New Saturday Hours for USCIS National Customer Service Center

Beginning Jan. 12, 2013, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) National Customer Service Center (NCSC) will expand its live, toll-free telephone assistance service to include Saturday hours.  Customer service representatives at the USCIS NCSC will now take calls Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., and Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., local time.

Customers will be able to call the USCIS toll-free number on Saturdays to receive nationwide assistance for immigration services and benefits offered by USCIS.  Our customer service representatives can answer routine questions on a wide variety of topics related to immigration services and benefits, including ordering forms, processing times, and information on local offices and civil surgeons.  For individuals seeking answers to more complex issues regarding their case, USCIS recommends calling the NCSC Monday through Friday for access to Immigration Services Officers.  Individuals calling the NCSC can access information through a menu of automated options 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

Contact the USCIS national toll-free customer service line by dialing 1-800-375-5283.

San Francisco Marriage Broker Who Arranged Fake Marriages Between Chinese Citizens And American Citizens For Immigration Benefits Sentenced To 19 Months Prison

Marriage Broker Sentenced To 19 Months Prison

San Francisco, CA
August 18, 2009

United States Department of Justice
United States Attorney Joseph P. Russoniello
Northern District of California

Federal Investigation Targeted San Francisco Broker Who Arranged Fake Marriages Between Chinese Citizens And American Citizens For Immigration Benefits

Kwan Tsoi also known as Joyce Cai was sentenced today to 19 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release, and ordered to forfeit $250,000 in proceeds for arranging fake marriages for immigration benefits, United States Attorney Joseph P. Russoniello, Diplomatic Security Service Special Agent in Charge Patrick Durkin, and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Special Agent in Charge Mark Wollman, announced.

According to court records and proceedings, Tsoi admitted that she was the leader of a conspiracy that between February 2007 and February 2008 arranged sham marriages between non-U.S. and U.S. citizens. Tsoi advertised in Chinese-language newspapers and charged approximately $30,000 to broker each marriage. Tsoi admitted as part of her guilty plea that she brokered nine marriages.

Tsoi also admitted that she submitted or aided in the submission of Spousal Petitions to the Citizenship and Immigration Services agency, requesting that the Chinese citizens be issued “Green Cards” based on the fake marriages to the American citizens. In pleading guilty, Tsoi admitted that these nine marriages were fake and were performed to take advantage of immigration laws granting almost immediate “Green Cards” to foreign spouses who marry American citizens. Tsoi brokered these marriages in the Tenderloin neighborhood of San Francisco, where federal search warrants were served on her business in June 2008.

Tsoi pleaded guilty in April to one count of Conspiracy, a violation of 18 U.S.C. § 371, six counts of Marriage Fraud, violations of 8 U.S.C. § 1325(c), and five counts of False Statements on Immigration Documents, violations of 18 U.S.C. § 1546(a).

Tsoi was ordered by United States District Court Judge William H. Alsup to surrender for service of her prison sentence on Sept. 30.

“We take all violations of U.S. immigration laws seriously, but are especially aggressive in identifying and prosecuting those involved in marriage frauds and related scams,” U.S. Attorney Joseph P. Russoniello said. “People who attempt to profit from these ruses will be brought to justice. Those who knowingly avail themselves of these ploys will be caught and deported."

“The investigation is yet another example of the Diplomatic Security Service's vigilance in combating visa and passport fraud. We investigate multi-defendant criminal enterprises that broker in false visas, false immigration forms, and other false documents, to keep imposters and criminals out of the country,” Special Agent In Charge Patrick Durkin of the Diplomatic Security Service, San Francisco Field Office stated.

“Marriage fraud and other forms of immigration benefit fraud undermine the integrity of our nation's legal immigration system and potentially rob deserving immigrants of benefits they rightfully deserve,” said Special Agent In Charge Wollman of the ICE Office of Investigations in San Francisco. “This sentence should send a clear message that ICE is working aggressively to target those who conspire to corrupt our nation's proud immigration tradition for the sole purpose of enriching themselves.”

