The U.S. State Department provides B-1 visas for citizens of other countries to come to the United States to conduct business.

Most people travelling to the United States from around the world need a non-immigrant visa in order to enter the country. The visitor visas are B-1 for business and B-2 for citizens of foreign countries coming here for pleasure, tourism or medical treatment.

Business travel visas are given for a variety of reasons. Some foreign citizens come to the United States to consult with associates, attend seminars or conferences in their industry, or negotiate and close business contracts. Others come as athletes to compete in American contests or lecturers who speak at events.

There are 35 countries that participate in a visa waiver program and citizens of those countries usually do not need a B-1 visa when travelling to the United States for business.

Those countries are Andorra, Hungary, New Zealand, Australia, Iceland, Norway, Austria, Ireland, Portugal, Belgium, Italy, San Marino, Brunei, Japan, Singapore, Czech Republic, Latvia, Slovakia, Denmark, Liechtenstein, Slovenia, Estonia, Lithuania, South Korea, Finland, Luxembourg, Spain, France, Malta, Sweden, Germany, Monaco, Switzerland, Greece, the Netherlands, and United Kingdom.

Qualification for a B-1 visa is determined by the U.S. Embassy in the country where the applicant holds citizenship. It is important to apply well in advance of the proposed travel date as the application process can be time-consuming, according to the State Department.

The application process will likely require an interview at the embassy. Applicants who are younger than 14 or older than 79-years-old usually do not need to interview in the process.

The embassy will ask for some documentation including an online DS-160 form, a valid passport (that will remain valid for six months after an applicant plans to leave the United States) and a photograph.

There are often fees associated with acquiring a B-1 visa as well. The State Department recommends applicants contact the U.S. Embassy in their country as soon as they know they need to travel to find out more about the necessary fees.

There are provisions in the rules that allow domestic employees or personal assistants to travel with their employers.

Carrying a B-1 visa is not a guarantee that a businessperson from another country will be granted access to the United States at a port of entry. The Department of Homeland Security and U.S. Customs and Border Protection have the ultimate say on who can enter.

Companies hoping to bring business associates to the United States to work on projects, sign real estate deals or attend conferences can benefit from hiring a qualified law firm to help make the process as smooth as possible for the traveler.

A. Banerjee is a Houston immigration lawyer in Texas. Before selecting an immigration lawyer in Houston, Texas, contact the Law Offices of Annie Banerjee by visiting their information filled website at http://www.visatous.com.

As certain politicians continue to focus on illegal immigration, the Senate Subcommittee on Immigration, Refugees and Border Security focused on the challenges of America’s business brain drain and the inequities of the legal immigration process in late July. The CEO of NASDAQ, President of Cornell University, the General Counsel for Microsoft Corporation, the Associate Professor of Public Policy for the Rochester Institute of Technology, and an esteemed female doctor all spoke before a recent Senate hearing to discuss “The Economic Imperative for Enacting Immigration Reform”.

NASDAQ’s president Robert Greifeld spoke about how 14 of the active NASDAQ companies have foreign-born founders, and with outdated immigration policies the U.S. is on the brink of not incubating enough talent. He explained how an estimated 17,000 graduate students must return to their home countries as the U.S. green card backlogs have barred them from staying to contribute to the workforce or start their own company. Greifeld was also discouraged by the number of visas that are left unused because of bureaucratic red tape. Between 1992 and 2009, 506,410 green cards were not used, and only 180,039 were recaptured.

Microsoft’s General Counsel Brad Smith explained how immigration laws must be brought up to 2011 standards. He voiced how structural changes to immigration have not been made since 1990, when the needs for high-tech jobs were still in the initial stages. In May, Microsoft had 4,551 unfilled job positions, and 2,629 of them were for computer science roles. But with immigration country caps, skilled individuals from India and China, for example, must wait for years before they can ever get lawful residency status in the U.S. And Smith is finding it hard to find talent stateside to make matters worse.

Esteemed endocrinologist Dr. Puneet S. Arora, who is also a member of Immigration Voice, spoke at the hearing too. As an immigrant from New Delhi, India, she has experienced the immigration process firsthand. She advocates for the country cap to be deleted in exchange for a first come, first serve immigration petition process. Arora echoes Smith’s suggestion of rolling over unused immigrant visa numbers to the next fiscal year. With the brain drain in important science, technology, engineering, and mathematics fields (STEM), the employment-based green card limit should be raised to 290,000 visas if not eliminated altogether for STEM jobs, she says. As many people wait for years without knowing when and if they will get a visa, she would like to see job portability so that an immigrant would not “lose their place in the green card line” if they changed jobs, but were still contributing to the economy.

