Sometimes it’s obvious. Maybe you were involved in a car accident and the insurance company is denying coverage. Maybe your dog bit a neighbor’s child. Perhaps you, heaven forbid, were arrested driving under the influence! There’s an old saying that if you represent yourself, you have a “fool for a client”. But how do you know?
You should first consider “what’s at stake?” Are your finances or liberties in serious jeopardy? Many situations, both good and bad, mandate that you obtain a lawyer’s advice to protect legal rights and financial interests. Good legal advice helps you comply with and steer through the complex mazes of governmental rules and regulations.
Ultimately, you will rest easier after consulting with an experienced lawyer for important undertakings such as tax and estate planning, drafting wills and trusts, negotiating business deals and even pursuing personal family matters such as adopting children.

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But despite potentially prohibitive costs and some initial apprehension about privacy, for many immigrants, the prospect of a speedier application approval trumps all other considerations. The experience of a recent DNA test customer provides an ideal example of DNA immigration testing in action. In July 2005 Edilberto and Brenda Bollozos were shocked by news from the American Embassy in Manila that their sons’ visa applications had been denied. The notice recommended DNA testing as a means of officially gathering the necessary evidence.

The couple decided to use a DNA testing company. “We just called the 800 number, answered a few questions and set up an appointment,” recalls Mr. Bollozos. Within a few days, a DNA collection specialist was in their home, guiding them through the specimen gathering and documentation process. “They were very friendly and helpful, and the whole process was actually extremely easy.”

Meanwhile, the company coordinated the collection of the boys’ genetic specimens with the American embassy in the Philippines. The couple was told to expect a few weeks for test results to be gathered and processed by the US government. It was on a morning in late July that the official word arrived from the U.S. embassy in Manila: the visas had been granted.

“We were so happy,” Eddie explained. “We couldn’t wait for the boys to come over, so we bought tickets and flew to the Philippines to meet them.” There, the Bollozos family spent more than a month together, before the four of them departed for the United States, and the boys’ new Hayward, California home.

While the stringency of DNA testing guidelines can be superficially intimidating to potential applicants like the Bollozos family, visa seekers are quickly attracted to the U.S. policy that requires expedited processing of blood relationship cases involving DNA paternity testing or other relationship testing, effectively simplifying and shortening the pathway to attaining a visa.

Naturally, the details of the process and its scientific roots are the last thing on the mind of individuals like Eddie Bollozos. His enthusiasm for the incalculable aid DNA testing provided to help unite his family is impossible to deny. “It’s wonderful,” Bollozos says. “My sons are finally able to share my love of this land.”

David Nicholson owns and runs DNA Worldwide one of the leading online DNA testing sompanies in the UK. He has been working within the insurance industry for over 5 years and has thousands of satisfied customers worldwide. DNA Worldwide provides DNA Testing services.

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Prior to the passage of the Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act of 1996, “deportation” was the legal process of removing a foreign national already in the United States from the United States. “Exclusion” was the prevention of a foreign national from entering the United States. After the Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act, these two processes, exclusion and deportation, became “removal” proceedings. Anyone who is not a United States citizen is eligible to be put through removal proceedings.

There are two main types of permits to live in the United States, permanent resident and non-permanent resident. Permanent residents are issued Green Cards while non-permanent residents are given visas. Visas have more restrictions on them and expire after the purpose for which the individual needed the visa is no longer there.

Visa Holders: Denial of Entry

Visa holders should be prepared to prove whenever attempting to enter the United States that they are entering the United States for permissible reasons. Non-permanent residents need to be able to show that they intend to leave in accordance with the terms of their visa. This means that if an individual is granted a student visa, he or she should plan on leaving when their purpose is complete.

Even after being granted a visa, when an individual approaches the border, he or she can still be deemed “inadmissible”. If this happens, any individual is expected to depart.

Visa Holders: Deportation

Non-permanent residents are most-frequently deported because they have entered the United States without the correct inspection documents or valid entry documents. The second most common reason for deportation of non-permanent residents involves individuals who entered the United States with a visa and then overstayed their visa.

Green Card Holders: Denial of Entry

Lawful permanent residents who have been outside of the United States for an extended period of time need to be prepared to show that they have intended to return to the United States since the second they left. If not, the green card holder may be denied entry.

