Philippine Airline (PAL) to Add Flights to Japan

Philippine Airlines (PAL) will be offering more flights to Japan as it launches its Haneda-Manila route on March 30, 2014.

PAL said the flights will be offered twice a day, complementing its thrice a day service to Narita.

Haneda will be PAL’s fifth gateway to Japan, following Narita, Fukuoka, Osaka and Nagoya.

PAL, the biggest Philippine operator to and from Japan, currently operates 21 weekly flights to Narita, 5 times a week to Fukuoka, 7 to Nagoya and 7 to Osaka.

"The new service makes PAL the exclusive operator on the Haneda-Manila route. This route forms part of PAL's network expansion aimed at providing our passengers more and better choices,” said PAL president Ramon Ang.

Haneda airport is located around 30 minutes away from the Tokyo metropolis.

PAL also announced that it is upgrading its inflight menu with the introduction of Bento Box meals on all flights to and from Japan. 

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Posted in: immigration and travel , PAL , Philippine Airlines , travel news , Travel Tips

Tattoos can Cause Trouble for Immigrants

Legally immigrating to the United States can be a long and difficult process. Potential immigrants to this country have to maintain a job and clear criminal records or they can face deportation to their home country. It isn’t easy, but for those who achieve it, it is well worth it.

To add to the difficulty for immigrants, tattoos can also play a role in their being denied a green card to the become United States citizens. Many tattoos in certain countries and cultures have connections to gangs and other criminal organizations. Certain tattoos can affiliate a person from Japan with the Yakuza, certain iconography is associated with the Russian mafia, and various Latin street gangs have tattoos that identify their affiliations.

The issue with tattoos and gangs in Latin America has become a recent issue for immigrants from Mexico. The Wall Street Journal ran a recent article profiling two immigrants named Hector Villalobos and Rolando Mora Huerta. Villalobos has been working in the United States since 2006, but when he went back to Mexico to meet with an immigration officer about his processing for his green card, he was stopped at the border. He had two tattoos of the classic laughing/crying theatre masks—which can mean “Laugh Now, Cry Later” to certain gangs—on his back. Though Villalobos simply got the tattoos because he liked the artwork, that specific tattoo has been tied to Mexican gangs, and his re-entry into the country has been detained. He is awaiting review of his application, with no date set.

A similar situation happened to Huerta, who had been married to an American citizen, when he was arrested in 2008 for being the country illegally. His record showed only minor offenses, such as speeding. He was deported and in 2010 was interviewed at the United States consulate in Juarez, Mexico to attempt to get a visa. He had similar tattoos as Villalobos, though he denied any gang affiliations. His visa was denied to “have affiliation with a criminal organization”. Both men’s families are seeking legal action claiming profiling.

The trouble for these men is not unique in the world of tattoos and popular culture. There are instances of tattoos that marked one as affiliated with certain organizations that go back centuries. Yet as time has went on, the popular culture as time goes on and unfortunately law abiding citizens can find themselves in trouble with the law. With worries of gangs coming across the border with Latin American immigrants, the justice department can be accused of being “hyper cautious”, yet maybe they rightfully so given the current troubles that some of our southern neighbors are dealing with.

Unfortunately for these two men, their families, and others like them the love of artwork can has landed them in trouble with the law due to the lack of knowledge of the symbolism of their tattoos. Perhaps the moral of this story is not so much about immigrants being wrongfully deported and associated with gangs. Perhaps it is also a warning to those that get tattoos to make sure they research they symbolism before they get inked.

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Posted in: green card , immigration and travel , Travel Tips , us immigration , US Visa , visa tips

Basic Requirements Needed for US Visa Application

It’s been a long time since I last updated this blog. I had a very busy schedule, sorry to keep you waiting guys. So, after giving you some basic tips in UK Immigration and US Immigration as well as the Canada Immigration now I am sharing you’re the Basic Requirements needed for US Visa Application:

1. DS-160 ONLINE NONIMMIGRANT VISA ELECTRONIC APPLICATION – All applicants must complete the DS-160 Online Nonimmigrant Visa Electronic Application. Applicants can access the DS-160 from the Consular Electronic Application Center website.

