Monday, January 25, 2010

TPS para Haitianos, Que Hacer, Como Obternerlo

Estado de Proteccion Temporal: Haitianos y Como Aplicar para obterner permiso de trabajo
Creditos a: UNIVISION.com (Canal 34, Univision)

 La Oficina de Ciudadanía y Servicios de Inmigración (USCIS) publicó en su página de Internet pormenores del Temporary Protection Status (TPS). El beneficio fue otorgado por el Gobierno de Washington por razones humanitarias a los inmigrantes haitianos que se hallaban en territorio estadounidense antes del devastador terremoto del 12 de enero.

Qué, quién, cómo



¿Quiénes califican para el TPS?

Los inmigrantes haitianos, legales e indocumentados, que se hallaban en territorio de Estados Unidos antes del 12 de enero de 2010.

¿Cuántos inmigrantes se beneficiarán del amparo?

Tanto el Departamento de Seguridad Nacional (DHS) como el USCIS estimaron que los beneficiados serán entre 100,000 y 200,000.

¿Qué beneficios otorga el TPS?

Concede permiso temporal para residir legalmente en Estados Unidos, detiene las órdenes de deportación y otorga un permiso de trabajo temporal, hasta la fecha de vigencia del amparo.

¿Cuánto tiempo permanecerá abierta la ventanilla para registrarse en el TPS?

La USCIS dijo 180 días, tal y como se publicó en el Registro Federal (Diario Oficial estadounidense.

¿Cómo se pide el TPS?

Por medio del Formulario I-821

¿Hay que pagar por el Formulario I-821?

El Formulario es gratis, pero hay que adjuntar un pago de $50 por medio de un Money order dirigido al DHS y a la USCIA.

¿Cómo se pide el permiso de trabajo?

Por medio del formulario I-765. Se adjunta un money order por un valor de $340 a nombre del DHS o la USCIS.

¿Quiénes deben pedir permiso de trabajo?

Los inmigrantes haitianos que califiquen para el TPS entre los 14 y los 65 años de edad.

¿Hay que enviar un pago adicional, además de los $50 con el Formulario I-821 y el Formulario I-765?

Si, un money orden por $80 a nombre del DHS o la USCIS para la toma de huellas digitales.

¿Cómo se consiguen los formularios para el TPS y el permiso de trabajo?

Llamando al 1(800) 870-3676 1(800) 870-3676 , ingresando a la pagina digital de la USCIS, el la oficina de su congresista federal o en organizaciones de ayuda a inmigrantes.

Qué si no tiene dinero

¿Qué ocurre si un inmigrante no tiene dinero para pagar los costos de la inscripción?

Puede pedir una exención. Para ello debe contactarse con la USCIS y gestionarla. También lo puede hacerlo por medio de una organización de ayuda humanitaria a inmigrantes o con la oficina de su congresista.

¿Qué documentos debe adjuntar como prueba de identidad?

Pasaporte, certificado de nacimiento, carta de nacionalidad como ciudadano Haití. También debe presentar pruebas de que reside en Estados Unidos desde antes del 12 de enero de 2010.

¿Qué ocurre con los inmigrantes que tienen delitos o faltas criminales?

Deben consultar con un abogado para que los asesore antes de enviar los documentos al ICE. El gobierno advierte que personas con delitos graves no tienen derecho a gestionar el TPS.

¿Adónde se envían los documentos para solicitar el TPS?

Si vive en Florida y los envía por medio de la Oficina de Correos (US Postal Service), a la siguiente dirección:

USCIS

PO Box 4464

Chicago, IL 60680-4464

Si vive en Florida y los envía un sistema distinto al US Postal Service, a la siguiente dirección:

USCIS

Attn: Haiti TPS

131 South Dearborn, 3rd Floor

Chicago, IL 60603-5520

Si vive en Nueva York y los envía por medio de la oficina de correos (US Postal Service), a la siguiente dirección:


USCIS

PO Box 660167

Dallas, TX 75266-0167

Si vive en Nueva York y los envía un sistema distinto al US Postal Service, a la siguiente dirección:
USCIS

Attn: Haiti TPS

2501 S. State Hwy. 121 Business Suite 400

Lewisville, TX 75067

Si vive en cualquier otra parte de Estados Unidos y los envía por medio de la oficina de correos (US Postal Service), a la siguiente dirección:
USCIS

PO Box 24047

Phoenix, AZ 85074-4047

Si vive en cualquier otra parte de Estados Unidos y los envía por un sistema distinto al US Postal Service, a la siguiente dirección:

Attn: Haiti TPS

1820 E. Skyharbor Circle S

Suite 100

Phoenix, AZ 85034

¿Se puede solicitar el TPS por internet?

