University
of CaliforniaUniversity
of CaliforniaSteve's Selected Notes from Ag-Busnet -- August 2000
Contents:
Nicaraguan-Honduran Temporary Protected Status Extended
A California grower-representative asked:
Dear Steve:
Do any of your readers have any information on special immigration
status for Nicaraguan and Honduran nationals
allowing them to work in the US. What are the requirements
and time limits in this program?
Thanks. xxx
Although not an ag-busnet reader, Don Riding, INS Officer-In-Charge,
Fresno, confirmed "those people who came up here,
and fled the (Hurricane Mitch) storm damage (in 1998) are pretty much
being allowed to remain."
All Employment Authorization Documents (EADs) for Hondurans and Nicaraguans
with Temporary Protected Status (TPS)
were automatically extended from July 5, 2000 to December 5, 2000,
as announced in the June 9, 2000 Federal Register.
Employers seeking an "official" INS announcement of the extension should
go to the agency web site at:
http://www.ins.usdoj.gov/graphics/publicaffairs/newsrels/Settle.htm
The extension of the EAD validity period is automatic and only applies to EADs that:
As part of the Clinton Administration's efforts to assist countries
affected by Hurricane Mitch, on December 30, 1998, the
INS announced the Attorney General's designation of TPS for Honduras
and Nicaragua for a period of 18 months. Only
Hondurans and Nicaraguans who were in the U.S. by December 30, 1998
were eligible to apply. The TPS application
period ended August 20, 1999.
TPS does not automatically lead to permanent resident status.
Will the Attorney General extend the Honduran-Nicaraguan
TPS expiration date later this year? That will depend, in part,
on the current conditions in those countries. In 1999, the
Attorney General decided to terminate TPS that had been extended to
nationals of Liberia.
In the past couple of years, Temporary Protected Status has been granted
to nationals of a number of other countries,
including the former Yugoslavian republic of Bosnia, Somalia, and the
Caribbean island of Montserrat.
A West Sacramento, CA reader provides "the rest of the (Prop 65) story." Thank you!
"Steve,
There are two other issues which I did not see discussed in your earlier message regarding Prop. 65.
The Law requires notification to persons exposed to a listed chemical
beyond just the workplace. A recent example
of such environmental exposure involved suits filed by the Attorney
General against four grocery distribution
centers for their failure to warn residents in nearby neighborhoods
of the release of diesel exhaust. This concept
could certainly apply to chemical exposures to neighbors near intensive
agricultural operations. As Ag land is
converted to housing the potential for violations increases especially
in rapidly expanding population areas such as
southern Orange County.
Similarly, residue on farm products might be in violation of Proposition
65's very low limits. Remember the
threshold for developmental and reproductive toxicity is one thousands
times below the "no observable adverse
effects" level. And on the cancer side the level is "no significant
risk". This is said to mean an exposure level at
which it is anticipated there be no more than one additional cancer
out of 100,000 people if exposed daily over a 70
year lifetime. Recently the Attorney General has filed suit against
the manufacturers of automobile car keys. The
suit claims enough of the offending metal ( I believe in this case
it is lead in the alloy) rubs off of the defendant's
keys each day to cross the threshold. So you can see the numbers
are very small.
A second requirement of Proposition 65 is the prohibition of discharge
or release of a listed chemical to water or
land where the chemical will or probably will pass to a source of
drinking water. The defendant in such a suit has
the burden of proof to show that the discharge or release was in
conformity with all other laws and regulations and
will not cause any significant amount of the chemical to enter any
source of drinking water. While much of the focus
has been on the "Warning Requirements" of Proposition 65, "Discharge
Prohibition" cases are now being litigated.
Your newsletter is very useful, keep up the good work."
___________________________________________________________
National Agricultural Workers Survey ... "The U.S. Department
of Labor is the only national information source on the
demographics, and working and living conditions of U.S. farm workers."
Check http://www.dol.gov/dol/asp/public/programs/agworker/naws.htm
There's also a link to the Census of Agriculture
(1992) Total (Agricultural) Labor Bill -- available for every U.S.
county.
___________________________________________________________
Sexual Harassment Charges Filed with federal EEOC in California ...
Data on sexual harassment charges filed with
the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, by State are available
upon
request to the agency. In the two-year period
ending September 30, 1999, 1,063 cases were handled by the EEOC in
California. Why so "few" in number relative to
those handled by the California Department of Fair Employment and Housing?
Probably because a large majority (close to
80%) of California employers fall below the 15-employee threshold for
coverage under anti-discrimination provisions of
federal Title VII.
