It’s not uncommon to dream of visiting places you see in the movies. Let me guess, most of them are in the United States. To name a few, New York, LA, Miami, Washington and Chicago are some of the common tourist destinations in the US. You have the resources but you harbor this apprehension of being denied.

This should not stop you from making your travel plans a reality. If you have relatives in the US or you would like to travel solo, the key is to know what type of visa you must apply for, the necessary documents you must fill out, and more importantly, the purpose of your visit to the US.

First things first, know the difference between a US Visitor Visa (B-2) and a US Visa Sponsorship.

These two things are not the same.

The visitor visa often known as B-1/B-2 visa is a non-immigrant visa for people wishing to enter United States temporarily for pleasure, medical treatment, and business. In this case, you apply for your US Visa with the US Embassy or Consulate. Whereas, a U.S. visa sponsorship is applied for by the employer or close family member by filing an immigration petition with the U.S. government for getting a residency card (Green card) for their employee or close family member. This is also known as non-immigrant petitions such as work visa (e.g., H, L visa) as well as family visa (e.g., Fiancé or K visa).

What is the purpose of your visit?

You will be asked this question by the US consul who you will meet when you get to the embassy. But before that, determine the purpose of your trip. If the purpose of your trip is to visit USA for a short duration for pleasure, tourism, and visit relatives, family, or friends, then visitor visa known as Tourist visa to USA or B-2 visa is the right visa for you.

However, keep in mind that you if apply for a visitor’s visa, among other things, you must show to the US Consular officer that they have strong ties to the Philippines as you home country and they intend return after their temporary stay in the U.S. You must also show that you have enough money available to take care your expenses for your U.S. trip such as air tickets, visitors insurance, lodging/boarding, transportation expenses, tourism expenses and all other expenses.

What if I don’t have enough resources but my friends and relatives in the US are willing to shoulder my stay there?

Then this is where sponsorship sets in.

Who can sponsor my trip?

Any US-based person can sponsor visa for his/her parents, relatives, and friends. This means that he/she must either be a holder of an I-94 (US Green card) or a US Citizen. Your sponsor should provide an affidavit of support (form I-134). The form is a confirmation that the sponsor is ready to undertake the financial liability of the applicant during the visit.

What documents do I need to submit?

Must have Documents for US Visitor Visa interview:

1. A valid passport that does not expire prior to 6 months beyond of your intended stay.
2. Printout of your confirmation page from the form DS-160
3. Fee receipt US Visa Fees
4. One photograph
5. Original/Copy of Visa interview appointment letter

Supporting documents to show your Ties with your home country include:

You must demonstrate strong economic, social, and familial ties with your home country. You must also show that you will not become a burden on US by proving your financial stability to cover the expenses in US. These facts will ensure the interviewing officer that you will return to your home country after the authorized period of stay in USA. The required documents are:
1. Evidence of sufficient funds for the visit to US (Bank statement and passbook, etc.)
2. Evidence to show that you have strong ties to your home country. Documents related to the property you own and your employment are good evidence
a. If you are employed get a verification letter of employment
b. If you are self-employed get a financial and other documentary proof of the ownership
c. If you are a government employee get a Certificate of Employment and an Authority to Travel Certification
d. Tax ID, and recent tax-related documents
e. Original property papers like house, shop or business ownership documents etc. which you own in the Philippines/home country. If no papers available, make a notarized affidavit for the same
f. Documentary evidence of running any business or organization
g. Evidence of family ties like unmarried children, old aged parents and other family responsibilities
h. If person is an employee, other than proof of employment and proof of leave granted from the office, any such document that would show proof that you have reasons to come back

Documents and other proofs aside, the assistance of an immigration counsel/consultant who would facilitate your application and better your chances of getting approved is strongly suggested and highly encouraged.

Are you one of those who just received a TCYK LLC letter? In order for such a letter of claim not to become a TCYK LLC lawsuit eventually, it is a must to know some what-to-do guidelines when receiving notices for copyright infringement. So, read on; this article might help.

Let’s start with some FAQs:

Who sends a letter of claim?

Only 3 sources are authorized to send you a letter of demand for copyright infringement, and these are:

• An exclusive licensee or someone who has an exclusive copyright license of a certain creative material
• The owner of the copyright
• The solicitor/s and anti-piracy entities who have been hired by copyright owners to chase infringers

In some territories and selected cases, the ISP may also have the right to send a copyright infringement notice to warn subscribers of their illegal downloading and/or file-sharing activities.

What to do next?

