Campaign to Promote Inbound Tourism to the United States

Posted by admin May 9th, 2012

A campaign was launched by Brand USA in order to encourage international tourists to come to the United States. This campaign will mainly focus on the residents of Japan, Canada and the United Kingdom.

Brand USA is a partnership of the US government agencies and private companies. This campaign is the first of its kind launched by the United States, where it has marketed itself as a tourist destination to the other countries.

The number of foreign tourists to the United States has fallen over the past decade. This fall in the number of foreign tourists to the United States is because of the strict visa regulations.

This campaign is likely to promote travel and tourism in America. The United Kingdom, Canada and Japan will be targeted, by the campaign. Those countries are the first main focus of this campaign because, these are the countries from where most top spending tourists hail. Hence, the ads of this campaign will fist reach these countries.

Following these countries, in a few weeks, the ads of this campaign will reach South Korea and Brazil. Several other countries will also be followed sooner.

The ads from Brand USA contain various beauty spots of the United States such as New Orleans’ French Quarter and the Redwood Preserve in California. These are shown on the printed ads with a tag line “Discover this land like never before”. The campaign shows the variety of experiences that the tourers can have in the United States. They also want to spread America’s message which welcomes tourists across the globe to experience the ceaseless possibilities offered by the nation.

The song, Land of Dreams, composed by Grammy award-winning singer-songwriter Rosanne Cash, serves as the heart of this drive. Along with this, brand USA is also in the process of inviting musical artists from across the globe to perform their music in towns and cities of the United States. It will also profile their trips and best-loved things about the nation online and in the social media.

Brand USA is also getting together with the government agencies in order to cut down the waiting times to obtain a visa to the United States. It is also planning to make other changes so as to attract more international tourists.

Recently, the waiting time for Chinese tourists to obtain a visa to travel to the United States, has been reduced. They may get a US visa in less than a week but previously they had to wait for more than 180 days get a visa to travel to the United States.

This new campaign is likely to make use of the valuable economic resources, so that millions of people may experience all that the country offers.

Drop in the Number of Undocumented Immigrants from Mexico

Posted by USCitizen May 2nd, 2012

There is a significant drop in the number of undocumented immigrants in America.

It is for the first time in decades, that the number of undocumented immigrants from Mexico to the United States, has been dropped. A new study shows the significant drop in the number of undocumented Mexican immigrants living in the United States.

The data from the American and Mexican governments states that around 6.1 million undocumented Mexican immigrants were living in the United States last year which is less in number when compared to the Mexican population in the United States in the year 2007. From the year 1970, the Mexican population in the United States was rising steeply and it reached a peak of more than 12 million in the year 2010.

It is said that the drop in the number of undocumented immigrants in the United States is because of the weak US economy, with very less job opportunities in the construction and service-sectors. These are the jobs that attracted the most workers from Mexico. Illegal Mexican immigrants who had been staying in the United States, for a longer period of time, for more than a year, are more likely to be sent back to Mexico, by authorities.

Around 5 to 35 percent of the Mexican immigrants who leave the United States are deported. The others go back to Mexico voluntarily, along with their children who were born in the United States.

According to the study of the Pew Hispanic Center, this is the biggest continuous drop in the number of undocumented immigrants in the United States. The Pew researchers say that the Mexican immigrants are not able to find work in America and so they return to Mexico, according to their research.

A senior demographer at Pew, Jeffrey Passel, said that the Mexican immigration may not return to its height even with the recovering US economy.

He states that the government data shows a clear modification among Mexican workers who are returning back to Mexico. He also said that many immigrants are giving up, as they do not see any improvement in job opportunities and they find only limited job opportunities in the United States.

US Visa Processing in Brazil and China

Posted by admin April 25th, 2012

President Obama’s goal is to make the United States the world’s top most travel and tourism destination. Increase in tourism will boost America’s economy to a greater extent.

An announcement from the US Department of State states that there has been a spectacular growth in the number of US visas granted to the applicants from Brazil and China. The processing capacity of US visitor visas in China and Brazil has increased greatly in 2012, which is likely to meet the President’s goal.

The US visa issuance in Brazil increased by 59 percent and in China, the issuance of US visas increased by 46 percent. The State Department is also making the visa processing quicker and it has reduced the wait times for the interviews for visas.