No.
Los inmigrantes que entraron a EU después del 12 de enero, ¿pueden pedir el TPS?

No.

Si una persona tiene trámite pendiente para asilo, ¿puede pedir el TPS?

Si. Pedir el TPS no afecta el trámite de asilo ni los beneficios.



Si necesita información adicional contacte a un abogado de inmigracion o llame a la oficina mas cercana de inmigracion o vea la pagina web en http://www.uscis.gov/

GOOGLE my favorite!

By JOE McDONALD and MICHAEL LIEDTKE, AP Business Writers Joe Mcdonald And Michael Liedtke, Ap Business Writers


BEIJING – Even if Google's stand against censorship leads it to close its search engine in China, the company still hopes to maintain other key operations in the world's most populous Internet market.

Google Inc. is in delicate negotiations with the Chinese government to keep its research center in China, an advertising sales team that generates most of the company's revenue in the country and a fledgling mobile phone business.

Both sides are torn by conflicting objectives.

Google says it's no longer willing to acquiesce to the Chinese government's demands for censored search results, yet it still wants access to the country's engineering talent and steadily growing online advertising and mobile phone markets.

Chinese leaders are determined to control the flow of information, but realize they need rich and innovative companies such as Google to achieve their goal of establishing the country as a technology leader. Even some Chinese media that rarely deviate from the party line have warned that Google's departure could slow technology development and hurt China's economy.

Analysts are split on how the current impasse will be resolved, with some resigned to Google having to pull completely out of China for the foreseeable future while others envision a face-saving compromise that preserves a toehold in the country for the company.

Robert Broadfoot, managing director of Political and Economic Risk Consultancy in Hong Kong, is among the camp that expects Communist leaders to bend their rules to keep Google in the country.

"They're hardly going to close the door on the innovator. They are very interested in what (Google is) innovating, because they may want it for themselves," said Broadfoot, who has advised companies on China since the 1970s.

Google said Jan. 12 it might close its China-based search engine, Google.cn, because it no longer intends to censor the results as it has for the past four years. And, the company, warned, the decision could lead the company to pull out of the country completely.

The threat stemmed from computer hacking attacks on Google's computer code and efforts to break into the e-mail accounts of human rights activists. Google said the intrusions originated from within China, but stopped short of linking them directly to the country's government.

Google Chief Executive Eric Schmidt told analysts last week that the company planned to make changes in China in "a reasonably short time" while raising hope for a compromise.

"We made a strong decision that we wish to remain in China," Schmidt said. "We like the business opportunities there. We'd like to do that on somewhat different terms than we have."

The dispute with China prompted Google to postpone the planned release last week of its latest mobile phones for the country, a market with more than 700 million accounts. But the company says it still hopes to sell the phones in China.

Even if Google.cn is shut down, Google wants to keep its Beijing development center and sales offices in Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou, according to a person familiar with its thinking. But that won't happen if management believes its decision to stop censoring search results will jeopardize employees in China, according to this person, who asked not to be identified because of the sensitivity of the negotiations.

Google will not say how many employees it has in China, but industry analysts estimate its work force at 700. The company, based in Mountain View, California, employs about 20,000 people worldwide.

The Chinese sales force is important to Google because most of the company's revenue in China comes from online ads sold on Google's U.S. Web site, Google.com. The company also runs an ad network that places marketing messages on other China-based Web sites besides its own.

Analysts say keeping Chinese advertisers happy would be more difficult if Google closes its sales office in the country and tries to connect with the customers from abroad. Alienated advertisers would be more likely to defect to alternatives still based in China, such as Baidu Inc. and Alibaba Group, which is part owned by Yahoo Inc.

Google trails Baidu with about 35 percent of China's search market to its local rival's 60 percent.

If Google does close Google.cn, it could go back to trying to reach Chinese Internet users with the Chinese-language portion of Google.com. That was Google's strategy before 2006, when it opened its censored search engine to better reach the Chinese population. Google opted for a China-based search engine because the Chinese government used its Internet filters to restrict access to the U.S. site.

Beijing encourages Internet use for education and business but tries to block material it deems subversive or pornographic and was filtering access to Google's U.S. site.

In a sign of hardening Chinese attitudes, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology on Monday denied government involvement in Internet attacks and defended its online surveillance as lawful. The Communist Party newspaper People's Daily accused the U.S. government of controlling the Internet at home while urging other countries to build an "Internet freedom utopia," which it called "only an illusion of freedom."

