If you are a Canadian considering purchasing a vehicle in the United Sates you should be aware of the rules and logistics of your purchase. It may be to purchase a difficult to obtain vehicle, it may be to save money – a substantial amount of purchase price or it may be obtain a more premium used vehicle -one that never saw a Canadian winter in its lifetime. Regardless of all of that your car importation process will never be as easy and simple as the acquaintance you met in the lineup to buy chicken, told you.

First of all – ensure that you follow the rules to the letter , of the Canadian Government Agency responsible for setting and enforcing the rules dealing with the importation of foreign motor vehicles into Canada – “The Department of Transportation Registrar of Foreign Motor Vehicles ” , “Riv.ca” or Riv for short. Their regulations, rules and requirements are plainly listed either on the internet website, on a printed document available from the Queen’s Printer, or by phone. It’s always safest to phone and ask if you unsure. It never hurts to clarify and be sure.

Once you have determined your vehicle of choice or a list of vehicle and model years you are off to the step of finding and locating a suitable vehicle to purchase. It uses to be that you were at the mercy of car import brokers. In this day of inexpensive communications and the internet the rules have changed greatly. It used to be that your only choices were to buy a newspaper from your chosen American city, hope that it was current, and scour dealer ads. From then on in were expensive phone calls, a lot of questions, and then wondering what else you would be hit for when you arrived at the dealership. Your other option was to physically go on a trip or vacation and spend your time, and holiday searching for your new car. It might have been exciting , but it is no way to spend a vacation and on top of that your negotiating powers are diminished , perhaps by limited supply of the type of vehicle that you want as well as the clicking clock of your travel costs and your limited time frame.

Luckily in this modern day and age we have a lot of other available options.

Dealer websites can be easily checked online. Communication is rapid and generally inexpensive – whether it is by email or directly by phone. It’s always a question though of the accuracy of the price quotes online. Are these final prices, negotiable prices, or are these lowball prices to get you in the door. Only the door may be 1000 miles away and expensive to get to. Ask questions and use your judgment skills. It never hurts to be cautious.

Next in line there is eBay. EBay allows the average person or even dealers the ability to market their goods in a tremendously larger catchments area. Usually there are a lot of photos and descriptions. EBay particularly excels in hard to find and vintage cars.

Instead of an individual selling his car locally – and having only a small group of customers, for less than the price of local ad – they can reach a whole new very large market of auto buyers who can be most interested in their vehicle for sale. EBay allows for an automated, in depth car history purchase online, for a nominal fee. In addition if you are serious about the purchase – eBay will provide access to local 3rd party who will conduct an independent qualified mechanical inspection. Keep in mind that eBay is only the facilitator. Any contracts and agreements are between you and the purchaser only.

The financial agreement of purchase price, payment and deposit terms are a matter between you and the seller. Most eBay sellers require a deposit promptly, followed by a bank draft or negotiable instrument within a time period, which has been agreed to between seller and buyer. In most cases transportation costs, back home to Canada, are the responsibility of the buyer. Cars are usually sold f.o.b. shipping which means it is the buyer’s responsibility for shipment and shipping costs. You can arrange to pick up the car yourself, and perhaps make a vacation of it. On the other hand many find it most convenient, economical and a saving of time, energy and aggravation to have the car shipped home with a commercial auto shipping transport service.

In the end it can be said that it is often safer to purchase your new vehicle close to home. You know the dealers, the car dealers are close by if you have mechanical problems which require service or need product support. On the other hand if a Canadian purchases his car , and imports it from the United States he may either have a substantial cost saving or obtain a hard to obtain vehicle or a good used car that has never seen harsh Canadian winters.

Robert C.C. Lamb Canadian Car Shipper Winnipeg Car Financing Canada Vehicle Transport

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Are you tired from the escalating gas and food prices? The inflation grew thirty three percent last year annually and is growing at about thirteen percent right now. These outrageous prices are discouraging people to the point where businesses go bankrupt.  In this modern day, everything seems to be ambiguous. People suffer from drastic food prices and gas prices due to uncertainty. This confusion then causes people to go into a depression. Although there are outside theories that say Iraq is the main problem behind gas and food inflation, none of those theories stand on solid ground. The federal government and the bilderberg group should put a reasonable cap on inflation and gas prices because oil companies are taking control of our people through monopolies.

The bilderberg group consists of one hundred and twenty people that oversee the federal government. They are international bankers, presidents of executive companies, and ultimately the leaders in the world. The international bankers that are present in the Bilderberg group started this secret group in 1954. Now, the people from Bilderberg and the federal government work closely together to resemble the time period when Carter was president. No wonder the media says the Feds are thinking the same way that they were back in the 80’s. It all traces back to the Bilderberg group.  They are the people who set the prices for everything. The only question left to answer is why are they damaging our economy, is there any logical reason?

The bilderberg group and the federal government use the policy of inflation in order to pay their own bills and debt. That is why today we see gas prices rising at exponentially high rates. The policy of inflation states that if inflation continues to rise then deflation will occur more rapidly. This is similar the wave theory. Although this policy stands on solid ground, the government still says up to this day that this is a theory. According to the Rockefellers this so called theory is a speculation not a true fact. Kissinger proves that there is ways how to surround peoples’ minds with complex lifestyles in order to complete their mission. The mission behind bilderberg stands true and can be seen today, it is secret democratic financial slavery.

Suddenly the biderbergs are making decisions that affect millions of people all over the United States. Well, you have to keep in mind that the federal government and the bilderberg group work for themselves and the war is being waged on the people. The war is we know it is leading people into corruption of society. The only way to ruin a country is to force the people into poor conditions through extreme inflation. This inflation only benefits the high end class. One of the members of the bilderberg is David Rockefeller senior. This intelligent individual knew that the U.S. would be fighting Iraq five years before the 9-11 attacks. According to American Free Press newspaper the bilderberg group is an aristocracy of purpose.  This means that these members are secretly controlling our population without our consent. Since when is it OK for one hundred and twenty people to control six billion people? The bilderberg group claims that the public cannot act upon themselves. They say “humanity is unwashed and cannot speak for themselves.” This statement is untrue and sounds similar to diabolical people.

To some the depression was an awful time period flushed with frustration and anger. The Rockefellers at that time doubled their wealth in the midst of the depression. This is another sign how governments try to use people to their advantage.

Pennsylvania state university conducted surveys among media statistics. They found out that 62% of American people obtain their news from TV. Nevertheless media is also controlled by the bilderberg and the council of foreign relations.

The whole idea behind sudden inflation is suppressing the real news and forcing the media to put out facades. If the public looked closely at the 9-11 attacks they would see a completely different picture. Unfortunately people don’t want to listen and become hypnotized by media that’s on TV, internet, and even in magazines. This media overtakes people lifestyle to the point where they are convinced by illusions and facades regardless of their own opinion. There are arguments saying that the media has its own department where it doesn’t allow any subliminal messaging to appear. Most Americans don’t realize the effect of media on their everyday lives. Some companies say oil companies do have a cap, but don’t realize that they have been convinced by false media. There has to be solid ground where each individual has a reasonable reason to believe what he or she believes. Instead people are making up theories that once never existed, and are ultimately lying to get themselves into a higher position in the corporate ladder. People have always thought of how our government is good and has no evil in it. There is one simple answer. Look at our eagle, didn’t the same eagle appear when Hitler was alive. Even before Hitler the Egyptians use the eagle as a sign of immorality and extreme power. The eagle that we see today closely resembles the eagle when Hitler was in power.

Ultimately, the world as we know it is striving for oil and energy. There is little influential impact on the federal government that the American people can do. Out of all this crises and gas prices reaching record, the North American Free Trade Agreement takes its priority. NAFTA was established in 1993 in order to allow free trade among all countries within the boundaries of the United States. In these modern days NAFTA has grown into a billion dollar corporation that is protected by the federal government which is financing the world’s most illegal trade. Some people say that NAFTA does’nt have anything to do with gas and food prices but others say it is a serious potential problem. The mission behind NAFTA is to join Canada, US, and Mexico together into one big nation call the American Union. People to this day still don’t believe this corporation exists. The reason why people don’t believe is because the media has convinced people not to imagine the impossible but to see and believe. This NAFTA is secretly called the social prosperity act of the United States. These groups and organizations under mind the average human being and force people to be taken by invisible chains through financial slavery. No one has ever thought about democracy as fifty one percent controlling the forty nine percent. Unfortunately there is no way you could infiltrate the bilderberg group and tell them there is a serious crisis. The only solution left to do is to save communities and people you know because the whole world is used to this façade of useless information that’s damaging our children and imperiling our future generation.

