America has rightly been called a nation of immigrants. Immigrants have built this country. Even today, America is an inspirational destination for people from all over the world. Immigration into the United States is governed by the country’s immigration laws.

U.S. Immigration laws are federal laws that allow aliens to enter the country, stay here, working, acquiring citizenship and becoming naturalized citizens. It is worth noting that the Congress is the supreme authority when it comes to U.S Immigration. Refugee-related policy decisions fall within the president’s domain. The law courts in America are not involved in decision-making but come into the picture if a person’s rights are violated.

The Department of Homeland Security was formed in 2003 and is the premier agency in America for ensuring that U.S Immigration laws are adhered to. Three agencies under the DHS do all the work regarding immigration. The work includes checking antecedents, deporting illegal aliens, granting asylum, citizenship, and patrolling porous borders. The agencies in question are the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), and U.S. Customs and Border Enforcement (CBE).

The visa procedure is totally in the hands of the federal government. As against a non-immigration visa which does not have a cap, there is a limit on immigration visas that can be issued in one year. Moreover, immigration visas also have a limit to the numbers allotted to applicants from different countries.

America has been following immigration laws for more than two hundred years; the first immigration policy that was put to work came to being with the Naturalization Act of 1790. In a landmark amendment of naturalization laws of the country in 1870, African-Americans were given the right to become naturalized citizens.

Another big leap in making the immigration policies fair and egalitarian came in 1952 in the form of the McCarran-Walter Act which removed all bias related to race and ethnicity from the immigration process.

Illegal immigration has been a big bother for the country and the Immigration Reform and Control Act (IRCA) of 1986 was passed to check this menace. And in 1990, the Immigration Act changed the face of immigration and immigrants to the country by removing any elements of preferential treatment by introducing the Diversity Lottery system and upping the immigration visas from 500,000 to 700,000. Permanent worker visas and temporary job-related visas were also created by this law. This law has perhaps had the most significant effect on immigration to the U.S in the past thirty years preceding it. It has enabled America to acquire skilled labor from countries and fill labor and technology gaps in American industry.

Visa scrutiny and self-reporting by aliens in America have been pursued more diligently after 9/11. Enforcement of immigration laws has become stricter but that does not mean that the applications for immigration into the U.S and the number of visas granted have fallen. America still continues to the one most coveted destination for people from all over the world that dream of a better standard of living.

Here’s a detailed how to  guide to becoming a  citizen of the US, for all those that wish to become naturalized citizen of the land of the free, the land of opportunities – the US of A.

American law makes it possible for immigrants to become permanent or naturalized citizens of America. U.S citizenship brings with it several rights and benefits not available to green card holders. These include the inalienable right to stay in the country without the fear of being extradited. Green card holders can be asked to leave the country for even not-so-serious crimes but with U.S citizenship you need not worry about being asked to leave the country. Naturalized citizens are eligible for government benefits. Once you become a U.S citizen you can bring your family members to America that much more easily. The job sector opens up for U.S citizens, you can apply for employment opportunities with the federal government. Estate taxes rules are different for U.S citizens and green card holders.

As a general rule, you need to be 18 years or older and be a legal green card holder to be eligible for naturalization. You need to stay for five years in the U.S as a permanent resident before you consider becoming a citizen of the US. If your permanent residentship is no longer applicable because you have married an American then you need to reside in America for one year after this. You cannot leave America after your application for U.S citizenship. If you are a permanent resident and wish to apply for U.S citizenship do not stay outside the U.S for more than one year without first getting approval for Form N-470.

The USCIS Form N-400 is the form to be filled when applying for citizenship. You can actually fill this form three months prior to completing the eligibility requirements. The filing fee for this form is a not insignificant $595. Once you have submitted your form you will have to undergo fingerprinting and then an interview. Finally, after a wait of months, if all goes well, you will be called for your swearing-in ceremony and receive your certificate of citizenship given by the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) which is documentary proof that you are a citizen of America.

