed information about the job opportunity, including specific worksite locations, telecommuting options, and the foreign worker’s qualifications. Employers who file Form ETA-9089 through the FLAG system and who receive a labor certification approval generally receive a 2-page Final Determination from DOL electronically.
The instructions to Form ETA-9089 state that only a signed Final Determination must be submitted with the Form I-140 petition as evidence of a permanent labor certification approval. This limited requirement is because, as a part of this process change, USCIS receives most of the information about the permanent labor certification directly from DOL under a data sharing agreement.
USCIS is announcing through this FRN that employers whose labor certifications were processed in the FLAG system must include a printed copy of the electronic Final Determination with their Form I-140, and that USCIS will consider this printed copy as an original, approved labor certification. The Final Determination must be completed and electronically signed by DOL, and must be signed by the foreign worker, employer, and the employer’s attorney or agent, if applicable. In addition, the FRN states that Form I-140 petitions for Schedule A occupations must contain a completed, uncertified Form ETA-9089, including all applicable appendices, a signed Final Determination, and a valid prevailing wage determination tracking number in Section E, Item 1 of the Form ETA-9089. Finally, the FRN states that a Form I-140 petition with an NIW request must contain a copy of the Form ETA-9089, Appendix A, and a signed Final Determination.
Since June 1, 2023, USCIS has been adjudicating Form I-140 petitions filed with permanent labor certification Final Determinations, Schedule A applications, and NIW requests using the edition of the Form ETA-9089 and applicable appendices, developed for the FLAG system, so this FRN does not change any operations or processes. Instead, this FRN is meant to make the public aware of the new documentary requirements for permanent labor certification approvals, Schedule A applications, and NIW requests submitted with Form I-140 petitions following the implementation of the FLAG system.Find more information on the Petition Filing and Processing Procedures for Form I-140, Immigrant Petition for Alien Workers and Checklist of Required Initial Evidence for Form I-140 webpages.
The Vermont Language Justice Project enables people who do not speak or read English to make informed decisions about their health and those of their families. We do this by providing public service videos and audio files in up to 19 languages spoken here in Vermont. This media is co-produced with trusted community members from Vermont’s refugee, migrant and immigrant communities. These messages are shared widely through YouTube, What’s App and local school district robo call systems. Check us out. Put them up on your websites. The script is in the description of each video. We will be adding to them frequently. Thank you. If you have any questions or just want to be in touch, please email us at vljp@cctv.org . Our website is vtlanguagejustice.org