You need to respond to the letter of claim within the period specified on the letter. In England, it is a general rule to reply to a letter of demand or copyright infringement notice within 14 days after receiving the letter, whether you are guilty of the allegation or you are not directly responsible for the infringement. This is why proper understanding of the letter’s content is a must before even thinking of responding through email or phone call. Take your time knowing the details of the allegation, and consider seeking professional legal assistance if there are things you want to be clarified. Aside from asking legal advice from a solicitor, you may also get in touch with the letter sender directly through the hotline provided on the letter. This way you can easily get more information regarding the allegation against you as well as prevent any more serious consequences like litigation. Responding to a letter of claim immediately also lets you clear your name if ever you did not really commit the infringement.

So what should you do to stop receiving another copyright infringement notice?

1. Stop downloading copyrighted materials. Yes, it is as simple as that. Most things you see online are owned by someone, and it is better off not to take something that’s not yours, unless you have already acquired permission from the rightful owner. However, there are also copyrighted materials that are made available by the copyright holders themselves through a Creative Commons License, which means you are actually free to make use of certain music and other creative materials online. Although there is this exception, it is still important to note that most free films you see online should not be really free and are still owned by people or entities, therefore you are most likely required to pay for downloading and/or sharing them.
2. Check your internet connection usage. It is also important to know everyone who has access to your Wi-Fi connection to easily track the person/s responsible for any infringement, especially if you are very much aware that you haven’t really tried downloading or sharing copyrighted materials through your PC and other devices at home. You can check who accessing your wireless router by looking into its logs of connections, which most routers do have. You may also acquire assistance from your ISP in order to make sure that only you and your family or anyone in your household are the only ones accessing your internet connection, therefore not putting you at risk of any illegal downloading and other copyright infringement allegations.

These are just some of the basic precautionary measures you can do to stay away from letting a letter of claim turn into a TCYK LLC lawsuit.

An abroad country is referred to as by many as one of the best place one can look to migrate to, to live in, travel or study. It is a very strong and viable choice for anyone looking to travel to for any purpose because of its hospitality, the services and the lifestyle. However, one main reason that will attract young adults and students is its educational facilities. In abroad you got an excellent range of universities, schools which offers varied streams and courses to suit the masses. Many people every year migrate to and stay in overseas countries for the sole purpose of education, learning skills from their preferred courses. They end up availing the services of good study visa consultants before they do so.

Studying in any country abroad in today’s age isn’t like what it used to be decades ago. Students now have multiple avenues that can help them reach abroad, get enrolled in a suitable course and much more. They also have the most reason to study abroad because of the system of education they have in own country. The education system is highly competitive, and each year it gets worse with higher cutoffs and with quotas or reservations for seats. A promising student might thus, miss out on proper education solely on either of these two factors.

When looking to study in overseas universities, one wouldn’t have to face such factors. Merit is given more importance than simply the marks they got in their previous education. As a result, studying in a developed country is simply a country where any student can get a chance at top notch, quality education without any compromise or restrictions. There are a lot more reasons which compel all the students travelling abroad to study.

Top Reasons why visiting Abroad to Study is a Great Decision for Prospective Students:

a) Finance and Expenditure:

Many people used to be on the bench about travelling to other countries to study because they thought how expensive the whole ordeal would cost them. They would think that their parents would be unable to afford their course fees and their stay. All these fears are now debunked with the loans and schemes available to all students.

Students can take loans at attractive EMIs, which will pay for their fees and other financial aspects of their visit to abroad. Apart from this, Students can also apply for scholarship programs which can help them cover the costs of fees and reduce their expenditure.

b) Well-recognized Education Degrees:

A student might naturally choose to pursue their career after completing their course in an abroad university itself, in some other country, or return back. All this is completely fine since degrees from good universities and colleges are recognized in all countries

c) Enjoy different Cultures and Societies:

Any student who travels to any other country, will certainly enjoy the culture and societal make-up. A student will find it easier to assimilate because of cultural references.

To avoid any types of risks to the student’s security, their abroad education consultants will help them get by peacefully. They will make sure that they get placed in only the most secure place they can find, where they will be assimilate and stay peacefully.

d) Professional Help from Valuable Sources:

Students looking to travel abroad to study should know that they won’t be alone in their efforts, nor will their parents. This is because all students looking to study abroad will receive support from education consultants.

These study visa consultants will include of trained and certified professionals who will help the students realize their potential. They will also see to it that the students settle in correctly, acting like a guardian in place of their parents, instructing them and reporting on them to their parents.

There a lot more reasons why studying in abroad countries yields more benefits than staying in one’s own country for studying. All students looking to visit a new country, as a result, will not only enjoy these benefits of studying there, but also get to explore a new country, learn the culture, and make new friends, relations and much more.

People tend to face numerous issues with respect to their automobiles. Some of the most common problems that people face are:

• Buying a defective car and getting refused a refund, fixing and replacement by the manufacturer.
• After completing a final loan contract, you are asked to sign a new contract with higher down payment.
• You are trapped with deceptive advertisements and you have been sold a more expensive car.
• Dealer conceals optional add-ons and undervalues the trade-in during fixing of the deals.
• Your car is repossessed without your consent by the creditor.