___________________________________________________________
California Minimum Wage Increase?... Proposal is at http://www.dir.ca.gov/iwc/MealsLodgingProposed.htm
Published monthly (March through September), with support of the Employment
Development Department, "Voice of the
Fields - California" provides information (English and
Spanish) for California farm workers. Free distribution is
now up to 60,000 copies. Editor is Javier Juarez.
Topics in 1999 included freeze assistance, income tax filing, citizenship
services, home buying assistance, housing programs,
unemployment insurance, minimum wage, INS policies, EDD outreach, deductions
for tools, One-Stop Career Centers,
legal rights, USDA's free (summer) lunch program for kids, and entry
into farming.
Although the main recipients of "La Voz del Campo" are likely
farm worker service agencies, California agricultural
employers or farm advisors are not precluded from subscribing.
Request a single-copy subscription, as an additional
information resource, or you can make a "bulk" subscription request
(minimum 25) for your agricultural employees (include
UPS delivery address).
As a sample, Yolanda Murillo has taken one English-Spanish article
(and subscription request information) from a recent
issue of "Voice of the Fields".
One-Stop Walk-In Service for Green Card Replacement
Effective June 20, 2000, the Immigration and Naturalization Service
(INS) is providing Green Card renewal applicants the
convenience of one-stop, walk-in service at local Application Support
Centers (ASC) in 21 cities throughout California
(please see list of cities and ASC locations at the end of this article).
Note: These new procedures apply to renewal applicants
with expiring or expired 10 year Green Cards. All other
applicants filing for a new Green Card must apply at their local
INS District or Sub-Office.
When renewal applicants come to the Application Support Center they
must bring: A completed Form I-90 (You may
request the form at 1-800-375-5283, 1-800-870-3676 or http://www.ins.usdoj.gov/graphics/formsfee/forms/index.htm
The INS has been issuing cards with 10-year expiration dates since 1989.
Between 500,000-600,000 residents will need
to renew their Green Cards each year. INS national average processing
time is currently about five months, with a goal to
reduce it to 90 days by the end of the year.
Most ASC’s are open Tuesday through Saturday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. (Try to arrive before 3:00 p.m.):
Servicio de Ventanilla Publica Univa Para Reemplazar Tarjetas Verdes
Si usted necesita reemplazar su tarjeta verde, el Servicio de Inmigración
y Naturalización le ofrece desde el 20 de Junio de
2000 la conveniencia de realizar todos los trámites sin cita
en sus 21 Centros de Apoyo de Solicitudes (Application Support
Centers ASC) en California. (Al final de esta nota encuentra
las direcciones de los 21 ASC).
Nota: Esta modalida se aplica solo a quienes tiene tarjetas
verdes que expiraron a los 10 años. Las demás
solicitudes de tarjetas nuevas deben tramitarse en las oficinas
de distrito o sub-distritales.
Cuando venga al Application Support Center a solicitar la renovación
de su tarjeta verde, por favor traiga:
La forma Form I-90 ya contestada. (Puede pedirla al 1-800-375-5283,
1-800-870-3676 o
http://www.ins.usdoj.gov/graphics/formsfee/forms/index.htm
Desde 1989 el INS ha otorgado Tarjetas Verdes de 10 años de validez.
Ahora, cada año entre 500,000 y 600,000
residentes necesitarán renovar dichas tarjetas. Actualmente
el trámite requiere cinco ineses. Para fines de año
el INS
espera reducir este tiempo a solo 90 días.
La mayoría de los ASC operan de martes a sábado de 8:00
a.m. a 4:00 p.m. (Trate de llegar antes de las 3:00 p.m.):
back to contents(93309) Bakersfield: 4701 Planz Rd., Suite A12
(90706) Bellflower: 17610 Bellflower Blvd., Suite A-110
(90620) Buena Park: 8381 La Palma Ave., Suite A
(92231) Calexico: 16 Heffernan Ave.
(93727) Fresno: 4893 E. Kings Canyon (MacFrugal's Shopping Center)
(90249) Gardena: 15715 Crenshaw Blvd., Room B-12
(90017) Los Angeles: 888 Wilshire Blvd. (Mon-Fri, 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.)
(95351) Modesto: 901 N. Carpenter Rd., Suite 14
(94612) Oakland: 2040 Telegraph Ave.
(93030) Oxnard: 250 W. Citrus Grove Lane, Suite 100
(91766) Pomona: 435 W. Mission Blvd., Suite 110
(92503) Riverside: 10082 Magnolia Ave.
