The Big Trip is looking for one adventurous, enthusiastic individual to spend 12 weeks travelling around the country. The job entails blogging about the experiences and being filmed for a string of US travel “webisodes”.

Explore the grand landscapes of the US

There might be a little competition, as the three-month gig comes with a cool $50,000 salary. Plus some fun tech toys, like a camera, laptop, a GPS, and more. Travel and health insurance are also covered.

Applicants should make a 60-90 second ‘video CV’ convincing judges of their absolute charm and overwhelming merits, along with filling out an online application containing some very unique questions.

And no, you don’t have to be a US national. Applicants must be able to speak, read and write in English, and should be able to work legally in the US. But if you’re without a US passport or green card and it’s clear you’re the indisputable shining star… the Chosen One… they’ll do what they can to help you obtain a US visa.

You can learn more at the Big Trip website.

Who knows – perhaps the most enthusiastic, bright-eyed host would be a foreign national who could represent the US from a fresh perspective!

Amy Winehouse gets US visa ban lift

She had previously been refused a US work visa for two years after being arrested for possession of cannabis and, not long after, for assaulting a fan.

Winehouse’s second album, ‘Back to Black’, was the second biggest selling album worldwide in 2008. She picked up five Grammy awards in the same year but had to accept the awards and perform her music via online video because of the work visa issues.

A source said: “She knows she has a huge fan base [in the US] and would love to boost her profile further and give something back to all the people who buy her records.”

Move to the UK for a dose of domestic bliss

Research shows that both men and women are more likely to move in with or marry their partner if he or she helps out with household chores – and UK men seem to have few qualms about chipping in around the house.

Researchers took a sample of 13,500 men and women aged 20 to 45 from 12 countries to compare, by nationality, how egalitarian partners are with housework.

The study showed that those from ‘more egalitarian’ countries are 20 to 50 percent more likely to be living with their partners.

Scandinavia topped the list for domestic equality, while the UK and US came in second and third. Australians scored last for pitching in with domestic duties.

British women came up as 8.5 percent more likely to live with their partner on average than Australian women.

The countries in the study ranked in this order for ‘relationship equality’: Norway, Sweden, Great Britain, United States, Northern Ireland, Netherlands, Ireland, Spain, New Zealand, Japan, Germany, Austria and Australia.

The lure of a domestically-trained partner makes as excellent a reason as any for restless Aussies and Europeans to move to the US or UK. 

The study was conducted by the Centre for Time Use Research at the University of Oxford and was funded by the Economic and Social Research Council.

Harrison Ford is US immigration official in Crossing Over

The film explores modern immigration through the unlikely crossover of lives under an umbrella of visa and migration issues.

There is Ford’s work partner, Iranian-American Hamid (Cliff Curtis) whose primary goal as an immigration official is to prove to his family the importance of being American; a defense lawyer (Ashley Judd) who must organise the deportation of a family accused of terrorist ties; and US visa approval official (Ray Liotta) who wields his power in corrupt ways over a visa-seeking Australian model (Alice Eve).

But it’s Ford who is the star as immigration official Max Brogan.

Brogan appears every bit the macho man-in-charge. A jaded Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent, his job is to track down and deport immigrants who don’t hold US visas.

But Brogan’s tough exterior reveals a fatal flaw: he feels compassion for the very people he must heartlessly expatriate.

In the style of the 2004 hit film Crash, Crossing Over weaves together the most unlikely of characters in an effort to examine modern attitudes toward race, power and immigration.

They’re not blowing hot air: nearly 624,000 international students attended US universities in the 2007/2008 academic year. But deciding where to move in the US for university is no small feat.

Aside from university reputation, academic quality, and acceptance probability, students must consider more mundane things like local weather and attractions. 

One way to choose where to move in the US is to learn where other international students have gone. US educational data sheds some light on the issue.

Harvard University: popular with US student visa holders

It reveals that private US universities have the highest ratio of international to domestic students. Small class sizes and a highly specialized education often drive even the less adventurous to obtain a US student visa. 

But it’s the larger well-known universities which boast the biggest foreign student populations in total numbers.

Here are international students’ picks for the top 7 US universities in descending order of international undergraduate student ratios.

1. New School – New York, New York

New School is a private urban university with a focus on the arts and social sciences. An impressive 22% of its 6,337 undergraduate students made the move to the US from overseas in 2007 – 1,394 in all. Acceptance rates in 2007 were 53.7%, and applications are accepted on a rolling basis.

