WASHINGTON — U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) today launched the first phase of its electronic immigration benefits system, known as USCIS ELIS. The system has been created to modernize the process for filing and adjudicating immigration benefits. “Today marks a significant milestone in our agency’s history,” said USCIS Director Alejandro Mayorkas. “We have launched…
QUESTION: I would like to become a US Citizen. What can I do and what are the basic requirements? Answer: These are the basic requirements: Be 18 or older; Be a green card holder for at least 5 years immediately preceding the date of filing the Form N-400, Application for Naturalization; Have lived within the…
THE worsening housing sector due to homes being underwater still has a great effect of our economies recovery, why are you not hearing this topic more often being resolve than being brushed under the rug by the administration. Based on my own survey, I believe that it is because the two governments we have are…
HE IS considered the Manny Pacquiao of the skateboarding industry, although Willy Santos has been doing it a lot longer in his sport than the Filipino boxing champ. Unfortunately, Santos doesn’t get that same kind of recognition, which he deserves. For all of his accomplishments and success in 20 years as a professional skateboarder, Santos…
In the world of advertising, creativity and out-of-the-box thinking is key. There are a lot of excellent copywriters and art directors in the industry, but the creative director strikes the balance — ensuring that the creative output meets the objectives of a client’s business strategy. The creative director is also the head of the creative…
AS AN immigration officer, I had many emotional experiences and one of my most difficult experiences was when an Iranian applicant came to the Service and requested an advanced parole travel document to return home to visit her dying father. With her adjustment of status pending and processing taking years, she could not wait for…
“PADRE, Jesus regresara pronto, verdad?”, a mentally challenged Korean man asked me in heavily accented Spanish at our church patio. “Si,” I responded without thinking much. Then I mused about my answer and why this simple-minded man asked me if Jesus is coming soon. Was he influenced by the apocalyptic preaching of his Korean brothers…
YOUR personal home care plays an important role in maintaining healthy smile. Your personal home care starts by eating balanced meals, reducing the number of snacks you eat, and correctly using the various dental aids that help control the plaque and bacteria that cause dental disease. Tooth brushing. Brush your teeth at least twice a day (especially…
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…
The advent of the computer and cyberspace technology has led to the explosion of, and instant access to, seemingly endless volumes of information in the various fields of human endeavor, including in medicine, via the internet. This modern “virtual library” on the Web, accessible to practically anyone, any place, in the world where the internet…
“WE are proud of the progress we have made, but we are not satisfied with just this. We Filipinos know just how much potential this country has and we are working even longer nights to fulfill this potential,” President Benigno Aquino III said, during the Philippine Investment Forum on March 27. And those overtime hours…
THE H-1B visa quota for FY 2013 officially opened up on Sunday, April 1, 2012, making 65,000 new H-1B regular visa numbers available for new employment beginning on October 1, 2012, as well as an additional 20,000 H-1Bs for persons who have attained a Master’s Degree or higher in the US. As of May 14,…
THE Sixth Commandment is “pay must be based on contribution to the business”. Lance Gokongwei said that in order for the family member to live and think independently, the family business must pay the right salary for the right job, but the pay must be adequate enough so that the family member will not be…
It is May again and it bursts with the fresh spunk of festivals. Shining among the festivities of this month is the observation of the Flores De Mayo. This tradition started during the Spanish Era where young girls, in their pristine innocence, offered flowers for the Virgin Mary in a parish church in Malolos, Bulacan….