(95816) Sacramento: 3401 Folsom Blvd., Suite B
(93906) Salinas: 1954 N. Main, Santa Rita Plaza
(92104) San Diego: 2509 El Cajon Blvd.
(94111) San Francisco: 250 Broadway
(92069) San Marcos: 102 727 W. San Marcos Blvd., Suite 101
(92701) Santa Ana: 1666 N. Main St., Suite 100-A
(93117) Santa Barbara: B Hollister Ave., Suite B 6831, (Goleta, CA)
(95403) Santa Rosa: 1401 Guerneville Rd., Suite 100
(91733) So. El Monte: 9251 Garvey Ave. SO., Golden Vista Plaza, Unit Q 9251
(91411) Van Nuys: 14515 Hamlin St., 2nd Floor, Suite 200
A reader wrote, in part ...
This Gempler's ALERT News Update, an update on "breaking" news of importance
to ag/hort employers, is provided as a
complimentary service to interested subscribers of Gempler's ALERT,
the newsletter of Ag/Hort safety and employment law
compliance.
FOOD PROCESSORS TO PAY $1 MILLION FOR SEXUAL HARASSMENT.
The two companies that operated a former food processing plant in Laurel,
Maryland will pay $1 million to 22 female
Hispanic workers who had alleged widespread sexual harassment by male
managers and co-workers over a period of years.
The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) had charged the
companies with subjecting the women, who
spoke limited English, to unwanted "groping" and requests for sexual
favors. The EEOC attorney who prosecuted the case
said the harassment was "pervasive and widespread because the employers
failed to implement policies or procedures that
had any reasonable likelihood of preventing such discriminatory conduct."
Barb Mulhern, Editor, Gempler's ALERT
For more information on Gempler's ALERT Newsletter, click here: http://www.gemplersalert.com
Sexual Harassment Posting and Information Requirements ... Request
federal EEOC posters "Equal Employment
Opportunity Is The Law" (in English and Spanish) on (800) 669-3362.
These posters are also available on audio cassettes.
California employers -- unless they distribute comparable information
to employees -- should download brochures
DFEH 185 and DFEH 185s (Spanish), revised 9/99, from http://www.dfeh.ca.gov/CDFEH_posters_&_brochures.htm(or
call 1-800-884-1684).
"Comparable" means the information to (California) employees contains
the following elements: (1) the illegality of
sexual harassment ; (2) the definition of sexual harassment under
state and federal law; (3) a description of sexual
harassment, using examples; (4) the internal complaint process of
the employer available to the employee; (5) legal
remedies and complaint process available through the DFEH and EEOC;
(6) directions on how to contact the
DFEH and EEOC; and (7) protection against retaliation for resisting
sexual harassment, filing a complaint with the
DFEH or EEOC, or otherwise participating in an investigation, proceeding,
or hearing, conducted by these
agencies.
This information sheet must be delivered in a way that ensures distribution
to employees, such as including the
information with an employee's pay. Compliance with these
requirements does not insulate an employer from
liability for sexual harassment of any former or current applicant
or employee.
The DFEH 162 and 162s (required) posters were also revised 9/99.
Harassment of independent contractors is now
prohibited, as is harassment or discrimination in employment because
of sexual orientation.
For a copy of "Sexual Harassment Information,
Investigation, and Compliance Guide," by Steve Sutter, (revised
August 2000), email a request to Yolanda Murillo
at ymurillo@ucdavis.edu. She'll email you a Word attachment.
The booklet includes a "Supervisor's Guide
-- Sexual Harassment Investigation" (with forms), English-Spanish
"Employee Warning Record Form," English-Spanish
"Model Policy Against Harassment," EEOC sexual
harassment regulations and examples, and several
important English-Spanish "rules" to share with foremen.
USDA's Al French notes:
New Ag Labor Publication: Summary of Federal Laws and Regulations Affecting Agricultural Employers, 2000. By Jack L. Runyan, Food and Rural Economics Division, Economic Research Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture. Agricultural Handbook No. 719. July 2000.
Hired labor's importance to U.S. farm production requires agricultural employers to understand Federal laws and regulations governing employment, taxes, wages, and working conditions. This single-source publication summarizes these laws and regulations.
This updated (63-page) version of a 1992 report contains expanded sections on agricultural employers' Federal safety requirements, migrant and seasonal farmworker provisions, and tax requirements for agricultural employers, as well as new sections on employer responsibilities under the Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993 and the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996.