Know Your Rights

There are different laws that save the consumers from auto fraud. Here is a list of various laws and their scheme of protection.

Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act

This law is utilised when a contractor, warrantor or supplier denies complying with a service contract, written warranty or implied warranty.

State Repossession Laws

These laws state that:

• Your car cannot be removed from a locked garage by the car repossession company without your consent.
• You can put your car up in auction or you can pay the full money in order to buy back the car.
• On paying repossession costs or reinstating your loan, you can get your car back in some states.
• Your car must not be sold below market value.
• You should be informed whether the creditor will put the car up for auction or not.

State Lemon Laws

Those cars are dealt by lemon laws that have been repaired many times for the same defect. Different states have different lemon laws.

• Your car should be replaced or refunded by the manufacturer for a substantial defect after four tries.
• Your car should be refunded or replaced for a safety defect after two tries.

Truth in Lending Act (TILA)

According to TILA, interest rates and other information regarding the loan should be disclosed by the lenders before processing a loan. You can get the best auto financing rate with the help of TILA.

Unfair, Deceptive, or Abusive Acts or Practices (UDAP)

You are protected by UDAP from deceptive, unfair and false acts including the false advertisements.

Contacting an Attorney

You should know about the following, if you want to contact an attorney.

Repair Record

Keep record of the timing of the car when it is out for service and keep track of the repair attempts. Every time you repair the car, do not forget to submit a dated and written list of problems to your dealer.

Notice Required

Before entitling to a replacement or refund, you must go through the notice requirement of your state.

Your Refund or Replacement

Ask the manufacturer for a replacement or refund only after confirming that your car is qualified as a lemon. You may have to go through arbitration if a valid arbitration program is incorporated into your written warranty, in order to get your replacement or refund.

Maybe it is okay that the academic bubble is about to burst. After all, our colleges and Universities seem to have lost their way, teaching gender studies, minority (majority) studies, leftist viewpoints and the never ending politically correct mission creep of sustainability, equality, and socialism. Is the removal of DACA – Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals going to be the straw that breaks the camel’s back in academia? It very well might be. Let’s talk.

There was an interesting piece on NPR worth listening to titled: “California State University Chancellor Raises Concerns About End Of DACA,” part of the ‘All Things Considered’ venue (4 minutes, 14 seconds long). The piece was on the air on September 6, 2017. During the interview the California State University system Chancellor Timothy White, he stated:

“Well, it would make it so several thousand of our students and several hundred of our employees would lose the status that DACA has provided. And for some, that would mean they would drop out of school out of fear. For others, it would mean that they would not be able to get a job or have the sort of ability to function in society once they earn their college degree. So we’re actually deeply disappointed in the president’s action and are working strongly with, now, our congressional members to create legislation to reverse this.”

Personally, I bet it is much higher than that, I bet it’s at least 5,000 students at 500 University employees. First, why is the University hiring Illegal Aliens ahead of US Citizens? Second, are these 5,000 students borrowing monies (student loans) for their over-priced tuition? You know, college is FREE in Mexico, but I guess if they don’t pay back the student loans its FREE here too, for them only as all the citizen college students can’t get out of their student loans ever, or those on Student VISAs have to pay in exorbitant college tuition fees in advance often 3-times the normal rates. Next is this issue with Cal Grant program – who do you think pays for that?

Meanwhile, most of the University professor pension funds around the country are in trouble (underfunded) and their pay keeps increasing, and the Universities continue to hire more administrators to their already bureaucratic and top-heavy brain-washing institutions.

Now you might ask, why on Earth does this author (me) care? Well, I am a taxpayer. And, I understand the issues of social safety nets, but our taxes are paid by US citizens for our benefits, not to redistribute to folks who are in our country illegally. Yes, I understand the debate; “it’s not their fault, their parents brought them here at a young age, and this is the only country they know.” Understood, but that is not my fault, nor should it be my problem just because I am a white male.

It seems now we are in a Catch-22. You see, if we send all the DACA students back, they will not pay their student loans, and will finish their education in Mexico, where it is free, which might be enough to trigger a bubble burst in the student loan market causing severely decreased enrollment as no one will be able to get a student loan in the future; citizen or not. Fewer students means tuition revenues will decrease, layoffs of staff and professors will cause poor education, larger classrooms, and bankruptcy to many University systems nationwide. And, mind you, the academic bubble will eventually burst as it is “unsustainable” anyway, but this may accelerate the time to drive off that cliff.

It’s too bad academia got hijacked by leftist political forces, now it’s time that the pendulum swings back to some sense of normalcy. Maybe it’s going to take a big hit to the system to force a little common sense back into the University system, maybe this DACA reversal might be that event that pivots to a more reality based place of higher learning?