Green Card Holders: Deportation

The most common reason for removal proceedings concerning individuals with permanent resident status is that they have committed a serious crime. Some people do not realize they are open to a removal proceeding until they apply for citizenship and a background check is performed as part of the naturalization process.

When an individual realizes they are open to a removal proceeding, withdrawing an application for citizenship will not prevent an individual from being deported if the person has already had removal proceedings started against him or her.

If you would like more information concerning deportation or immigration, please visit http://criminalandimmigrationlawyer.com/deportation.html. If you have any questions, their team will be more than happy to answer them for you.

Joseph Devine

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A large concern when hiring immigration law attorneys is their ability to stay current on the latest immigration policies. Immigration law changes frequently, often becoming more complex. An attorney needs to stay up to date on these changes to ensure that when fighting your case, they are representing you with full knowledge of immigration law. Thus, when looking for an immigration attorney, it is best to research whether the firm keeps a track record of immigration law changes as proof that they can maximize effective representation of their clients. Also look to see if the firm has membership in the American Immigration Lawyers Association, as that is often a good sign that the firm keeps up to date with the latest changes in immigration law.

When deciding which immigration law attorney to hire, look for a successful track record in the specific area of immigration law in which you need legal assistance. This may include deportation or detention, employment-based visa petitions, family-based immigrant visas, or other special immigration petitions or projects. Choose a law firm that is well-known for winning cases in that particular aspect of immigration law.

For more information on choosing the best immigration law firm to hire, visit Manchanda-law.com or call 886-761-5308. You can also schedule a consultation with an immigration law attorney through the website.

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There are about 4 ways for an ordinary person to gain permanent residency. They are through employment, family, asylum and diversity. Asylum is a way of seeking refuge in the US when one flees persecution in their home country. Diversity is a lottery given to nationals of those countries from where do we not have enough nationals immigrate. Each country has a quota for US immigration, and when some nations dont use that quota by the other 3 means, the CIS gives their nationals a lottery to ensure diversity in the US. This article will deal only with the first two means in details.

Immigration through Employment

The rationale behind this type of immigration is that there is a shortage of American workers in the US, and therefore we need skilled foreign workers.

The non immigrant visa is a quicker way to come to the US, since it takes a few months (as opposed to years) to process. The typical non immigrant visa for visit purposes is B. The non immigrant visas where employers sponsor for immigrants are H-1B, H-2, H-3, J-1, L-1, L-2, O, P and treaty visas like H1B1 (Singapore, Chile), E-3 (Australia), E-1 and E-2 (various countries, with the notable exception of India). For a detailed description see visas section of this web site.

Immigrant visas take years depending on where the alien or her spouse is born. There are five preference categories, the higher the category, the faster the process. They are:

First Preference-Extraordinary Ability, outstanding Professors and Researchers (with at least a PhD and some publications), and L-1A managers. This is a two step process (I-140 and I-485)

Second Preference- (a) Advanced Degree holders—Masters, or Bachelors plus 5 years progressive experience, (b) National Interest Waivers (People with exceptional ability). Note that the experience has to be obtained before working with the petitioning employer and after obtaining the Bachelor’s Degree. This is a three step process (Labor certification, I-140 and I-485)

Third Preference-Holders of four years Bachelors Degree or equivalent in education and experience; Skilled workers (holding at least 2 years experience). This is a three step process (Labor certification, I-140 and I-485)

Fourth Preference-Special Immigrants like Religious workers

Fifth Preference-Employment Creation – for Investors

Immigration through Family

United States Citizens and Permanent Residents can sponsor immediate relatives. The rationale behind this is family unity. Usually preference is given by family relationships—-spouse and minor children, unmarried adult children, married adult children and brothers and sisters. Permanent residents (green card holders) can only sponsor their spouses and unmarried children. Again, the higher the preference, the faster the process takes.

For more information please visit http://www.visatous.com

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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.

Spouses and children can submit an application for temporary work visa if you have job offer from United States employer. You can also apply if you are skilled in a field that is in demand in United States. You can also get temporary work visa if you want to work for a particular event such as tournaments, shows or for other professional reasons, if you are a student having good academic record and interested in gaining work experience in USA.

People who want to enter United States for performing nursing services for a maximum of 3 years should apply for H1C visa. Agricultural workers who want to work for a limited period should apply for H2B visa.