View it online in Adobe Acrobat format at http://www.ers.usda.gov/epubs/pdf/ah719/
The DE 2515 SDI (State Disability Insurance) brochure, required to be
given to all new employees and (California)
employees leaving work due to non-occupational disability or pregnancy,
is on line (in English) at:
http://www.edd.ca.gov/de2515.pdf
The DE2515 brochure is available in Spanish. Contact Yolanda Murillo at ymurillo@ucdavis.edu
EDD's payroll tax seminars page has been revised, giving you more information
about the types of seminars provided and
allowing you to make reservations on line. Check it out athttp://www.edd.ca.gov/taxsem
For the latest information about the California Independent Contracting
Reporting program, go to
http://www.edd.ca.gov/txicr.htm
And, the "Size of Firm" data for the third quarter of 1999 are now available
on-line at
http://www.calmis.ca.gov/htmlfile/subject/indsize.htm
It's interesting to note that although the number of reporting units
(farming establishments with employees) has dipped by
about 500 over the last decade or so, the number of farm employees
and payroll has doubled over the same period for the
Fresno-Madera Metropolitan Statistical Area.
--A Tulare County (California) reader wrote:
The company I work for is a farm management company, with approx.
6,000 acres in our care. I recently received a
letter from a chemical vendor giving us a list of products listed
under Prop. 65. What do I, as HR Mngr, have to do
to comply; additional training, postings, etc.? Please let me know
as soon as possible. Thank you
Thanks Xxxxxx, for faxing the letter from one of, if not, the largest distributor of fertilizer and chemicals in the southern San Joaquin Valley. I commend the company for identifying (California) Prop(osition) 65 chemicals specific to their various products, and alerting all of us of our obligations under Prop 65. Here's my suggestions, and a few resources:
1. Presumably, you have 10 or more employees (the threshold for
Prop 65 coverage). So, I suggest you post (at
headquarters) the following poster (print size larger):
WARNING - DETECTABLE AMOUNTS OF CHEMICALS KNOWN TO THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA
TO
CAUSE CANCER, BIRTH DEFECTS, OR OTHER REPRODUCTIVE HARM MAY BE FOUND
IN AND
AROUND THIS FACILITY.
CANTIDADES PERCEPTIBLES DE PRODUCTOS QUIMICOS QUE EL ESTADO DE CALIFORNIA
SABE
PUEDEN LLEGAR A CAUSAR CANCER, DEFECTOS DE NACIMIENTO U OTROS DANOS
REPRODUCTIVOS PUEDEN HALLARSE EN ESTA INSTALACION O SUS ALREDEDORES
2. Approved "warnings" also include an approach based on compliance
with Cal/OSHA's Hazard Communication Standard
through MSDS notification (and safety training based on each MSDS).
I encourage employers to do both #1 and #2.
3. Download the Prop 65 list every 3 or 4 months (sorted both by CAS
number and alphabetically by name") from:
http://www.oehha.ca.gov/prop65.html(Hole-punch,
put in a binder, and present to the Company Safety Director).
4. Rich Coviello, Entomology Farm Advisor, Fresno County, pointed
me to a great site to collect (download) MSDSs (and
labels) -- for about every commercial pesticide under the sun.
Please bookmark: http://www.cdms.net/pfa/LUpdateMsg.asp
Click on "Labels and MSDS."
It was interesting (perhaps only to me) to note MSDS's for the fungicide
Ridomil Gold EC (manufacturer Novartis) says "not
applicable" under Proposition 65, while that for the fungicide Maneb
80 WP (Elf Atochem North America, Inc.) is a known
carcinogen under California Prop 65.
5. Put your complete chemical inventory on a spreadsheet, if possible,
no matter how short the interval before each item is
used up. (Include columns for CAS #, name, pesticide?, Prop 65?).
When you discover a Prop 65 chemical, run a
(light-colored) "magic marker" through that fact on the MSDS.
Point out in (documented) worker training.
6. For more Prop 65 background, visit: http://www.prop65news.com/
(Just the first sentence is an eye-opener.) Download
(and I suggest date stamp) items of interest to add to your "Prop 65
file" -- with the lists from #3 above.
Aside from #1 and #2 above, these are just suggestions.
An local industrial hygienist asked about medical evaluation for pesticide applicators who must wear respirators ...