A Chinese citizen who wanted to travel to the United States had to wait for several weeks to get an appointment for the visa interview. But now, the visa applicants in China will be able to get an appointment at the US consulate, in 5 or 6 days.

Similarly, to acquire a visa to travel to the United States, a Brazilian citizen had to make an appointment at one of the four US visa processing centers in Brazil, and the applicant had to wait for several months for a visa interview appointment. Now, the applicants need not wait for more than 2 weeks in Brasília for a visa interview and the applicants from São Paulo can appear for a visa interview in less than 35 days.

President Obama is planning to increase the visa processing capacity in his continuous efforts to increase the economic growth of America. Two new US consulates will be opened in Porto Alegre and Belo Hiozonte, through which travel and trade in the United States and in Brazil will increase, resulting in economic development. Wuhan in China is also considered for the US visa issuance services.

The US Department of State has also sent a group of newly employed consular individuals to the US consulates in Brazil and China, in order to meet the increasing demand for US visas and to expand the visa sections. This initiative is getting results and the visa process is likely to be streamlined in these countries.

Renew Your Green Card to Acquire Employment Benefits in the US

Posted by admin April 18th, 2012

Getting a Green Card is one of the ways through which an individual can go to the United States and find the long anticipated job and the life that he always wanted. Many people have lots of doubts about getting employed in the United States even if their application for Green Card is approved. You are required by the law to hold a valid Green Card to seek employment in the United States. If your Green Card is expiring or if it has already expired you must apply for Green Card renewal.

You may become a lawful permanent resident in the United States, based on a permanent employment offer, where most categories require your sponsoring employer to acquire a labor certification and file Form I-140, Immigrant Petition for Alien Worker.

Check Whether You are Eligible to Work in the United States

When you are in the process of applying for a Green Card, based on your employment offer in the United States, make sure that you meet all eligibility requirements. To work in the United States, you must first have the authorization to work in a company in the country. That is because certain companies hire only US citizens. Some employers wish to employ individuals with a security clearance, as the US employers do not hire people who are likely to be a threat to the country’s security. This tends to limit the number of jobs that the Green Card holder can get, but still there are plenty of jobs available in the United States for the Green Card holders.

Validity of your Green Card

Green card holders must provide appropriate documentation to get employed in the United States. They must always possess a valid Green Card. The expiration date of the Green Card is printed on the front of the Green Card and the holder must make note of it. A Green Card which is issued to a foreign citizen as a proof of his lawful permanent resident status is valid for ten years.

Renew your Green Card at the Right Time

The Green Card holder is required to renew the Green Card before it expires as it is valid only for ten years. The best time to apply for Green Card renewal is six months before the expiration date of the Green Card. The Green Card can be renewed using Form I-90, Application to Replace Permanent Resident Card. This form is used to renew an expired or expiring permanent resident card or Green Card. Though you will not be penalized if your Green Card is expired, you are required by the law to hold a valid Green Card or permanent resident card at all times.

Difficulties you will Face with an Expired Green Card

If you possess a Green Card which is expired, you will face difficulties in obtaining employment in the United States and in gaining other benefits. Most US employers do not hire individuals with an expired Green Card. Some other proof that you must provide as a proof of your employment authorization, along with your valid Green Card are your birth certificate, your social security card, US passport and your Employment Authorization Document.

US Immigration and Entrepreneurship

Posted by USCitizen April 11th, 2012

Immigrant entrepreneurs create employment opportunities which strengthen the US economy. America’s prosperity depends on the dreams of the immigrants as they are contributing in some way or the other to the economic growth of America. Most successful immigrants evolve into millionaires and it is mainly because the immigrants make good use of the available opportunities. On the other hand, the immigrants consider such opportunities as a gift from God.

Many individuals in the US accept immigrant entrepreneurship. Such giant entrepreneurs include Sergey Brin of Google, Andrew Grove of Intel, Jerry Yang of Yahoo and Pierre Omidyar of eBay and many others involved in science and technology businesses. They are quietly making a difference and are creating nearly half a million jobs for the people in the US and are bringing forth an income of more than $50 billion, to the US.