I am a beginner in finance, marketing, accounting, and entrepreneurship.I love to inform people about these topics as well as self impovement and motivation. For more articles Visit my blog at http://investmentforyou1.blogspot.com/

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Many Canadians have saved big money importing cars from the U.S. into Canada. Do not let the rules scare you. Simply and exactly follow the rules. Again if not sure, ask. It’s only a phone call – most likely toll free or an email away.

You may have heard many, if not dozens, of mythical stories of Canadians who saved vast amounts on car purchases by importing cars from the U.S. into Canada. You may have seen or heard similar stories on your local TV. Or radio station programs. You may have read of such savings of consumers in the columns of your local newspapers. However when either your local car dealer of manufactures are asked the answers you receive are not the same, if not downright scary. The savings (except for the highest end luxury cars) are minor. The cars are not the same. The manufacturers will not honor new car warranties on new cars bought in the U.S. and imported / shipped into Canada. These answers are either false or mistruths taken out of context.

You will save a fair chunk of cash. This is true in many, if not most cases. All that matters in pricing out your car is what it costs delivered to your door – with all taxes and charges included. Even after including all of the Canadian taxes and extra costs involved, in most cases, you will save a bundle. To the largest degree currency fluctuations have made this so. The rise in the Canadian dollar has made this so. It may also be argued that the retail car industry in the U.S. is much more competitive than in Canada reducing prices by competition. In terms of warranty coverage it is true that manufacturers do not cover warranties on U.S. cars imported into Canada. However the vast majority of car makers do cover the warranties. It’s up to you to do your homework. Again either phone or email. It’s always best to get the answer in writing.

You may consider that it is wrong, unethical or immoral to import a U.S. car into Canada. True most people like to be loyal to their local merchants. However under the NAFTA (North American Free Trade Agreement) cars are shipped back and forth among the NAFTA trading area (the U.S.A., Canada and Mexico) without extra tariffs and taxes. This has benefited the car makers greatly – allowing for reductions in costs due to specialization of factories and economies of scale. Before NAFTA each car maker has different factories in each separate country manufacturing select models and car lines. With NAFTA that can be scaled back to only several, larger and more efficient factories – each producing a certain model or car line for the entire NAFTA trading areas. If the car makers can benefit from the economies of scale of NAFTA why not you as a consumer? You cannot have your cake and eat it too.

Interestingly enough the humour is that same car, which you are importing into Canada, May very well, have been manufactured in Canada, for the North American car market. You are in effect repatriating that vehicle home. If the car is not made in Canada, but in the U.S. or Mexico, the same person and people will have their jobs regardless of whether you purchased the car in Canada or in the U.S. The one person or organization that gets left out of the loop is your local car dealer. True. However, it may be surprising for you to discover, that most of the profits of a car dealership are from service work of your vehicle, not the sale. In this day and age of computerized, technically difficult to repair automobiles, who are you going to take your car to for service, both warranty and non warranty related. The answer is that your service work, in most cases, will be done by your local dealer, whom you wish to support.

The basic rules in importing a car into Canada are as follows. First consult the Government of Canada site – Officially the “Registrar of Imported Vehicles “, also called Riv. This can be done by phone, email or both.

Transport Canada issues a comprehensive “List of Vehicles Admissible from the United States”. This is your initial bible to consult – both in terms of admissibility and inadmissibility. Note that certain model years may have different rulings. It is up to you to do a thorough a complete job of research. Again phone, email to check and recheck if you are unsure or doubtful. .

It is wise to check with the manufacturer of the car in terms of warranty coverage. If coverage is not available perhaps third party coverage can be purchased, if the overall cost savings warrant it.

Before exporting the car from the United States, you will have to fax U.S. customs the relevant documents 72 hours in advance. Next you will have to follow the procedure outlined at the Riv site of “What to do at the Border”. This involves documentation, the paying of certain fees and taxes and within a set time an “Imported Vehicle Inspection” and certification by an approved automobile service agency. If modifications need to be done to bring the car into line with Canadian standards, these must be done. Certification again must be done by the approved repair facility.

Lastly remember that cars manufactured within the NAFTA trade zone do not pay extra duty. However extra duties on cars manufactured outside the U.S., Canada or Mexico may be demanded. By Canada Customs. Again it is your responsibility to do your homework.

This is a basic explanation of the steps required to import a car into Canada from the U.S. There may be additional steps involved, in your specific case. Rules may change over time, either overall or in specifics.

It cannot be overstated that you must do a thorough and complete job of research – either by phone, email or both.

Written documentation is most preferential over verbal. Check and recheck. If in doubt phone or email.

At this point in time, many many Canadians have purchased a car in the United States and imported that vehicle into Canada. These smart consumers have found that the cost savings on purchasing their vehicle well outweigh their investments in time, efforts and extra work involved.

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Governments come and go.  However, the new world order corruption continues to corrode sovereignty around the globe.  Of course, just because we’re told its new doesn’t make it anything but more of the same exploitation.  Most working people continue to kowtow to a small band of banksters besieging humanity.

I don’t know if this sounds far fetched to you but let’s look at some facts.  Since the 17th Century, private profiteers have been on the move to create currencies under their control.  The American Revolution of 1776 was aimed at throwing off that yolk of repressive control according to citations by its leaders such as inventor Benjamin Franklin in his autobiography.

In the United States, ongoing battles ended when the European Rothchilds, Rockefellers and other big bankers took control of the monetary system.  I’m talking about when the Federal Reserve Banking system was born.  This system allows ever-expansive profit making on the backs of people.  This scurrilous scam, which already existed in many other countries, is the private central bank system.

Privately owned central banks print paper money with agreed to values (no longer backed by precious metals) and sell it at face value PLUS interest to the government.  This comes straight out of your nose as tax payer since you are the one paying this off.  That is to say the state acquires debt and tax dollars pay the interests on it.  One of many websites explaining this is found here: http://www.kitco.com/ind/schoon/jun232008.html.

It turns out that this scheme to make millions out of thin air has not been enough to satisfy those at the top.  That is why they are trying to put a new one world government into place, in which commercial law rules.  This is just a twist on the Empire building motif which dates back centuries.  Today it is a cartel of big bankers who, by controlling central banks and buying up the biggest and most profitable corporations in diverse sectors of the global economy, are trying to take over the world.

Governments are simply being used through campaign coffer control, lobbying and other bids to buy out politicians and royal families.  Public policies no longer benefit the populace but private profiteers.  They are erecting this New World Order corruption to keep the fat cats on top.

The building blocks are being put into place through free trade agreements like the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) and the World Trade Organization (WTO).  These instruments are re-writing commercial law as a new international law of the land.

Corporate “rights” to make profit are becoming locked in as superior to national constitutions and secondary laws in defense of human, civil and environmental rights.  This is done with clauses of the Free Trade Agreements like NAFTA’s Chapter 11, which is explained here: http://www.channelingreality.com/NAU/nafta__chapter_11.htm.

While multi-national firms take advantage of cheap Mexican labor, good jobs in Mexico that had once existed are no more.  And Canadian and American workers suffer as well.  This will only increase under the expansion of NAFTA by the Security and Prosperity Partnership — a type of NAFTA plus.

Under this agreement, a new super corridor to transport goods from Mexico throughout the United States and into Canada is being connected.  This will facilitate more industrial downsizing in your town.

Even dock workers are slated to be put of work, jobs which have good union wages, in order to receive Asian goods in Mexican ports and ship them north with low paid Mexican truckers.  Here’s one example of worker efforts to expose this attack on their rights at http://truckingblog.net/nafta-super-highway/.

The New World Order corruption is only new in that is the latest step to assure hegemony to a handful of the wealthy who wield fortune and power.  Only an angry public can position itself to rise up and demand justice for people over profiteering by a handful of pilfering parasites.

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December 1, 2009

Article by J. Hapiak (Opinion)       

Can America Stop The Coming Oppression?

Could Climategate Unravel the UN’s Plan to Rule the World?

In a matter of days, President Obama will write a brand new chapter in American history, one that fulfils the promise of change that the Americans asked for, but not necessarily the change that they hoped for.  What I am speaking about is the Copenhagen Climate Treaty that President Obama had promised to sign around December 9, 2009, that could forever surrender American sovereignty.