California agricultural and nonagricultural employers (under Title 3
California Code of Regulations) are required to keep
written evidence on file that employees were informed of the requirement
of a physician's medical evaluation if they declare
such limitations as "high blood pressure, heart disease, lung disease,
or a perforated ear drum." Before an employee who
declares any of these limitations performs pesticide handling activities
requiring a respirator, a record of the physician's
evaluation must be on file.
Cal/EPA's Department of Pesticide Regulation (DPR) provides Pesticide
Safety Information Series (PSIS) leaflets, two of
which are A-5 "Respiratory Protection in Agricultural Settings." and
N-5 "Respiratory Protection in Non-Crop Settings."
These English and Spanish leaflets (revised September 20, 1998) provide
appendices that are sample "site-specific written
operating procedures for selection and use of respirators," "employee
statement of medical condition," and "(physician's)
report of medical evaluation."
The complete series is athttp://www.cdpr.ca.gov/docs/whs/psismenu.htm
Note the "N" series follow the "A" Series. These
leaflets are also available at county agricultural commissioners' offices.
Lawn and garden services and ornamental shrub and tree services (although
deemed a part of "agriculture" by Cal/OSHA)
should use the "N" series leaflets, according to a DPR official involved
in writing these leaflets.
Another DPR officer I spoke with said employers whose workers handle
pesticides can expect that Title 3 standards for
pesticide-related respiratory protection will be "upgraded shortly"
to "equivalency" with Cal/OSHA's Title 8 Section 5544.
Section 5544 (38 pages) is at http://www.dir.ca.gov/Title8/5144.html
Near the end of the Section 5544 is Appendix C -- a mandatory
(and extensive) questionnaire that potential
respirator-using employees must understand and complete for the employer.
A Yes answer to any one of eight (generally
multi-part) questions triggers a requirement that the employer provide
a medical examination for the employee by a physician
or other licensed health care professional -- before the employee conducts
activities requiring respirator use.
The DPR, I learned, is also in the process of crafting other new regulations related to drift.
Readers:
Here's a news item just in from Bill Brees.
(Source: Announcement made at the Social Security Administration’s
(SSA’s) National Payroll Conference
August 3, 2000 in Baltimore, Maryland.)
Questions from employers, payroll/tax filing agents, and industry groups
about these changes can be addressed to:
Bill Brees, Employer Services Liaison OfficerThe threshold for rejecting a magnetic media (tape/diskette) or electronically filed W-2 report will change to 95% when SSA
Social Security Administration, San Francisco Regional Office
(510) 970-8249 / fax 8101, e-mail Bill.Brees@SSA.gov
SSA believes it has achieved a major goal stress to the business
community that SSA’s mission is to post employee earnings
and pay benefits properly, and that accurate record keeping and reporting
is the employer’s job as well. Rejects have raised
awareness and voluntary compliance to the point where SSA is able to
shift the education process from rejects to improved
error report letters.
Filers whose report is rejected (95% to 100% mismatches) will still
be required to
1. check their software and record keeping for major errors, then
2. resubmit the report to SSA for processing, asking SSA to force the
report through if the employer confirmed the problem
isn’t from a record keeping or software error.
Reject letters will be improved, starting next year, to include counts
of
Error report letters after processing will now be sent to all employers
who had 10% or more mismatches. Currently these go
to employers with 10% to 50% mismatches. When the threshold changes,
the 50% to 95% group will start getting these. In
addition, employers whose report is rejected will now receive this
letter, but only after the report has been resubmitted and
processed by SSA. It’s these types of letters that will list
the first 500 mismatched SSNs to help employers pinpoint
problems in their record keeping, software programs, or other business
practices. In addition, if a listed worker is still
employed, the employer can advise the employee to contact SSA to clear
up the mismatch reason. Employers are also
reminded in the letter that any W-2 that shows a name and/or SSN we
can’t match to the worker’s lifetime earnings record
SSA maintains can result in serious financial loss to that employee,
and workers won’t receive credit for their wages until
mismatches are resolved, both in the past and the future. And
finally, employers are offered SSA’s free name/SSN
verification service.
In September 1999, the INS (by press release) reminded lawful permanent
residents who were issued a "Green Card"
(Form I-551 Alien Registration Receipt Card) with an expiration date
approximately 10 years ago that their card will be
expiring in the near future and they will need to renew it.
Lawful permanent residents with an expiring Green Card will not lose
their legal status in the U.S. -- their lawful permanent
resident status will not expire or change. However, they will
need to renew their expiring Green Card in order to maintain
acceptable evidence of their permanent resident status and avoid possible
difficulties in obtaining employment and re-entry
into the U.S. after "traveling abroad." Green Card renewal applicants
will receive temporary evidence of their lawful
permanent resident status when they go to their local INS office.
