August/September 2006

Anwaltszwang vor europäischen Gerichten - EUGH

Das Europäische Gericht 1. Instanz hat am 5. Juli 2006 die Klage einer spanischen Gemeinde als unzulässig zurückgewiesen, weil sich diese nicht von einem unabhängigen Anwalt, sondern von einem bei ihr angestellten Juristen vertreten ließ. Das Gericht stellte fest, dass Artikel 19 Absatz 3 des Statuts des Europäischen Gerichtshofs (das über Artikel 53 auch für das Gericht 1. Instanz gilt), ausdrücklich einen "Anwalt" als Prozessvertreter vor den Gerichten der Union fordert. Voraussetzung dafür sei erstens, dass der Prozessvertreter bei einer Anwaltskammer seines Heimatstaates zugelassen sei und zweitens, dass es ihm gestattet sei, vor einem Gericht des Heimatstaates aufzutreten. Die Vertretung durch einen so definierten Anwalt sei erforderlich, weil die Prozessvertreter nicht nur die Interessen ihrer Mandanten vertreten müssten, sondern gleichzeitig als unabhängiges Organ der Rechtspflege berufen seien. Ausnahmen seien nur für so genannte privilegierte Parteien vorgesehen, d.h. für Mitgliedstaaten sowie für Institutionen der EU.

State Department Issues October 2006 Visa Bulletin

DOS warns in its October 2006 Visa Bulletin that DV visa numbers could be exhausted prior to September 30. Visas for immigrants in the DV category are available to qualified DV-2007 applicants with DV regional lottery rank numbers below the following allocation cut-off numbers: Africa: 5,700 (except Egypt: 3,100, Ethiopia: 3,500, and Nigeria: 2,700); Asia: 1,550; Europe: 3,450; North America: 4; Oceania: 150; South America and the Caribbean: 225. The Bulletin also provides advance notification of the DV immigrant category rank cut-offs that will apply in November. They are as follows: Africa: 8,500 (except Egypt : 5,600, Ethiopia : 5,600, and Nigeria : 4,300); Asia: 2,600; Europe: 5,700; North America: 6; Oceania: 280; South America and the Caribbean : 350.

Employment 2nd visas for India are now available to applicants with a priority date earlier than June 15, 2002. Employment Other Workers visas are now available for all chargeability areas for applicants with a priority date earlier than January 1, 2001. The October Visa Bulletin is available on HERE.

AAO Addresses H-1B Cap Exemption for Public School

On September 8, 2006, the AAO issued a decision regarding exemption from the H-1B cap for a Texas public school, as well as whether the position is a specialty occupation and whether the teacher holds the requisite degree. Deferring to USCIS' interpretation of the AC21 exemption to the H-1B cap, the Office found that the District Director's decision to apply the definition of a related or affiliated nonprofit entity found in 8 C.F.R section 214.2(h)(19)(iii)(B), which defines the term for purposes of the H-1B fee exemption as a nonprofit entity that is "connected or associated with an institution of higher education, through shared ownership or control by the same board or federation . . . or attached as a member, branch, cooperative or subsidiary", was reasonable. The decision can be found HERE.

DOS Announces Diversity Lottery Visa Results (DV-2007)

The Kentucky Consular Center (KCC) in Williamsburg, Kentucky has registered and notified the winners of the DV-2007 diversity lottery.  The diversity lottery makes available 50,000 permanent resident visas annually (not including the 5,000 visas set aside for the NACARA program) to persons from countries with low rates of immigration to the U.S.  The results of the lottery by geographic region are published in a July 18, 2006 press release, available on AILA Infonet at document #06071862: http://www.state.gov/r/pa/prs/ps/2006/69146.htm    Approximately 82,000 applicants have been registered and notified and may now apply for an immigrant visa. Those selected will need to act on their immigrant visa applications quickly.  Registrants outside the U.S. who wish to apply should follow the instructions in their notification letter.  Registrants living legally in the U.S. who wish to apply for adjustment of their status must do so with USCIS.  Once the total 50,000 visa numbers have been used, the program for fiscal year 2007 will end.  Selected applicants who do not receive visas by September 30, 2007 will derive no further benefit from their DV-2007 registration.  Similarly, spouses and children accompanying or following to join DV-2007 principal applicants are only entitled to derivative diversity visa status until September 30, 2007.

Only participants in the DV-2007 program who were selected for further processing have been notified.  Those who have not received notification were not selected but remain eligible to apply for the upcoming DV-2008 lottery.  The dates for the registration period for the DV-2008 lottery program will be widely publicized during August 2006.  Applicants are selected at random from over 5.5 million qualified entries received during the 60-day application period.  The visas are apportioned among six geographic regions with a maximum of seven percent available to persons born in any single country.