People wanting to work as trainees should posses H3 visa before entering United States of America. Applicants who have extraordinary achievements in arts, athletics, education or business should apply for O1 visa. People who accompany O1 visa holders to assist them in their performance should apply for O2 visa.

Athletes who are internationally recognized and want to perform in United States should apply for P1 visa. Q1 visa are given to people who participate in a cultural exchange program for sharing culture and history and providing employment and training. Entertainers or artists who are going to give performance under reciprocal exchange program should apply for P2 visas.

Allan Wilson owns and operates http://www.immigration-visa-assistance.com/ where you can learn about work visas Immigration Assistance

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There are many types of employment visas for those who are trying to enter the United States. These include visas for investors, advanced degree holders, and people with extraordinary abilities, professors, researchers, skilled workers and religious workers. If you are truly eligible, the relative can file a petition which must be approved by the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). This is followed by getting the immigrant visa number whether you are already within the US or outside. If outside one must go to the US Consulate to complete the process.

The non immigrant visa is a faster method to enter the US as the process takes just a few months. The non immigrant visas where employers sponsor for immigrants are H-1B, H-2, H-3, J-1, L-1, L-2, O, P, including treaty visas.

The author of this article is John Kessel of Managed Outsource Solutions , a US based company that offers services in Immigration Paperwork and Legal Transcription for clients across the US.

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Your need for a Canada immigration passport is basically determined by your mode of travel. If you are traveling by air, then here is what you should take note of. A visa is not required for Canadians who want to visit the United States by air. However, citizens traveling by road are required to have a Canada immigration passport. This requirement was made effective starting last January 23, 2007. This was the time when the WHTI took effect. WHTI stands for Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative. If you intend to enter the US by air but do not have a valid passport, you can still enter but you have to present a NEXUS card.

If you are traveling by sea or land, then a Canada immigration passport is not required. This rule will change however starting June 1, 2009. By then, whether you travel to the United States by water, land, or air, you will be required to present a Canada immigration passport. For now though, all you need is a photo ID that has been issued by the Government of Canada. Examples of this include driver’s license, identity card, birth certificate and others. Along with the ID you also need to present your birth certificate or your citizenship card. Even though not required, you can still present your valid Canada immigration passport if you do not have the photo ID, citizenship card, or birth certificate. A valid Canada immigration passport will still gain you entry into the US.

Canadian citizens from 15 years of age and below will not be required to present a Canada immigration passport when traveling to the US. Minors will only be required to present proof of their citizenship. Also, Canadian citizens that are 18 years old and younger may present proof of citizenship only when traveling in a group with an approved supervision of an adult. On the other hand, Canadian business visitors, investors and treaty traders, professionals and intra-company transferees are required to have TN visas instead of a Canada immigration passport. The TN visa will allow them to work in the United States. A citizen of a country under NAFTA (North American Free Trade Agreement) can have a professional occupation in another country that is under NAFTA, as long as the citizen applying for job in the foreign country meets the TN visa requirements. TN visas are valid for one year but are renewable indefinitely with yearly increments.

To summarize, the requirement for Canadians to travel to the US by air is only having a valid Canada immigration passport. However, if you think that your Canada immigration passport is not enough and you are still in doubt whether you will be granted entry, then go ahead and apply for a visa. Keep in mind there are different types of United States visas. Examples of the visa categories that are obligated to have a non-immigrant visa are Foreign Government Officials (A), NATO officials, and Employees and Officials of international organizations (G). Treaty traders (E-1), and Treaty investors (E-2). Essentially, any Canadian and non-Canadian citizen working and visiting the United States is required to have a non-immigrant visa as well. So, if you are a Canadian citizen looking to enter and work in the US, you will need a TN visa, not just a Canada Immigration passport.

About the Author:

As President of International Legal Counsel, LLC, a Law Firm located in South Florida, Attorney Sonia M. Munoz guides foreign nationals through immigration to the United States. Visit their website to learn what to look for when choosing a good lawyer that specializes in Immigration in the United States.

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If an individual is granted asylum, that person will be able to live and to work in the United States. After one year, the asylum seeker is eligible to apply for permanent resident status. Under the current immigration laws, there is no maximum on the number of people who may be granted asylum in the United States each year. However, there is a limit on how many asylum seekers can adjust their status to permanent resident each year. Under the immigration reform measures of 1995, this number was increased from 5,000 to 10,000 people each year.