Green Card holders can apply up to 6 months prior to the expiration
date of the card. However, there is no need for
applicants to rush to apply for a new card too far in advance since
they will be issued temporary proof of their status when
they visit their local INS office. A temporary stamp will be placed
in the applicant's passport or -- for applicants without a
passport -- a temporary document with photograph will be issued. Temporary
proof of status will be valid for one year.
In the fall of 1989, INS began issuing Green Cards with 10-year expiration
dates indicated on the front of the card. INS
estimated that up to 660,000 lawful permanent residents would need
to renew their Green Cards by the end of 2000.
To renew their Green Card, applicants should complete a Form I-90 "Application
to Replace a Permanent Resident Card"
-- which they can obtain by calling INS' toll-free forms request line
1-800-870-3676 or by accessing the INS website at
www.ins.usdoj.gov
Generally, to obtain temporary evidence of their status when they go
to their local INS office, applicants should bring with
them their expiring Green Card and a passport if they have one.
If they do not have a passport, they should bring with them
one additional photograph (total of 2) so that a temporary document
(a stamped Form I-94 with photograph) can be created
and issued on-site.
NOTE: If an applicant presents an expired passport the INS will stamp
it; however, this documentation is not acceptable for
employment verification purposes. Applicants can present to employers
an unexpired stamped passport or Form I-94 with
photograph, or any of the other documents listed on the Form I-9 (Employment
Eligibility Verification Form). Accordingly,
applicants who require temporary documentation for employment purposes
should inform the INS officer of this fact when
they come to the local INS office.
Along with their application, applicants should submit a $110 filing
fee, two photographs (as specified in the Form I-90
instructions), and their expiring Green Card. Some Q & A
from INS follows.
Q. What should I do if my Green Card has
already expired? Will the INS penalize me for renewing my card after it
expired?
A. If your Green Card has already expired, you should
apply to renew your card as soon as possible. INS will not
penalize you for renewing your card after it has expired.
Q. What if my temporary proof of status expires before I receive my new Green Card?
A. If your temporary proof of status expires before
you receive your new Green Card, you should return to your local INS
office to update your documentation.
Q. What will happen if I present an expired
Green Card when I try to reenter the United States after traveling
abroad or when I obtain a new job.
A. Re-entry into the United States from abroad:
To the extent possible, apply for your new Green Card before you travel
and bring with you on any trip the temporary documentation you receive
at the time of filing to renew your Green Card. If
after traveling abroad you try to re-enter the United States with an
expired Green Card, you may experience a delay during
the inspection process at the port-of-entry. Obtaining employment:
While employers will not accept an expired Green Card
to verify employment authorization for new hires, you may use other
documents listed on the Form I-9 (Employment
Eligibility Verification Form), or the temporary documentation you
receive at the time of filing to renew your Green Card
other than a stamp placed in an expired passport.
Q. What if I cannot afford the application fee.?
A. If you cannot afford the fee you may request a fee waiver according to standard procedures.
Q. Why does INS put 10-year expiration dates on Green Cards?
A. INS began implementing 10-year expiration dates
on Green Cards in 1989 to allow the agency to update photo
identification and implement new card technologies that will increase
the card’s resistance to counterfeiting and tampering.
Q. What should I do if I’ve already applied
for naturalization and my card is expiring? Do I still need to renew my
Green Card and pay the $110 renewal application fee?
A. INS is exploring alternatives under which you
can defer applying for a new Green Card if you have applied for
naturalization more than six months prior to your card’s expiration.
Until these changes are in place, you need not apply to
renew your Green Card. In the meantime, if you are in the process of
obtaining new employment you may use other
documents listed on Form I-9 for employment authorization purposes.
If you need a new Green Card for employment, you
should apply and pay the $110 filing fee to renew your Green Card.
Q. What if I applied for naturalization
less than 6 months before my card expires, or I choose to apply for
naturalization instead of applying to renew my Green Card?
A. You will still need to apply and pay the $110
filing fee to renew your expiring Green Card and ensure that you have
evidence of your legal status.
Spanish translation is by Myriam Grajales-Hall at the University of California at Riverside.
En septiembre de 1999, el Servicio de Inmigración y Naturalización
(INS) publicó un boletín de prensa recordando a los
residentes permanentes legales cuya tarjeta de residente (Green
Card) había sido expedida hacía aproximadamente diez
años que la tarjeta se vencería pronto y había
que renovarla.
