October 6th, 2012 
The much prized and the much sought after Green Card of the US, offered by the United States Citizenship & immigration Services (the USCIC), enables the proud holders to do several things, and enjoy many rights in their capacities as the permanent residents of the US. However–along with the rights– the holders also have certain obligations to perform, to justify their status as permanent residents of the US.
February 12th, 2013 
Becoming the citizens of the United States is what many people from all around the world dream about. This is because the country provides a lot of jobs and opportunities. Getting a better education is also one of the main reasons why people decide to live in the U.S. In order to become United States citizens, immigrants are required to get a green card. The following paragraphs talk about some ways you can take to get such a card.
Even though there are many ways to get a green card, still many people ask how it actually is to get the card. It should not be denied that the processes are not easy to complete but they depend more on your situation. You may find it hard, but if you know your options, things can become easier.
One of the effective ways is to get an employer from the United States. If you are skillful on a certain field and you have a legitimate certificate for that field, you will not encounter any serious problem in finding a direct employer. Just try to contact the employer and you may get a job. As stated before, jobs are easier to find in the country as compared to other countries in this world.
The green card lottery is considered as the easiest way to get a green card. This is a program conducted by the U.S. Department of State. You know, more than fifty thousand visas are given to immigrants from foreign countries every year. You can try your luck. If you win the lottery, you can expect many advantages. You will be like a green card holder. You will be allowed to enjoy educational and health benefits, have more job opportunities and so on.
If you have relatives who are United States citizens, you can gain a green card faster and easier. Your relative can be your spouse, step child, adopted child, or step parent. However, your relative must pass through some interviews.
The approval process of your green card application may take some time to complete. It can be years or rejected if you make mistakes when filling the form. It can be finished in a short amount of time if you provide the necessary information correctly. So, when filling the form, you need to make sure that you fill it correctly. This way, you can enjoy the benefits of becoming a U.S. citizen faster.
November 9th, 2012 On April 1, 1997 Congress changed the immigration law to punish foreign-born individuals who decide to stay in the country without documentation, such as a visa, green card, or other forms of permission to legally stay in the country. The penalty that Congress created to punish this sin is known as the three and ten year bars. The penalty is imposed based on the amount of continuous unlawful presence a foreign individual manages to accumulate in the United States. For instance, if a person accumulates more than six months of continuous unlawful presence in the country, that person can be barred from returning to the United States for a total of three years. If the unlawful presence is for twelve or more continuous months, that person can be barred from returning to the country for a total of ten years.
It’s important to know, however, that this time bar does not apply to everyone who has lived in the United States unlawfully. The three and ten year bars only apply to a person who first was in the United States and who entered with or without inspection, leaves to travel oversees voluntarily for any reason, and is attempting to return to the country to take advantage of a possible change in his/her immigration status.
While it does not apply to individuals who are already in the United States lawfully or who entered with inspection and are the immediate relatives of a U.S. citizen because of the availability of the adjustment of status procedure, for individuals who entered the country without inspection, despite already being here with no need to leave, to get their green cards, they must leave the country and apply for their immigrant visa while overseas through a U.S consulate because they are not eligible to take advantage of the adjustment of status procedure under current immigration law. In other words, the 3- and 10-year bars do not take effect if the person never leaves the United States after accruing the six to twelve months of unlawful presence; however, if that person decides to remain in the country and is unable to adjust his/her status, that person cannot become legalized under the current immigration law.
While certain waivers are available to some individuals who are not eligible to adjust their status while in the United States, such as the husband and wife of a U.S citizen, the child of a U.S. citizen, the child of a permanent resident, those waivers for the most part are extremely difficult to obtain. To successfully obtain a waiver, an eligible individual would have to convincingly demonstrate that if that person is deported, the U.S. spouse or parent would suffer extreme hardship. Under immigration law, this is a very tough burden to satisfy.