Approved asylum seekers must reside in the United States for at least one full year in order to apply for adjustment to lawful permanent resident status. One year of the asylum seeker’s residence period prior to adjustment is counted toward the naturalization residency requirement.

Asylum status and refugee status are very similar. The main difference between the two is the location of the person who seeks either refugee or asylum status. Asylum seekers are already in the United States while refugee status seekers are outside of the United States at the time of their request. All people who seek asylum must meet the definition of a refugee.

To have asylum status granted, there are a couple of procedures that must be followed. For starters, an asylum seeker must ask for asylum in the correct manner. The best way to seek asylum is by asking for it when entering the country through any port-of-entry (airport, border crossing, seaport). If that doesn’t happen, the majority of people have a year to file a request for asylum within one year of entering the United States.

It is possible to apply for asylum after one year has passed since entry if the conditions in the person’s country of origin have changed. This can be due to a coup d’état or other political situation in a country. In addition, if a person’s personal circumstances have changed, he or she may be eligible to seek asylum even after one year is up.

It is important to note that a person can apply for asylum status regardless of his or her immigration status. This means that if a person is even in the United States illegally, he or she can come forward and apply for asylum. Regardless of how lenient this is, the person must still meet the definition of a refugee to be awarded asylum.

For more information concerning asylum and other immigration issues, please visit http://criminalandimmigrationlawyer.com/articles.html

Joseph Devine
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The goal of this redesigned exam was to produce a test that would ensure that naturalization applicants have uniform, consistent testing experiences nationwide, and that the civics test can effectively assess whether applicants have a meaningful understanding of U.S. government and history.

The USCIS initially piloted a new exam-with an overhauled English reading and writing section, as well as new history and government questions-in ten sites across the country. The final redesigned exam was introduced to the general public on September 27, 2007. Before USCIS included a question/answer item on the final exam, it was analyzed for its cognitive and linguistic characteristics, and to see if it met one or more of the following criteria:

1. Does the item involve critical thinking about government or history?

2. Does the item offer an inferred or implicit concept of government, history, or other areas?

3. Does the item provide a geographical context for a historical or current event?

4. Does the item help the applicant better utilize the system? Is it useful in their daily lives?

5. Does the item help the applicant better understand and relate to our shared history?

The USCIS claims that many items added to the exam either directly or indirectly help applicants learn more about their rights and responsibilities. So, the new naturalization exam covers 40 content areas, including geography, instead of the previous 23. In addition, the reading and writing portion of the test are now more civic-focused as well.

What this all means to most applicants wanting to apply for U.S. Citizenship is that the exam will be more difficult and confusing. Currently, most of the questions on the exams are questions of fact where there is usually one correct answer. On the new version, there will be conceptual questions such as “What is the ‘rule of law’?” and “What is the economic system in the United States?” and “What stops one branch of government from becoming too powerful?” Oftentimes, there will be more than one “right” answer and the individual must really understand the concept of the question in order to answer it. For example, a question such as “What are two ways that Americans can participate in their democracy?” can have numerous answers, including but not limited to: vote, join a political party, join a community group, run for office, write to a newspaper, call Senators and Representatives, and help with a campaign. In addition, the expanded geography section will ask applicants to name rivers, oceans and countries bordering (or within) the United States, as well as U.S. states that border countries such as Canada and Mexico.

Anyone who files an N-400 Application for Naturalization on or after October 1, 2008 will be taking this new redesigned exam. Questions from the current and redesigned Naturalization exam are posted on the USCIS website (www.uscis.gov) in addition to study materials. The overall format has not changed, only the content. Legal immigrants who are eligible to become citizens must pass the civics exam as well as a test of English proficiency in reading and writing. In a one-on-one oral examination, an immigration officer asks the applicant 10 civics questions of varying degrees of difficulty selected from the list of 100. To pass, the applicant must answer 6 of those 10 questions correctly.

If, however, someone files for Naturalization before October 1, 2008 but has the naturalization interview after October 1, 2008, the applicant will have the option of taking the new exam or the current one. In addition, applicants who are 65 year old or older and have been a legal permanent resident for 20 years or more, they may just study the easier questions marked with an asterisk (*).