Now with the emergence of Climategate as reported all over the internet, and Senator Inhofe’s calling for an investigation into that matter which implies that the top UN climate scientists had cooked the science of climate change for profit . . . the signing of this document has been supposedly postponed, but the President still has plans to make the trip to Copenhagen anyhow.

Will President Obama sign this treaty behind closed doors despite the allegations that Climate Change may be a fraud?  Will he sign it like the President George W. Bush signed the Sovereign Prosperity and Partnership agreement in Ottawa, in secret?  No one knows for sure.

The mainstream media isn’t saying much about anything, and they certainly aren’t warning the American people that this treaty is less about the climate and more about establishing an international carbon tax and finalizing the framework for a new layer of government, one that is international in scope and whose “rules of law” will govern the conduct of all UN member nations.  What else they aren’t saying, is that there will be no pulling back out of this agreement without the unanimous consent of every UN member nation.

This movement has been fueled for many decades, but it went virtually unnoticed until 1991 when George H. W. Bush announced to Congress, the coming of the New World Order, the first steps to setting up a global community and changing the way America conducts its business forever.  A few months later on February 1, 1992, he made another speech to the United Nations General Assembly, and stated . . . “It is the sacred principles enshrined in the United Nations charter to which the American people will henceforth pledge their allegiance.” Ever since making this declaration, every other elected President has endorsed the same allegiance to the United Nations without the consent of the American people or Congress.

The United Nations

Since it’s inception, the UN has demonstrated a long train of abuses against all member and non-member nations alike, which suggests that once they are in charge, the possibility is there that they can and will exploit any government they choose by pressuring them to sponsor their cause, not by freedom of choice, but through coercion.  With most of the G20 nation heads still promising to sign this climate treaty, the UN and the international banking system according to some, will be able to finally establish themselves as the supreme authority, second to no other government in the world.

America was born on the principle that promised that our nation would always remain free and independent.  It was hopeful that all other nations would adopt the same principles.  But throughout history, there has always been an underlying desire by a select few to control the world, and some of these individuals have found that if they can control the issuance of fractional currency and lend it out with interest, in time, they can burden whole nations with accumulated debt and could actually get political leaders to wager collateral in exchange for the money they need to keep their nations economy afloat.

Debt and a nations continuous need for more money, gave international bankers an easy way to pressure our government into signing agreements like NAFTA, the WTO, Agenda 21, Codex Alimentarious, Universal Health Care in exchange for a loan.  What wasn’t known by the American people then, is certainly well known now, that these agreements have forced all nations to incrementally transfer control of their 1) assets like property, rivers, lakes, natural resources and 2) the power over trade, agriculture, manufacturing, cyber security, media communication, healthcare, military, gold reserves, politicians and even the rights of its people– directly into the hands of the privately owned Federal Reserve Bank.  This in effect, puts the entire American economy, the laws of the nation and collateral under the control of private Federal Reserve System, outside the reaches of the US Government.

In the United Kingdom the story is the same, the control of the nations assets and power over the people were transferred to the Bank of England.  In fact all over the world, nations are now signing agreements and giving up everything to the central banking system in exchange for more loans.  What is planned next is most likely the consolidation of all central banks in the world and placing them under the control of the UN and the IMF / Bank of the World.  According to the draft agenda of London’s G20 Summit held in March 2009, they have already started the process of making these changes.  The Copenhagen Climate Treaty could likely be one instrument they need to make that transformation complete and permanent.

Who Controls the Money Controls Everything

Thomas Jefferson warned the Congress about this very problem and in one quote he implied that the lenders are more menacing to our freedoms than a standing army.  And that’s why our founding fathers were adamant that the United States issue their own “interest free” currency, and the reason is clear, so America would never become a slave to debt or to the lenders.  Yet that all changed in 1913, when the Senate ratified, with minimal debate or opposition, the creation of the privately owned Federal Reserve System, with a 2/3 majority vote during the Christmas vacation, and after the Senate had already broke for the Holiday.  Many opponents felt that the New York bankers Morgan and Rockefeller and also Paul Warburg who was directly connected to the Bank of England, duped the United States.  Soon after the Federal Reserve System was formed, officials from the Bank of England were quick to establish the League of Nations, which in 1945 became the United Nations.  They were also connected to forming the International Money Fund (IMF) in 1944.

Chartered in 1694, the privately owned Bank of England happens to be  the same banking cartel that pressured King George III to pay back his European war debt.  By 1742, the Parliament passed the British Resumption Act that required all taxes and debts be paid in gold.  In order for the King to pay just the interest on his debt to the Bank of England, he imposed huge taxes on the American colonies and required them to pay in gold as well.

With shortages of gold in the colonies, this change caused a long term depression, so the colonies began experimenting with different types of currencies and eventually settled on a fiat currency, called Colonial Scrip, which brought about new age of prosperity.  When officials from the Bank of England learned about their newfound wealth, they questioned Benjamin Franklin and discovered that the colonies learned the benefits of issuing their own currency and how currency works.  As a result the Currency Act of 1764 was quickly passed, thus prohibiting the Colonial officials from issuing their own currency.  This made Colonial Scrip worthless and again drove the colonies back into a depression.

The oppressive laws of the King along with the depression that was caused by the Bank of England . . . eventually led the Colonialists to declare its independence from England and their European bankers.  Soon afterwards, England attacked the Colonies and the Revolutionary War began . . . But it didn’t end there.  That battle for power still goes on today.

In March of 2009, President Obama attended the G20 summit meeting in London.  According to the G20 draft agenda they discussed the Coordination of International Regulation, which in effect, places the control of the Federal Reserve System, Securities and Exchange Commission, the collateral that the institution controls and the entire American economy under the control of Europe’s IMF/Bank of the World.  The IMF is rooted directly to the same group of lenders that the Colonies fought off 250 years before.

How the UN retains control of the nations

The UN/IMF has accomplished many tasks that they set forth by using agreements and treaties like the WTO and Agenda 21 to control all manufacturing and agricultural output throughout the world. The treaties and agreements encourage international trade instead of supporting local trade, thus profiting no one except for the corporate leaders and also the banking elite who control the financial institutions and lend money to the large corporations and governments at interest.

The UN/IMF seeks dominion by controlling the elements of power that naturally propel a nation forward.  Don’t be fooled, the ideology of the World Trade Organization is not about creating an environment that encourages new competition and business growth locally, but rather it is an engineered plan to stop small business growth and to create international duopolies and monopolies formed from business mergers and consolidation that can be easily controlled by the international bankers.

Instead of new competition growing out of invention, the international treaties and agreements are inhibiting this growth by distancing the very supply lines that is needed locally by the entrepreneurs who possess the new ideas and can build the new companies.  As a result today’s entrepreneurs cannot easily obtain access to the raw materials, supplies, engineers, skilled trades people or the machines that they need to develop new products without traveling abroad to foreign lands and making huge investments, that often involve banks and foreign partnerships.  This means new competition can never grow like it once did in America from the kitchen table, to a garage, shop or factory without a huge input of borrowed cash, thus slowing down the invention process and stopping manufacturing growth forever.

For over 200 years the strong and powerful American market was protected by tariffs and quotas.  When the American economy slowed, tariffs were artificially raised by the government in order to increase the price of foreign imports.  This helped to keep American manufacturing competitive locally, while stimulating manufacturing and protecting jobs at the same time.  Foreign countries that wanted to sell their products in the huge American market had two choices, 1) either pay the tariffs to America or 2) pay the workers in their country more money, so they could afford to buy the American made products.  As a result this ideology created fairer trade and raised the standard of living in every nation that we traded with, such as South Korea, England, France, Germany, Belgium, Japan, Taiwan, Israel to name a few.

The change of ideology

The progressive NAFTA and the WTO agreements turned the old  protectionist way that America traded, inside out.  Under this new international rule of law, the UN is now in control of American trade and enforces it by penalizing the United States with trade sanctions, fines and other deterrents, every single time that America tries to collect tariffs or set quotas on imports, or, try to pre-qualify our trading partners with certain rules.  The UN/WTO agreement allows most UN member nations to flood the American market with cheap imports which only undermines American manufacturing and the middle class at its core.