Nonetheless, if you are an individual who may be impacted by this provision in the immigration law, you should be aware of a few exceptions that might apply to you:
1. The accumulation of unlawful presence only apply after April 1, 1997, the date the law went into effect;
2. Unlawful presence when a person was a minor does not count to trigger the three and ten year bars;
3. The unlawful presence has to be continuous for either six or twelve months;
4. It does not apply to battered spouses and children if there is substantial connection between the unlawful presence and the abuse;
5. It does not apply to certain individuals with “bona fide” asylum applications pending unless the person was employed without authorization during that time;
6. It does not apply to lawful permanent residents seeking readmission to the country.
So, if you are residing in the United States and are eligible to adjust your status, it may not be in your best interest to leave the country under any circumstances to avoid being subjected to the three or ten year bars while you are oversees. You should stay here, file your application, and wait until your application is approved and you have your green card in your hands, then you can travel outside of the country with peace of mind. If you are residing in the United States unlawfully but are not eligible to adjust your status, your best option at this time would be to consult an immigration attorney to help you explore the possibility of you being able to return to the United States in the event that you were to leave to go through consular processing, or are unsuccessful with a waiver application.
November 9th, 2012 According to the latest figures made available by the Government of New Zealand, a historic number of people left the nation’s soils for Down Under (Australia) during the course of the last year. As many as 53,900 nationals of the Kiwi Land (New Zealand) decided to shift to Down Under in the year to August 2012. Nearly 13,900 people shifted in the opposite way even as that resulted in an overall loss of immigrants to Down Under in the year of 40,000–the biggest figure ever registered. A sizeable section of the immigrants, travelling in both the directions, consisted of the NZ citizens.
Covering only the month of August, 3,400 extra individuals shifted to Down Under (Australia) as compared to the other way round. The same compared to a total overall loss of 3,300 during the course of the last 7 months. The biggest ever total loss to Down Under was 4,300 during the month of February 2001. That took place just prior to a key amendment made in the qualification criteria for the NZ people. Sometime back, Wellington had a seasonally adjusted overall loss of 300 immigrants–akin to the regular overall deficit of 200 overseas people during the course of the past 7 months.
Meanwhile, an involved financial expert reportedly observed that it was near to the general overall deficit of 200 during the course of the past 7 months. He added post the months of May & June–during which outflows seemed to be easing–the figures of the previous two months show a reappearance of the movement.
He continued that despite the fact the yearly overall loss to Down Under of 39,956 happened to be a fresh landmark, that yearly deficit had been losing its steam during the course of the past 6 months. The same had swelled only gradually from 39,112 during February. Carrying on an overall trend that has gone on since the October 2011 year, the overall deficit of migrants in the August 2012 year for the Kiwi Land was 4,120. The historic loss to Down Under in the year was counterbalanced by overall gains of immigrants from the majority of other nations–spearheaded by Great Britain (5,400), the People’s Republic of China (5,200), besides India (5,100)
According to a press handout, inward and outward movement of the migrants during the past month were, by and large, in the age grouping of 15-34 even as in the said grouping, the Kiwi Land benefited by 2,500 extra immigrants. Further, during August 2012, 178,300 individuals arrived in New Zealand. It was 1% more than a year before.
In a related development, another concerned person was quoted as saying that more visitors from Down Under visited their relatives & friends last month, even as more people turned-up from the People’s Republic of China for holiday purposes. He added that more arrivals from Down Under & the People’s Republic of China during August 2012 propelled the visitor figures even higher, as compared to August 2011.
Showing a growth of 1% from the 191,000 visits made during August 2011, close to 193,500 NZ nationals made overseas visits during the month of August 2012. During the August 2012 year, the residents of the Kiwi Land left on 2.130 million out-of-the-country voyages, up 1% from the August 2011 year even while the most noteworthy raise was in the visits made to the US, and 14,500 individuals making the most of the positive exchange rate of currency.
Yet another concerned financial expert reportedly observed that although out-of-the-country guest arrivals had bounced back during the past month, the figures were basically unimpressive, vis-à-vis 1 year before. He added that the relatively soaring NZ dollar–coupled with weak international position–put pressure to remarkably discourage spending on tourism and negatively influenced the economic goings-on.
Ajay Sharma is an immigration expert who provides his valuable advice to people seeking immigration in countries like Canada, Denmark, USA, Australia and many others. With years of experience under his belt, he is the principal immigration consultant of ABHINAV.com, which is in business since 1994. Over the years, Abhinav has continually stood the test of time and has helped its clients in accomplishing their relocation dreams to foreign lands, successfully and smoothly.
November 8th, 2012 The immigration procedure necessitates much paperwork even as several rules and regulations have to be properly followed. In case you are shifting to, or filing a petition for a permit for–say Canada or the US–you will be required to fill-out many forms for immigration even as the entire procedure could be somewhat complex.
