Below is a follow-up to Amadou Scattred Janneh's posting. This is additional information for interested parties. Check it out and share with those that do not have access to Gambia-L or the Net. This is a lifetime opportunity for some! Good Luck! _______________________________________________________________________________ On December 15, 2000, Congress passed and sent to the President a number of immigration amendments. We have posted a list of these amendments at http://shusterman.com/budget00.html and a draft summary prepared by the American Immigration Lawyers Association at http://shusterman.com/life00.html Although the changes fell far short of what immigration advocates had sought, some of the changes were significant: "V" visa for certain spouses and children of permanent residents; expanded "K" visa to include not only fiancées, but spouses of U.S. citizens; relief for late amnesty filers and their families, and a four-month extension of section 245(i). Because the extension of section 245(i) expires next April 30, this amendment is the most time-sensitive of all the changes to the law. We have prepared a detailed "Section 245(i) FAQ" at http://shusterman.com/245i-faq.html which answers most of the commonly-asked questions concerning the reauthorization of section 245(i). In general, persons who have labor certifications and/or visa petitions filed on their behalf by April 30, 2001 will be able to adjust their status to permanent residence despite) entering the U.S. without inspection; (2) accepting employment without authorization; and (3) failing to maintain valid nonimmigrant status. Of course, qualifying under section 245(i) does not immunize a person from deportation, or waive the grounds of admissibility. Still, the extension of this provision has the potential to help hundreds of thousands of persons to become permanent residents. We have also recorded an audio about the impact of the extension of section 245(i) at http://shusterman.com/audio/245i.ram Finally, together with About.com, we will conduct a free online chat regarding section 245(i) this coming Friday, December 22 at 6pm (Pacific Time), 9pm (Eastern Time). Please join us, and bring your questions. In order to benefit from this brief extension, it is necessary to master the complexities of the new law, and then to move quickly! Carl Shusterman December 17, 2000 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- To unsubscribe/subscribe or view archives of postings, go to the Gambia-L Web interface at: http://maelstrom.stjohns.edu/archives/gambia-l.html You may also send subscription requests to [log in to unmask] if you have problems accessing the web interface and remember to write your full name and e-mail address. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------