There's still a chance that Chinese leaders may be more conciliatory behind closed doors. Google has been more circumspect publicly since confronting China in a blunt posting on the company's Web site.

In recent years, companies have learned better how to deal with Beijing and to channel complaints about market barriers and regulations through trade groups. That helps to conceal their identity and shield them from retaliation.

Last year, manufacturers that opposed Beijing's order to include its "Green Dam" Web-filtering software with personal computers worked through trade groups and refused to talk about it publicly. The government withdrew its order in June in a rare last-minute reversal, though schools are required to use the filter.

Wal-Mart Stores Inc., which resists efforts to form labor unions in its stores elsewhere, faced an organizing campaign by China's state-sanctioned labor group in 2006. The company ultimately agreed to cooperate in forming unions at its dozens of China outlets.

The Google dispute could heighten disputes within the Communist Party over how to balance security and economic development, Broadfoot said. He said the search giant's future in China might be decided by the outcome of that struggle.

"Those two factions have to conduct a very difficult dance that they really don't want the outsiders to watch," he said. "The most important lesson out of this is it helps us understand the kind of economic player China wants to be."

Apple tablet could write a new chapter for e-books

By Jessica Mintz, AP Technology Writer , On Monday January 25, 2010, 5:49 pm EST


SEATTLE (AP) -- The company whose CEO proclaimed in 2008 that people don't read anymore may now be poised to sweep in and school the electronic book reader market.

That company is Apple Inc., and its CEO, Steve Jobs, was predicting Amazon.com Inc.'s Kindle would never take off. But if Apple's talks with publishers are any indication, its "latest creation," set to be unveiled Wednesday, could upend the fledgling e-reader industry in much the same way its iPod redefined digital music.

E-readers had been around since the beginning of the last decade, but in 2007 the Kindle advanced the concept by enabling books to be downloaded wirelessly rather than having to be plugged into a computer. Amazon has tried to push the device further into the mainstream by selling it for $259, down from the debut price of $399.

Analysts say the Kindle is the top-selling e-book reader, though Amazon won't say how many it has sold.

Electronic books make up an estimated 3 percent to 5 percent of all book sales, but publishers and authors worry about Amazon's growing clout. The company has been selling electronic versions of top hardcover titles for $9.99, and publishers fear that consumers who get used to such low prices will demand to pay less for paper books, too.

Enter Apple. The company won't comment on what it plans to unveil Wednesday in San Francisco, but it appears likely to be a tablet -- a one-piece computer with a big touch screen, probably larger than an iPhone but smaller than a laptop. While most attention has been paid to the device's possibilities as a Web-surfing and video-watching machine, a multipurpose tablet from Apple also could be the publishing industry's welcome challenger to the Kindle.

Amazon currently sells e-books for people to read on the iPhone and iPod Touch, which is essentially an iPhone without the phone. People with Kindles can download a free program to the iPhone that enables them to read an e-book, put it down and resume it at the same page on either device.

But given the success of the iPod/iTunes model, in which Apple sells songs and videos for people to stash on their Apple-made devices, if Apple sees its new device as part e-book reader, it will almost certainly want to sell e-books itself. And an Apple bookstore may be in the works. Several publishers tell The Associated Press that they have met with Apple, though they declined to be named or detail the talks.

As a counterweight to Amazon's Kindle store, publishers have rallied around a publishing system from Adobe Systems Inc. that allows them to sell books themselves for several compatible devices, such as Sony Corp.'s e-readers. If Apple creates its own online bookstore, that would be a third major contender in e-book publishing, possibly frustrating consumers who want to move books between devices.

In what seems like a defensive move, Amazon recently said it will let outside companies develop programs for the Kindle, much like Apple has done on the iPhone. Amazon declined to comment on the prospects for Apple's tablet.

If Apple does for e-books what it did for digital music and smart phones, dedicated e-reader makers could be in trouble. Apple didn't invent the MP3 player, but it redefined it when the iPod launched in 2001, and now Apple claims to have three-fourths of the market. With the iPhone, Apple turned e-mail phones from corporate devices into lust-worthy consumer gadgets to be used for navigation, social networking and just about every other online task. Huge sales of the iPhone helped Apple increase its net income 50 percent in the last quarter, the company said Monday.

Forrester Research analyst James McQuivey believes most of the profits in electronic books could come from "converged devices" such as tablets that do many things -- such as show video -- rather from Kindles and other single-purpose readers.

"Those devices are going to provide an experience that is hard for a standalone reader to ever match," he said.

