America realities and fiction
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ok ok....we are all bombarded by US media and economy...asians seems to do well there starting software companies or restaurants....however for those living there..there's another perception that is darker and more real....
I just want to know for the locals who have worked and study there in the states...is america really a happening place?I'm taking of taking a one year course in washington state but worried about the crime rate and the social disconnection in the society moreover I;m non white pls advise
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any singaporeans who;s there pls advise ..thanks
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yes its a scary violent place where people butcher each other day in day out and you get lynched for being different so please don't come here k bye...
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ITS VERY HARD TO GET A GREEN CARD even if u have an advanced degree from the usa. dun waste yer time in usa if u cant get a green card.
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From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
United States Permanent Resident Card (green card) (May 2010)
United States Permanent Resident Card (2008)
United States Alien Registration Receipt Card (1946)A United States Permanent Resident Card, known informally as a green card because it is green in color, is an identification card attesting to the permanent resident status of an alien in the United States of America. Green card also refers to an immigration process of becoming a permanent resident. The green card serves as proof that its holder, a Lawful Permanent Resident (LPR), has been officially granted immigration benefits, which include permission to reside and take employment in the USA. The holder must maintain permanent resident status, and can be removed from the United States if certain conditions of this status are not met.
Green cards were formerly issued by the Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS). During a re-organization process, that agency was absorbed into and replaced by the Bureau of Citizenship and Immigration Services (BCIS), part of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). Shortly after that re-organization, BCIS was renamed to U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), which still retains the responsibility for issuing green cards.
An alien with a green card application can obtain two important permits while the case is pending after a certain stage is passed in green card processing (filing of I-485). The first is a temporary work permit known as the Employment Authorization Document (EAD), which allows the alien to take employment in the United States. The second is a temporary travel document, advance parole, which allows the alien to re-enter the United States. Both permits confer benefits that are independent of any existing status granted to the alien. For example, the alien might already have permission to work in the United States under an H-1B visa.
Contents
[hide][edit] Reading a Permanent Resident Card
Most of the information on the card is self-evident.[1] The computer and human readable signature at the bottom is not. The format is (digit range: expected data (information contained)):
- First line:
- 1–2: C1 or C2 C1 = Resident within the United States C2= Permanent Resident commuter (Living in Canada or Mexico)
- 3–5: USA (issuing country, United States)
- 6–14: 9-digit number (A#, alien number)
- 15: application receipt number
- 16–30: immigrant case number that resulted in the approved green card. The "<" symbol represents a blank space
- Second line:
- 1-6: birth date (in YY/MM/DD format)
- 7: not documented, assumed to be a check digit
- 8: gender
- 9-14: expiration date (in YY/MM/DD format)
- 15: not documented, assumed to be a check digit
- 16-29: country of birth
- 30: not documented, assumed to be a check digit
- Third line:
- last name, first name, middle name, first initial of father, first initial of mother (this line is spaced with "<<" between the last name and first name). Depending of the length of the name, the father's and mother's initials may be omitted.
A full list of category codes (i.e. IR1, E21, etc.) can be found in the Federal Register.[2][3][4][5]
[edit] Path to U.S. citizenship
A Lawful Permanent Resident can apply for United States citizenship, or naturalization, after five years of residency. This period is shortened to three years if married to a U.S. citizen, or four years if permanent residency was received through asylum. Lawful Permanent Residents may submit their applications for naturalization as much as 90 days before meeting the residency requirement. Citizens are entitled to more rights (and obligations) than permanent residents (who are still classified as aliens in this respect). Lawful Permanent Residents generally do not have the right to vote, the right to be elected in federal and state elections, the ability to bring family members to the United States (permanent residents are allowed to sponsor certain family members, but this is often not practical due to long approval delays), or eligibility for federal government jobs. Male permanent residents between the ages of 18 and 26 are subject to registering in the Selective Service System. Permanent residents who reside in the US must pay taxes on their worldwide income, like U.S. citizens. Certain conditions that may put a permanent resident in deportation proceedings do not apply to U.S. citizens.
