Thursday, September 10, 2009

US Student Visa Numbers Reach a Record High as of 2007

According to sources, one of the best ways by which to understand and know what the United States is all about, is to study there. As of 2007, there were over 600,000 student visas for foreign exchange students which were issued by the United States Department of State. This number is said to be the result of over 10% of growth as compared to the previous year.

One of the greatest concerns of the nation after the 2001 terrorist attacks, termed as 9/11, was the sudden decrease in the number of student visa and other visa applications. However, with these new 2007 student visa statistics, it has proven the success of the efforts of the US government to attract foreign students, according to Maura Harty, US Assistant Secretary of State for Consular Affairs.

How important is the influx of foreign students to the United States? The benefits are not only reflected on the US, but on the home countries of these students as well, said Harty. The exposure of these foreign students to American culture not only promotes awareness and understanding, but it can also help form international alliances as well. As a matter of fact, as presented by the State Department, there are over 200 alumni foreign exchange students who have studied in the US that are now leaders in their respective countries. Examples of which are: United Nations Secretary General Kofi Annan, and the presidents of the Philippines, Indonesia, and Bangladesh, to name a few.

What is needed by a foreign student who wishes to study in the United States and apply for a student visa? Maura Harty explains that there are three minimum requirements which the Department of State asks. First, the foreign student should present evidence that they have been accepted and are enrolled in any college or university in the United States.

Second, the foreign student must possess enough funds to show that he or she has the capacity to pay for their first year in the said college or university. And finally, it is required of the student to express the intent of returning to their home country after completing their United States educations. Why is this so? Harty says that they wish for these students to be able to apply what they learned so they can help improve their way of life at home. Along with the privilege to study, students with visas are eligible for work, as well as filing for application for scholarships.

Tuesday, September 8, 2009

Green Card Employment

To qualify as an immigrant of the United States the foreign must have been given permission to work and live in the United States. A permanent resident is a non US citizen but a green card holder who has been authorized to live and work permanently in the United States. A foreigner that has permanent employment in the United States can be sponsored by a reputable law firm or his company for a permanent residency in the United States. The employer can sponsor the foreigner even if the foreigner is not currently working in the establishment. Most times the foreigner is already working for the employer on other kinds of non immigrant work visas.

Categories of eligible people
There are various categories of people which are considered for employment based green card based on different conditions:
Spouses and minor children of preference of the applicant for employment based green card are eligible for lawful permanent residency if they are accompanying the applicant.
People with extraordinary ability or outstanding professors and researchers are persons that may also qualify for employment based green card. These are referred to as priority workers
Professionals with advanced degrees or persons with exceptional abilities, advanced degree professionals, and medical experts take about 28.6% of the worldwide employment based preference level.
Most people from over subscribed countries like China and India find it easier to apply under this category. Skilled and unskilled workers are also qualified are also eligible to as well as a special category called ‘Special Immigrants‘. Special immigrants include religious workers and people who are serving as translators for the United States army.
Investors who are able to invest about $1,000,000 and create at least 10 new full time jobs and in some limited situations people who can invest $500,000 and create at least 5 new jobs in the USA may be acceptable. Every year 140,000 applicants are awarded a green card which is employment based. Each country is limited to quota of 7% of the 140, 000 green cards awarded.

Application process
1.The employers establish the foreigner qualifies for lawful permanent residency.
2.Some employment categories require a labor certification from the Department of labor .
3.The department of State must offer the applicant an immigrant visa number. It is only given when the priority date is current.
4.An applicant that ha the immigrant visa number can either apply for adjustments of status if he is currently in the united states or consular processing if outside the United States.
There are many benefits associated with getting a green card but it comes at a price which is, the restrictions on the person to retain the green card.

Get a Job in the United States.

Here’s an opportunity for you to move along with the rest of the world in terms of career. With last year over, the New Year promises to be great especially if you have a good job that supports you. This article will keep you well informed with 10 of U.S’ most sought after Jobs for 2005. A wide range of job opportunities in different sectors are available for foreigners wishing to earn a living in the United States. The desire to employ individuals to work in the health and computing world has been on the increase, and research reveals that such sectors will continue to seek for more staff until 2012. Interesting enough, an array of opportunities abounds in just these two sectors. So, why keep waiting, hurry and start training in the field that appeals most to you.

In the health sector, you could elect to take up any of these positions: Physical Therapist Assistant, Physical Therapist Aide, Medical Records & Health Information Technician, Home Health Aide, Physician Assistant and Social and Human Service Assistants among others. Let’s briefly take a look the details concerning some of these jobs. As a Physical Therapist Assistant, you would start earning from $27,500 annually. To qualify for this position however, you will need to present at least an Associate degree. The duties of a Physical Therapist Assistant are centered on providing patients with medical therapy and treatments. For those interested in spending little time training, the position of Physical Therapist Aides is the one to choose. You will be required to prepare patients for therapy treatment. This job’s salary scale is between $19,710 & $27,380.