ZILLOW’S first-quarter home value report found that home values posted their biggest monthly gain since 2006 last month, rising 0.5% nationwide. The data show that 19 of the 30 largest markets have already hit bottom or will soon, and Zillow predicts the national index will hit bottom in late 2012 or early 2013. I believe…
As one of the most disaster-prone areas in Southeast Asia, the Philippines’ efforts in disaster risk reduction (DRR) did not go unnoticed. The country has recently caught the attention of the United Nations (UN) for having an advanced climate change adaptation (CCA). Margareta Wahlstrom, UN Secretary General for Disaster Risk Reduction, recently led a program…
I STILL think fondly of the intimate Mass I celebrated last Saturday with my family on my ailing father’s 80th birthday. It was a moment filled with depth, intimacy, laughter, gratitude, and grace. My younger sister thought that it was “priceless,” especially in seeing her little kids and another practice as altar servers. For me,…
I had a bad dream. I dreamed that the Chinese invaded the Philippines after the confrontation at West Philippine Sea finally exploded into an all-out war. I dreamed that while Philippine officials were meeting with the US State Department in Washington DC, China attacked the Philippines in a manner reminiscent of Pearl Harbor. The AFP…
Mother’s Day is a time when everyone should reflect on all the wonderful things and the sacrifices their mothers have made for them. It is also the time when Mothers feel blessed with the gift of motherhood, and feel the indescribable joy of being surrounded by their children. Unfortunately, for some mothers who are in…
If you think that by brushing and flossing your teeth every day, you’re fulfilling your daily dental obligations, you’re halfway right. The other half involves using the correct techniques, and protecting your teeth and gums from external factors. Many of us grew up thinking that if brushing is a good way to clean our teeth,…
ONE can win races and break world records, but an Olympic gold medal is still the biggest feat an athlete can accomplish. To conquer the Olympics is every athlete’s dream. The Olympic dream has remained a dream for the Philippines since Onyok Velasco’s performance fell short of a gold medal finish in the 1996 Atlanta…
THE USCIS Service Centers have recently received guidance and new instructions for their adjudicators relating to the timing of creating new jobs and explaining the meaning of “full-time” for positions created through the “EB-5” investor program investment. In apparent response to some unwarranted shifts in adjudicatory processes and the Service Center’s imposition of more stringent…
TIME flies so fast. I can’t believe it was in 1991 (21 years ago) that I got a call from Freddie Garcia about ABS-CBN’s plan to enter the US market in earnest. Since it launched The Filipino Channel in 1994, ABS-CBN International (as the Kapamilya Channel) has established a firm foothold in America, as well as in Europe, the…
THERE’S an old saying that may be wiser today than ever: “East is east, and west is west; and never the twain shall meet.” This holds true in the case of the 5th Gokongwei Commandment: Personal assets should be kept separate from company assets. Lance Gokongwei, president of JG Summit Group, said that personal expenses…
The recent news of the inclusion of Fort Santiago and Intramuros to the top 10 list of the Global Heritage Fund’s most endangered historical sites can be a little alarming not just for the cultural warriors, Manilenos, but to all Filipinos. Other places include Autthaya (Thailand), Kashgar (China), Mahasthangarh (Bangladesh), Mes Aynak (Afghanistan), Myauk-U (Myanmar),…
QUESTION: My father petitioned me 15 years ago and it was just about current, but he just died. Now, what happens and can I still come to the US? Answer: Normally, when the petitioner dies so does the petition. Thus, when you would receive a packet from the National Visa Center stating that the visa…
In a global survey of media independence (conducted by Washington-based Freedom House) the Philippines was able to raise its ranking — from a previous standing of 93, it is now currently ranked at 88 (with zero being the most free, and 100 being the least free). The Philippines has been rated “partly free,” along with…
Apr 25,2012 His Excellency Benigno S Aquino III President of Philippines Subject: Bring Home our Elderly and Disabled Abroad Dear Mr. President: While you are focused in the economic development of the Philippines (PH), there is a huge economic opportunity that is being overlooked and awaiting to be tapped. This is an opportune time and…
SHORT selling your home is such an important and stressful step in your life and it’s the springboard into your future so you wont have anymore sleepless nights. It is critical you interview and choose the right agent working for you not themselves. Never choose agent out of obligation just because you might be related…
Moving America Through Martial Arts For his extensive work preserving and promoting Filipino Martial Arts in the United States, Luis Rafael ‘Louelle’ Lledo, Jr. received an unexpected award from one of the most powerful men in the free world. President Barack Obama awarded the Arnis master (who is more commonly referred to as Mataw Guro…
