While the process of applying for a U.S. visa at a consulate or embassy is not a secret, most people are not familiar with it, unless they have personally been through the process or maybe heard about someone’s experience with the process.

With some exceptions, U.S. law requires every applicant to make a personal appearance for an interview with a Consular Officer. If there are no national security concerns, Consular Officers may waive the personal appearance requirement for limited categories of applicants, including children less than 14 years of age; persons over 79 years of age; officials of foreign governments and international organizations; and, under certain circumstances, travelers renewing recently expired visas. It’s best to review one’s current situation and the current processing guidelines of the nearest consular post.

While oftentimes, a visit to the Consulate or Embassy can take hours, largely due to waiting times and security checks upon entry, a typical visa interview lasts just a few minutes and often involves applicants trying to persuade the consular officer that they have firm plans to return to their home country after a visit to the United States, that they do not intend to cause harm to the U.S. or its interests, and that they are otherwise qualified for a visa. The interview is face-to-face although the consular officer is behind a blast resistant window.

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You should have a nonimmigrant work visa if you want to work in developed countries like United States temporarily. People who enter in United States with a business or visitor visa are not allowed to work. Work visas are not issued by government of United States for casual employment. Getting a temporary work visa is not easy as the government of United States thoroughly checks your eligibility before finally giving you the visa.

Temporary work visas (H1B) are given to foreign workers who are going to perform a highly skilled in United States for temporary period. The employment should be approved by United States immigration and Citizenship Services. To qualify for an H1B visa the applicant should have a bachelor’s or equivalent degree. Higher degree is preferred.

Unskilled workers are required to have a H2B visa if they want to temporarily work in United States. The government of United States will give H2B visa only if there is shortage of US manpower. People who are interested to work in United States as a trainee should have H3 visas.

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If you have having legal problems and hope to attain immigrant status in the United States, you should seek the services of an immigration law office. The lawyers in these offices have the knowledge and skills to handle cases that deal specifically with immigration regulations.

People want to immigrate to other countries for a wide variety of reasons. The most common are to obtain legal permanent residency or to find work in that country. When you become a legal permanent resident, you are granted a license to stay in the U.S. on a permanent basis, free to live and work as you desire..

Getting a license means doing a lot of legal work, however, and an immigration law office is just the place to turn to for help.

To obtain a permanent residency, you should consult with attorneys that specialize in immigration law. They have training in how to handle cases that involve the laws regulating immigration. The best source of information and guidance in getting permanent residency status is the immigration law office. You can ask for advice about eligibility requirements and other rules and regulations governing the application for permanent residence. After receiving advice from the law office, you will know what route to take to get where you want to go in terms of residency.

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According to the U.N. Population Division, there are now almost 200 million international migrants.

About 50% of these existing immigrants are illegal OR undocumented. The worldwide immigration trend is increasing day by day. The intending immigrants also do not have good immigration plans to retain their legal status for a longer duration. They normally overstay their Visa period due to many reasons beyond their control. Then these overstayed/illegal immigrants are forced to live under inhumane circumstances for next many years of their life.

Immigration Laws and society do not help illegal immigrants.

80% of the world immigrant’s population is based on financial inspirations. They migrate in pursuit of financial freedom and happiness. Their existing recourses are not enough. They take big risk of their life to do OR die. Sometimes they loose life during their journey of Hope.

But most hardworking immigrants who plan their immigration with proper research and knowledge of immigration laws and procedures are normally able to achieve their immigration goals successfully. They define their immigration objectives in a very realistic way. Their immigration plan was similar to a good business plan. Their every immigration step is pre-planed and anticipated. They know their limitations of resources and set realistic immigration targets to be achieved.

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At first glance, the U.S. green card lottery sounds like an exciting chance to make some cold, hard cash. However, this is no simple lottery that consists of scratching tickets or picking numbers. The Green Card Lottery, also known as the Diversity Immigrant Visa Program, is run by the United States government. It makes approximately 55, 000 immigrant visas available to people of other countries that have low immigration rates to the United States.

An applicant who receives a Diversity Immigrant visa is allowed to permanently live and work in the United States. They may also bring their spouse and any unmarried children under the age of 21 along with them. When granted permanent residence through the Diversity Immigrant Visa Program, the cardholder can work at any job and/or start a business.

How it Works

The U.S. Government holds the U.S. Green Card Lottery each year, and randomly chooses about 110, 000 applicants from all qualifying entries. Each region’s entries are individually numbered when they reach the Kentucky Consular Center. At the end of the registration period, entries are randomly selected from each geographic region by a computer. Within each region, the first entry picked is the first case registered, the second entry is the second case registered, and so on. All entries from each geographic region have an equal chance of being randomly chosen.