    Through compliance of international regulation and law, the UN/IMF rewards one nation with prosperity, while it punishes other nations for not conforming to their rule of law.  This is not a freedom of choice, but rather extortion that is imposed on countries by the UN/IMF.  When all manufacturing is eventually controlled by this select few, then the elitists will continue to have all the money they need to loan while the masses under this socialist rule remain unemployed, poor and servants to the banks.  If we don’t stop this atrocity now, then under this form of government, contraction of the economy and the merging of all nations will never cease until there is only one left standing, and that will be the UN, it’s banking system called the IMF and their few industries that they control in the world.

The Progressive Ideology Takes Hold in the FED and at the State Level against the People

Taking it’s lead from the United Nations, now the Federal Government is doing the same thing to the States in the Union.  If the states won’t comply to the international rule of law, then the Federal Government threatens to cut the states funding for projects, medicare, unemployment etc.  This is not freedom of choice, this again is coercion to get the states to cooperate.

In turn, the states comply to the UN mandates and imposes new laws that work toward building a police state, by militarizing the police, requiring a thumb print to acquire a drivers license, creating checkpoints on the highways, disrupting and arresting protestors, allowing illegal search and seizure and the confiscation of weapons against innocent American citizens, such as in the events that occurred in New Orleans.  The list goes on and on.  This again is not freedom of choice, but rather coercion to control the masses.

Our founding fathers believed that manufacturing is the tree where wealth and a nations security grows from invention.  But according to the international bankers, a debt based economy and borrowing money against personal assets is the wave of the future.  This fascist approach to government only compounds the problems because it disposes the natural abilities of every person, while it empowers the international bankers who are all socialist.

I am urging all Americans to remember that there is a ray of hope for America and that is Article VI of the US Constitution and the 10th Amendment of the Bill of Rights, which empowers the states and the people to throw of the government or to abolish the government and replace it in its in entirety.

  Even though the states have the power to tell Washington to take a hike, we must remember that Washington still holds the purse strings and can retaliate by blocking the funds that the states need for projects, medicare, unemployment etc.

Other abuses against the states include the UN’s WTO mandate that force the US government to keep tariffs on imports intentionally low.  The WTO dismantles the states ability to manufacture goods and stay competitive within our own American market, thus reducing the job opportunities that are needed by the American people while increasing the pressure on the states for more welfare funding at the same time.

In other words, the WTO agreement starts an unending downward spiral that slows the economy and makes the American people more dependent on the states welfare program, thus forcing the states to become compliant with the global movement so they can still acquire more welfare funding from Washington.

If the States are divided and begin seceding from the Union, they can lose their vested interest and protection from the other Union States.  If a state secedes what stops UN troops from invading the shores and capturing the state and its resources?  Nothing! This means Washington or the UN can pick off the defectors one by one.  This means that the states must stand together and cannot be divided, and they must not secede from the union at any cost and that they must use their united power to overturn the FED and these ridiculous agreements and treaties.  It is essential that all American people begin to throwing off their 2 party affiliation and start taking the time to thoroughly research all candidates and only vote for people at the federal, state and local level who are wholeheartedly in support the US Constitution and not the globalist agenda.

Under the WTO, our nations production is pushed to the side and the American economy is constantly shrinking, making Washington more dependent on borrowed money from the international bankers just to keep the nations economy stimulated.  This creates more debt that will be compounded with interest, thus driving up taxes at the same time on the American people who are already being enslaved.  Without production the debt can’t be paid.  This is a no win situation if the states don’t stand up against the socialist Federal Government and the United Nations and also their treaties and agreements that promote international taxation while preventing the US from collecting tariffs and setting quotas on foreign imports.  Under this regime, the American citizens lose all the way around.

If things don’t change, this is the bottom line . . .

Under the WTO, the states must become compliant with the United Nations mandates, in order for them to continue receiving welfare funding from Washington for the people.  Under this agreement the States must also support and make preparations to adopt the following:

1) The Codex Alimentarious (UN takeover of the food code and classifying vitamins as toxins, while making outlawed toxins– legal)

2) Universal Health Care (UN takeover of health care, population control, firearms control)

3) Agenda 21 (UN takeover of America’s agricultural output, farmland and water rights, relocation of people)

4) World Trade Organization (UN takeover of all manufacturing and trade)

5) Sovereign Prosperity and Partnership agreement (open borders with Canada and Mexico, the forming of the North American Union and  creating a gold or silver backed universal currency)

6) Cap and Trade, and the Copenhagen Climate Agenda (UN takeover of all taxation, transportation, energy etc.)

7) Coordination of International Regulation (The UN takeover of the Federal Reserve System, the Securities and Exchange Commission, all issuing of currency, all government loans, collateral and the economy).   The list goes on and on . . .

Let the truth be known to all, until the American people realize that the United Nations is the oppressor, despotism will always be on our doorstep. 

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While Hillary was delivering a relatively mild speech with largely indirect attacks aimed at Obama, Barack Obama’s remarks minutes later could easily be labeled far more critical. Sen. Obama, following Sen. Clinton to the podium Saturday night at the Democratic Party of Wisconsin’s Founders Day Gala, even strayed off his prepared comments to dish out attacks he’s recently included on the stump.

Who says this guy can’t extemporaneously let ‘er fly? The Obama tsunami is still on a roll.

Obama introduced a new line, as well, hitting Sen. Clinton for “just recently” supporting legislation aimed at keeping jobs in the United States that he said he’s advocated for years. Obama said the Patriot Employer Act “will reward companies that create good jobs right here in America.” He also accused Clinton, as he has in the past, of participating in the “politics of the moment” by taking certain positions simply because it’s campaign season.

“I didn’t just start criticizing unfair trade deals like NAFTA and China because I started running for President,” Obama said, referring to the North American Free Trade Agreement, a treaty signed into law by former President Bill Clinton. Obama often points out that Hillary Clinton praised NAFTA during her husband’s administration.

After the Wisconsin and Hawaii primaries get out of the way this Tuesday, the focus becomes up close and personal. Texas just could save the Democrats from a convention problem- if they give the vote to Obama. Hillary has been in Texas (particulary South Texs where the Latino vote is big), but Obama comes to Houston next week and you cna rest assured all we’ll hear about for two weeks, leading up to the March 4th Texas primary, is Obama this and Hillary that.

Don’t you just love this stuff!

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As the competition gets tougher, more and more companies are looking overseas to reduce costs and remain competitive in the marketplace. Off-shoring used to be an option reserved for the very large corporations who had the money, resources and global experience to pull it off successfully. These days, with a myriad of companies providing advice and direction, it seems the doors are open to just about anyone looking to increase profits by moving production into low cost countries, but is it a good idea?

There are arguments on both sides. Some will tell of the huge profits realized by off-shoring, while others have tales of near disaster. You need to look at your own position in the market, determine if you have truly done everything possible to reduce costs and improve productivity, and then examine the options that off-shoring present to see if and where you should be expanding. Though overseas labor rates can be quite attractive depending on the country, there are a multitude of other factors that can make or break you.

The trend has been to locate in the low cost countries, those with extremely low labor rates, tax breaks, utility costs and favorable customs regulations. As times goes on, however, these low cost countries become higher cost countries as they need to add infrastructure, training and other amenities and, as a result, companies move on to yet another country to take advantage of the lower labor rates. As an example, NAFTA caused a wave of expansion into Mexico, but lately more companies are leaving Mexico for the lower labor Asia can offer.

How can you pass it up? Fully loaded labor rates for low skilled workers in China, for instance, are a few dollars per day as compared to the few dollars per hour in Mexico; and then there are the wages in the US with the additional burden of ever rising health care costs and the wide range of benefits we demand along with them. So why not hurry overseas to reap the rewards before our competition beats us to the punch?

There are many factors that need to be considered before you expand overseas. Just about every country has a long list of reasons why going there might not be the best option for your particular situation. It is important that you study your target countries with an open mind and dig deep to determine if the scenarios these countries offer are really as good as they are claimed to be. What is lucrative for one type of industry or company can be a death sentence for others.

INDUSTRY

Certain countries shun certain forms of industry. India prefers high tech jobs and will not be very cooperative if you are looking to move heavy industry there; Mexico prefers higher skilled jobs these days rather than the mindless manual labor jobs of the past; and China will take pretty much anything right now. As a result you will find that many of the incentives used to lure you to these countries will not be available to you unless you fit into their little niche of desirable industries.