 

In order to avoid delays in processing visa applications, visa applicants or their representatives must ensure that the following information is correctly provided: Applicant’s Complete Name (required format is Surname, First Name(s), Middle Name), Applicant’s Passport Information (the passport used in filling out the form must be the same passport presented on the day of the interview), Other Names (for married female applicants, type your complete maiden name), Purpose of Trip (if the answer falls under “Other,” specify the purpose of travel in the blank provided), Primary Occupation (if the answer falls under “Other,” specify the occupation in the blank provided), Contact Person and Contact Address in the United States, Father’s Complete Name, and Mother’s Complete Maiden Name.

2.  PASSPORT – Signed passports must be valid for at least six months from the date of intended departure from the United States. The passport must be in good condition, i.e., photo lamination is undamaged, and all passport pages are intact.

Applicants must also present all previously issued passports or notarized affidavits of loss, if applicable.

Taiwanese passport holders who do not have Taiwan personal identification numbers listed above the date of birth on the biographic data page in their passports must present their original Philippine residency permit.

3.  PHOTO - One 2" x 2" standard photo.  The photo must be:

• In color
• Sized such that the head is between 1 inch and 1 3/8 inches (22 mm and 35 mm) or 50% and 69% of the image's total height from the bottom of the chin to the top of the head. View the Photo Composition Template for more size requirement details.
• Taken within the last 6 months to reflect your current appearance
• Taken in front of a plain white or off-white background
• Taken in full-face view directly facing the camera
• With a neutral facial expression and both eyes open
• Taken in clothing that you normally wear on a daily basis
• Uniforms should not be worn in your photo, except religious clothing that is worn daily.
• Do not wear a hat or head covering that obscures the hair or hairline, unless worn daily for a religious purpose. Your full face must be visible, and the head covering must not cast any shadows on your face.
• Headphones, wireless hands-free devices, or similar items are not acceptable in your photo.
• If you normally wear glasses (without tinted lenses), a hearing device, or similar articles, they may be worn in your photo.
• Dark glasses or glasses with tinted lenses are not acceptable.
• Glare on glasses is not acceptable in your photo. Glare can be avoided with a slight downward tilt of the glasses or by removing the glasses or by turning off the camera flash.

4. EXTENSION OF STAY/CHANGE OF STATUS – Please bring copies of U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) approvals of extension of stay or change of status, if applicable.

5.  PROOF OF RELATIONSHIP (if applying with/for dependent/s)

• Original marriage certificate printed on Philippine National Statistics Office security paper, if applicable (if applying with a spouse and/or child)
• Original birth certificate printed on Philippine National Statistics Office security paper (for dependent/s)

(Source: http://manila.usembassy.gov/)

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Posted in: immigration and travel , immigration tips , US Embassy , us immigration , US Visa

Be Close to Nature at La Playa Leticia Resort

It's Summer lets forget about serious talks about immigration and travel. Let's talk how will you spend your days this Summer. Would you go hiking, trekking, swimming, riding on a boat , even a joy ride with friends or would you prefer to stay in a house.

For me I would prefer them all, because Last weekend I experienced all of it as I visit La Playa Leticia Resort at Alitagtag, Batangas, Philippines. From joy ride, and a long walk like trekking. And after that a boat ride is needed to reach the place. 

So you are asking where do I stay? Let me tell you first something about La Playa Leticia Resort. It is the lone and private resort located at the foothill of a Mountain and shores of Taal Lake. To go to the resort, you either trek from Barangay Alitagtag or a boat ride from Barangay Saimsim. Either way you will definitely enjoy the peaceful and safe mountain trek or the calm water boat ride to the resort. Once you arrive at the resort, you will immediately feel close with nature, filled with its lush vegetation and majestic view of taal lake and sloping mountains. The place is a perfect hideaway from the hustle of city life. During the day, there is plenty of recreation such as videoke, billiard, pool with slides and lake swim. At night, you can put a tent in its shore or lit a bonfire and build a sand castle. Or simply relax with the open skies, mountain and lake breeze and soothing sound of waves.

See some of my taken picture of La Playa Leticia Resort or if you wanted detailed Information you can visit their page at http://www.laplaya.leticia.batangas.resort.wowph.com/

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Posted in: immigration and travel , La Playa Leticia Resort , Summer Escapade , summer vacation