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Posted on:
November 30th, 2007 |
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Many foreigners send remittances to family left behind in their native countries. For some the relatives still back in their home countries, remittances help supplement income, but for others it may be their only source of income. Immigrants recently arrived in the United States and earning relatively low wages tend to send money often and in smaller amounts.
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They usually send $200 or $300 home on a monthly basis. Foreigners who have been in the United States longer and are better off financially tend to send money less often but in larger amounts. It is estimated that worldwide remittances amount to more than $126 billion. Remittances have become a considerable force in the economy of many countries. Among the countries that receive the most in remittances are Mexico, the Philippines and India. Last year Mexico received more than $17 billion in remittances. The amount of remittances in Mexico exceeds the amount of foreign direct investment in the country. This is not surprising given that a significant portion of Hispanics in the United States are of Mexican descent. Other Latin American countries like El Salvador are popular destinations for remittances. In 2005 approximately $2.5 billion was sent to El Salvador. The amount represented more than 13% of the El Salvador’s GDP or gross domestic product. It is estimated that Latin Americans residing in the United States send $30 billion dollars to their native countries. (more…)
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Posted on:
November 29th, 2007 |
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The 2009 DV Lottery Programme ends on December 2, and interested applicants should be sure to apply before the deadline. The DV Lottery, or greencard lottery, allows randomly selected applicants to immigrate to the United States on an expedited basis, provided they meet all the criteria.
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A person may only enter the lottery if he or she has:
1) Citizenship of a qualifying country. See list of ineligible countries; and
2) Either a high school equivalent education (Six subjects in GCE O-Levels including compulsory subjects) or work experience within the past five years in a profession that requires at least two years of training or experience to perform.
A photo must be submitted along with your application. Please see Photo Requirements.
The lottery registration period ends on December 2, 2007. The lottery is conducted entirely by electronic means over the internet. Paper entries are no longer accepted. Begin the application process here: Application
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Posted on:
November 28th, 2007 |
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WASHINGTON – U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) welcomed 253 new U.S. citizens during three special Veterans Day naturalization ceremonies on Nov. 11 and 12 in Iraq, Kuwait and Afghanistan to honor the sacrifices of all veterans, past and present.
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The Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen and Marines serving in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom hail from the 52 nations of: American Samoa, Argentina, Barbados, Burma, Cambodia, Cameroon, Canada, China, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Czechoslovakia, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Egypt, El Salvador, Ethiopia, Germany, Grenada, Guatemala, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, Iraq, Ivory Coast, Jamaica, Kenya, Laos, Lebanon, Liberia, Mexico, Montserrat, Morocco, Nicaragua, Nigeria, Palau, Panama, Peru, Philippines, Romania, Russia, Senegal, South Korea, St. Lucia, St. Vincent-Grenadines, Sudan, Togo, Trinidad and Tobago, United Kingdom, Venezuela, Vietnam, and Yemen.
“Tens of thousands of immigrant troops have made and are making extraordinary sacrifices for their adopted nation. These patriots no longer have to wait until they return stateside to naturalize and become citizens of the nation they’re fighting for,” USCIS Director Emilio Gonzalez remarked. “We honor the legacy of these heroes and express our deepest appreciation to our veterans – the men and women who stepped forward in times of need and triumphed over brutality, liberated millions, and brought freedom to the oppressed.” (more…)
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Posted on:
November 27th, 2007 |
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Moving internationally is certainly a life-changing experience. Some of us may be relocating as part of a career move, while others may be seeking new opportunities or experiences abroad. Regardless of the reason, moving overseas requires thorough planning and organization. One of the most stressful aspects of planning an international move is not knowing where to begin or where to go for answers.
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With the help of an International Moving Specialist, you can reduce the stress involved with moving and enjoy the excitement of this new experience. Whether you’re moving to Brussels or Bangkok, the following suggestions should point you in the right direction and help you put together your game plan for a smooth international move.
Do Your Research By learning everything you can about your new country, you can best prepare your family for becoming acclimated to your new surroundings. Your local library is an obvious but often overlooked place to begin your research. Your library (or local bookstore) will have plenty of resources to learn more about your new country, its customs, and language. If English is not spoken in your new country, are your language skills good enough to get by? (more…)
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Posted on:
November 26th, 2007 |
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Don’t Forget, the Green Card Lottery ends Dec 2, 2007 at Noon. You have less than one week to apply for this great chance of becoming an American. Please click here to begin the application process.
The lottery to another world
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In 2000 Kita’s family won the Diversity Visa (DV) lottery that enabled them to make the move to the United States from Addis Ababa, the capital of Ethiopia. The Diversity Immigrant Visa Program annually makes 50,000 permanent visas available to a random selection of people who “meet strict eligibility requirements [and come] from countries with low rates of immigration to the United States,” according to the U.S. State Department web site.