RESOURCES

If your industry requires large quantities of electricity, natural gas or water or if you use rare and exotic materials in your processes, you are in for rude awakening. Most overseas countries are severely lacking in energy and resources. This limits your options for location and adds high purchase costs and taxes for these resources. Even if you are lucky enough to find a source for your utilities, you will soon find out that the quality is quite poor. Natural gas for instance, often times will yield much less energy per cubic foot overseas than it does here at home. Electricity transmission will be intermittent, with frequent interruptions, and you will usually have to foot the bill to erect the transmission lines and distribution gear. In addition, you usually pay for your maximum energy requirements, regardless of how much you actually use.

TRANSPORTATION

Transportation is another big issue in many of these countries. Industrial parks usually shoot up everywhere, as fast as they can build them and anywhere they can squeeze them in, therefore, when it comes time to add the roads, there usually is not much room left. This leaves transportation infrastructure scarce and inadequate in all but the largest cities where, incidentally, the labor rates are the highest. This not only makes it difficult to move goods, but it limits access to your facility by the workforce. There may be a large available workforce in the surrounding area, but most can’t afford transportation so only those living within walking distance or on the bus routes will actually be able to get to your facility.

LABOR

Those low labor rates are quite attractive, but as the old saying goes, you usually get what you pay for. If your process requires only menial hand labor to perform the simplest tasks then labor is readily available and abundant. If skilled labor is what you’re looking for, then things get a bit more complicated. Highly skilled labor is a luxury in many overseas locations. For the most part, you will need to train your workforce, to do everything, and most workers do not readily understand or accept the concept of standardization, paperwork, quality control, and documentation.

Mexico is one country that stands out in the area of quality workers. The labor rates are higher in Mexico than they are in Asia, but you will get much more bang from your buck there. The Mexican labor force has become highly skilled in a very large cross-section of industries. They not only require little or no training, but work well together and readily accept the concepts of teamwork, quality control, lean initiatives and the like. The labor force in Mexico, as well as India, is fluent in English for the vast majority of the skilled workforce. Not so in many of the Asian countries so in addition to the training burden you will have the language barrier to deal with.

THE ALMIGHTY DOLLAR

When it comes down to the money there a few things you need to keep in mind. First, how do you get the money out of those countries? It is not an easy task in many locations to take your profits. Depending on the type of business structure, it can be difficult and you can be taxed severely. You will get breaks to reinvest, but that’s not why you went there in the first place. There are certain business structures that will allow you get your money out easily, but there are other consequences that come into play which greatly affect your bottom line.

Secondly, you will need to determine how you will set the exchange rates you use. Typically you will have agreements which set the rate for a specified time period since you don’t want to calculate for every transaction. Depending on when your transactions take place and the actual exchange rate at that particular time you can win or lose. You will also need to agree on the currency you will use. Again, the actual rates at the time of your transactions will affect your bottom line.

And let’s not forget that in China, the value of the Yuan is not a real value. The Chinese government sets the Yuan where it is the most attractive to outside markets. The time will come when China is forced to set the Yuan at a fair value, and when this happens, many of those lucrative expenses will suddenly become much less attractive.

INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY

As you probably are already aware, some countries are not opposed to piracy of your intellectual property rights, patents or trade secrets. China is notorious for outright criminal behavior when it comes to usurping your property for their gain. The majority of the government is run on pirated software. China not only turns a blind eye, but actually condones and supports the piracy of foreign property rights.

In China you will be assigned government personnel who will be at your side, in your meetings and monitoring your every move at all times. Because of this there can be no trade secrets. Chinese companies will begin to copy and market your products, under your name, but with significantly less quality. You will be spending a great deal of your time and money defending your image and profits in courts around the world. I have a significant number of close friends whose companies operate in china and I would estimate that nearly 70 percent of them spend a large portion of their time these days traveling to countries across the globe to defend their employers in lawsuits brought about by knockoff products. Although they prevail more often than not, this is an expense that you need to take into consideration. If you believe that this will not happen to you, then I will tell you that you are not ready to do business in China.

GETTING OUT

Starting a business overseas can take some time, but getting out takes much longer. The World Bank states the time to close a business in Mexico is 1.8 years and the recovery rate is 63 cents on the dollar. In China it takes 2.4 years at 31.5 cents and in India it will take you 10 years to dissolve your business and recover a whopping 13 cents on the dollar. This is something to think about while you are re-investing those dollars overseas.

Off-shoring is not for everyone, and the underlying factors are too numerous to cover them all here, but there is money to be made, especially if your presence there creates access to a new marketplace, just make sure you do your homework. Take the time to perform thorough investigations and comparisons. Talk to people who are operating in the target countries. If you are new to this, get help. Spending time and money up front to get a clear picture of the true costs and risks is well worth the price. Hire an experienced search firm to present you with all the facts and, most importantly, make certain to obtain a competent legal representative in the proposed country who knows the laws, understands the ins and outs of contracts written a foreign language, and will work on your behalf to ensure you are getting what you expect.

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When companies have employees go from Canada to the U.S. extenuating factors may make the paperwork journey easier for all concerned. Thanks to NAFTA, time-consuming “mail and wait” types of procedures are unnecessary, as Canadians can get most work permits right at the border. With a carefully prepared application, INS grants the L-1, TN or B-1 I-94 permits on the spot.

The TN Visa is the quickest and easiest of the work permits and it is the best immigration benefit of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). The TN is available to Canadian and Mexican workers only. Under the old U.S. – Canada Free Trade Agreement the designation of Free Trade Professional was known as TC (Trade Canada) and applied only to Canadians. TN status is available only to Canadians who are citizens seeking non-immigrant status to work in the U.S. and is renewable. A Canadian passport or Canadian Birth Certificate must be supplied. Canadian landed immigrants and non-Canadian citizens must apply for H-1B status.

To obtain a TN permit it is necessary to provide proof of a job offer in one of the many NAFTA categories, and proof of a professional level of employment. There are others who may not qualify for a TN Permit unless certain criteria are met. Self-employed professionals are precluded from obtaining TN status unless they can perform services for a U.S. entity.

The professional must be engaged in business activities at a professional level. The work activity stated must already have been prearranged to be performed for a U.S. company. According to the regulations, the employer may also be an individual. The nature of the work to be done for the U.S. employer by the applicant must be fully detailed in a letter from the U.S. employer, with supporting documentation. TN status is granted for only one employer at a time for a specific type of work. Multiple TN applications must be filed if there are multiple employers. The application fee is $50.00 U.S. plus $6 for the I-94 at the border. Canadians are given one year work permits in the TN category and they can be extended for additional one-year periods with no fixed limit on extensions.

TN permits are applied for by individuals. By contrast the L-1 intra-company transferee visa is the method by which employees of international companies work in the U.S. when they are being transferred to a parent, branch, affiliate or subsidiary in the U.S. (provided that they are managers, executives or specialized knowledge professionals). Individuals cannot apply for an L1 visa – your employer must file a petition with the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) on your behalf.

The L-1 petition is a complex matter requiring many verifying details of the entities involved. The petitions is filed using two forms – the I129 and I129L supplement. Of course those forms will be augmented with more forms such as the DS-156 (Nonimmigrant Visa Application) and form DS-157 (Supplemental Nonimmigrant Visa Application, for all male applicants between the ages of 16 and 45).

Documentation is required to verify the corporate relationship between the U.S. company and the foreign company (usually a letter from the corporate secretary, and the Articles of Incorporation of both), capitalization structure of the company (e.g. records of stock or equity ownership), a detailed job description and description of your unique knowledge to be used by the U.S. company, proof that you have worked in the foreign company for a continuous period of over one year in the preceding three years in an executive or managerial capacity, or were employed in a position involving specialized knowledge.

If that wasn’t enough, the company has to produce copies of applicable business permits, licenses and registrations, evidence of establishment of a new office if that is the case, an annual report of both foreign and the U.S. company along with other reports showing the type of business and the financial stability thereof, and an organizational chart indicating your position in the U.S. company as well as the foreign company.

You will also need a copy of your passport which is valid for at least six months beyond the period of stay in the U.S. and with at least one blank page, along with two identical color photographs showing full face without head covering against a light background, your resume, and a copy of the petition submitted to the USCIS.

There are benefits of being eligible for an L-1 work permit: you can enter the U.S. as an L1 intra-company transferee and at the same time, lawfully seek to become a permanent resident; you can travel in and out of the U.S. freely while on a valid L1 visa; your dependents can live with you in the U.S. and your spouse can apply for a work permit and engage in employment by filing Form I-765.

