Ting I Li & Associates – Practicing Immigration Law in New York
Visa, Green Card, and Citizenship
 Ting I Li is the principal attorney of Ting I Li & Associates, located in the Chinatown of New York City. Her practice has been concentrated on representing clients in a variety of complex immigration matters. As an experienced immigration attorney, she has represented numerous clients before immigration courts and federal immigration agencies across the United States. She received a MLS Degree from SUNY Buffalo in 1993, and a J.D. degree, magna cum laude, in 1997 from SUNY Buffalo Law School. Ms. Li is admitted to practice in New York and New Jersey. She is also a licensed Canadian immigration consultant and a fellow of the Canadian Migration Institute. She is a current member of the American Immigration Lawyers Association(AILA). H-1B: H-1B still available for employment beginning October 1, 2012 thru September 30, 2013; (Updated: 04/9/2012) - First Day to file the FY2013 Cap subject H-1B petition: April 2, 2012 - Last day of filing: As soon as the cap is reached - First day you can start working: October 1, 2012 As of April 9, 2012, approximately 17,400 H-1B cap-subject petitions had been filed toward the 65,000 cap limit, and approximately 8,200 petitions qualifying for the advanced degree (H-1B Masters) cap exemption had been filed toward the 20,000 cap limit. The remaining number is: Approximately 47,600 remaining for the regular H-1B cap Approximately 11,800 plus 47,600 remaining for graduates with U.S. Master's or higher degree The fiscal year cap (numerical limitation on H-1B petitions) for FY 2013 is 65,000. Additionally, the first 20,000 H-1B petitions filed on behalf of individuals who have earned a U.S. master’s degree or higher are exempt from the H-1B cap. For the latest information, please visit www.uscis.gov Green Card Lottery: The results of the 2013 Diversity Lottery should be available on or after May 1, 2012
The entry registration period for DV-2013 has ended. The results should be available on or after May 1, 2011 at http://www.dvlottery.state.gov. The next registration period for the green card lottery is expected to begin at www.dvlottery.state.gov in early October, 2012. For more information, visit the U.S. Department of State website. The online registration for annual Green Card Lottery begins in early October and ends in early November. EB-5 Regional Centers: Invest US$500,000 (approx. RMB 3.2 milion), and obtain green cards for you and your family USCIS administers the Immigrant Investor Program, also known as “EB-5,” created by Congress in 1990 to stimulate the U.S. economy through job creation and capital investment by foreign investors. Under a pilot immigration program first enacted in 1992 and regularly reauthorized since, certain EB-5 visas also are set aside for investors in Regional Centers designated by USCIS based on proposals for promoting economic growth. Through this program, you can obtain green cards for you and your family by investing $500,000 to an EB-5 regional center. In order to do so, you must be able to prove the money come from lawful source of funds. Below is a brief summary of the typical application process. (1) Decide which Regional Center to invest in. (2) You are required to deposits US$500,000 in an escrow account. (3) We assist you in filing your I-526 Petition to the USCIS. (4) If you are already in the US, we assist you in filing the adjustment application. If you reside out of the US, you will have a US Consulate interview in your country. (5) Upon approval, you and your family (spouse & unmarried minor children) will receive a 2 year conditional Green Card. (6) With conditional green cards, you and your family can live freely (work, study, travel, etc) in the United States for two (2) years. (7) During the 90 days period before two (2) years have passed, we assist you in filing an I-829 petition. Upon approval, you and your family will receive an unconditional permanent Green Card. For the latest information, visit the USCIS website. For questions and consultation, please schedule an appointment with us. (212-625-8998/info@tlilaw.com)
Becoming a U.S. Citizen: New Natulalization Test
Under current regulations, all citizenship applicants must take a naturalization test, regardless of when they filed their Application for Naturalization. The Test includes an English (reading, speaking and writing) section, as well as a civics (history and government) section. For details and links to study materials, visit www.uscis.gov |
 Ting I Li is a Regulated Canadian Immigration Consultant (Canada) with the Immigration Consultants of Canada Regulatory Council (ICCRC ID: R414303). As the CIC website states, the only representatives who may charge a fee to represent or advise you on immigration and refugee matters with the Government of Canada are:
US licensed immigration attorneys may not act as authorized representatives in Canadian immigration cases. However, as a licensed Canadian Immigration Consultant, Ting Li is fully authorized to represent you on immigration matters with the Government of Canada. -Federal Skilled Worker Program (All Provinces except Quebec) For the application under one of the 29 eligible occupations in 2011 - First Day to file: July 1, 2011 - Last day of filing: As soon as the cap is reached for each eligible occupation In case you do not have an offer of arranged employment in Canada, you may still be able to apply for a Canadian Skilled Worker Visa without a job offer or a sponsoring employer under certain circumstances. First, for your application to be eligible for processing, you must include the results of your official language proficiency test (e.g. IELTS). Second, you must have at least one year of full-time work experience within the last ten tears in an occupation appearing on the list of qualifying occupations. The full list of the qualifying occupations is available at the official CIC website. Note: If you are applying under one of the eligible occupations, as of June 26, 2010, a maximum of 20,000 Federal Skilled Worker applications will be considered for processing in the following 12 months. Within the 20,000 cap, a maximum of 1,000 Federal Skilled Worker applications per eligible occupation will be considered for processing each year. These limits do not apply to applications with an offer of arranged employment. Third, under the point system, you need a minimum of 67 points out of a possible 100 points on your assessment. For the self-assessment test, visit the Self-Assessment Test page of the official CIC website. Finally, you must be able to prove that you have enough money to support yourself and your dependants after you arrive in Canada. For example, an Architects with a Master’s Degree and three years of work experience, who scores high on an approved English or French test and has enough funds to support herself and her dependents, may apply to be a Canadian permanent resident in this category. The application may include your spouse (husband/wife) and your unmarried children under 22 years old. For more information, please schedule an appointment for a consultation with us (212-625-8998/info@tlilaw.com). |