Individuals who receive visas through the program are permitted to bring spouses and unmarried children under the age of 21 to the United States and are authorized to permanently live and work in the country, according to the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services web site. “Since everyone wants to come to America, it’s a way of randomly picking people,” Kita’s friend, senior Selam Kabtiymer, says. Although Kabtiymer’s family had also won the DV lottery, she and her family were able to come to the United States without the lottery’s help. Kabtiymer’s mother was already residing in the United States and so the rest of her family was able to get visas through her. Kabtiymer’s father had applied for the DV lottery in the case they were not able to obtain visas this way. (more…)
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Posted on:
November 21st, 2007 |
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Although it’s a uniquely American holiday, all cultures can appreciate the concept of Thanksgiving: Be thankful for what you have no matter who you are or where you’re from. It’s a simple but effective way for busy Americans to stop and appreciate what’s important.
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The enthusiasm for the holiday is especially apparent in those who entered as foreigners but now are proud to call themselves Americans.
Restaurant owners specializing in cuisine other than American — for example, Chinese, Mexican, French, etc. — often are from the country of origin, and rightfully so. Who better to create the specialties of a specific region? But what do these 21st-century pilgrims make of our day of turkey and what are their Thanksgiving plans?
The English touch
Heresa Gaffney, owner of the Puddingstone Inn (formerly Larison’s Turkey Farm) in Chester, has been in the United States for 25 years. Her first Thanksgiving was “a very strange celebration,” she said, “because in England, we only eat turkey for Christmas. But it’s very interesting to eat pumpkin pie and sweet potatoes.” (more…)
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Posted on:
November 20th, 2007 |
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It is Halloween at Palo Alto Adult School and Marta is dressed for the occasion in long black robes and a three-foot witch’s hat.
“Oh Marta, I love those shoes,” teacher Elizabeth Bales-Stutes exclaims.
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Before replying, Marta appears confused. She moves her lips first to form the words, then measures them out.
“Yes, my step-daughter bought them,” Marta replies.
Marta, an elderly Eastern European woman, smiles.
She has performed her first task correctly. “ESL Advanced Low,” Bales-Stutes writes slowly on the board, signaling the class had begun.
English as a Second Language (ESL), the Palo Alto Adult School’s most popular class, attracts a variety of foreign students and immigrants like Marta. The class convenes each Monday and Wednesday night on the Palo Alto High School campus and aims to provide students with a better grasp of English, teaching the adults a variety of speaking, reading comprehension and cultural lessons. (more…)
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Posted on:
November 19th, 2007 |
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Moving to a new home is a hectic task. With all the activities happening around all the time even a skilled planner tends to forget the important issues. To not to forget the easily forgettable, here is a list of The 10 Most Forgotten Items in a Move for you. Having this handy checklist with you during the move really safes you from a lot of inconvenience.
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1.Health Records: Get the medical and dental records for everyone in the family. Don’t forget to get the veterinary records for your pets. After all they are also part of the family. Isn’t it? Be sure to have records of all vaccines and immunizations before you leave. In certain cases notarized letter may be necessary. The details about the requirements can be had from American Medical Records Association.
2.School Records: Your child’s permanent school records are important documents to move on with. To enroll in the new school they are necessary. Often copies of the records are not sufficient. Proof of documents with official seal on them is a must have.
3.Phone Book: Pack your phone book. You may presume that you remember some frequently used phone numbers. But presumptions do fail sometimes. So it is better to carry the phone book along. It would safe you from directory enquiry expenses. (more…)
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Posted on:
November 16th, 2007 |
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MIAMI, FL - One prevalent fear of illegal immigrants is deportation. Many have been deported after being detained in an immigration raid or being pulled over for a simple traffic violation.
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Last month an immigrant couple was pulled over by Miami police for having expired tags on their car. When police discovered they were illegally in the country, they contacted the Immigration and Customs Enforcement or ICE.
The couple, Lucia Mendoza-Santoyo and Constantino Vazquez-Tapia, have an 11 year old child and both worked at a plant nursery. They mentioned to ICE officials that they had a child who was under the care of a family member. The uncle who lived with the parents was the one who looked after the child when the parents worked. (more…)
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Posted on:
November 15th, 2007 |
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George Scalise, president of the Semiconductor Industry Association (SIA, San Jose), said the U.S. Congress has “truly failed” in dealing with the problem of getting H1-B visa and green card cap issues resolved. Speaking in a webcast aired live yesterday, Scalise said that the United States attracts the best and brightest to come and study, but problems with getting visas and green cards cause them to move and work elsewhere.
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“We really need to modify the immigration policies as it relates to the H1-B visas and green cards so that it’s really fast, efficient and certain for these young students,” Scalise said.
The U.S. green card process can take anywhere from five to 10 years for an individual to gain permanent residency, and the 85,000 annual quota on H1-B visas for temporary foreign tech workers has been running out quickly for the last few years. This forces many prospective workers to take jobs elsewhere. “That process is badly broken, and we’re finding great difficulty in keeping those young people,” Scalise said. (more…)
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