In Texas, Houston immigration attorney Annie Banerjee has more than 10 years of successfully guiding individuals, families, and businesses through the maze of immigration matters. Attorney Banerjee is an immigrant, and knows the care and attention to detail that each person deserves to get their American dream underway. She has helped many immigrants contribute in big and small ways to the U.S. economy and make a better life for themselves and their family.

For more information:
Law Offices of A. Banerjee
131 Brooks Street Suite #300
Sugar Land, Texas 77478
Phone: (281) 242-9139
Fax: (281) 242-2058

2027 Sheridan Street
Houston, Texas 77030
Phone: (713) 793-6339
annie@visatous.com

A. Banerjee is a Houston immigration lawyer in Texas. Before selecting an immigration lawyer in Houston Texas, contact the Law Offices of Annie Banerjee by visiting their information filled web site at http://www.visatous.com.

Domestic violence and human trafficking exists in all facets of life. The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) does give immigration protection to individuals who have been battered or suffered from mental or physical abuse from the crime of human trafficking. The USCIS allows these people and their children to file for immigration without the perpetrator knowing.

Through the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) the following types of women can apply for naturalization:

- Those who have been abused in the United States by their U.S. citizen or permanent resident spouse, and entered into the marriage in good faith, not just for immigration benefits

- Those who have been abused by their U.S. citizen or permanent resident spouse abroad while the spouse was employed by the U.S. government or a member of the U.S. uniformed services

- The parent of a child who has been subjected to abuse by their U.S. citizen or permanent spouse

- A mother who has been abused by their U.S. citizen son or daughter

VAWA went into law in 1994 and was reauthorized in 2000 and 2005. This year it will expire if not reauthorized. Recently, the Senate held a hearing to celebrate “The Violence Against Women Act: Building on Seventeen Years of Accomplishments”. The American Immigration Lawyers Association has long adopted efforts to lessen violence against immigrant women, family violence, and programs to help victims.

On July 12, Texas House of Representative Lamar Smith introduced H.R. 2497, the Hinder the Administration’s Legalization Temptation Act (HALT Act). Many immigration attorneys feel the HALT Act will hurt immigrant victims of domestic violence and battery as it will deny them protections against deportation that were allowed under deferred action mechanisms.

“USCIS grants Deferred Action to approved self-petitioners awaiting adjustment so they can work legally and escape their abusers’ economic control,” the AILA said in a letter to House representatives. “By eliminating Deferred Action as a tool for helping victims of domestic violence and other victims of crimes, HALT would restore a powerful weapon to batterers’ and crime perpetrators’ arsenals against victims vulnerable to removal.”
VAWA has been a cause that both political parties have embraced for 17 years. But if legislation like HALT takes precedence and VAWA is not re-authorized, immigration attorneys worry what the legacy for an immigrant woman’s rights will be.

Houston immigration attorney Annie Banerjee sees the importance of VAWA every day in her immigration law practice. She champions her clients’ rights to a safe environment, opportunities to remain lawfully in the United States, and achieve their citizenship goals. The Law Offices of Annie Banerjee are known for their skill at helping individuals and families with all their immigration concerns for more than 10 years.

For more information:
Law Offices of A. Banerjee
131 Brooks Street Suite #300
Sugar Land, Texas 77478
Phone: (281) 242-9139
Fax: (281) 242-2058

2027 Sheridan Street
Houston, Texas 77030
Phone: (713) 793-6339
annie@visatous.com

A. Banerjee is a Houston immigration lawyer in Texas. Before selecting an immigration lawyer in Houston Texas, contact the Law Offices of Annie Banerjee by visiting their information filled web site at http://www.visatous.com.

The U.S. House of Representatives and Senate recently introduced The Refugee Protection Act of 2011. The Act renews the country’s efforts to protect people who have been victims of persecution and torture. It also does away with the one-year requirement for refugees to file their asylum claims.

“Time after time, immigration judges are forced to refuse asylum to deserving refugees who, against all odds, have reached our shores in search of protection,” said David Leopold, executive committee member at The American Immigration Lawyers Association. “The arbitrary one-year rule not only denies them a critical safe-haven but it leads to administrative waste by forcing immigration judges to spend valuable time deciding whether or not a refugee can be excused for late-filing, rather than considering whether the person deserves protection. It is reprehensible that the United States is denying asylum based on an arbitrary deadline.”