Many immigrants moved to the US for long periods of time in order to escape persecution, create economic opportunities for their families and many to pursue the American Dream. Some individuals who moved to the US to pursue their American dream have become successful entrepreneurs. Some of America’s most reputed companies such as Google, Intel, eBay, Proctor & Gamble, Pfizer and Yahoo! were founded by immigrants.

One such significant immigrant is Pierre Omidyar, the Founder of the eBay. Omidyar, an Iranian-American entrepreneur and a citizen of France. He was born in Paris and his parents were Iranian immigrants. Omidyar immigrated to the US with his family when he was 6 years old. He was brought up in Washington D.C. He began his career with Claris, a subsidiary of Apple computers after he was graduated in computer science from the Tufts University. In the year 1991, Pierre became the co-founder the Ink Development, which was a pen-based computing start-up. It was later known as E-commerce company and then as e-shop.

Pierre became the founder of eBay when he was on a holiday. He developed the computer code for eBay, the super-brand auction site. He officially launched it on the 4th of September 1995, Labor Day. When he first launched the site it was free but later charges were introduced to meet the internet expenses. Jeffery Skoll joined eBay in 1996 and they launched a public offering and both of them evolved as billionaires. Currently Pierre owns a share of more that $2.65 billion. The Omidyar network with Pam, his wife is another achievement. This network is a charitable investment firm, which is dedicated to support the opportunities for people to improve their lives. This network which was established in 2004, is committed towards for-profit and non-profit companies to encourage participation of individuals across multiple investment areas, such as micro finance and social media.

Jerry Yang, an immigrant from Taiwan is the co-founder of “Yahoo!”, a multimedia company which provides various internet communication services such as email, search, etc. Jerry Yang moved to San Jose at the age of 10 along with his mother and brother. He started working with his fellow graduate student David Filo at Stanford, to launch Yahoo! and both of them did not complete their degrees. Though they had not completed their degrees, they were successful in launching Yahoo. At present the value of Yahoo! is more than $43 billion.

Hence, Immigration and entrepreneurship are viewed as the two central themes in the US history. Both, immigration and entrepreneurship are interconnected closely. The US developed a strong culture of entrepreneurship and it became an example of an immigration country in the 19th century. The worth of entrepreneurship is accepted and the views towards immigration have changed considerably. Though the immigration policies have become more restrictive, the interconnection between immigration and economic growth is still strong. Hence, immigration is accepted as a rich source of entrepreneurship.

Celebrities with Dual Citizenship

Posted by admin March 28th, 2012

It is absolutely legal for Americans to hold citizenship with another country, without losing their US citizenship, if that country accepts dual citizenship. Citizens of many other countries can also obtain citizenship with the United States, which is called dual citizenship. Certain high-profile people with dual citizenship remind us that dual citizenship is lawful in the United States.

Citizenship with one nation is not enough for many celebrities. The one time James Bond, Pierce Brosnan, was born in Ireland. Being a citizen of Ireland, he obtained US citizenship and became a naturalized US citizen in 2004. Through this he maintains dual citizenship with his native Ireland and the US. Brosnan who is Irish, grew up in England and in Ireland. He once said that he had found a new life and a personal identity in the United States. Brosnan who also retains his Irish citizenship, said that all what he does portrays his Irishness. Brosnan had said that he obtained US citizenship mainly to vote against the policies, such as the American war in Iraq, that he wanted to oppose.

The Canadian American Comedian and actor, Jim Carrey maintains dual citizenship with Canada and the United States. He was born in Canada and he became a US Citizen in 2004. He obtained his permanent resident status through one of his various marriages to American women. He doesn’t want to give up his Canadian heritage and he also says that the United States had helped his dreams come true. He had got the intention to become a US citizen in 2001, as he wanted the right to vote in the US elections.

The worldwide star, Natalie Portman, was born in Jerusalem, Israel. Her father was Israeli and her mother was an American. This actress has the dual citizenship of Israel and the United States. Her parents immigrated to the US when she was very young and she finally settled in Long Island, New york.

Craig Ferguson is better known in the United States than in Scotland, which is his native. He is a well-known actor, writer, author, director, and producer. He became a US citizen in 2008 and he has also scored full marks in the citizenship test. Other celebrities like singer Ricky Martin, Nicole Kidman, and Salma Hayek also hold dual citizenship.

