If you departed by land, private vessel or private plane, you will need to take steps to correct the record. If you do not validate your timely departure from the United States, or, if you cannot reasonably prove you departed within the time frame given to you when you entered, the next time you apply for admission to the U.S., Customs and Border Protection (CBP) may conclude you remained in the U.S. beyond your authorized stay. If this happens, your visa may be subject to cancellation or you may be returned immediately to your foreign point of origin.

If you failed to turn in your I-94 Departure Record, please send it, along with any documentation that
proves you left the United States to:
DHS – CBP SBU
1084 South Laurel Road
London, KY 40744

To validate departure, CBP will consider a variety of information, including but not limited to:
1. Original boarding passes you used to depart another country, such as Canada, if you flew home
from there;
2. Photocopies of entry or departure stamps in your passport indicating entry to another country after you departed the United States (you should copy all passport pages that are not completely blank, and include the biographical page containing your photograph); and
3. Photocopies of other supporting evidence, such as:
Dated pay slips or vouchers from your employer to indicate you worked in another country after you departed the United States, Dated bank records showing transactions to indicate you were in another country after you left the United States, School records showing attendance at a school outside the United States to indicate you were in another country after you left the United States, and Dated credit card receipts, showing your name, but, the credit card number deleted, for purchases made after you left the United States to indicate you were in another country after leaving the United States.

We strongly urge you to keep a copy of what you send to DHS-CBP and carry it with you the next time you come to the United States in case the CBP Officer has any questions about your eligibility to enter. Carrying those materials with you will also allow your record to be corrected at the time of entry if, for some reason, the London, Kentucky office has not yet done so.

“As part of the Department’s ongoing efforts to assist Haiti following Tuesday’s devastating earthquake, I am announcing the designation of Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Haitian nationals who were in the United States as of January 12, 2010. This is a disaster of historic proportions and this designation will allow eligible Haitian nationals in the United States to continue living and working in our country for the next 18 months. Providing a temporary refuge for Haitian nationals who are currently in the United States and whose personal safety would be endangered by returning to Haiti is part of this Administration’s continuing efforts to support Haiti’s recovery.

“At this moment of tragedy in Haiti it is tempting for people suffering in the aftermath of the earthquake to seek refuge elsewhere. But attempting to leave Haiti now will only bring more hardship to the Haitian people and nation. The international community has rallied to deliver relief to Haiti. Much has already arrived and much more is on its way. The Haitians are resilient and determined and their role in addressing this crisis in their homeland will be essential to Haiti’s future.

“It is important to note that TPS will apply only to those individuals who were in the United States as of January 12, 2010. Those who attempt to travel to the United States after January 12, 2010 will not be eligible for TPS and will be repatriated.

IMMIGRANTS:

I. Primary Identification – Each immigrant who applies for an original driver license or identification card must submit:

Valid Alien Registration receipt card, (Green card, Form I-551); or
I-551 stamp in passport or on I-94; or
Immigration Judges Order, with the customer’s A-number, granting asylum; or
I-797, with the customer’s A-number, stating the customer has been granted asylum; or
I-797 or another form from the Bureau of Citizenship and Immigration Services, with the customer’s A-number, stating the customer’s application for Refugee status is approved

II. Proof of Social Security Number

III. Proof of Residential Address

NON-IMMIGRANTS:

I. Primary Identification – Each non-immigrant who applies for an original driver license or identification card must submit:

Employment authorization card issued by the United States Department of Justice (Form I688B or I-766); or
Proof of nonimmigrant classification provided by United States Department of Justice (Form I-94, not expired, with required supporting attachment(s).

If in doubt regarding required documents, please bring all of your US BCIS documentation with you.). I-94s must be accompanied by a Passport. Certain classifications require additional documentation.

II. Proof of Social Security Number (if issued) Non-Immigrants who have never been issued a Social Security card are not required to obtain a letter from the Social Security Administration.

III. Proof of Residential Address

The necessity of comprehensive immigration reform stems from a long-neglected immigration system that has failed to keep up with our nation’s changing needs, resulting in breakdowns that have crippled our ability to regulate immigration adequately, protect our borders, reunite families, and foster economic opportunity.

The CIR ASAP bill includes many of the elements necessary to bring our immigration system in tune with the current social and economic demands of our nation including, family reunification, restoration of judicial discretion, a generous legalization program, sensible law enforcement, and creative, if untested, answers to future immigration flows.

“Our current immigration system fails to reflect the realities of 21st century America, and CIR ASAP begins to deal with these failings and sets us on a path towards enacting fair and humane immigration policies,” said Mary Giovagnoli, Director of the Immigration Policy Center. “We need to move forward, even in tough economic times, if we wish to ensure the future growth and prosperity of our nation. Introduction of this bill jump starts the New Year, providing a vehicle for other lawmakers to react to and build upon. We expect many more proposals in the Senate and House in the coming months and urge lawmakers to make this a fact-based debate with the goal of passing reform in 2010.”

“While the Gutierrez bill doesn’t have all the answers, it begins the dialogue in Congress,” said Ben Johnson, Executive Director of the American Immigration Council. “The bill reflects the political realities within the House of Representatives, and as such does not include some of the necessary reforms for ensuring economic prosperity which Gutierrez has long supported. It is clear that what makes good policy does not always make good politics. However, the bill makes a significant contribution to restoring due process and discretion to the immigration system, and serves as a starting point for bringing more voices to the table.”