2. Florida Institute of Technology – Melbourne, Florida

This small private university boasts a 20% ratio of undergraduate international students. Founded in 1958 to educate engineers and scientists for NASA, FIT offers programs in innovative science programs from robotics to marine research. Eighty-one percent of applicants were accepted in 2007 and the institution accepts applications on a rolling basis.

3. Illinois Institute of Technology – Chicago, Illinois

This undergrad to PhD-granting university serves 7,300 students at its Chicago campus. Sixteen percent of its undergrads moved to the US from overseas. Areas of study range between engineering, sciences, architecture, psychology, design, humanities, business and law. Selective admission led to a 56.7% admission rate in 2007 and there is no application deadline.

4. Carnegie Mellon University – Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Bustling and diverse Pittsburgh is home to world-renowned Carnegie Mellon University. Ranking number 21 of the world’s top 100 universities, the institution places a strong focus on “making things” – from paintings and biosensors to virtual worlds. Fourteen percent of undergrads are international, impressive when considering the university’s 28% acceptance rate in 2007. Application deadline for autumn admission is January 1.

5. Polytechnic Institute of New York University – Brooklyn, New York

The nation’s second oldest private science and technology university, PINYU has a right to stay small and specialized. Thirteen percent of its tiny 1,495-strong student body moved to the US from overseas. But all is not lost: Autumn 2007 acceptance rates topped 72%, and keen students can apply year-round.

6. Harvard University – Cambridge, Massachusetts

Students seeking history in addition to academic excellence would enjoy life at Harvard. Founded in 1636, the most revered ivy-league US university thrives on its 10% international undergrad ratio. But don’t apply for your US visa just yet – Harvard took on just 9.2% of applicants in 2007. Its application deadline for autumn entry is January 1.

7. University of Southern California – Los Angeles, California

Known for excellence in research, USC offers quality academics and California sunshine rolled into one. Its 10% international student ratio can customize courses (majors) thanks to the extensive College of Letters, Arts and Sciences and 17 professional schools. Applications can be made till January 10 for an autumn start and 2007 acceptance rates just topped 25%.

Join the latest Global Visas 'hot' debate

With strikes set to take place across Britain by UK immigration officials, travellers are looking at a holiday season that may descend into farce.  Are British Border bureaucrats the bugbear of travellers and UK visa seekers worldwide or do worse exist?

Who are the ultimate global offenders of immigration regulations gone mad?

Tell us your nightmare stories and join the debate to discover which country has the worst immigration staff.

Walking for US immigration joy

A Vietnamese  man is walking across the US to express his appreciation for his adopted country.

Sin Tho Nguyen  who lives in Fort Worth, Texas, is 1,000 miles into his ambitious journey and he aims to promote patriotism in the US. He has walked about 26 miles, or the length of a full marathon, every day since he left Atlantic Beach, Florida on June 10.

The 40-year-old meter reader has no fundraising or sponsorship goals for the 2,600 mile trek. His journey is simply his way of saying “thank you” to his chosen homeland for allowing him to live and work in the US.

“I owe to America so much, and I don’t have any talent at all,” says Nguyen. “I have two legs and a heart. So I decided to walk across America to give thanks to her.”

His journey is not without support. A Fort Worth co-worker trails behind Nguyen in a Ford Focus and the men sometimes sleep in the car at night. Fans also bring him money, food and encouraging words.

Nguyen’s father was a US soldier in Vietnam but father and son never met. In the footsteps of his late father, Nguyen applied for a US visa in 1992 and after a 60-day approval, enlisted in the National Guard and Army.

On his journey Nguyen carries a US flag and straps to his back a sign saying: “Shore to Shore: A Walk Across America to Honor Those Who Serve.”

He says: “This is about America, and it belongs to the troops and their family members. I am a messenger. I carry the flag. America is behind me now.”

Nguyen’s inspiring story paints a picture of an immigrant thriving in his chosen country.

Other famous immigrants who made the move to US and adapted successfully include Levi Strauss and Albert Einstein from Germany, Isaac Asimov from Russia, and Alexander Graham Bell from Scotland.

Sandra Bullock's (right) 'Proposal' to Ryan Reynolds (left) to secure US visa

Want to know how NOT to get a US work visa? Then watch The Proposal, a new rom-com starring Sandra Bullock, just out in cinemas worldwide.

Bullock plays Margaret Tate, a publishing exec working in New York. Like many foreign workers in the US, she is facing deportation back to Canada once her US work visa expires.

To extend her visa and keep her job, she orders her young, cute secretary Andrew (Ryan Reynolds) to marry her. A long-term victim of Margaret’s bullying, he agrees on the condition of being promoted to editor.