USA Passport Day

Posted by USCitizen March 2nd, 2012

Saturday March 10, 2012 is Passport Day in USA! Persons who want to apply for a U.S. passport may do so at a Regional Passport Agency without an appointment on March 10, 2012 only.

A person applying for a U.S. passport on Passport Day in the USA can opt for standard processing or for expedited processing (by paying $60.00). Standard processing takes 4-6 weeks whereas expedited processing is completed in 2-3 weeks.

Events to mark Passport Day in the USA will be conducted at Regional Passport Agencies and several Passport Acceptance Facilities all over the country. Persons who have been waiting to apply for a passport may find that this is the right time to do so. The travel.state.gov website gives information of the states that are participating in this program.

USCIS Not to Process Adoptions From Vietnam

Posted by USCitizen February 8th, 2012

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) will not be processing petitions for adoption of Vietnamese children by U.S. parents. USCIS made this announcement recently after the Department of State determined that Vietnam was not capable of fulfilling its requirements under The Hague Convention on Protection of Children and Co-operation in Respect of Inter-country Adoption (Hague Adoption Convention).

U.S. parents need to file the Form I-800, Petition to Classify Convention Adoptee as an Immediate Relative when they want to petition a child from a Hague Adoption Convention country. The Hague Adoption Certificate or the Hague Custody Declaration has to be issued by the DOS in its consular office. But because of this recent announcement DOS consular officers will not be able to issue the certificates for children being adopted from Vietnam. Without these certificates the USCIS will not be able to process Form I-800s for such adoptees.

USCIS is therefore requesting petitioners not to file Form I-800 or Form I-800A Application for Determination of Suitability to Adopt a Child from a Convention Country, identifying Vietnam as the country from which they seek to adopt.

At the Naturalization Ceremony

Posted by USCitizen February 3rd, 2012

Once the USCIS approves your citizenship application, it is mandatory you attend a ceremony and take the Oath of Allegiance to the United States. You will receive notification from the USCIS regarding the time and date of your ceremony. You will receive the “Notice of Naturalization Oath Ceremony” (Form N-445). At times, you can take the oath on the same day as your interview.

Arrive at the Oath ceremony at least 30 minutes before the actual time. There are many other people who will get naturalized with you who are also required to be checked in with USCIS. If you are not able to attend the ceremony as scheduled, all you need to do is return the notice (Form N-445) to your local USCIS office. Along with the form, submit a letter explaining why you are not able to attend the ceremony and request the USCIS to reschedule the ceremony date. As the ceremony is considered to be a serious formality, make sure you dress in proper attire to respect the event.

At the ceremony, you will be required to return your Permanent Resident Card (green card) to the USCIS. Since you will be getting your citizenship certificate at the ceremony, your green card is no longer needed. If there is a gap between your interview and the ceremony, be prepared to face a few questions. You can find the expected questions on the back of the notice (Form N-445) that you will receive from the USCIS. Some general questions will be related to having traveled outside the US during that period. Make sure you read the questions carefully and note down the answers before you get to the Oath ceremony.

It is mandatory that every candidate who has filed the citizenship form to recite the Oath of Allegiance to become an American citizen. The Oath of Allegiance must be recited at the ceremony in front of a USCIS official. Once done with reciting, you will get a Certificate of Naturalization.

If you cannot take the complete Oath of Allegiance as it is, you have to mention it in writing either at the time of filing your application or at your scheduled interview. You should have valid reasons and explain why you need to take a modified Oath of Allegiance. You have to mention in your request, the words in the Oath of Allegiance that you want to be exempted from reciting. You should also give a detailed explanation as to why the words are against your religious belief. You may be requested to give additional evidence to substantiate your request for a modified Oath of Allegiance. USCIS will grant modifications to the Oath of Allegiance on a user-specific basis.

After you take the Oath, finally you will get your Certificate of Naturalization. This is the proof of your citizenship and you can use this as proof that you are an American Citizen. It is highly recommended you go to your nearest Social Security Administration (SSA) office to update your Social Security record soon after you get your naturalization certificate.