ICE IMAGE Program Certifies 21 Puerto Rican Companies for Good Employment and Immigration Practices

Twenty-one businesses representing the automotive, marketing, healthcare, restaurant, security, agriculture, food and telecommunications industries became the latest employers to partner with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) to strengthen their hiring practices, reduce fraud and ensure they employ a legal workforce.

The 21 companies officially became members of ICE's Mutual Agreement between Government and Employers (IMAGE) Thursday, December 6, 2012, during the largest IMAGE signing ceremony since inception of the program. IMAGE is a voluntary program that allows private sector businesses to partner with ICE to reduce unauthorized employment and the use of fraudulent identity documents. As a result, a participating employer is able to maintain a more secure, stable workforce.

"I am pleased to welcome these companies as IMAGE partners," said Deputy Assistant Director of the HSI Transnational Crime and Public Safety Division Waldemar Rodriguez, who has been working closely with company officials in the IMAGE participation process. "This action sends a strong message to the thousands of Puerto Ricans who do business with these companies that the company places a priority on hiring and employing a legal workforce."

"Our IMAGE partnerships enable us to recognize the highest level of employment integrity and foster best hiring practices," said Angel Melendez, acting special agent in charge of HSI San Juan. "When employers make a commitment to hire and maintain a lawful workforce, it's good for their business and it's good for the community. In tough economic times, companies like these, who join IMAGE, have made a commitment to protecting our nation's lawful workforce."

Artic-kar Inc. is an auto processing company in Puerto Rico and the Caribbean with more than 500,000 vehicles processed to date. With more than 30 years in the automotive industry, Artic-Kar provides its business partners with inspection, logistics, transportation and installation services. The company has its headquarters in Guaynabo, Puerto Rico, with operations in Cataño and Toa Baja, Puerto Rico.

BBDO Puerto Rico Inc. is a marketing and publicity company with 15,000 employees in 289 offices across 81 countries. Their core competencies include advertising, branding, email marketing, mobile and social media, strategy and planning, interactive marketing, direct marketing and design.

Ciracet Corp. is dedicated to the management of healthcare technology and consulting. Comprised of engineers and healthcare professionals, their combined experience allows them to engineer new tools in the medical profession. With more than 60 years of combined experience, Ciracet Corp. provides healthcare in general with engineering tools that can be used during the entire life cycle of medical technology to enhance patient care services, improve healthcare facilities operations and maximize the cost effectiveness of those services.

El Meson Sandwiches Inc. and QSR Champs Inc. are two Puerto Rican franchise businesses with 36 establishments throughout the island with a current workforce of approximately 1,500 employees. QSR Champs Inc. provides administrative support to Meso Express Inc., El Meson Sandwiches Inc., and Western Meat Processors Inc.

Garaje Isla Verde, LLC is the exclusive dealer of Mercedes Benz vehicles in Puerto Rico. The company is currently one of the most recognized companies on the island for their product and service.

G4S Secure Solutions Puerto Rico Inc. is a United Kingdom subsidiary that provides full service security services, including monitoring station, field supervision, risk assessment, contract risk management, mobile patrol, executive protection, security cameras, signal monitored burglary and fire alarms, vehicular tracking and access control systems among other services.

Hacienda Santa Elena Inc., RF (MT Llanos) Inc., and Ganaderias del Sur, S.E. are a cattle breeding, calf raising, hay and silage farms and affiliates of Empresas Fonalledas.

Meso Express is a popular hometown eatery that serves full hot breakfasts and hot grilled Caribbean sandwiches. It is a Puerto Rican business with three establishments located in gas stations and shopping mall food courts in the San Juan metropolitan area.

Plaza del Caribe Inc. is the main shopping mall facility in southern Puerto Rico and an affiliate of Empresas Fonalledas.

Plaza Las Americas Inc. is the main shopping mall facility in Puerto Rico and an affiliate of Empresas Fonalledas.

San Jorge Children's Hospital provides healthcare services for children in Puerto Rico and the islands of the Caribbean. The hospital has a workforce of approximately 450 employees.

Soft & Creamy Inc. is an ice cream company chain and an affiliate of Empresas Fonalledas with approximately 100 employees.

Stryker Instruments Puerto Rico Inc. is a global orthopedic company operating in Puerto Rico for the past 30 years. The company has a workforce of approximately 1,000 employees.

Supermercados Maximo Inc. is a local supermarket company with a workforce of approximately 1,600 employees in its 15 stores.

V. Suarez & Co. Inc. is one of Puerto Rico's largest commercial groups and one of the largest Hispanic firms in the United States. The company is diversified in three distinct businesses: food and beverage distribution, investment management and real estate.

Western Meat Processors is a meat processing company that delivers all food supplies for the El Meson Sandwiches and Meso Express establishments.

Worldnet Telecommunications Inc. is the third largest provider of internet and telecommunications services in Puerto Rico. The company has a workforce of approximately 200 employees.

Undocumented workers create vulnerabilities in today's marketplace by presenting false documents to gain employment, completing applications for fraudulent benefits, and stealing identities of legal United States workers. To combat this, ICE initiated the IMAGE program in 2006.

As part of the IMAGE program, ICE provides private companies with education and training on proper hiring procedures, including use of employment screening tools such as E-Verify. IMAGE certified companies also undergo an audit of their I-9 forms to ensure current employees are eligible to work in the United States.

Puerto Rico employers interested in learning more about IMAGE membership may call the ICE IMAGE coordinator in San Juan at 787-729-5151 or visit www.ICE.gov/IMAGE.