Also charged in this investigation were Henry Navarro and Kelly Ecker.

Navarro pleaded guilty to one felony count of the Conspiracy for his role in being an official and recorded witness to one fake marriage. Navarro is scheduled to be sentenced by Judge Alsup on September 29, 2009.

Ecker pleaded guilty to one related misdemeanor count of the Conspiracy for her role in marrying a Chinese citizen for a fee of $17,000. On July 7, 2009, Ecker was sentenced to two years probation and was ordered to give a public speech to deter others from participating in fake marriages.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Nat Cousins and Allison Danner prosecuted the case, with the assistant of Rosario Calderon. The prosecution is the result of a two-year investigation by Diplomatic Security Service and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

6 South Florida residents indicted for immigration benefit fraud Mastermind of scheme claimed to be an immigration consultant and attorney

November 04, 2009
6 South Florida residents indicted for immigration benefit fraud
Mastermind of scheme claimed to be an immigration consultant and attorney

MIAMI - Six South Florida residents were indicted on charges of conspiracy to induce and encourage aliens to remain in the United States and making false statements in applications for immigration benefits following an investigation by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).

The filing of false applications to obtain immigration benefits for individuals that are not authorized to be present in the United States puts the security of our communities at risk," said Anthony Mangione, ICE special agent in charge of ICE's Office of Investigations in Miami. "Immigration benefits like these could be exploited by dangerous criminals to obscure their identities and cover their tracks. ICE will continue to aggressively pursue and criminally charge individuals who would exploit immigrant communities for their own self interests."

Indicted on federal charges on Oct. 29, were Victor Abreu, 45, of Sunny Isles; Pablo Roldan, 38, and Adriana Segundo-Zaldivar, 42, both of Hollywood; Sergio Alfaro, 45, and America Sophia George, 42, both of Miami; and Karina Vazquez, 37, formerly of Hallandale Beach. The six defendants were charged with conspiracy, false statements, and inducing and encouraging aliens to remain in the United States. If convicted, they each face a maximum statutory penalty of 10 years in prison.

On Monday, Nov. 2, ICE special agents arrested five of the six defendants; defendant Karina Vazquez remains a fugitive. The five arrested made their initial appearances Tuesday in federal court in Miami before U.S. Magistrate Judge John O'Sullivan. Detention hearings have been scheduled for Thursday, Nov. 5 at 10:00 a.m.

In May 2007, ICE special agents in Fort Lauderdale began an investigation of Victor Abreu of Abreu & Associates, based on allegations that he was involved in immigration benefit fraud. Abreu and his employees were allegedly preparing false boilerplate immigration applications for illegal immigrants, including applications for employment authorization and employment visas.

According to the indictment, the defendants engaged in a scheme through which they solicited payments from illegal immigrants by falsely promising to assist them with immigration matters. The defendants would then prepare applications for the illegal immigrants, knowing that the immigrants were not entitled to the benefits sought. The scheme involved the preparation of benefit applications for at least 300 individuals from Argentina, Chile, the Dominican Republic, Honduras, Venezuela, and Mexico, among other countries. After receiving payments, Abreu and his co-defendants prepared the false immigration documents. To execute the scheme, Abreu falsely purported to be an immigration attorney and consultant. As a result of the scheme, some of the illegal immigrants obtained legitimate work authorization cards and driver's licenses to which they were not lawfully entitled.

Acting U. S. Attorney Jeffrey H. Sloman said, "Fraudulent schemes, like the one charged in this case, undermine the legal immigration process and can threaten our national security. The U.S. Attorney's Office will continue to enforce the immigration laws."

Pablo Roldan of Argentina, Adriana Segundo-Zaldivar of Mexico and Sergio Alfaro of Argentina were also found to be in violation of U.S. immigration law and face immigration removal proceedings after their criminal cases are completed. ICE agents placed immigration detainers on the three defendants.

The investigation was conducted by ICE's Office of Investigations in Fort Lauderdale.

The case is being prosecuted by Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Lorraine Tashman