Tate submits her deceptive visa application with the US Citizenship and Immigration Service (USCIS) but cracks soon appear in her plan.

Desperate to make a convincing case, Margaret organises a weekend in Alaska with Andrew’s family. Unexpectedly – and in true rom-com cliché fashion -  the family encourage them to wed immediately.

But the wholesome Alaskan atmosphere and her genuine burgeoning love for Andrew inspire remorse in the hard-nosed executive. Margaret breaks into an emotional confession during the wedding ceremony, which is attended by their US immigration case worker.

Her application is naturally refused and she is given 24 hours to leave the country.

Margaret made three key mistakes during the US visa application process:

1. She panicked. Even when facing an expiring visa, it’s critical to stay calm. Familiarity with all options for staying in or returning to the US legally can help diffuse a stressful situation.

2. She was unrealistic. Specific requirements must be met for each type of US visa. Strategically planning how to tick all the boxes is part of the process for many applicants. A fake marriage shouldn’t ever be considered a legitimate strategy.

3. She allowed emotion to rule her outcome. Revealing too many personal details can work against the applicant. A smarter approach is to keep the process impersonal by providing only requested information. 

Hundreds of thousands of foreigners apply for US visas every year to live, work, play professional sports, start businesses, and marry US citizens. While obtaining a visa can be a stressful ordeal, as the characters in The Proposal show, enlisting the help of a US visa consultant can smooth the process.

Barack Obama is backing US immigration laws

A US visa law set up to protect immigrants who are victims of crime has seen a rush of approved applications after being little-known about for many years.

The T and U visas have been in place for nine years, yet it is only recently that the US government has started approving such visas.

The T visa provides legal protection for victims of trafficking, while the ‘U’ visa provides legal status for victims of serious criminal activities such as murder, assault, rape and sexual abuse. The crimes must break US laws and/or occur in the US.

The recent rush of T and U US visa approvals is in part due to the issue of US immigration rising on the Obama administration’s agenda.

Since the laws were passed in 2000, only 1,500 T visas have been granted across the US. For the U visa, regulations were only issued in 2007 and no visas were granted until the summer of last year.

There is now a backlog of visa applicants who may be eligible for the T and U visas and the US Citizenship and Immigration Services has pledged to use the 10,000 US visas available to ease that backlog. This year more than 1,600 U visas have already been granted.

Critics of the visa system say it is open to abuse from applicants who fake crimes to obtain a US visa. Yet surely these ‘new’ US visas are a vital lifeline for genuine victims of crime and abuse as well as a deterrent for those who are perpetrators of illegal behaviour towards immigrants.

Questions however remain. Why has the law taken so long to come properly into effect and just how many victims of serious crime and abuse have missed out on obtaining the chance to legally live and work in the US as a result?

An American Dream, shouldn't every kid have one?

On Monday, The Hill reported,  “Senate Democrats might be close to 60 votes on a measure that would represent the first step towards immigration reform under President Obama,” and then today, the most important voice of all emerges from the obscure reaches of media.

“I support the Dream Act 100 per cent, in fact, I am fully committed to education, my administration has raised funds to be invested in education because I want more students to have the opportunity to go to college and have better access to resources such as scholarships and loan,” said President Barack Obama in a student radio interview.

Funny thing is, it’s reported the President stated this a week ago, to NYSYLC.org, a youth-led network representing high schools, colleges, communities of faith, and community based organizations committed to improving access to higher education and creating equal opportunity for immigrant youth and children of immigrants through leadership development and advocacy (as per their website)

- WAY TO GO YOU GUYS!

What a shame the media hasn’t reported on this hot potato of US immigration reform as yet.

For anyone not familiar with US immigration reform in the form of the Dream Act, it more or less proposes giving undocumented students the right to earn US citizenship through a college degree or through serving time in the military – students must have a clean sheet and meet certain criteria for their US visa, so its not like they’re getting a meal ticket.

On the one side you have those who argue awarding illegal immigrants is wrong, on the other, it’s unfair to hold people back who had little or no say at all in moving to the USA in the first place.

“[Asking them] to remain in this country without an education or a right to work without taking advantage of the academic opportunities that this country offers,” is a blatant wrong President Obama apparently wants to put right.

“In these times, these students are sons and daughters of the United States and it’s very likely that they will remain in this country,” he added.

“It is necessary that we obtain at least 60 votes in the Senate and a majority in the House of Representatives. This is something we still have to achieve,” Obama said.

Politicians work for you – make your VOICE, your VOTE and their FUTURE count.