If you are planning to apply for U.S citizenship, you should be reasonably conversant with the English language and have some knowledge of American history as well as how the U.S government functions. However; you can be exempted from knowing English if you have lived as a permanent resident in the country for twenty years and are fifty years of age. If you are fifty-five years of age, you need have been a permanent resident alien for only fifteen years.

Be on your best behavior all through the permanent resident status period and particularly during the phase when the application is in review. Stay on the right side of the law. Your moral conduct has to be above reproach.

One minor along with you can become a citizen of the  U.S ; this includes adopted children as well.

If you come from the United Kingdom, Canada, or Northern Ireland you are eligible for dual citizenship.

The Greencard lottery program for a diversity visa to the USA is of the most eagerly awaited events of the year for millions of people from around the globe. 50,000 immigration visas or Green Cards are up for grabs; these will be distributed to the lucky ones.

For the purpose of these green cards, the U.S Department of State defines an eligible country as one that has had fewer than 50,000 immigrants to the United States in the past five years. The selection process is computerized and random. If you happen to win a diversity visa then you are a legal permanent resident of America. You can apply for American citizenship and also hold your own country’s passport, if you want to. These green cards are valid for a lifetime and entitle you to all the benefits that an American citizen can get, these include education, healthcare, owning property, being able to travel anywhere, etc. What’s more, you can actually act as a sponsor for your relatives trying to get an Immigration Visa.

There is no age limit for the applicants. But you do need a high school diploma or its equivalent as the minimum education qualification. You also need two years of work experience in the past five years in a trade or occupation that needs at least two years of work experience or training to execute. If selected, you can take your spouse and children below 21 years of age with you.

Here is the list of eligible countries for  DV- 2014 US Greencard Lottery

• Africa: Eligibility extends to all African countries and adjacent islands.
• Asia: Eligibility covers all countries except Mainland China, Pakistan, India, South Korea, Philippines, and the Vietnam.
• Europe: Apart from the United Kingdom, all European nations are eligible.
• North America: Only Bahamas.
• Oceania: The entire region including Australia, NZ, and the South Pacific islands is eligible.
• South and Central America: All countries except Colombia, Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Haiti, Jamaica, and Mexico.

Every year, millions of individuals participate in the green card lottery hoping to become legal residents of the United States. This year, things haven’t quite gone as planned. The joy of the 22,000 that had been notified of having won the DV-2012 lottery has turned out to be short-lived.

This is because the U.S State Department of Consular Affairs has declared the results null and void after releasing them. The reason given is that there was a computer glitch.

Those declared winners were in fact not the real winners; it happened because of an error in an in-house computer program.

This basically means that the entire exercise will have to be carried out again. It may be a little heartbreaking for those that thought they were selected but the news is anything but sad for the others; they are back in the fray. The new date for the results is now July 15^th. On that day, there will be a new list naming 50,000 lucky winners of one of the most eagerly awaited lotteries on earth.

…due to a computer programming problem, the results of the 2012 Diversity Lottery that were previously posted on this website have been voided.”—The State Department

via US State Dept. screws up visa lottery, smashes thousands of would-be immigrants’ dreams – Boing Boing.

Way to go, US State Dept. Tell thousands of hopeful would-be immigrants they’ll finally get a visa and get to come to the land of their dreams, then, take it all back? Seriously, how do you expect that to make this country look?

If the diversity visa lottery is a new concept to you, here is a brief introduction. While the DV Lottery 2012 is currently underway, this program actually dates back to 1990. It was created so that more people, from more diverse backgrounds, would have a chance to enter the United States. If you’re chosen and do get to enter, you’re allowed to begin your path toward becoming a naturalized citizen. Here’s how it works. 50,000 people are allowed into the United States through the DVlottery program each year. There are some countries that have many people coming each year to the United States, so the “diversity” aspect of this program is that it focuses on countries with a smaller immigration rate. It gives people from these countries a fairer chance at entry, and it helps the U.S. by maintaining a more robustly diverse mix of people—a trait the U.S. has embodied throughout most of its existence.

The first step in the application process is, of course, submitting an application. It’s important to do this thoroughly and correctly; if the forms are not filed the proper way the application may be rejected out of hand. This means that no one will call to ask for clarification, or even to inform you that the application has been rejected. It will simply be set aside while the U.S. State Department focuses on applications that have been filled out correctly.