Another field that requires a short period of training is the Home Health Aide. Although, with salary considered to be relatively low, your responsibilities centers around helping others by providing everyday health care like bathing, grooming, etc. To be a Physician Assistant, you will need to hold a Bachelor’s degree in addition to an in-service training in the related discipline. This medical position, which has a high forecasted growth rate, earns its holders an average startup salary of $41,820, and could increase depending on your experience. The Social and Human Service Assistant job opportunity is most suitable for those who enjoy good working relations with the public. The responsibilities involved here include providing counseling for both health care professionals and their clients.

With a moderate job-related training, be sure to collect between $19,700 and $27,380 each year. Aside these, you could find more opportunities in the medical field that suit your qualification. Consider taking up the job of Network Systems and Data Communications Analysts in the computer world. Simply equip yourself with at least a Bachelor’s degree plus practical work experience and start earning a startup pay scale of $41,820.

A very juicy package that attracts anyone who is ready to shoulder the responsibility of keeping the Internet online at all times. In addition to that, you will create network your home or office in order to keep clients well informed with information. This job has an estimated 57% growth rate over the next few years. The Computer Software Engineer and the System Software & Application are other job opportunities to explore in the computer world. Think through the wide selection of options available before taking your final decisions.

Permanent green card

The green card is a jackpot for millions of people around the world. It permits immigrants from various countries of the world to live and work permanently in the United States of America. The green card can be obtained in many ways. Understanding how to obtain the green card is the solution to starting a new life in the US.

Marrying a US citizen
Being married to a US citizen is a fairly straightforward way to obtain the green card. The husband or wife (depending on who is the foreigner) will file for a petition after which the INS will investigate the authenticity of the application. Finally the immigration officers will interview the spouse and if he or she is able to convince the immigration officer then the green card will be approved.

Having a permanent job in the US
This is a multi process and laborious process of obtaining the green card to secure a permanent residence in the US. The process takes about 18months or even longer to complete. It requires the employer to first file for a labor certification. The job being employed for has to be a job that is economically sound and the applicant is irreplaceable. After scaling through this hurdle the employer has to fill the I - 140 Form together with the labor certificate and submit to the INS. The last step of the process would involve the adjustment of status if the foreigner is in the US or filing for permanent residence if the applicant is outside the US.

The Diversity Visa Lottery
Each year the US grants about 50,000 immigrants chosen at random in a lottery a green card. Only high school graduates or people with at least 2 years working experience are qualified. All that is required is to your basic information and a photograph submitted to the relevant body during the lottery period and if you are lucky then bingo! You have won the green card for permanent residency. It is obviously the simplest way to become a United States citizen without having to pass through the long route. Whatever the case, students will find the self-assessment for the eligibility exercise very beneficial because it would serve as a basis for choosing the appropriate government student loan.

Immigration Green Card

Not so many will doubt the difficulty that non U.S. citizens face in acquiring a green card. This may not be unconnected with the high rate of illegal entry and residence of individuals in the country. Although, it is more expensive and time consuming to complete the process necessary for non-citizens to naturalize, it is however easier compared to gaining entry into the U.S. the common items required of visitors into the U.S. like tourists, medical patients, students, and business executives among others are a photo ID card or a birth certificate, a valid national passport and an entry visa if applicable. A stamp on a passport document grants permission to anyone entering a foreign country. In other words, a visa document simply shows that an individual has the permission to legally enter an alien country. The costs of obtaining a border crossing card, a passport, and a non-immigrant visa totals sums up to $300.

Two types of visa exist: immigrant and nonimmigrant. While a non-immigrant visa is described above, an immigrant visa is presented by non-citizens who wish to live and work in the United States. The non-immigrant visa, widely known as the green card, used to be called the Alien Registration Receipt Card until it was recently renamed the Permanent Resident Card. The green card, which used to be green, now has only green printing behind it but generally white in color. Valid for only 10 years, holders of this green card must always carry it along with them because it serves as an ID card. Either a relative of a non-citizen or an employer of such an individual must officially request the issuance of a green card to an applicant. The Citizenship and Immigration Service laws allow non-citizens into the country.

This qualifies the individual as a legal employee and permanent resident within the U.S. Note that either of the relative or employee petitioner must be a U.S. citizen. The processes of visa acquisition are involved. First, the Immigration Service approves the request from the employer or relative upon reviewing all necessary documents. Thereafter, it sends the certified documents to the National Visa Center where a visa number is given. Petitions take long before numbers are awarded because not many visa numbers are usually available each year. The last process entails sending such requests to the U.S embassy or consulate in the non-citizen’s native city or country. These 3 processes are not as easy as they seem because the time, resources and paperwork involved make it difficult and frustrating.