The Human Resources department of a corporation would make all of these arrangements since the professionals are in a higher income bracket and wealth comes with privileges. If someone can qualify for an L-1 rather than a TN form there are many advantages in things like taxation as well. Flexibility is greater with the L-1 and processing is quicker when filed correctly.

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Background

When the North American Free Trade Agreement (“NAFTA”) was implemented on January 1, 1994, the Canada-U.S. Free Trade Agreement (“FTA”) was superceded. The Trade Canada (TC”) category for Canadian professionals, which existed under the FTA, was therefore eliminated. However, under NAFTA Canadian professionals are now eligible for Trade NAFTA (“TN”) status. In addition, under the NAFTA, TN status is now available to Mexican citizens as well.

Until January 1, 2004, the processing of TNs for Mexican citizens was very different from TNs for Canadian citizens. Prior to this date, Mexican citizens were required to first obtain a labor condition application and then the proposed employer would be required to file a TN petition with the Service Center. In addition, Mexican citizens were subject to annual limits on the number of TNs that could be approved. However, as of January 1, 2004, Mexican citizens may apply directly at consular sections around the World for a TN visa. No labor condition application or approved petition is required and Mexican citizens are no longer subject to numerical limits.

Canadian citizens are visa exempt under most nonimmigrant categories, including the TN. As a result, Canadian citizens are eligible to seek TN status directly at a preclearance facility located at a Canadian airport or at a land or sea port of entry.

Eligible Professions

Canadian and Mexican citizens who work in specific professions may enter the United States under TN status, in order to work for a U.S. company on a temporary basis. Eligible professionals may also work for Canadian or Mexican companies in the United States.

In order to qualify for TN status, the intended U.S. activity must be in a profession listed in Appendix 1603.D.1 of NAFTA and the applicant must possess the required credentials to qualify. The requirements for each of these categories appear in Appendix 1603.D.1.

The list of TN professionals at Appendix 1603.D.1 is almost identical to the list of TC professionals contained in Schedule 2 of the former FTA. The changes resulting from NAFTA that affect Canadian nationals are as follows: (a) Quebec notaries are considered equivalent to other lawyers, (b) the occupation of mathematician includes statisticians, (c) oceanographers are included within the occupation of physicist, and geographers are included under the occupation of urban planner.

In most but not all of the listed professions, a Baccalaureate (bachelor’s) degree or (or Licenciatura, the Mexican equivalent of a bachelor’s degree) is usually required. Although not specifically stated in Appendix 1603.D.1, United States Customs & Border Protection (“USCBP”) has previously stated that it expects the degree to be clearly relevant to the proposed position.

In other words, an alien with a bachelor degree in English will usually not qualify as a computer systems analyst. However, an alien with a mathematics degree should be able to qualify for TN status as a computer systems analyst, since it can usually be shown that systems analysis requires the application of mathematics principles. Similarly, an alien with an accounting degree should be able to seek TN status as a computer systems analyst if the proposed position involves designing accounting applications.

The list of eligible professions also includes occupations which do not necessarily require a bachelor’s degree as a minimum requirement. Some professions require a post-secondary diploma or certificate plus several years of experience. The term “post-secondary Diploma” means a credential issued, on completion of two or more years of post-secondary education, by an accredited academic institution in Canada or the United States. The term “post-secondary certificate” refers to Mexico’s equivalent of a post-secondary diploma. As in the case of an alien’s formal education, if work experience is required it must be shown to be relevant to the proposed position.

Some of the more complex TN cases are discussed below:

Scientific Technician/Technologist

A business person under his category must possess:

Theoretical knowledge in any of the following disciplines: agricultural sciences, astronomy, biology, chemistry, engineering, forestry, geology, geophysics, meteorology or physics; and The ability to solve practical problems in any of those disciplines, or the ability to apply principles of any of those disciplines to based or applied research.

Since November 7, 2002, the following guidelines [which currently appear in the Inspector's Field Manual ("IFM")] apply to scientific technicians and technologists (“ST/T”):

Individuals for whom scientific technicians/technologists wish to provide direct support must qualify as professional in their own right in one of the following fields: agricultural sciences, astronomy, biology, chemistry, engineering, forestry, geology, geophysics, meteorology or physics. A general offer of employment by such a professional is not sufficient, by itself, to qualify for admission as an ST/T. The offer must demonstrate that the work of the ST/T will be inter-related with that of the supervisory professional. That is the work of the ST/T must be managed, coordinated, and reviewed by the professional supervisor, and must also provide input into the supervisory professional’s own work. The ST/Ts theoretical knowledge should have been acquired through the successful completion of at least two years of training in a relevant educational program. Such training may be documented by presentation of a diploma, certificate, or a transcript accompanied by evidence of relevant work experience. U.S. authorities will rely on the Department of Labor’s Occupational Outlook Handbook to establish whether proposed job functions are consistent with those of a scientific or engineering technician or technologist. ST/Ts should not be admitted to perform job functions that are primarily associated with other job titles. Not admissible as ST/Ts are persons intending to do work that is normally done by the construction trades (welders, boiler makers, carpenters, electricians, etc.) even where these trades are specialized to a particular industry (e.g. aircraft, power distributions, etc.)

The IFM requires that the work of the ST/T must be managed, coordinated, and reviewed by the professional supervisor, and must also provide input into the supervisory professional’s own work. Although previously many immigration officers were lenient in relation to the degree in which the professional supervisor had to control the ST/T, the wording of the current guidance suggests that professional supervisor’s control over the ST/T must be considerably stronger than in the past.

The IFM also requires that the ST/T possess theoretical knowledge gained through at least two years of training in a relevant educational program. Previously, there was no specific minimum educational requirement. However, ST/Ts currently require at least two years of relevant education. It is unclear from the language whether this education must be gained through a two-year diploma program or whether an applicant may qualify based on two one-year certificates in a relevant field.

Medical Laboratory Technician

A business person in this category must be seeking temporary entry to perform in a laboratory chemical, biological, hematological, immunologic, microscopic or bacteriological tests and analyses for diagnosis, treatment, or prevention of diseases. This limitation appears as a footnote to Appendix 1603.D.1 and also in the IFM. The requirement that the alien perform laboratory tests in specific fields limits this category. For example, other medical technicians such as ultrasound technicians or ECG technicians will probably not qualify.

Physicians

Appendix 1603.D.1 clearly indicates that physicians may only enter for the purposes of teaching or research. It does not include direct patient care.

Notwithstanding this fact, USCBP permits patient care that is clearly incidental to teaching or research activities. According to the IFM, patient care is incidental when it is casually incurred in conjunction with the physician’s teaching or research.

To determine if the patient care will be incidental, factors such as the amount of time spent in patient care relative to teaching and/or research, whether the physician receives compensation for such services, whether the salary offer is so substantial in teaching and/or research that direct patient care is unlikely, or whether the physician will have a regular patient load, should be considered by the officer.

Disaster Relief Insurance Claims Adjusters

According to the IFM, such a professional must now submit documentation that there is a declared disaster event by the President of the United States, or a state statute, or a local ordinance, or an event at a site which has been assigned a catastrophe serial number by the Property Claims Service of the American Insurance Services Group, or, if property damage exceeds $5 million and represents a significant number of claims, by an association of insurance companies representing at least 15 percent of the property casualty market in the U.S.

Management Consultants

According to the IFM, management consultants provide services which are directed toward improving the managerial, operating, and economic performance of public and private entities by analyzing and resolving strategic and operating problems and thereby improving the entity’s goals, objectives, policies, strategies, administration, organization, and operation. Management consultants are usually independent contractors or employees of consulting firms under contracts to U.S. entities. They may be salaried employees of the U.S. entities to which they are providing services only when they are not assuming existing positions or filling newly created positions. As a salaried employee of such a U.S. entity, they may only fill supernumerary temporary positions. On the other hand, if the employer is a U.S. management consulting firm, the employee may be coming temporarily to fill a permanent position. This is a restatement of the guidance contained in the old Operations Instructions, which have now been superceded by the IFM.

Computer Systems Analysts

According to the IFM, the computer systems analyst category does not include programmers. A systems analyst is an information specialist who analyzes how data processing can be applied to the specific needs of users and who designs and implements computer-based processing systems. Systems analysts study the organization itself to identify its information needs and design computer systems which meet those needs. Although the systems analyst will do some programming, the TN category has not been expanded to include programmers.

