HLG Blog: Retrogression Battle Continues
Read about HLG’s ongoing effort to work on Congress to have a Schedule A visa bill passed that ends retrogression. This month’s Blog entries include: updates on our progress, the Visa Gate debacle, an FAQ for filing green cards, and many other entries. Are you checking it regularly?
http://hammondlawgroup.blogspot.com/

Manila NCLEX Testing to Begin
NCLEX has confirmed that their long-promised Manila testing center is set to open at the International Pearson Professional Center on Aug. 23, 2007. Scheduling for examination appointments began on July 13, 2007.
https://www.ncsbn.org/1282.htm

ILW: The Nurse Immigration Book
ILW.com has just produced its latest in “The Book” series. The Nurse Immigration Book is a comprehensive look at immigration for nurses. It features articles by HLG’s Mike Hammond, Chris Musillo, and by many other leading healthcare immigration lawyers.
http://www.ilw.com/store/NurseImmigration.shtm

DHS/CIS Confirm: 485's Accepted, No Fee Increase Until August 17
The DHS and DOS have confirmed that I-485, Applications for Adjustment of Status, will be accepted until August 17. Attendant documents, such as EAD’s (Employment Authorization Documents) and AP’s (Advance Parole travel authorization), will also be accepted until that date. The CIS is also suspending the forthcoming filing fee increase until August 17 for I-485s, EAD’s, and AP’s. Filing fees for all other cases will go into effect on July 30.
http://www.hammondlawfirm.com/alerts/485s_accepted_no_fee_increase.htm

USCIS Suspends Premium Processing of I-140's
Starting July 2, USCIS no longer allows petitioners to file their I-140's under the premium processing program. While originally expected to be a temporary measure, the prohibition has been indefinitely extended. http://www.aila.org/content/default.aspx?docid=22772

USCIS Filing Fee Increase
On July 30, the USCIS implemented a new fee structure. The goal is to reduce processing times by the end of fiscal year 2009.
Filing Fee Increase Link

Michigan Changes Foreign Nurse Licensing Rules
Internationally-educated nurses who wish to practice in the state of Michigan should be advised that the Michigan Board of Nursing (BON) has adopted new regulations for international nurses. The new regulations are effective June 14, 2007. The CGFNS Certification Program Certificate (CP) is no longer the requirement for initial licensure for internationally-educated Registered Nurses (RN’s) in Michigan. Michigan now requires the CGFNS Credentials Evaluation Service (CES) Full Education Course-by-Course Report for internationally educated RN’s and licensed practical nurses (LPN’s) applying for licensure, who have not been licensed in another US jurisdiction for at least 5 years.
http://www.cgfns.org/files/pdf/docs/News_Release_7_25_07.pdf

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