EVERY year, I write hundreds of articles for the press dealing, in general terms, with new immigration laws, regulations and interpretations impacting hundreds of thousands of immigrants both inside and outside the US. Rather than write an article regarding new changes in the law or changing interpretations as to what can be done, legally, for…
0 Comments and 0 Reactions In 2012, we saw a sharp contrast in the enforcement of immigration laws against different groups of aliens. The deferred action for childhood arrivals (DACA) program granted limited relief to qualified aliens who came to the US as children. The Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Office of the Chief Counsel…
When debts spiral out of control, bankruptcy can become an invaluable financial recovery tool in stemming the tide and getting you back on the right track. While it’s not for everyone, more than 1.5 million people every year find it to be their only hope of getting a fresh financial start. Debt problems can be…
IN 2012, some very important laws affecting employee rights took effect. These laws included the Wage Theft Prevention Act, increased penalties for willful misclassification of independent contractors, the prohibition of using credit reports for employment purposes, additional protection to pregnant employees on health coverage for maternity leave, and allowing employees to dress consistently with their…
1. FORGETTING to sign and date the return: An unsigned tax return is considered unfiled. 2. Missing or wrong Social Security Numbers: When entering SSNs for anyone listed on your tax return, be sure to enter them exactly as they appear on the Social Security cards. 3. Misspelled or wrong dependent’s last name: When entering…
IS THERE a difference between a bank loan officer and a mortgage broker? Nowadays, bank loan officers don’t have a generalize rates, meaning if you call a major bank loan officer in one branch for a loan quote, you could possibly shop the same bank but different branch and get a different price quote? Why…
NOT many people know that parents can transfer their retirement accounts such as 401k and IRA to their children tax free. For instance, you have a 401k of $150,000. At the age of 65, you transfer the 401k to your son and your son keeps the $150,000 as a 401k in your name in his…
CONSIDERED as one of the leading female Filipino poets of our time, Dr. Ruth Elynia S. Mabanglo’s success did not come easy. If you read her biography, it seems as though awards and recognition sprinkle her like tiny drops of rain. For the past 30 years, Mabanglo has racked up awards from being the first…
Each month, the Visa Office of the State Department publishes, in the Visa Bulletin, the priority dates for that particular month, for the various family and employment based categories. A priority date is a person’s “place in line” for a visa, meaning that immigrant visas (or green cards) would be available for persons whose priority…
WITH only a few days left before 2012 officially ends, Asian Journal would like to look back into the most significant events that have ensued in this Year of the Dragon. 2012 may not have been a perfect year, but there are countless lessons to be gleaned from it. In the United States, the November…
SCENES of my own family gathering last Christmas still live in my mind: the joyful noises of my nephews and nieces running around the house; the circle of siblings and in-laws watching football and a Filipino movie; the munching of family secret dishes; the ever-impressive tender care that my siblings give to my ailing father;…
Question: I am a priest. Can I get a visa to come to the US? Answer: Yes. You would have to fall under the definition of a minister and be petitioned as an R-1. A minister is defined as: (1) Fully authorized and trained in religious denomination to conduct religious worship and perform other duties…
As expensive as medications are today, this question is most relevant. And even if they were free, no one would want to throw away and waste such valuable items if they were still potent. Yes, drugs do expire and lose their potency and effectiveness at some point. But the issue is whether the expiration date…
They seemingly destined to create a bombastic blast and indelibly stamp their unprecedented marks in the annals of the field they’re known for in 2012. The year saw a long roster of remarkable achievers, disheartening catastrophes, untimely demises, and significant triumphs that made up a list of news makers and headliners. Topping the list is…
In the wake of the pre-Christmas massacre of 20 school children and 6 teachers and school officials in Connecticut, National Rifle Association CEO Wayne LaPierre is once more being portrayed as TheGrinch who’s stealing the joys of the season. Like the predictable blame-passing and pompous proposals that follow every natural catastrophe in the Philippines, shooting…