For this reason, some people choose to have someone help them fill out the form electronically. There is generally a fee charged by these persons or businesses. While filing electronically through a third party does not increase your chance of being chosen, it does decrease your chance of being rejected because of an error caused by submitting the form incorrectly.

If you’re chosen in the DV lottery 2012, you don’t automatically get a visa. The DVlottery selects several thousand more people than will actually receive a green card. Once you receive your letter that you’ve been drawn in the DVlottery, you need to go through an interview process with the Department of State to make sure your application was accurate. The sooner you respond to the letter, the sooner you’ll get an interview, and the better chance you have of getting a green card before those 50,000 are given out for the year.

Acquiring legal citizenship in the US can be a difficult process and this depends entirely on your legal status. The entire process may be completed in a short period of time or it may take longer if you do not have the exact requirements stipulated in the instructions for immigrants. It is quite easy for immigrants to get their US citizenship as there are many opportunities that make the whole process easier.

The first thing you should know if you want to become a legal US citizen is to gather all information about the various requirements that are detailed in the government websites related to naturalization and immigration. The N-400 form is available in these websites which can be downloaded and printed. To apply for the citizenship one should be a permanent citizen of United States and also should be eighteen years and above for qualifying.

The residence requirements include the completion of a minimum period of four years and nine months before the date of applying and if the person already has a green card by way of marriage to a US citizen the time lapse is just two years and nine months. The five year general requirement has many exceptions.

Continuous residence stipulated allows a time gap of a minimum of six months to one year absence time from the country. The applicant should have spent a minimum of thirty months (of the sixty month period) continuously as a resident before his applying date. Green card holders need just eighteen months spent in residence continuously before filing their applications.

Also the applicant requires being a permanent resident of his state for at least three months continuously. There is also the added advantage of dual citizenship where the immigrant can retain his native country’s citizenship. This is not allowed in countries like Japan , Germany , Australia and certain other countries so it is better to get it cleared with your country’s embassy.

When all the qualifying requirements have been met successfully you have to get ready for the citizenship interview and tests which are held to know your grasp of the English Language, American history as well as civics. To aid you , there are English as Second Language (ESL) courses conducted which help to polish your knowledge of the English language and help you pass the tests successfully. You can get the information on these courses from your local library or community college. These classes prepare you and help you face the interview and the subsequent tests confidently.

Individuals who have been residing for at least fifteen years or those who are above the age of fifty five can get the aid of a translator while attending the various tests and interviews. The form N-648 should be filled and a medical clause waived to avail this benefit.

The filling of the application form include the following: entering in the N400 form, paying $260 for the filing, $50 for fingerprint, photos and copy of your green card, and in case of any criminal offenses in the past, the applicant must file the necessary documents. Along with your driver’s license, passport, original court dispositions, spouse citizenship proof, tax forms, name and address proof should also be supplied.

DV 2012 green card lottery entries avidly awaited by thousands of immigrants starts on Wednesday noon, 5th of October, Eastern Daylight Time (EDT) (GMT -4) and ends on November 3rd, 2010 Eastern Standard Time (EST) (GMT -5), which falls on a Tuesday.

The Diversity Immigrant Visa Program is held annually under congressional mandate by the Department of State. The selection is done according to the terms of section 203(c) of the Immigration and Nationality Act.

This act provides for immigration under the term “diversity immigrants” and allows about 50,000 diversity visas for immigrants from countries that have a low immigration rate in the United States for a time period of the last five years.

There are certain set of instructions termed as DV 2012 American visa lottery instructions that cater to those applying for the DV lottery. The instructions are given in English which is the official language for visa lottery. In addition to this the form E-DV application is also in English language.

The instructions in the DV green card lottery include details like the eligibility criteria, submission of the forms, the photos needed, selection of winners and their announcement, the beginning of the program, the end dates and various other necessary things you need to know for applying to the lottery. The instructions should be adhered to completely to enable the immigrants to be selected for the American visas.