Los residentes permanentes legales que poseen tarjetas que se vencerán
pronto no perderán su estatus legal en los Estados
Unidos; éste ni cambiará ni se vencerá. Sin embargo,
tendrán que renovar su tarjeta para tener un comprobante legal
aceptable de que son residentes legales permanentes y evitar así
posibles problemas al buscar empleo o regresar a EE.UU.
después de haber viajado al exterior. Al presentarse a la oficina
local del INS a solicitar la renovación de su tarjeta, recibirán
un comprobante temporal de su residencia legal permanente.
La solicitud de renovación se puede pedir hasta seis meses antes
de la fecha de vencimiento de la tarjeta de residente. Sin
embargo, no hay necesidad de apresurarse a solicitar la tarjeta nueva
con mucha anticipación ya que los solicitantes recibirán
un comprobante temporal de su estado legal cuando visiten la oficina
local del INS. Le colocarán un sello temporal en su
pasaporte y si no tiene pasaporte, les darán un documento temporal
que incluirá su fotografía. Cualquiera de estos dos
comprobantes será válido por un año.
El INS expidió por primera vez tarjetas de residente con vigencia
de diez años en el otoño de 1989, como lo indica la fecha
al frente de las tarjetas. El INS estima que aproximadamente 660,000
residentes permanentes legales tendrán que renovar
su tarjeta antes de finalizar el año en curso.
Los solicitantes deben llenar el formulario I-90 (Application to
Replace a Permanent Resident Card) que pueden obtener
llamando gratis al 1-800-870-3676 ó a través de la página
del INS en la Internet, www.ins.usdoj.gov
Cuando se presenten a la oficina local del INS, los solicitantes deben
llevar consigo la tarjeta de residente que va a caducar
y el pasaporte, si lo tienen. De no tener uno, necesitan llevar una
fotografía adicional (2 en total) para que se les pueda
preparar y entregar un documento temporal (un formulario I-94 con sello
y fotografía) allí mismo.
NOTA: Si el solicitante presenta un pasaporte vencido, el funcionario
del INS le colocará un sello; sin embargo, este
documento no es aceptable para fines relacionados con empleo. Al solicitar
empleo, el solicitante puede mostrar al
empleador un pasaporte sellado vigente o el formulario I-94 con su
fotografía, o cualquier de los documento enumerados en
el formulario I-9. (Employment Elegibility Verification Form).
Quienes requieran documentos temporales para conseguir
empleo deben informar sobre esto al funcionario que les atienda en
la oficina local del INS.
Los solicitantes necesitan presentar, junto con su solicitud, dos fotografías,
como se indica en las instrucciones del formulario
I-90, la tarjeta de residente que se vence y pagar una cuota de $110.
A continuación ofrecemos algunas preguntas y respuestas relacionadas con este tema.
P. ¿Qué debo hacer si ya
se venció mi tarjeta de residente? ¿Me sancionará
el INS por haber renovado mi tarjeta
después de que ya se había vencido?
R. Si su tarjeta de residente ya se venció,
debe solicitar su renovación lo antes possible. El INS no le aplicará
una multa o
sanción por renovar su tarjeta después de vencida.
P. ¿Qué pasa si mi comprobante
temporal de residencia se vence antes de que reciba mi tarjeta de residente
nueva?
R. Si su comprobante temporal de residencia se vence
antes de que reciba su tarjeta de residente nueva, debe regresar a
la oficina local del INS para poner al día sus documentos.
P. ¿Qué puede suceder si
presento una tarjeta de residente vencida al tratar de volver a entrar
a los EE.UU.
después de viajar al exterior o de obtener un empleo nuevo?
R. Para volver a entrar a EE.UU. después de viajar
fuera del país: Trate de solicitar su tarjeta de residente nueva
antes de salir de viaje y, al viajar, lleve consigo la documentación
temporal que reciba al solicitar la tarjeta nueva. Si después
de viajar al exterior trata de volver a entrar a los EE.UU. con una
tarjeta de residente vencida, es probable que sufra un
retraso durante el proceso de inspección en el puerto de entrada.
R. Para obtener empleo: Un empleador no aceptará
una tarjeta de residente vencida como comprobante de permiso
para trabajar, pero usted puede presentar otros documentos que se enumeran
en el formulario I-9 (Employment Elegibility
Verification Form) o los documentos temporales que reciba al solicitar
la renovación de su tarjeta de residente, a
excepción del sello en un pasaporte vencido.
