A Note from the Editors:

The California Election And Immigration

The Only-in-California recall election will likely lead to several immigration-related results, particularly for next year's national election. Regardless of whether Mr. Davis keeps his job or loses it, pro-immigration arguments will be strengthened, here's how. If Mr. Davis keeps his job, Democrats will argue that his recent actions in support of immigrants carried the day. Republicans in this scenario will argue that had Mr. McClintock's anti-immigration rhetoric been absent on the GOP side, that may very well turned the tide. If Mr. Davis loses his job, it is clear that either Mr. Schwarzenegger or Mr. Bustamante will get elected Governor. If, Mr. Bustamante wins, Democrats will argue that pro-immigrant candidates can be vote winners, while Republicans will point to Mr. McClintock's strident anti-immigration views as the cause of the election loss of the Governorship of the country's largest State. If Mr. Schwarzenegger wins, Democrats will be able to run their own immigrant candidates with less than perfect immigration records in future elections, while Republicans will feel free to ignore the small but vocal anti-immigration minority within the GOP. To sum up, whatever might be the pros and cons of holding the recall election, it appears that post-October 7th, we will likely see the pro-immigration forces strengthened for the much larger battles coming up in 2004. As an aside, regardless of which candidate wins, the victory is likely to be a pyrrhic one - with the ocean of red ink flowing in California's budget, it is a wonder that so many people seem to want the thankless job of being California's governor in the next few years.

We welcome readers to share their opinion and ideas with us by writing to weeklyeditor@ilw.com.

Articles

The INA 212(d)(3) Nonimmigrant Waiver – Available To All?
Christina B. LaBrie, Esq. writes "For inadmissible individuals with no other way to return to the US, the 212(d)(3) waiver might provide a temporary solution to what can be a very difficult and lengthy time separated from family, friends or business matters."

DHS Releases 2002 Yearbook Of Immigration Statistics
The 2002 Yearbook of Immigration Statistics presents information on migrants who apply for different legal statuses, immigration law enforcement activities, and the size of the resident unauthorized alien population.

OIA Releases Affirmative Asylum Procedures Manual
The Asylum Division of the Office of International Affairs released its affirmative asylum procedures manual (163 pps.).

EOIR Says Coercive Population Control Policies Asylees Eligible For Full Asylum Benefits
The Executive Office for Immigration Review of the Department of Justice announced that notices have been sent to those individuals in the US with conditional grants of asylum based on resistance to a coercive population control program who now are fully eligible for all asylum benefits. See here for the press release and fact sheet.

BCIS Resumes I-600 Processing In Guatemala
The Bureau of Citizenship and Immigration Services announced that BCIS-Guatemala resumed processing applications for adoption and emigration of orphans.

No College Degree, No H-1B - NOT! Substitutes For Formal Education
Alice Yardum-Hunter writes "Fret not those who never complete, or ever step foot in a US or overseas college, for BCIS regulations permit even those informally educated to be H-1B caliber."

BCIS Introduces Revised N-600 And New N-600K Forms
The Bureau of Citizenship and Immigration Services revised Form N-600, Application for Certificate of Citizenship, and introduced a new form, Form N-600K, Application for Citizenship and Issuance of Certificate under Section 322. The new N-600K Form replaces Form N-643 and Form N-600/N-643 Supplement A, which have been withdrawn.

How To Charge More Than Other Lawyers And Attract Better Clients
Trey Ryder writes "Here is how to increase your fees and attract better clients."

Affidavit of Support (State Department Checklist)
Read a detailed checklist from the State Department on Affidavit of Support.

ILW Highlights

Processing Times Updated

Texas processing times were recently updated.

Letters to Editors

To write to Editors, send emails to weeklyeditor@ilw.com.

Dear Editor:
I am writing this letter to address my strongest disagreement your recent Editor's Comments. Not only does such thought offend the fundamental principle and backbone of this nation, "family unification," it will lead to a mechanism to control immigration of certain races and ethnic groups. The concept may look on the surface legitimate, but it can lead to the dangerous consequences of the control of immigration of certain racial and ethnic groups that form the majority of family immigration, to wit recent immigrants. Extremists can use this concept as the disguised ethnic cleansing or ethnic balancing policy. I urge the authors to analyze the ethnic and racial implication of their theories. They should remember that certain parts of the world are currently unable to send family-based immigrants to this nation because they do not have eligible relatives of the US citizens or LPRs because they ceased to sending massive immigrants to this country a century past. I strongly believe that the authors' intent of writing this article is academically admirable but needs reexamination.

Matthew Oh
St. Paul, Minnesota

Dear Editor:
I just read Alan Lee's article about the H-4B visa, which is for illegals residing in this country before August 1 2003. If the law is passed, will it affect all illegal immigrant cases? What I mean is that my illegal friend is planning to marry his US citizen girlfriend, so does it mean that he will still have to wait for three years, going to the same long process and paying all the fees before he could be a permanent resident in the US?

Name Not Provided

Immigrant Life

What is Health Insurance?

Health insurance means just what it says: it's a way to insure yourself against health catastrophes such as illness and injury. In return for payment of a monthly fee, called a premium, the insurance company agrees to pay the price of a set amount of medical expenses, minus any deductible you may choose. This amount depends on the type of health plan you purchase. In the USA, health insurance falls into three categories: Health Maintenance Organizations, Preferred Provider Organizations and traditional "fee-for-service," or "indemnity" plans.

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When	Attorney
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