[edit] Types of immigration
U.S. immigration legislation in the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) stipulates that a person may obtain permanent resident status primarily through the course of the following proceedings:[6]
- immigration through a family member
- immigration through employment
- immigration through investment
- immigration through the Diversity Lottery
- immigration through Refugee or Asylum status
- immigration through "The Registry" provisions of the Immigration and Nationality Act
[edit] Immigration eligibility and quotas
Category Eligibility Annual Quota Immigrant Visa Backlog Family-Sponsored IR Immediate relative (spouses, minor children & parents) of U.S. citizens
(A U.S. citizen must be at least 21 years of age in order to sponsor his or her parents.)No numerical limita F1 Unmarried sons and daughters (21 years of age or older) of U.S. citizens 23,400 8–9 yearsb F2A Spouses and minor children (under 21 year old) of lawful permanent residents 87,934 2–3 yearsb F2B Unmarried sons and daughters (21 years of age or older) of lawful permanent residents 26,266 8–9 yearsb F3 Married sons and daughters of U.S. citizens 23,400 10 yearsb F4 Brothers and sisters of adult U.S. citizens 65,000 14 yearsb Employment-Based EB1 Priority workers. There are three sub-groups:Foreign nationals with extraordinary ability in sciences, arts, education, business, or athletics OR Foreign nationals that are outstanding professors or researchers with at least three years' experience in teaching or research and who are recognized internationally. OR Foreign nationals that are managers and executives subject to international transfer to the United States. 40,000 currently available EB2 Professionals holding advanced degrees (Ph.D., master's degree, or at least 5 years of progressive post-baccalaureate experience) or persons of exceptional ability in sciences, arts, or business 40,000 currently available except for individuals from China and India (5 years)b EB3 Skilled workers, professionals, and other workers 40,000 7–9 yearsb EB4 Certain special immigrants—ministers, religious workers, current or former U.S. government workers, etc. 10,000 currently available EB5 Investors -
Immigration eligibility and quotas
Category Eligibility Annual Quota Immigrant Visa Backlog Family-Sponsored IR Immediate relative (spouses, minor children & parents) of U.S. citizens
(A U.S. citizen must be at least 21 years of age in order to sponsor his or her parents.)No numerical limita F1 Unmarried sons and daughters (21 years of age or older) of U.S. citizens 23,400 8–9 yearsb F2A Spouses and minor children (under 21 year old) of lawful permanent residents 87,934 2–3 yearsb F2B Unmarried sons and daughters (21 years of age or older) of lawful permanent residents 26,266 8–9 yearsb F3 Married sons and daughters of U.S. citizens 23,400 10 yearsb F4 Brothers and sisters of adult U.S. citizens 65,000 14 yearsb Employment-Based EB1 Priority workers. There are three sub-groups:Foreign nationals with extraordinary ability in sciences, arts, education, business, or athletics OR Foreign nationals that are outstanding professors or researchers with at least three years' experience in teaching or research and who are recognized internationally. OR Foreign nationals that are managers and executives subject to international transfer to the United States. 40,000 currently available EB2 Professionals holding advanced degrees (Ph.D., master's degree, or at least 5 years of progressive post-baccalaureate experience) or persons of exceptional ability in sciences, arts, or business 40,000 currently available except for individuals from China and India (5 years)b EB3 Skilled workers, professionals, and other workers 40,000 7–9 yearsb EB4 Certain special immigrants—ministers, religious workers, current or former U.S. government workers, etc. 10,000 currently available EB5 Investors 10,000 currently available Diversity Immigrant (DV) 50,000 -
Don't put too much weight on what you read and/or hear in the media about crime in the US. Any large city in the world will have its share of crime-ridden neighbourhoods, but no one is forcing you to spend any time in these areas. Just know which sections of the city to avoid, and you'll do fine.