Hotel Managers

The precedent decision of Matter of Sun, 12 I. & N. Dec. 535 (D.D. 1966) recognized that hotel managers could be considered professionals; the vocation of hotel manager appears in Appendix 1603.D.1 for this reason. However, in the subsequent precedent decision of Matter of Caron International, 19 I. & N. Dec. 791 (Comm’r 1988), the Commissioner stated the following about Matter of Sun:

Although it concludes the vocation of hotel manager in its more complex form involving certain duties for a large hotel may be considered a profession, it also concludes “the beneficiary, by virtue of his specialized high-level education in the field of hotel management and his experience in that field is qualified as a member of that profession.” Matter of Sun is distinguishable from this case because the petitioner here has not demonstrated a specific academic degree is required to perform the proposed occupation.

In light of the above, the general manager of a small strip motel will have difficulty establishing that his or her proposed position is professional. Similarly, a lower level manager in a large hotel will also have difficulty establishing that his or her proposed position is professional.

Although a hotel manager may qualify for TN status based on a degree or diploma in restaurant management, he or she may not seek TN status as a restaurant manager, even if the restaurant happens to be located within a hotel. On the other hand, a Director of Food and Beverage Services (the proposed position in Matter of Sun) may qualify because his or her duties involve a key function of the hotel and not just the management of one restaurant.

According to the IFM, hotel managers must now possess a bachelor’s degree in hotel or restaurant management. A post-secondary diploma in hotel or restaurant management plus 3 years of experience in the field will also qualify. In the author’s opinion, this IFM provision does not make sense. It appears to disqualify even an alien who possesses bachelor’s degree in a related business field, unless the degree is specifically in hotel or restaurant management. For example, even an alien with an MBA in marketing would be disqualified from this option.

Certification Requirements for Other Health Care Workers

According to INA 212(a)(5)(C), aliens (other than physicians) who seek to work in the health-care field are now inadmissible. It is now established that the term “health-care worker” in the legislation includes the following occupations:

Licensed practical nurses, licensed vocational nurses, and registered nurses; Occupational therapists; Physical therapists; Speech language pathologists and audiologists; Medical technologists (clinical laboratory scientists); Physician assistants; and Medical technicians (clinical laboratory technicians).

The certification requirement does not apply to health care workers seeking to work as teachers, researchers, or managers of health care facilities. A health care worker may still seek TN status where the proposed position does not involve direct or indirect patient care.

Notwithstanding this ground of inadmissibility, a blanket one-year nonimmigrant waiver of inadmissibility was initially granted for these health-care workers. These blanket waivers were granted automatically at the same time as the TN application.

For most individuals, this blanket waiver ceased to be available on September 23, 2003. However, it continued to be extended until July 25, 2005, for Canadian and Mexican nurses who, before September 23, 2003, held TN or TC status as nonimmigrant health-care workers and held valid licenses from a United States jurisdiction, provided that they obtained certification within one year.

Use of Work Experience Equivalency in TN Applications

Although it is possible under the H-1B category to establish equivalency to a bachelor’s degree by showing a combination of experience and education, under the TN category, an applicant who does not have such a degree cannot show such equivalency. However, it is still possible to show that a foreign degree is equivalent to a Canadian or U.S. degree in order to qualify for TN status. Where licensure is required, the applicant must show licensure in the state in which he or she intends to work.

Licensure Requirements for Certain Professions

Previously, TN applicants in certain regulated professions (i.e. lawyers, accountants, etc.) were required to establish that they possessed the necessary licensure to practice (if required) in the state of intended employment. However, the Department of Homeland Security (“DHS”) eliminated the licensure requirement for Mexican citizens on March 10, 2004. On November 12, 2004, DHS also removed the licensure requirements for Canadian citizens seeking TN status.

As a result, a state license is no longer a mandatory documentary requirement for entry. State jurisdictions continue to maintain the ability to impose licensure requirements on any profession. DHS has simply stated that it will not require evidence of licensure before it will admit the alien as a TN.

Self-Employment Prohibited

NAFTA now expressly prohibits the establishment of a business or practice in the United States in which the professional will be self-employed. The phrase “engage in business activities at a professional level” is defined at 8 CFR §214.6(b) as follows:

[T]he performance of prearranged business activities for a United States entity, including an individual. It does not authorize the establishment of a business or practice in the United States in which the professional will be, in substance, self-employed. A professional will be deemed to be self-employed if he or she will be rendering services to a corporation or entity of which the professional is the sole or controlling shareholder or owner. [Emphasis added.]

However, self-employment may still be found even where the alien is not the sole or controlling shareholder or owner.

According to the IFM, even if the receiving enterprise is legally distinct from the alien, such as a corporation having a separate legal existence, entry as a NAFTA Professional must be refusd id the receiving enterprise is “substantially controlled” by that alien. Officers should consider the following factors, among others, in determining whether the alien “substantially controls” the United States entity:

Whether the applicant has established the receiving enterprise; Whether, as a matter of fact, the applicant has sole or primary control of the U.S. enterprise (regardless of the applicant’s actual percentage of share ownership); Whether the applicant is the sole or primary shareholder of the business; or Whether the applicant is the sole or primary recipient of income from the business.

The IFM also states that the following factors, among others, are relevant in determining whether the alien will be self-employed in the United States:

Incorporation of a company in which the alien will be self-employed; Initiation of communications (e.g., by direct mail or by advertising) for the purpose of obtaining employment or entering into contracts for an enterprise in the United States; or Responding to advertisements for the purpose of obtaining employment or entering into contracts.

On the other hand, the following activities do not constitute the establishment of a business in which the alien will be self-employed in the United States:

Responding to unsolicited inquiries about service(s) which the professional may be able to perform; or Establishing business premises from whch to deliver prearranged service to clients.

Work Stoppage or Labor Dispute Bars TN Elgibility

If the Department of Labor certifies that the proposed place of employment of the TN applicant is the subject of a work stoppage or labor dispute involving a work stoppage and the temporary entry of an alien may adversely affect either the settlement of the dispute or the employment of a person involved in the dispute, the application may be refused.

Maximum Period of Stay

Until recently, the maximum initial period of stay that could be granted for a TN nonimmigrant was one year. In addition, a TN nonimmigrant could request extensions of stay within the United States only in one-year increments. However, on October 16, 2006, DHS published its final rule on periods of admission and extensions of stay for Canadian and Mexican TNs.

As of October 16, 2008, the maximum allowable period of admission for TN nonimmigrants is increased from one year to three years. The final rule also allows otherwise eligible TN nonimmigrants to be granted an extension of stay in increments of up to three years instead of the previous maximum of one year.

In contrast with the H-1 and L-1 categories, there is no fixed limit on how long a TN professional may remain in the United States under such status. However, some ports-of-entry impose arbitrary limits based on their improper interpretation of 8 CFR §214.6(b), which defines “temporary entry” as follows:

Temporary entry, as defined in the NAFTA, means entry without the intent to establish permanent residence. The alien must satisfy the inspecting immigration officer that the proposed stay is temporary. A temporary period has a reasonable, finite end that does not equate to permanent residence. In order to establish that the alien’s entry will be temporary, the alien must demonstrate to the satisfaction of the inspecting immigration officer that his or her work assignment in the United States will end at a predictable time and that he or she will depart upon completion of the assignment.

TN professionals must already show that they do not have immigrant intent, as a result of INA §214(b). The definition of “temporary entry” is clearly based on the principles contained therein. The existence of this definition should not have resulted in a change in the adjudication of nonimmigrant intent.

There is no specific requirement that TN professionals maintain an unabandoned foreign residence to establish that they entry is temporary. Other categories such as B-1/B-2, J-1, and F-1 require evidence of an unabandoned foreign residence, but this requirement specifically appears in the INA. No such statutory requirement exists for TN professionals.

Fortunately, several ports-of-entry are still reasonable with regard to the issue of temporary entry. In the absence of evidence that the alien has immigrant intent, such ports-of-entry will conclude that the alien is in fact seeking temporary entry.

Dual Intent Not Recognized for TN Status

The recognition of “dual intent” essentially means that the alien is permitted to simultaneously have a present intention to work temporarily in the United States and a future intention to become a permanent resident. Although the concept of dual intent was effectively recognized for TC workers under the FTA, this appears to have changed with the implementation of the NAFTA.