But much will depend on the price. Analysts estimate a tablet could cost $500 to more than $1,000, and that may or may not include having to pay for monthly data access. And many bookworms may still want a device that doesn't try to do too much. They might prefer "e-ink" screens, despite their lack of color, no backlighting and the "flash" of the screen every time a page is turned.

Brent Newhall, who trains people to use new software and other technology in Northern Virginia, has owned the original Kindle, the Kindle 2 and the larger Kindle DX. He said he likes an e-ink screen because it's easier on the eyes.

"I don't need a one-size-fits-all device," he said. "It's very nice having that one device to optimize for that one reading experience."

Tax Breaks for 2010

 By Mary Beth Franklin, Senior Editor, Kiplinger's Personal Finance

There’s no denying that 2009 was a challenging year for millions of Americans. But filling out your 2009 tax return could bring some welcome relief in the form of a big refund. There are a slew of new and expanded tax breaks for home buyers and car buyers, college students and their parents, homeowners who installed energy-efficient improvements, and the unemployed. Together, these tax savings are expected to boost average tax refunds above last year’s level of about $2,800, says IRS spokeswoman Nancy Mathis. The sooner you file, the sooner you’ll get your money back.

Here are highlights of what’s new for 2009 tax returns.

Education credit. More parents and students can use a federal education credit to offset part of the cost of college under the new American Opportunity Credit. The maximum $2,500 credit is available to eligible taxpayers who paid at least $4,000 in qualified college tuition, fees and required course materials, including books, in 2009. The full credit is available to individuals with incomes up to $80,000, phasing out above that level and disappearing completely at $90,000. (For married couples filing jointly, the full credit is available to those with incomes up to $160,000 and disappears above $180,000.) Those income limits are higher than under the existing Hope and Lifetime Learning credits.
If you claim the credit and owe no tax, you may receive a refund of 40% of the credit, up to a maximum of $1,000 for each eligible student. Other education credits are not refundable. The American Opportunity Credit can be applied only to expenses paid during the first four years of college. Graduate students are not eligible for this new credit, but they still qualify for the Lifetime Learning credit, of up to $2,000 per household, or a tuition-and-fees deduction of up to $4,000. (A credit, which reduces your tax bill dollar for dollar, is more valuable than a deduction, which merely reduces the amount of income that is taxed.)

Parents of some college freshmen and sophomores should bypass the new American Opportunity Credit and opt instead for the supercharged Hope Credit available to students in Midwestern seven states affected by 2008’s flooding disaster ( Arkansas, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Missouri, Nebraska, and Wisconsin). The top credit on 2009 returns for qualified students is $3,600.

Home-energy credits. If you weatherized your home or bought alternative-energy equipment in 2009, you may qualify for either of two expanded home-energy credits, regardless of your income.

You may claim a credit worth 30% of the cost of eligible home improvements on your principal residence, up to a maximum $1,500. The cost of certain high-efficiency heating and air-conditioning systems, water heaters and stoves used for home heating qualify for the credit, along with labor costs for installing them. The cost of energy-efficient windows, doors, skylights and insulation also count, but installation costs do not. You would have to spend at least $5,000 to qualify for the full $1,500 credit.

A second tax credit is designed to spur investment in alternative-energy equipment, such as solar electric systems, solar water heaters, geothermal heat pumps and wind turbines, in new and existing homes. The credit is worth 30% of the cost, including installation, with no cap on the amount of the credit.

Home buyer’s credit. If you bought your first home in 2009, you may be able to claim a tax credit worth 10% of the cost of the house, up to a maximum $8,000, subject to income eligibility rules. You are considered a first-time home buyer if you, or you and your spouse, didn’t own a principal residence for at least three years before purchasing a house in 2009.

Different income eligibility limits apply depending on when you bought the house. If you purchased it before November 7, 2009, you are eligible for the full first-time home buyer’s tax credit if you are single and your income didn’t top $75,000 or if you are married and your joint income didn’t exceed $150,000. The credit phases out for individuals with incomes up to $95,000 and married couples with joint incomes up to $170,000, disappearing above those income levels.

Income eligibility limits are higher for those who bought homes on or after November 7, 2009. And a new 10% credit, with a maximum of $6,500, is available to longtime homeowners who bought a new principal residence on or after that date. The full home-buyer credits are available to individuals with incomes up to $125,000 and married couples with joint incomes up to $225,000. The credit is phased out for individuals with incomes up to $145,000 and joint filers with incomes up to $245,000 and disappears for those with incomes above those levels.

Taxpayers claiming either credit on their 2009 returns must use the new Form 5405, “First-Time Homebuyer Credit .” If you claim the credit, you cannot file your 2009 tax return online; you must print it out and mail it to the IRS. See more details in our FAQ on the home-buyer credits.