ICE ERO Launches Community and Detainee Helpline

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's (ICE) Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) recently launched the second phase of its ICE Community and Detainee Helpline (CDH). In this phase, detainees from ERO Atlanta, Baltimore, Miami, New Orleans and Washington will be able to directly contact the Office of the Public Advocate by telephone through toll-free telephone systems in the facilities. This expanded service streamlines the means by which detainees can access assistance.

Expanding the CDH is a joint project between ERO's Office of the Public Advocate and its Custody Management Division (CMD). Activating this helpline in additional detention facilities will take place over several phases, with nationwide implementation to be completed by the second quarter of fiscal year 2013.

Adding access to this toll-free helpline is not meant to replace regular staff-detainee communications or the field offices' regular exchanges with their stakeholders. It is a direct line that provides detainees the opportunity to obtain basic immigration case information, report systemic incidents or inform ICE of pertinent issues such as detainee vulnerabilities. Both the Office of the Public Advocate and CMD are hopeful that expanding this resource will enhance ERO's public engagement capabilities, enabling both headquarters and field office locations to better address the concerns of the public and detainees.

The Office of the Public Advocate has established protocols to ensure that all issues related to the helpline are managed in an efficient and timely manner. All calls to the CDH are managed by ERO operators who have been trained to identify specific concerns, summarize salient points, and route them to the appropriate field offices or ICE headquarters for appropriate review and action.

ERO Public Advocate Andrew Lorenzen-Strait said this is consistent with ERO's goals of ensuring transparency and collaboration, and resolving conflict.

"We are excited to launch the next phase of the ICE Community and Detainee Helpline," Lorenzen-Strait said. "We are confident that this expanded service will allow us to promote further dialogue with our many stakeholders and continue to build bridges with our communities."

M.C. Law Group Attorney Alex Meyerovich Explains Legal Fees

BRIDGEPORT, Conn. -- At M.C. Law Group, we know that hiring an attorney is a serious financial decision. However, in many immigration cases, hiring the cheapest attorney can cost you more money in the long run. At M.C. Law Group, we provide exceptional service for reasonable fees, and we include many services in your legal fees that other attorneys leave out.

Watch the video below to see Attorney Alex Meyerovich explain how M.C. Law Group fees are different from other immigration attorneys.

Learn more about M.C. Law Group

M.C. Law Group Opens Office in Stamford, CT

M.C. Law Group has opened a new branch in Stamford, Connecticut. The full-service law firm is experienced in all areas of U.S. immigration and nationality law. In addition, the firm also handles cases in a wide variety of legal matters including family law and divorce cases, criminal matters, tax preparation and tax resolution, and business law cases.

The Stamford branch, located at 39 Clovelly Road, is the third branch for this growing law firm. Two additional branches are located in Waterbury and Hartford, and the firm is based in Bridgeport.

Follow the link below to learn more about the new branch, M.C. Law Group, and its legal services.

Stamford Immigration Lawyer in Connecticut

EB-2 Cut-off Date Announced by Department of State for Worldwide, Mexico, and the Philippines

The Department of State recently posted its July Visa Bulletin indicating that the cut-off date for EB-2 Worldwide, Mexico and the Philippines has regressed to Jan. 1, 2009. The June cut-off date for EB-2 Worldwide, Mexico and the Philippines is "C" for "current." This means that a cut-off date is not specified for these categories through the end of the month.

A visa number is available if the applicant’s priority date is earlier than the cut-off date listed in the Visa Bulletin, or the category has the "C" designation for "current."  A visa number must be available during the month the applicant files Form I-485, Application to Register Permanent Residence or Adjust Status.

The EB-2 category is for members of professions with advanced degrees or persons of exceptional ability. All adjustment of status applicants must file Form I-485 with all the required initial evidence described in the form instructions. A key piece of initial evidence is Form I-693, Medical Examination of Aliens Seeking Adjustment of Status.

USCIS strongly encourages adjustment of status applicants to file their Form I-485 with all required initial evidence, including Form I-693. Failure to provide all required initial evidence may result in adjudication delays for Form I-485 and requests for additional benefits, such as employment authorization. 

2013 H-1B Petitions Reaches Statutory Cap

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced June 12, 2012 that it has received a sufficient number of H-1B petitions to reach the statutory cap of 65,000 for fiscal year (FY) 2013. Yesterday, June 11, 2012, was the final receipt date for new H-1B specialty occupation petitions requesting an employment start date in FY 2013.

USCIS will consider properly filed cases as received on the date that USCIS physically receives the petition; not the date that the petition was postmarked. USCIS will reject cap-subject petitions for new H-1B specialty occupation workers if they arrive after June 11, 2012 and seek an employment start date in FY 2013.

As of June 7, 2012, USCIS already received more than 20,000 H-1B petitions filed on behalf of persons exempt from the cap under the ‘advanced degree’ exemption. USCIS will continue to accept and process petitions that are otherwise exempt from the cap.

In addition, petitions filed on behalf of current H-1B workers who have been counted previously against the cap will not be counted toward the FY 2013 H-1B cap.  As such, USCIS will continue to accept and process these petitions to:

               extend the amount of time a current H-1B worker may remain in the U.S.;

               change the terms of employment for current H-1B workers;

               allow current H-1B workers to change employers; and

               allow current H-1B workers to work concurrently in a second H-1B position.

U.S. businesses use the H-1 B program to employ foreign workers in specialty occupations that require theoretical or technical expertise in specialized fields such as scientists, engineers or computer programmers.