Is the US a "happening" place? That would depend on your perspective and what you hope to get out of the time you'll be spending here. In spite of its economic and social ills, this country still has a lot more to offer than Singapore in terms of opportunities for work and recreation. It's up to you to take advantage of these opportunities when you're here.
Would I be correct in assuming you've never travelled to the US before?
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yeah....thinking of going there for a one year course
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Which part of WA state? WA is a nice state. Seattle is vibrant and exciting. I just don't like the winters there. I'm not a cold weather person. There are lots of Asians there, good Chinese food, fantastic scenery....
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Living here for so long, I might have lowered my tolerance level for what's deemed 'unsafe'. Just 4 weekends ago, I went to Compton ( South central LA) for some good ol' gangsta fried chicken. But if you asked me 15 years ago (fresh out of SG) to do that, I would have think twice.
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fried chicken in compton... ROFL
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Originally posted by vito_corleone:
fried chicken in compton... ROFL
Tastes best when consumed with watermelon and Colt 45 malt liquor.
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no wonder fried chicken is unhealthy, consuming large amounts of it attracts lots of police attention
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Originally posted by vito_corleone:
fried chicken in compton... ROFL
ha ha .........thats funny..........i think if you drive down Alameda you can find Soul Food.....
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i tried honeykettle in inglewood, damn nice!
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well i had the privilege of livin in New Orleans when i was a kid. missed out on a year of school but i tell you it was most definitely worth it. lol well if you thought singapore was diverse you're in for a surprise. dont listen to all that media hype. sure there are some dangerous places. but i assure you its plenty safe in good neighbourhoods. lol you wont find trouble unless you go looking for it. like all played out stereotypes; americans have been portrayed extensively out of character. there not all stupid or ignorant. they're actually nice if you stay humble and respect tradition. lol you'd become hugely unpopular if you dissed nascar nfl major leagues nba and most importantly thanksgiving, which americans really take pride of.i think its safe to say that if your smart, livin in america can be a dream come true. it is after all the land of opportunity. well if your not then you're better off here.
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Originally posted by Meia Gisborn:
Tastes best when consumed with watermelon and Colt 45 malt liquor.dont forget the banana/ grape flavoured anything
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u mean mountain dew?
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Originally posted by Catknight:
yeah....thinking of going there for a one year course
Why not?You are not going to hell right?
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hi mates, it seems getting a green card is tough...wonder how people go thru it
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Originally posted by Catknight:
hi mates, it seems getting a green card is tough...wonder how people go thru it
I got mine in early '93. The first company I worked at fresh out of college set me up with an immigration attorney. It was a relatively painless affair as the attorney handled all the paperwork and accompanied me to the requisite INS interviews. The whole process took just under a year.The naturalization process, which I went through in '07/'08, was even simpler and quicker. All it took was a two-page application form, the payment of a processing fee, a brief interview with a USCIS official and a short waiting period before I was reciting the Pledge of Allegiance at the citizenship ceremony.
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I know PRC who get green card not knowing much english but people like me who speak and more westernised cant get it......think about it:)
meia....do you think it tough for sporeans without US degrees to get one?
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just don't go to the really ghetto areas and you'll be fine. if you must go, don't dress flamboyantly or be prepared to get robbed. but some times these kinda crimes is hang suey one. i carry mace, which is banned in PA, and a pocket knife when i have to go to sketchy places.
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Originally posted by Catknight:
I know PRC who get green card not knowing much english but people like me who speak and more westernised cant get it......think about it:)
meia....do you think it tough for sporeans without US degrees to get one?
If memory serves, I believe a green card can be obtained via sponsorship by an employer; sponsorship by a family member who is already permanently residing in the US; the green card lottery; and refugee or asylum status. Green cards are also subject to quotas by country.The lack of a degree might negatively impact you chances of getting a green card insofar as it limits your being able to obtain employment with a US-based company willing to sponsor your application for permanent residency. And I don't think it matters if you're Singaporean or not.
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Canada is easier I guess and america is not abed of roses either