The one-year deadline, say the bill’s supporters, can be tough for many individuals to comply with because they are not familiar with U.S. laws and they are still dealing with many challenges after leaving their home country. The bill would also review the U.S. refugee resettlement program, and analyze minimal forms of protection that bar a person from becoming a legal permanent resident. Many refugees do not know anyone in the U.S. when they land on our soil and do not know how to navigate the maze of paperwork and bureaucracies to obtain proper documentation.

This year the world has seen a lot of changes, with many Middle Eastern and African nations experiencing political upheaval. People around the world are still victims of persecution because of their race, religion, political opinion, and sometimes even the social group they belong to. And after an environmental disaster, many people come to the U.S. to seek a better life. An individual should get legal counsel early on to ensure that all the paperwork and timelines are met to get and maintain lawful immigration status.

In Texas, Houston immigration attorney Annie Banerjee has more than a decade of experience in immigration law. As an immigrant herself, she knows the challenges of being from a different country, and being overwhelmed by a new country and laws. The Law Offices of Annie Banerjee counsels individuals and businesses throughout the state and nation with efficient, expert guidance.

For more information:

Law Offices of A. Banerjee

131 Brooks Street Suite #300

Sugar Land, Texas 77478

Phone: (281) 242-9139

Fax: (281) 242-2058

2027 Sheridan Street

Houston, Texas 77030

Phone: (713) 793-6339

annie@visatous.com

A. Banerjee is a Houston immigration lawyer in Texas. Before selecting an immigration lawyer in Houston Texas, contact the Law Offices of Annie Banerjee by visiting their information filled web site at http://www.visatous.com.

The U.S. Department of Education and U.S. Department of Justice recently issued a guidance letter on the rights of all children to enroll in school. The guidance from their civil rights divisions is in response to student enrollment trends that, “chill, discourage, or exclude students because of their parents’ or guardians’ actual or perceived citizenship or immigration status.” Both federal departments want to send a clear message to educators and school administrators that equal educational opportunities to all children living within a district are the law.

Civil rights laws and Supreme Court mandates enforce that students cannot face discrimination because of race, national origin, color, and citizenship or immigration status. Information, such as social security numbers and race, must be voluntary, and not contingent for acceptance into a school. The U.S. Supreme Court case of Plyler v. Doe, 457 U.S. 202 (1982) noted that, “denying innocent children access to a public education, imposes a lifetime hardship on a discrete class of children not accountable for their disabling status. . . . By denying these children a basic education, we deny them the ability to live within the structure of our civic institutions, and foreclose any realistic possibility that they will contribute in even the smallest way to the progress of our Nation.”

A school district can only restrict attendance to residents that live in the district. They can require utility bills or mortgage or lease documents to verify residency. If the school wants a birth certificate to ensure age regulations, that is permissible, but a school must accept a foreign birth certificate without prejudice. All requirements for information collection and analysis must occur across the entire student body, not just for one specific group.

“It is refreshing that the federal government is stepping up to remind the school system of their obligations to kids and their communities,” said Houston immigration attorney Annie Banerjee. “No child should be barred from an education.”

The guidance encourages schools and districts to review their practices to ensure they are not discriminating. And if data is not necessary for enrollment purposes, districts can do away with these stifling practices and “create a more welcoming atmosphere for all prospective students,” says the “Dear Colleague” guidance letter.

The Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights, Russlynn Ali, General Counsel Charles P. Rose at the U.S. Department of Education, and Thomas E. Perez, Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights at the U.S. Department of Justice, all signed the letter and will enforce equal rights for all children to get an education.

The Law Offices of Annie Banerjee supports this guidance, and as an immigrant herself, she knows and appreciates the quality of education she received in the United States. She has more than 10 years of accomplished immigration law experience in Texas and helps individuals and families achieve their visa, green card, and citizenship goals.
For more information:
Law Offices of A. Banerjee
131 Brooks Street Suite #300
Sugar Land, Texas 77478
Phone: (281) 242-9139
Fax: (281) 242-2058

2027 Sheridan Street
Houston, Texas 77030
Phone: (713) 793-6339
annie@visatous.com

To learn more, visit http://www.visatous.com.