Those looking to apply can register with USA green card by going to MyUsGreenCard.com and reading all the details and requirements. From the DV2005 Lottery program the Department of State has made the visa process easier by incorporating electronic registration system. This has enabled the whole process to be conducted securely as well as efficiently.

People who are staying in the United States can enter the DV Lottery if they are eligible. In case of selection the entrant should inform the USCIS office to convert their current status to the American LPR.

Any fraudulent cases can easily be identified like those applying multiple entries or cases of illegal immigration. The electronic processing system has made this screening out of unwanted and fraudulent visa applications easier.

There are also cases of fraudulent websites which pose as the Government websites demanding money for filling out the entry forms which is not usually done. Beware of such sites and also remember that the selected entrants are notified by postal service and not by e-mail. Further details that you should be aware of about such fraudulent cases are available in the Department of State warning and also in the Federal Trade Commission warning.

The results of the DV-2011 lottery are out. Here’s an important clarification that all applications need to be made aware of at the very outset. You will not receive any intimation via email, nor anything from us. The U.S Department of State Kentucky Consular Center (KCC) dispatches an official letter by regular postal mail to the mailing address provided by you in your application. And yes, selection does not guarantee an entry into the U.S, there is a due process which includes application and qualifying for an immigrant visa.

You can check the number of selected winners by country on our results page. If you could not make it for DV-2011, keep your fingers crossed for DV-2012, the applications for which will begin in October this year.

If you have already received the letter you would have noticed that it came with information on the documentation work required and application fees for the immigrant visa.

Interviews for the DV-2011will commence in October 2010. The Kentucky Consular Center (KCC) will dispatch an appointment letter to overseas applicants four to six weeks before the scheduled interview. Keep in mind that at no point in time will the KCC demand money through any means of transfer such as check or Western Union. The DV-2011 visas will be issued over the period October 01, 2010 – September 30, 2011.

Knowing the worst U.S. cities is one of the best ways to make sure you don’t move to one when you first come to America. There are plenty of ways to measure how successful a city is. Economic growth or economic losses, housing levels, green space, and crime are just a few.

The list below is of the 20 most dangerous US cities, calculated by measuring how much major crime there is relative to the number of people who live there. Specifically, this list uses the highest crime rates for six major crimes (murder, assault, robbery, rape, auto theft, and burglary).

By learning which cities are dangerous, you can help discern the worst cities America has in a more general sense. For example, if crime is high, that indicates that people are desperate for money, which suggests that unemployment is high as well. If unemployment is high, then cities do not have a lot of tax revenue coming in, so there is likely to be less green space and parks. Less green space and parks means that property values will not be as high, so neighborhoods may have challenges keeping quality housing around.

The different aspects that define the worst US cities are all interconnected. The following list measures crime, and that in itself is enough reason to try and move other places, but keep in mind that high crime is a sign of other troubles, too, so make sure to research other aspects of a city before moving your family there, even if crime doesn’t bother you.

Here are the top 10 most dangerous US cities:

1. St. Louis, Missouri.

2. Detroit, Michigan.

3. Flint, Michigan.

4. Compton, California.

5. Camden, New Jersey.

6. Birmingham, Alabama.

7. Cleveland, Ohio.

8. Oakland, California.

9. Youngstown, Ohio.

10. Gary, Indiana.

Interestingly, six of the ten worst cities America has (at least in terms of crime) can be found in the Midwest. In contrast, many of the safest U.S. cities are found on the east coast and the southwest. Economic trends travel differently through different areas of the nation, but the Midwest has a long history of major employment through industry (big factories) and small farms. As industry moves overseas and small farms are priced out by large agribusinesses, the Midwest sees significant job losses that contribute to crime levels in its cities.

How To Avoid The Worst U.S. Cities

If you’re planning to move to the United States and want to make sure you choose a good new home for yourself and your family, do some research about cities first. Compare housing prices to see how strong the economy is (cheaper housing is easier to buy but may indicate financial trouble). Ask friends or family who have already come over where to move in the U.S., based on their experience. Research online to see if a city’s population is growing or declining, as that may also indicate its health.