LevKobrin
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 posted 5/5/2008 10:55:13 PM
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USCIS Modifies Application for Employment Authorization
April 24, 2008
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced today that it has revised Form I-765, Application for Employment Authorization. The form now includes additional eligibility codes.
These changes have been made in accordance with the Department of Homeland Security's recent interim final rule regarding Optional Practical Training (OPT), published on April 8, 2008 in the Federal Register. The rule modifies the conditions and duration of OPT for qualified F-1 non-immigrant students.
USCIS will accept the July 30, 2007 edition of the form through July 8, 2008. As of July 9, 2008, USCIS will only accept the revised Form I-765, dated April 8, 2008, and will reject all requests using previous editions of the form.
The main purpose of Form I-765 is to allow certain aliens in the United States to request employment authorization and an Employment Authorization Document (EAD).
DHS Announces Enhancements in Aviation Security & Travel Screening
April 28, 2008
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has announced improvements aimed at strengthening aviation security while decreasing the hassle factor for travelers. Among the key improvements, DHS is providing airlines more flexibility to allow passengers to check in remotely who have been unable to do so because they have a name similar to someone on a watch list. The department also unveiled the Checkpoint Evolution prototype, which will begin full operation at Baltimore-Washington International Airport (BWI) today. Each airline will now be able to create a system to verify and securely store a passenger’s date of birth to clear up watch list misidentifications. By voluntarily providing this limited biographical data to an airline and verifying that information once at the ticket counter, travelers that were previously inconvenienced on every trip will now be able to check-in online or at remote kiosks.
“Hassles due to misidentification and the resulting necessity to stand in line to check in at the ticket counter is consistently among the deepest – and most valid – complaints of the traveling public,” said Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff. “Thousands of passengers are inconvenienced each day, and this change should provide a way to eliminate the vast majority of these situations. This is good for travelers and for security, because as we make the checkpoint environment calmer, it becomes easier to spot individuals with hostile intent.”
Additionally, DHS is providing greater clarity on the types of identification that will be accepted at checkpoints in the U.S. Beginning May 26, 2008, federal or state-issued photo ID will be accepted if it contains: name, date of birth, gender, expiration date and a tamper-resistant feature. Standardizing the list of accepted documents better aligns TSA with other DHS components and REAL ID benchmarks. More information on acceptable documents is available at www.tsa.gov.
These innovations, along with the new Checkpoint Evolution prototype, are part of a broader effort to calm the checkpoint. The BWI prototype includes Millimeter Wave technology used in random continuous use, multi-view X-ray and liquid bottle scanners. These technologies, in conjunction with changes to the checkpoint environment and processes, will be evaluated for operational efficiency over the coming months.
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