P. Y, ¿si no puedo pagar la cuota de solicitud?
R. Si no puede pagar la suma, puede pedir que el
INS no le exija la cuota (fee waiver) según los procedimientos de
uso
corriente.
P. ¿Por qué otorga el INS tarjetas de residente que se vencen a los diez años?
R. En 1989 el INS estableció una vigencia
de diez años para las tarjetas de residente con el fin de poder
actualizar las
fotografías de identificación y usar nuevas tecnologías
que dificulten la falsificación y modificación de las tarjetas.
P. ¿Qué debo hacer si ya
solicité mi naturalización y mi tarjeta de residente se va
a vencer? ¿Tengo que renovar
mi tarjeta y pagar la cuota de $110 para solicitar la renovación?
R. El INS está examinando alternativas para
que usted no tenga que solicitar una tarjeta de residente nueva si solicitó
la
naturalización más de seis meses antes del vencimiento
de su tarjeta. Hasta que se implementen estos cambios, usted no
tiene que solicitar la renovación de su tarjeta de residente.
Mientras tanto, si está buscando empleo, puede usar otro de los
documentos enumerados en el formulario I-9 para comprobar que está
autorizado a trabajar en el país. Si necesita una
tarjeta de residente para comprobarlo, debe entonces solicitar la renovación
y pagar la cuota de $110.
P. ¿Qué puede ocurrir si
solicité la naturalización menos de seis meses antes del
vencimiento de mi tarjeta de
residente o si decido solicitarla en vez de renovar mi tarjeta de
residente?
R. De cualquier manera tendrá que solicitar
la renovación de su tarjeta de residente y pagar la cuota de $110
para
asegurarse de tener un comprobante de su residencia legal.
Para facilitar el proceso de renovación, a partir del 20 de junio
del año en curso, el INS abrió centros de solicitud locales
(Application Support Centers, ASC) en todo el país. El
solicitante de renovación de tarjeta de residente puede acudir a
uno de estos centros para renovar fácilmente su tarjeta de residente.
Para obtener una lista de los centros en cada estado, visite la página:
http://www.ins.usdoj.gov/graphics/formsfee/finger/asc.htm
Generalmente estos centros están abiertos de martes a sábado,
de 8 a.m. a 4 p.m.
A continuación incluímos las direcciones de los centros
en California:
El formulario I-90 (Application to Replace Permanent Resident Card) se puede obtener enBakersfield: 4701 Planz Rd., Suite A12
Bellflower: 17610 Bellflower Blvd., Suite A-110
Buena Park: 8381 La Palma Ave., Suite A
Calexico: 16 Heffernan Ave.
Fresno: 4893 E. Kings Canyon (McFrugal's Shopping Center)
Gardena: 15715 Crenshaw Blvd., Room B-12
Los Angeles: 888 Wilshire Blvd. (Mon-Fri, 8:00 am to 4 pm)
Modesto: 901 N. Carpenter Rd., Suite 14
Oakland: 2040 Telegraph Ave.
Oxnard: 250 W. Citrus Grove Lane, Suite 100
Pomona: 435 W. Mission Blvd., Suite 110
Riverside: 10082 Magnolia Ave.
Sacramento: 3401 Folsom Blvd., Suite B
Salinas: 1954 N. Main, Santa Rita Plaza
San Diego: 2509 El Cajon Blvd.
San Francisco: 250 Broadway
San Marcos: 102 727 W. San Marcos Blvd., Suite 101
Santa Ana: 1666 N. Main St., Suite 100-A
Santa Barbara: B Hollister Ave., Suite B 6831, (Goleta, CA)
Santa Rosa: 1401 Guerneville Rd., Suite 100
So. El Monte: 9251 Garvey Ave. SO., Golden Vista Plaza, Unit Q 9251
Van Nuys: 14515 Hamlin St., 2nd Floor, Suite 200
En el centro de Fresno, el recepcionista, después de preguntarme
si había traído mi tarjeta de residente, me explicó
que si el
solicitante tiene toda la información en orden, el INS colocará
una etiqueta en la tarjeta de residente vencida o que se va a
vencer, indicando así que su validez ha sido prolongada por
un año. La etiqueta tendrá dos agujeros sobre el año
y mes que
corresponden a la fecha hasta la cual tendrá validez. El solicitante
podrá usar esta tarjeta como comprobante temporal de su
estatus legal en el país. Según el INS, el solicitante
recibirá su nueva tarjeta de residente en un plazo de 3 a 5 meses.