Month: June 2013

U.S. Customs and Border Protection has published a final rule to extend
the border zone up to 55 miles for Border Crossing Card (BCC) holders
who are crossing from Mexico to New Mexico. This change will allow
individuals with BCCs entering the U.S. by land to travel to Deming and
Las Cruces, New Mexico, which, the CBP hopes, will stimulate commerce,
trade and tourism in that region.

“Increasing the border zone in New Mexico will allow CBP to better
allocate its resources by reducing unnecessary paperwork burdens
associated with the Form I-94 process for both travelers and CBP
officers,” said Thomas S. Winkowski, CBP Acting Commissioner.

Current regulations state that nonimmigrant Mexican nationals who
present BCCs are not required to complete a Form I-94 if they stay
within 25 miles of the border. This new law will extend that area up to
55 miles in New Mexico.

On May 31, 2013, USCIS provided an update of the amount of cap-subject
H-2B visas received and approved by the federal agency for the first and
second halves of Fiscal Year 2013. According to USCIS, a total of
22,393 beneficiaries have been approved for the second half of Fiscal
Year 2013, with an additional 2,314 petitions pending. A total of 43,089
beneficiaries were approved for the first half of Fiscal Year 2013 with
an additional 174 petitions pending.

Congressionally-based legislation limits the amount of H-2B visas
provided per fiscal year to a total of 66,000, with 33,000 allocated for
employment for the first half of the fiscal year and 33,000 allocated
for employment for the second half of the fiscal year. Unused numbers
from the first half of the fiscal year are made available for use by
employers seeking H-2B workers during the second half of the year. These
numbers do not, however, carry over from one fiscal year to another.