INA §214(e)(2) now provides that the TN category is to be treated as a regular admission class under INA §101(a)(15). It is therefore subject to the same restrictions as other nonimmigrant categories. Because INA §214(b) creates a rebuttable presumption of immigrant intent for all nonimmigrants other than those in the H-1 or L categories, the concept of dual intent is not specifically recognized for TN professionals. Please refer to the article on dual intent for additional information.

In any event, Canadian TN professionals must clearly satisfy the immigration officer that they have bona fide nonimmigrant intent whenever they seek admission to the United States. The fact that a TN professional is the beneficiary of an application for labor certification or petition for permanent residence may be given significant weight when immigrant intent is assessed. While this does not necessarily constitute conclusive proof of immigrant intent, overcoming the presumption of immigrant intent in such cases can be a difficult task.

A 1996 letter from Yvonne LaFleur, Chief of the Business and Trade Branch at the INS’ Benefits Division, suggested that a TN professional could still have bona fide nonimmigrant intent even where they were the beneficiary of an approved immigrant petition, where they were seeking consular processing rather than adjustment of status.

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Initially, many (but not all) ports of entry followed this guidance. However, many ports of entry began to disregard it in later years.  Fortunately, a 2008 letter from USCBP appears to have resurrected this principle.

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In a letter dated April 21, 2008, from Mr. Paul M. Morris, Executive Director, Admissibility and Passenger Programs, USCBP opined that the mere filing or approval of a Form I-140 immigrant petition on behalf of a TN nonimmigrant would not automatically constitute immigrant intent. A TN nonimmigrant and his or her dependents may have an intention to immigrate or adjust status at a future time but, as long as his or her intention at the time of admission is to be in the United States for a temporary period, he or she could be admitted. However, once the TN files an application for an immigrant visa or adjustment of status, the TN would no longer be eligible for admission or an extension of stay as a TN nonimmigrant.

Although opinion letters are not legally binding on USCBP, the 2008 letter nevertheless supports the principle that a TN professional can have nonimmigrant intent notwithstanding the filing or approval of an immigrant petition on his or her behalf. Of course, TN professionals who are concerned about immigrant intent problems may also wish to consider changing their status from TN to H-1B (assuming that they are also eligible for that category) before seeking permanent residence.

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TN Visa

Minneapolis Minnesota Immigration Lawyers

TN status is available under NAFTA for professional workers from Canada and Mexico if they are filling one of the following positions and have the necessary qualifications for the position.  TN status may now be granted for up to three years.

Accountant

Baccalaureate or Licenciatura Degree; or C.P.A., C.A., C.G.A. or C.M.A.

Architect

Baccalaureate or Licenciatura Degree; or state/provincial license

Computer Systems Analyst

Baccalaureate or Licenciatura Degree; or PostSecondary Diploma or PostSecondary Certificate, and three years experience

Disaster Relief Insurance Claims Adjuster (claims Adjuster employed by an insurance company located in the territory of a Party, or an independent claims adjuster)

Baccalaureate or Licenciatura Degree, and successful completion of training in the appropriate areas of insurance adjustment pertaining to disaster relief claims; or three years experience in claims adjustment and successful completion of training in the appropriate areas of insurance adjustment pertaining to disaster relief claims.

Economist

Baccalaureate or Licenciatura Degree

Engineer

Baccalaureate or Licenciatura Degree; or state/provincial license

Forester

Baccalaureate or Licenciatura Degree; or state/provincial license

Graphic Designer

Baccalaureate or Licenciatura Degree; or PostSecondary Diploma or PostSecondary Certificate, and three years experience

Hotel Manager

Baccalaureate or Licenciatura Degree in hotel/restaurant management; or PostSecondary Diploma or PostSecondary Certificate in hotel/restaurant management, and three years experience in hotel/restaurant management

Industrial Designer

Baccalaureate or Licenciatura Degree; or PostSecondary Diploma or PostSecondary Certificate, and three years experience

Interior Designer

Baccalaureate or Licenciatura Degree; or PostSecondary Diploma or PostSecondary Certificate, and three years experience

Land Surveyor

Baccalaureate or Licenciatura Degree; or state/provincial/federal license

Landscape Architect

Baccalaureate or Licenciatura Degree

Lawyer (including Notary in the Province of Quebec)

LL.B., J.D., LL.L., B.C.L. or Licenciatura Degree (five years); or membership in a state/provincial bar

Librarian

M.L.S. or B.L.S. (for which another Baccalaureate or Licenciatura Degree was a prerequisite)

Management Consultant

Baccalaureate or Licenciatura Degree; or equivalent professional experience as established by statement or professional credential attesting to five years experience as a management consultant, or five years experience in a field of specialty related to the consulting agreement

Mathematician (including Statistician)

Baccalaureate or Licenciatura Degree

Range Manager/Range Conservationalist

Baccalaureate or Licenciatura Degree

Research Assistant (working in a post-secondary educational institution)

Baccalaureate or Licenciatura Degree

Scientific Technician/Technologist

Possession of (a) theoretical knowledge of any of the following disciplines: agricultural sciences, astronomy, biology, chemistry, engineering, forestry, geology, geophysics, meteorology or physics; and (b) the ability to solve practical problems in any of those disciplines, or the ability to apply principles of any of those disciplines to basic or applied research

Social Worker

Baccalaureate or Licenciatura Degree

Sylviculturist (including Forestry Specialist)

Baccalaureate or Licenciatura Degree

Technical Publications Writer

Baccalaureate or Licenciatura Degree; or PostSecondary Diploma or PostSecondary Certificate, and three years experience

Urban Planner (including Geographer)

Baccalaureate or Licenciatura Degree

Vocational Counsellor

Baccalaureate or Licenciatura Degree

Medical/Allied Professional

Dentist

D.D.S., D.M.D., Doctor en Odontologia or Doctor en Cirugia Dental; or state/provincial license

Dietitian

Baccalaureate or Licenciatura Degree; or state/provincial license

Medical Laboratory Technologist (Canada)/Medical Technologist (Mexico and the United States)

Baccalaureate or Licenciatura Degree; or Post-Secondary Diploma or Post-Secondary Certificate, and three years experience

Nutritionist

Baccalaureate or Licenciatura Degree

Occupational Therapist

Baccalaureate or Licenciatura Degree; or state/provincial license

Pharmacist

Baccalaureate or Licenciatura Degree; or state/provincial license

Physician (teaching or research only)

M.D. or Doctor en Medicina; or state/provincial license

Physiotherapist/Physical Therapist

Baccalaureate or Licenciatura Degree; or state/provincial license

Psychologist

State/provincial license; or Licenciatura Degree

Recreational Therapist

Baccalaureate or Licenciatura Degree

Registered Nurse

State/provincial license; or Licenciatura Degree

Veterinarian

D.V.M., D.M.V. or Doctor en Veterinaria; or state/provincial license

Scientist

Agriculturist (including Agronomist)

Baccalaureate or Licenciatura Degree

Animal Breeder

Baccalaureate or Licenciatura Degree

Animal Scientist

Baccalaureate or Licenciatura Degree

Apiculturist

Baccalaureate or Licenciatura Degree

Astronomer

Baccalaureate or Licenciatura Degree

Biochemist

Baccalaureate or Licenciatura Degree

Biologist

Baccalaureate or Licenciatura Degree

Chemist

Baccalaureate or Licenciatura Degree

Dairy Scientist

Baccalaureate or Licenciatura Degree

Entomologist

Baccalaureate or Licenciatura Degree

Epidemiologist

Baccalaureate or Licenciatura Degree

Geneticist

Baccalaureate or Licenciatura Degree

Geologist

Baccalaureate or Licenciatura Degree

Geochemist

Baccalaureate or Licenciatura Degree

Geophysicist (including Oceanographer in Mexico and the United States)

Baccalaureate or Licenciatura Degree

Horticulturist

Baccalaureate or Licenciatura Degree

Meteorologist

Baccalaureate or Licenciatura Degree

Pharmacologist

Baccalaureate or Licenciatura Degree

Physicist (including Oceanographer in Canada)

Baccalaureate or Licenciatura Degree

Plant Breeder

Baccalaureate or Licenciatura Degree

Poultry Scientist

Baccalaureate or Licenciatura Degree

Soil Scientist

Baccalaureate or Licenciatura Degree

Zoologist

Baccalaureate or Licenciatura Degree

Teacher

College

Baccalaureate or Licenciatura Degree

Seminary

Baccalaureate or Licenciatura Degree

University

Baccalaureate or Licenciatura Degree

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