Archive for the ‘USA Immigration and work visas’ Category

Faust and Napolitano are both vocal supporters of the DREAM Act

Support for the Dream Act has drawn another commanding voice in the form of Drew Gilpin Faust, President of Harvard University.

The President of Harvard University acknowledged the need to address US immigration issues associated with past and present students, who through no fault of their own are stuck in legal limbo as illegal citizens wanting to graduate from college and get a good job.

“I believe it is in our best interest to educate all students to their full potential – it vastly improves their lives and grows our communities and economy,” she wrote in a letter to Senators Edward M. Kennedy and John F. Kerry and Representative Michael E. Capuano, thanking them for their support for the legislation. “This bill will help move us closer to this goal.”

The latest version of the Development, Relief and Education for Alien Minors Act (Dream Act), which has been floating around congress since 2001, allows undocumented immigrant students who arrived in the US as children and who graduate from US high schools, the opportunity to earn permanent residency by either serving time in the military or completing a college degree.

Faust’s backing is the latest in a growing list. Last month the College Board, the not-for-profit examination board most well known for producing the SAT ‘s, added their clout, followed by Janet Napolitano, the Homeland Security Secretary, who described the Dream Act as ‘a good piece of legislation and a good idea.’

Napolitano supports DREAM Act

The Department of Homeland Security Secretary has again called for comprehensive US immigration reform and offered her continued support to the DREAM Act.

In the latest development of improvements to the failing US immigration system, Janet Napolitano called for reform, ‘from border security and interior enforcement to reform of our visa programs and legalization for illegal workers.’

The statement from someone so high up in the Obama administration is a clear sign of what to expect in the latter half of 2009.

“This is one of those areas that everyone wants the immigration laws enforced, but also deal with the human issues that arise here. … The DREAM Act is a good piece of legislation and a good idea,” Napolitano said.

Supporters such as the American Immigration Lawyers Association and America’s Voice hailed the Secretary’s comments as a show of support in line with public sentiment.

What is the Uniting American Families Act?

Immigration reform, a global topic

The Uniting American Families Act (UAFA) is a U.S. bill introduced to amend US immigration policy which currently discriminates against same-sex ‘permanent partners’. If passed, UAFA will allow permanent partners of legal U.S. citizens and permanent residents, including same-sex partners, to obtain a U.S. Green Card.

Presently, only the heterosexual spouses of U.S. citizens are granted citizenship.

A ‘permanent partner’ is classed as an individual 18 years of age or older who:

• is in a committed, intimate relationship with another individual 18 years of age or older in which both parties intend a lifelong commitment;
• is financially interdependent with that other individual;

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Students demonstrate their support for the Dream Act

The College Board has announced that it is supporting the so-called Dream Act, which will give unregistered people living in the US a chance to become citizens through working in the military or studying in the US.

The support is being shown following indications from President Obama that he will look at US immigration reform this year, including providing paths to US citizenship for long-term unregistered immigrants.

The Act would allow students who entered the country illegally at the age of 15 or below, and who have graduated from high school or received a GED, to US citizenship through studying at college for two years or through joining the military for two years. These students would also have the right to request some financial assistance.

A report from UCLA in 2007 says it estimates some 65,000 undocumented students graduate from high schools in the US each year.

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All American 'Dream' Act

The Development, Relief and Education for Alien Minors Act (The DREAM Act) is a proposal introduced to the Senate and House of Representatives allowing undocumented immigrant students who graduate from US high schools, temporary residency for a period of 6 years.

Although at an early stage and not yet passed to Bill status, it seems likely the Act will get a lot of support. It fits in with President Obama’s message that Americans should work and earn their status as US citizens and everyone should play a role in building the US – it will also add an estimated 65,000 undocumented students a year into the American dream.

To be eligible for temporary residency, undocumented immigrant students must:

•    Provide proof of having arrived in the United States before age 16.
•    Provide proof of residence in the United States for a least five consecutive years since their date of arrival
•    Be aged between 12 and 35 at time of bill enactment.
•    Have graduated from an American high school, or obtained a GED.
•    Be of good moral character.

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Obama & Leahy: A friend of a friend of Dorothy

In a letter to Alice B. Toklas of the LGBT Democratic Club, dated March 2008, the Senator from Illinois said he fully supported the gay community in their fight for equal rights and declared his commitment to extending the benefits to same sex couples under state and federal law.

One year later President Barack Obama’s support has remained open and consistent, an opinion apparent since his 1996 campaign for the Senate.

Publicly opposed to Proposition 8, the Californian constitutional change that censored marriage to that of  ‘only between a man and a woman’, Mr. Obama has went on record stating, ‘when you start playing around with constitutions, just to prohibit somebody who cares about another person, it just seems to me that’s not what America’s about. Usually, our constitutions expand liberties, they don’t contract them.”

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US and UK immigration given vote of confidence

US immigration officials have been voted the rudest in the world in an online survey by travel and social networking site WAYN.com (Where Are You Now?).

In the survey 2250 passengers were asked questions about baggage handling, customs and security at major international airports.

American immigration officials came out worst, followed by India and Russia.

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Get your H1B visa applications in now!

The circus show has left Capitol Hill, the clown has retired to Texas and an air of optimism has swept the big top from Washington to the windy city, there’s a new master of travelling ceremonies in town so what is he going to do for US immigration and in particular the H1B visa?

In 2007, 123,500 petitions were filed in the first two days. Within those 48 hours the US Citizenship and Immigration Servicesvisa application process lasted 5 days when more than 163,000 were filed, including 31,200 against the advanced degree quota.

In 2008 the visa application process lasted 5 days when more than 163,000 were filed, including 31,200 against the advanced degree quota. Eventually a lottery system allocated the remaining numbers and again applicants and employers told to wait another year.

That year is almost up.

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Impressed by her performance on Britain’s ‘X-Factor’, the multi-millionaire music and television executive believes the Girls Aloud singer has the potential to become a global superstar and rumours of afternoon tea with the queen of US daytime tv, Oprah Winfrey, are adding fuel to the fire.

There are obstacles to overcome though. In 2003 Cheryl was convicted of assault when she hit a female toilet attendant at a nightclub in Guildford. Cheryl has maintained she acted in self-defence and only reacted when she herself had been punched. In the end she was sentenced to 120 hours of community service, £500 in compensation to the victim and £3,000 court costs. Recently said she ‘would have done it again’ but now the incident has raised its ugly head again and stands in the way of a lucrative US work permit, I wonder if she still feels the same? Read the rest of this entry »

Vinny Jones could lose his work visa for America when he stands trial on assault charges in South Dakota later this month for his part in a violent, out-of-hand bar room brawl involving a head-butt, a broken beer glass and two bloody faces, one of them Vinny’s.

Known for his love of discharging large weapons on the silver screen, and at Bambi and Thumper out in the woods, Jones, whose credits include Snatch, Swordfish, X-Men and 12 professional football red-cards was in the Mount Rushmore State hunting game such as deer, geese, turkey and as it turns out, red-necks.

On the night of the fracas, Jones, who recently took time out from his hard man image and did voice-over work in Garfield: A Tale of Two Kitties, was at Wiley’s Tavern in Sioux Falls, enjoying vocal entertainment provided by Nick Rallis (unsigned, 38 friends on Facebook) and his folk rock ensemble. Read the rest of this entry »