It is highly crucial to make certain that you fill-out the forms for immigration in an appropriate manner. In case there is something wrong with the paperwork, your petition for immigration or your permit may be refused or held-up remarkably, in the process, wrecking your overseas dreams, and disappointing you no end.
How to fill-out immigration forms for Canada, the US!
One of the most significant things to keep in mind while filling-out the immigration forms is that you require incorporating every piece of needed supporting paper. The petition could have a paper checklist which give details about everything which could be needed, even as what you require presenting will depend on the destination you which you could be filing a petition for, and also the kind of permit or immigration petition. In case you are not in a position to submit a paper/document with your petition, put forward a cover letter which informs the involved immigration about the missing document/ paper.
Strictly avoid leaving any vacant spaces on your forms–the reason being it could make the immigration official, who processes your petition, to feel that you have left out something unknowingly. You may write something, like not applicable, or NA, in a situation wherein the space is not valid in your specific case.
You must also have the reproductions of everything which you send across with your petition for immigration. This includes the petition for immigration. In a situation wherein the petition is lost, or something untoward occurs, you will be in a position to establish that you sent across it, in case you come-up with a reproduction of the slip for courier.
Role of registered/licensed immigration lawyers/attorneys
Getting a registered or licensed immigration attorney or lawyer evaluate your petition, prior to you send the same across, may also prove decisive and decide the fate of your application. Even as no one may really assure that your visa-petition would successfully make the cut, and help you get a visa, it’s a fact that registered/licensed immigration lawyers/attorneys have an edge over those who may not be registered or licensed. When one uses the qualified services of the registered or licensed lawyers/attorneys, the chances of getting an approval from the concerned immigration authorities remain rather high.
Ajay Sharma is an immigration expert who provides his valuable advice to people seeking immigration in countries like Canada, Denmark, USA, Australia and many others. With years of experience under his belt, he is the principal immigration consultant of ABHINAV.com, which is in business since 1994. Over the years, Abhinav has continually stood the test of time and has helped its clients in accomplishing their relocation dreams to foreign lands, successfully and smoothly.
November 7th, 2012 If you wish to study or work abroad, or marry and settle with someone in a foreign country then you would need the assistance of an immigration lawyer. There are many individuals who prefer to manage their immigration matters; however this might not be the best option if you are not well versed with the legal rules. To avoid any hassles and make sure that you enjoy a seamless immigration, you must look for a professional attorney.
Before you file your immigration case, you must first find an experienced attorney who knows the ins and outs of the legal proceedings. He will be able to guide you perfectly with matters such as filing the case papers and other important formalities that needs to be completed. There are a plethora of law schools in the country, and every year thousands of law students graduate from these institutes.
With more than 8000 immigration lawyers practicing in the United States alone, it can be really tough to find that one attorney who can make your immigration hassle free. Since all attorneys cannot be treated as equals, here are some important tips that can help you choose the right immigration lawyer for your specific requirements:
When choosing an immigration attorney for your migration requirements, it is important to first consider the fee structure of the professional. Most people get tempted to choose the least inexpensive attorney, however this is not always the right thing to do. This might save you some dollars, but it will not prove to be a wise decision in the long run. So, don’t hesitate from paying a little more for an experienced attorney as he will be able to take you through the process without any obstacles.
The professional fees of the attorneys greatly differ and there are basically two major ways of pricing – fixed or hourly. At times, a lawyer might provide you a mixed fee structure including both fixed and hourly rates. Before choosing a lawyer, you should carefully understand how you will be charged for that case.
Next important step to find a good immigration lawyer is to check whether the professional has ever been trained at the Board of Professional Responsibility. There are some people who falsely claim to have a valid license to practice migration law in the state. To be on the safer side, make sure you check with the American Bar Association and State Bar Association to see whether or not the lawyer is registered.
There are many sub categories under immigration law, such as family, asylum, deportation, employment, and so on. Hence, an important step to make sure that you choose the right professional is to find a lawyer that has years of experience in cases that are similar to yours. You must also make sure that professional you choose is a member of American Immigration Lawyers Association.
Finally, recommendations from friends and acquaintances can come handy when looking for an immigration lawyer as this can help you save a lot of time and money.