• Serving as a point of contact to receive information relating to instances of suspected immigration fraud or abuse. The Fraud Program receives referrals regarding improper activity by aliens, practitioners, and immigration consultants from many sources, including the public. Referrals to the Fraud Program may be sent via e-mail to EOIR.Fraud.Program@usdoj.gov.
• Coordinating with federal and state law enforcement entities and disciplinary authorities to ensure that cases of fraud and abuse are appropriately investigated and prosecuted.
• Coordinating with EOIR’s Attorney Discipline Program in cases that call for the discipline of immigration attorneys and non-attorney practitioners who represent aliens before the immigration courts, the Board of Immigration Appeals, and the Department of Homeland Security.
• Conducting Fraud Program training for EOIR employees and providing guidance and resource materials regarding fraud and abuse issues on an ongoing basis.

During last year’s 2010 visa lottery process, 13.6 million visa lottery applications were received and there were 102,800 winners randomly chosen. Since not all winners submit an application and pursue visa issuance, the larger number ensures that all 50,000 visas will be issued and used. Immigrant visas under the 2010 visa lottery were issued to the following Caribbean countries: Guyana 41, Trinidad & Tobago 226, St. Lucia 19, Grenada 9, Suriname 10, Barbados 29, Antigua & Barbuda 9, St. Kitts & Nevis 6, and St. Vincent 9.
The visas are distributed among six geographic regions, with a greater number of visas going to regions with lower rates of immigration, and with no visas going to nationals of countries sending more than 50,000 immigrants to the United States over the period of the past five years. Within each region, no single country may receive more than seven percent of the available DVs in any one year.
The Department of State chooses the winners of the Diversity Visa Lottery program randomly through a computer-generated lottery drawing. Anyone selected under the Diversity Visa Lottery program will be notified directly by the U.S. Department of State through the mail. If the winner is granted permanent residency, s/he will be authorized to live and work in the United States along with their spouse and children under age 21.

There are four basic entry requirements for the Diversity Visa Lottery program.

Native of Eligible Country: Applicants must be a native of an eligible country. Natives from the following countries are not eligible to apply because they sent more than 50,000 immigrants to the United States during the past five (5) years: Brazil, Canada, China, Colombia, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Haiti, India, Jamaica, Mexico, Pakistan, Philippines, Peru, Poland, South Korea, United Kingdom, and Vietnam.
Education or Work Experience: Applicants must have either a high school education or its equivalent or two years of work experience within the past five years in an occupation requiring at least two years of training or experience to perform.
Photograph: Recent photographs of the applicant and his family must be submitted with their application. Note, a group or family photo will not be accepted. Since the application is submitted on-line, the digital photos are also required to be submitted on-line. Thereby, the photos can be produced by taking a new digital image or using a digital scanner to scan a submitted photograph. If a new digital image is submitted, it must be in JPEG format, have a maximum file size of 240KB, have a resolution of 600 pixels high by 600 pixels wide, and have color depth of 24-bit color. If a scan photo is submitted, it must be scanned at a resolution of 150 dpi, it must be in JPEG format, have a maximum file size of 240KB, have a resolution of 600 by 600 pixels, and have a color depth of 24-bit color. Note, this is the most cumbersome part of the process because if your photo does not meet these specific requirements, your application will not be accepted on-line.
Application: The Diversity Visa Lottery application is accessible only at www.dvlottery.state.gov and must be submitted on-line. Note, when your application and photo have been accepted on-line, a confirmation screen will appear and this should be printed for your records.

Q. What is deferred action?
A. Deferred action is an exercise of prosecutorial discretion not to pursue removal from the United States of a particular foreigner for a specific period. Deferred action is not intended to be a permanent remedy for this situation; rather it is a temporary discretionary solution. The grant of deferred action by USCIS does not confer or alter any immigration status. It does not affect any period of prior unlawful presence. The grant of deferred action does not convey or imply any waivers of inadmissibility that may exist, regardless of whether or not that inadmissibility is known to DHS at the time of the request for deferred action. Likewise, deferred action cannot be used to establish eligibility for any immigration benefit that requires maintenance of lawful status. Periods of time in deferred action do, however, qualify as periods of stay authorized by the Secretary for purposes of sections 212(a)(9)(B) and (C) of the Immigration and Nationality Act [INA]. Aliens with deferred action may apply for an Employment Authorization Document (EAD) if they can establish an economic necessity for employment.

Q. Who is covered under this program?
A. Surviving spouses (and their qualifying children), whose U.S. citizen spouses died before the second anniversary of marriage, who have not remarried since the death of the spouse, and are currently residing in the United States. Such surviving spouses are covered without restrictions on how long the U.S. citizen spouse has been deceased as long as the surviving spouse has not remarried.

Q. Who is not covered under this program?
A. This program does not cover surviving spouses or qualifying children of deceased U.S. citizens who are residing outside the United States or surviving spouses and children of a lawful permanent resident or other non-U.S. citizen. This program also does not cover surviving spouses or qualifying children of deceased U.S. citizens if the surviving spouse remarried at any time after the U.S. citizen’s death (regardless of whether or not the subsequent marriage has been terminated). The program does not cover any beneficiary who was legally separated from his or her U.S. citizen spouse at the time of the citizen’s death, or such beneficiary’s children.

Follow link to report: http://www.cardozo.yu.edu/uploadedFiles/Cardozo/Profiles/immigrationlaw-741/IJC_ICE-Home-Raid-Report%20Updated.pdf