They seemingly destined to create a bombastic blast and indelibly stamp their unprecedented marks in the annals of the field they’re known for in 2012. The year saw a long roster of remarkable achievers, disheartening catastrophes, untimely demises, and significant triumphs that made up a list of news makers and headliners. Topping the list is…
(PART II) In a previous article, I discussed various situations where marriage would affect a person’s eligibility for a visa, and situations where it might be advantageous to marry before being processed for the green card. Here are some more situations dealing with the effect of a marriage on a person’s eligibility for a visa:…
President Benigno Aquino III has just achieved a triumph that has eluded every Filipino President in our history and matches, and perhaps exceeds, the triumphs of America’s most successful President in the twentieth century, FDR. Against all odds, President Aquino took on and bested the Catholic Church, the tobacco industry, the liquor industry, Filipino billionaires,…
As of this writing, the world didn’t come to an end as doomsday predictors had it on December 21. There were no catastrophic solar flares or population-eating earthquakes. We were not engulfed by terrifying tsunamis; an unseen planet didn’t come out of nowhere to crash into the earth; to state the obvious, the disasters came…
The Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) Program was introduced in June 2012 and was implemented August 15, 2012. Within just one month of the program’s start date, the USCIS had reported that it had received more than 75,000 applications for deferred action status (DAS) and work authorization under DACA. Although experts had predicted that…
SINCE it’s that time of the year again – the season for sharing, giving and hope, we are holding off on the issues, the politics, the disputes, the arguments and everything else disheartening. Instead, the Asian Journal would like to take this opportunity to focus on the good things that 2012 has brought upon us, before she…
We are now living in the worst economy since the Great Depression. With millions of people being unemployed and struggling with foreclosure, debt problems have become common. Of course, debt is a very personal matter so most people don’t talk about it. You may not realize this but chances are that someone close to you,…
It has been said that Los Angeles Mayor Antonio R. Villaraigosa chooses only the best and the brightest to work for him. Thus, when he announced last year that our kababayan Jaime de la Vega was his nominee for General Manager of the Los Angeles Department of Transportation (LADOT), it proves that de la Vega…
Q: I WILL be working on Christmas and New Year days. Am I entitled to holiday pay? A: Hours worked on holidays are treated like hours worked on any other day of the week. The law does not require payment of overtime or other special premiums for work during holidays, unless such work goes beyond…
1. DON’T ignore the IRS. 2. Don’t mess with the IRS. 3. Don’t go to your appointment unprepared. 4. Don’t be late for the appointment. 5. Don’t volunteer information. 6. Don’t be condescending of education, experience, age, or gender. 7. Don’t be arrogant, even if you clearly have an upper hand. 8. Don’t flaunt your…
“ The mortgage debt relief extension ultimately could affect millions of families who are underwater on their loans, delinquent on their payments and heading for foreclosure, short sales or deeds-in-lieu-of-foreclosure settlements. Under the federal tax code, all types of forgiven debt are treated as ordinary income, subject to regular tax rates.” SOME encouraging news for financially…
“In Re Todd, the 63-year old debtor had an autism disorder since early childhood. The court described the debtor as articulate and intelligent. If one were to read select portions of the transcript without having watched the trial, one might be fooled into thinking that she can function normally. But that conclusion would be a…
A FILIPINA registered nurse licensed in California, her husband, and minor son are in removal proceedings with the Los Angeles Immigration Court ( I.J. Philip J. Costa) because their applications for adjustment of status to permanent residence were denied, despite approval of the underlying employer’s Form I-140 immigrant visa petition for her. The ground for…
I FEEL so blessed! This has been my sentiment during the past days of Advent. I feel blessed because of having been a historic and significant part of Immaculate Heart of Mary Church for almost eleven years now, especially in its centennial year. These years of service went by so quickly; and every year brought…
SINCE you’re reading this, it means the world did not end on December 21, 2012, as predicted by the Mayans. However, our troubles are far from over. On Thursday, House Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) surprisingly faced rejection from Republicans for legislation which would have raised taxes for Americans earning incomes above $1 million. “What Boehner…