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The Green Card, or United States Permanent Resident Card, is an identification card for aliens attesting to their permanent resident status. A green card is proof that its holder is a lawful permanent resident and is granted immigration benefits, which include permission to live and work in the United States. Green cards are issued by the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services which is a part of the Department of Homeland Security.

In order to obtain a green card, a three step process is necessary that can take years to complete, depending on the immigrant category and country of birth. The first step is an immigrant petition which is usually approved through a qualifying relative or employer. The three main groups of petitions are immediate relative immigrants, family-based immigrants and employer based immigrants.

The next step is determined by visa availability, according to quotas set by the Immigration and Nationality Act. (more…)

Quite appropriately, Tuesday exposes another facet of the foolishness that is U.S. immigration policy. April 1 is the day when employers are allowed to begin filing petitions with the U.S. Citizen and Immigration Services for highly skilled workers to be given what are known as H-1B visas.

H-1Bs allow employers to hire foreign workers in certain professional occupations. They are good for three years and can be renewed for an additional three. Though an H-1B cannot lead to a green card - meaning the foreign professional is tied to one employer and has to leave the country after six years of productive employment - it’s still a pretty good deal.

The problem is that, even in this economic downturn, there aren’t enough visas: Congress limits the annual grant of H-1Bs, and that magic number has been set at 65,000 for five years now. Before that, and in response to the technology boom of the late ’90s, Congress temporarily raised the cap to 195,000. But that expansion expired in 2004, and the cap has been reached earlier and earlier in each year since. (more…)

As I enter my seventh year of practicing fiancee visa law I have a number of observations to share with prospective and current clients.

#1 MOST FIANCEE VISA RELATIONSHIPS ARE LEGITIMATE

There is a common misconception that marrying a foreign woman is somehow unseemly or less real than marrying an American woman. We have all heard the term “mail order bride” which would describe a situation in which the American man has not met his foreign fiancee but rather has picked her picture out of a catalogue and ordered her to be delivered. Immigration law does not in fact allow for “mail order brides.”

A chief requirement of the fiancee visa is that the American petitioner and foreign beneficiary have met in person within the two years prior to the filing of the fiancee visa petition. Opponents of the fiancee visa who speak of mail order brides are only revealing their ignorance of the law and procedure of the fiancee visa.

In my experience the relationships between foreign woman and American men are every bit as real as any relationships involving American men and American women. Furthermore, the divorce rate among my clients is negligible as compared to the typical American divorce rate. I am in contact with many of my early clients and I know that they are happy with their marriages. My clients, both the men and the women, tend to be loving and sincere. Contrary to myths about the fiancee visa the men are rarely abusive and the woman are rarely fraudulent or dishonest.

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According to the December, 2007 Visa Bulletin foreign workers falling in the EB-3 category and EB-2 workers from Mainland China and India will be affected by a severe backlog of visa numbers. This means there are more individuals wishing to immigrate than there are allotted visas. As a result, foreign workers in the effected categories may have a wait time exceeding 5 years before they are able to file an application to adjust status to that of a permanent resident.

Filing a New Labor Certification as an EB-2

The same employer who had filed an EB-3 application for a foreign worker may file a new labor certification for EB-2 classification for the same foreign worker if the job offer as an EB-2 is bona fide and the foreign worker possesses the requisite educational and employment experience that meets the criteria for EB-2 classification.

If there is a bona fide job offer as an EB-2 and the foreign worker is qualified, filing a new labor certification as an EB-2 may eliminate or dramatically reduce their backlog wait time. This may be especially advantageous for employers who have already filed and have an I-140, Visa Petition approved for a foreign worker. If the I-140 for EB-3 classification has already been approved, the foreign worker may seek to retain the old priority date on the new I-140 as an EB-2. (more…)

US Immigration has become a very important issue for American citizens and those individuals or families wishing to come to America. Since the establishment of the first colonies in America, there have been immigrants desperately desiring their chance at freedom. Elis Island was, for many, a portal to a new life through which they would pass and begin their journey.

Hundreds of thousands of individuals fled persecution, poverty or inhumane conditions to come to the United States for a chance to live the “American dream” of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. In this article, we will cover some of the basic questions regarding immigration that many have.

Can you visit the US without applying to be a resident?

Thousands of people visit the US each day. There is paperwork involved but the main requirement is a valid Passport.

Since the attacks on the World Trade Centers on 9/11, there has been an increase in the need for security. Unfortunately these security increases can cause delays for travelers from countries believed to be hostile towards the United States. (more…)