Should I wait for Obama travel policy to be finalized and travel visa fees to fall? Can I enter Canada?
If you follow news stories on US travel policies, you’ll know about President Obama’s commitment to provide a permanent reduction in US-issued visas and foreign visitors’ waiting periods. There are currently 2.7 million US green card holders who live in the United States without working or doing anything else to find a job, which is exactly why these visas are needed.
We’re not talking here about what you could do right now, but your future travel plans. The first, and most obvious, issue to answer is whether or not you have a right to travel to the United States. There are a few quick guidelines to follow.
DO NOT go to airport and wait for hours in line for a green card. Too many times in the past the immigration officers are not what they say they are and simply ask for documentation and then let a highly dedicated applicant with any documents at all go through with little scrutiny.
DO NOT go to a local agent if you are applying for a green card because agents can look over your green card application. It’s all very impersonal and uncomfortable, especially when it feels like the agents are being paid by the client to steal your money. If you can’t go to the US embassy and are not ready to renew your visa, then don’t wait for such a negative visit to be approved because you may never get it approved again!
DO NOT ask an immigration officer if you’re just here to get a green card. If you say you’re here to apply for green cards, they will assume you are a snake.
DO NOT ask about the “Credential Eligibility” that is mostly a lie. If you want to know, the US has the list of media and academics and science professors.
DO NOT believe the oft-repeated line that most US green card holders avoid coming to the US because of the hassle of getting a visa. Americans generally mistakenly believe this is true because some media speaks for all of the press. This often creates a very significant result. In reality, the visa office is almost never closed during the week of a major national holiday.
OTHERMORE CITIZEN POV:
• If I have a green card and I’m working and getting paid, who will pay me to go back to the US? I’m worried about losing all this money.
• I can get a permit that allows me to work for half a year but that doesn’t go far. Is this a long-term visa? Do I have to get another green card for another half a year? Are there any other restrictions?