New-vehicle purchases. If you bought a new car, light truck, motorcycle or motor home on or after February 17, 2009, through the end of the year, you may be able to deduct the state or local sales tax or excise tax you paid on the vehicle on your 2009 tax return. The deduction is limited to the tax you paid on up to $49,500 of the purchase price of the vehicle, but there is no limit on the number of qualifying vehicles.

To qualify for the full deduction, your income can’t top $125,000 if you are single or $250,000 if you are married filing jointly. A partial deduction is available for individuals with incomes between $125,000 and $135,000 (and between $250,000 and $260,000 for joint filers). The deduction is available whether or not you itemize your deductions. If you claim the standard deduction, file the new Schedule L (“Standard Deduction for Certain Filers”). If you itemize your deductions, you can claim the deduction for the sales tax on your vehicle purchase on either line 5 or line 7 of Schedule A.

Jobless benefits. Unemployed workers are allowed to exclude the first $2,400 of unemployment benefits received in 2009.

Friday, January 1, 2010

The Highs and Lows of Real Estate in 2009

The Highs and Lows of Real Estate in 2009. By Dan Polimino.


Posted: Monday, December 28, 2009

Category: Real Estate News

"It was the best of times, it was the worst of times; it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness; it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity; it was the season of light, it was the season of darkness; it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair; we had everything before us, we had nothing before us; we were all going directly to Heaven, we were all going the other way.”
Charles Dickens.
This is easily my favorite quote of all time and it accurately describes how many of us felt during the course of 2009. Some of you may even be thinking, “were there any high points in real estate this year?”Yes there were, and while I only have limited space I’ll try to recap the top five in each category.

 The Lowlights:

Clearly, we started the year worse off than anyone imagined. People not only contracted their buying, but they also went into hibernation mode and some agents wondered if they would ever sell a home again.

Some price points like the Luxury market saw drops in value in excess of 30 percent in less than a year. Lending has hit a new low. Never has it been so hard to borrow money for the average person. The regulations, guidelines, and qualifications are getting harder every day. At this juncture, I am not convinced that banks are remotely interested in helping Americans get back on their feet.

The mortgage industry is now being controlled by a few large banking institutions that have too much power and too much control. This is bad for consumers, bad for competition, and bad for capitalism.
The appraisal system has run amuck. It’s in complete disarray and if you wait a week, it will change again. We need stability here soon.



The Highlights:



· More people were able to buy their first home. The first-time home buyer tax credit worked and stimulated the industry.
· The fourth quarter looks to have a much stronger close in real estate sales than originally predicted. Improvements in the economy, buyer confidence, low home prices, low interest rates and incentives have brought buyers off the sideline.
· Today we have a much more qualified buyer than in many years past. People who own homes now or recently bought homes are the ones that can truly afford them.
· We made great headway in beginning to weed out fraud, deception, cheating, and people looking to take advantage of others.
· We came out of an election year, banks failing, and unprecedented amount of foreclosures and still the real estate market continued to operate. We got deals done and actually improved the forecast for everyone.

Later this week is the start of 2010. Happy New Year Everyone and let’s pray that we have more to write about in the highlights column.
Dan Polimino is a Realtor with Fuller Sotheby’s International Realty. He can be reached at DPolimino@fullerproperties.com

Happy New Year to everybody

I am going to start searching for new stuff to post. I promise this year won't be so boring, of course you all know, I will be posting financial and other relevant issues for fun, to think about, or just to consider for life.  If you have suggestions, or you are interested in a particular matter, let me know and I will try to post something on it.

I am grateful to my parents who have encouraged me to be all that I can be, and do all I want to do. Of course, my parents reminded me to be responsible, and told me to do always what is right, and please do NOT follow the herd, which I try to do, but sometimes i fail. It is ok, so they said, if i learn something meaningful from those falls. Of course, they are always right. You never forget lessons you learn in life.

Oh, well. I have been reading a book which I am about to finish very soon.  The book's title is: Millionaire Women Next Door by Thomas J. Stanley, Ph.D.  The same author that wrote The Millionaire Next Door. They are good books for being frugal, and living a modest life without bragging about your wealth.  I like it so far.

In addition, my friend Ms. Ringold gave me two books for Christmas which I promise to read once I am done with the one I am reading. The titles are: The Long Tail: Why the Future of Business is Selling Less of More by Chris Anderson. The second book is: A Random Walk Down Wall Street by Burton G. Malkiel.

If you have read any of these two last books, please let me know what you think. Happy New YEAR!!

JFK; Bush; LBJ; Nixon