If you think you are eligible to apply for Naturalization, seek the advice of an experienced immigration attorney and apply before October 1, 2008. Many experienced immigration attorneys provide free consultations and are aware of the many dangerous consequences of applying for naturalization if you do not qualify.

By Los Angeles Immigration Attorneys Nikki Mehrpoo Jacobson & Susan S. Han
Jacobson & Han LLP, Immigration Attorneys
FREE IMMIGRATION CONSULTATIONS
http://www.GreenCard4You.com
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Citizen:

A citizen is someone who hold citizenship, which is defined as state wherein a person holds membership in a political community and whose rights, social and political, are defended by the country where they maintain citizenship. A citizen has political rights, such as voting, whereas a non-citizen does not. While similar to the term ‘nationality;’ citizenship differs because you can have a nationality with having citizenship (this means you are subject to the laws of the country of your nationality, but have no political participation rights). It is also possible to have political rights without being the national of a state as long as you are a citizen.

Native-born citizen:

A native-born citizen is a citizen who was born in their country of citizenship. If a person is born in any country, they are automatically given fully legal citizenship at the moment of birth. A person is considered to be a citizen at birth if they’re jus soli, or born in the country in a certain place, even with non-native parents. They are also considered a citizen at birth via jus sanguinis, which is descent from a citizen of the country in which they were born. Either of these factors or a combination of both constitutes natural citizenship. If a person is both born in the country of citizenship to citizens of that country, they are considered a native-born-citizen. Both positions have all the same legal rights in a country; they’re simply different ways of categorizing people.

Naturalized citizen:

A naturalized citizen is a person who chooses to voluntarily apply for citizenship (and gets it) in a country that is not their place of origin. People who apply for naturalization run the gamut from immigrant workers to refugees and aliens. Usually a person must meet certain requirements before becoming a naturalized citizen.

Dual citizen:

A dual citizen is a person who holds citizenship in two countries. An example might be if a child was born to Costa Rican parents in the US. They would hold not only US citizenship, but Costa Rican citizenship as well. Another example would be if a child was born to an American parent and a Costa Rican parent in Costa Rica. The child would be a Costa Rican citizen, but could apply for naturalization in the US. Keep in mind that some countries, like the US and Cuba, don’t allow dual citizenship due to unresolved political disputes.

Alien:

Legally, an alien is anyone who is not a natural or native citizen of the country in which they live or work. Legal aliens are those allowed to stay in a country if they meet a specific set of criteria; a resident alien is one who has a permanent or temporary living space; a non-resident alien is what anyone is considered if they legally visit another country other than their own; In law, an alien is a person who is not a native or naturalized citizen of the land where they are found; an illegal alien is a citizen of one country who resides illegally in another country; an enemy alien is a person designated an enemy of the country they’re in on.

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Here are some common terms for people who are pursuing action under US immigration law. These are some definitions of common terms that crop up in the everyday, though most people have only a vague idea about what they actually mean; here is a chance to find out. myabogado.com

Immigration forms are prepared in accordance with the immigration laws active at that particular moment. The purpose of these immigration forms is to obtain all the necessary information of the person, who files for immigration. The immigration forms feature detailed questions about each aspect of the person. Apart from the personal information, the immigration form has questions meant to find out the moral conduct of a person as well. These immigration forms help to determine whether or not the person is able to satisfy the eligibilities prescribed by the country.

All of the immigration forms comprise of a set of forms. To detail each function, there are separate immigration forms such as affidavit form, change of address forms, biographic information form and other. These immigration forms are usually numbered for the sake of convenience since there are so many of them. The immigration forms are also available in a couple of languages such as English, Spanish, Chinese, Russian, or Vietnamese. The completed immigration forms then have to be submitted to the office of immigration with the prescribed fees.

Immigration forms are available directly or through mail from the office of immigration or local councils. The immigration forms are also sent according to the request through the toll free numbers. And of course nowadays immigration forms can also be downloaded from the Internet. However, the reliability of the sites has to be cross checked because the immigration forms are frequently revised. Some countries such as the US for example, permit online filing of forms, called e-filing in which the forms can be submitted online with fee payment through credit card.

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For more resources about Immigration Forms or about Immigration Reform or even about US Immigration please review these web pages.