My Legal Review

Copyrighting a Foreign Work

carolthompson — Thu, 12 Apr 2012 00:43:57 +0000

As a citizen of a foreign country, you may want to protect your rights in your original work by registering your work with the U.S. Copyright Office. Any work that is protected by U.S. Copyright law can be registered with the U.S. Copyright Office. All works that are unpublished are protected within the United States, even if the author is not a U.S. citizen. Works that are published in the United States or a country that the United States has a copyright treaty with or that are created by a citizen of a country the U.S. has a copyright treaty also are afforded protection and may register with the U.S. Copyright Office.

A published work is eligible for copyright protection if any of the following criteria are met:

On the date of the first publication, one or more authors of the work is a national or domiciliary of the United States or is a national, or sovereign authority of a treaty party, or a stateless person wherever the person is domiciled; or
The work is first published in the United States or in a foreign nation that, on the date of first publication, is a treaty party. For purposes of this condition, a work that is published in the United States or a treaty party within 30 days after publication in a foreign nation that is not a treaty party shall be considered to be first published in the United States or such treaty party; as the case may be; or
The work is a sound recording that was first fixed in a treaty part; or
The work is a pictorial, graphic, or sculptural work that is incorporated in a building or other structure, or an architectural work that is embodied in a building and the building or structure is located in the United States or a treaty party; or
The work is first published by the United Nations, or any of its specialized agencies, or by the Organization of American States; or
The work is a foreign work that was in the public domain in the United States prior to 1996 and its copyright was restored under the Uruguay Round Agreements Act (URAA).
The work comes within the scope of a presidential proclamation.

To register a work, you must complete an application and pay the applicable fee. Once your application is received, the time it takes to process applications will vary depending on the number of applications the Copyright Office at that time and the extent of the questions associated with the applications.

The Green Card and Investments

carolthompson — Wed, 04 Apr 2012 21:39:53 +0000

If you have the means to invest between $500,000.00 and $1 million in a targeted employment area in the United States, you may be eligible to obtain a Green Card as an entrepreneur. If you choose this option, your spouse and unmarried children under 21 may also receive Green Cards. You must also plan to create and preserve ten permanent full time jobs for qualified U.S. workers.

Eligibility

To be eligible for a Green Card under this option you must:

Have an approved Form I-526, Immigration Petition by Alien Entrepreneur;
Be admissible into the United States; and
An immigrant visa is available immediately

Application Process

If you live outside of the United States, consular processing is available to assist you. If you live within the United States, you may be able to adjust your status to conditional permanent residency.

Required Evidence for Form I-485

The evidence should be submitted with your application:
Two passport style photos;
Form G-325A, Biographic Information, if you are between 17 and 79 years of age;
Copy of government issued photo identification;
Copy of birth certificate;
Copy of passport page with nonimmigrant visa (if applicable);
Copy of passport page with admission (entry) or parole stamp (if applicable);
Form I-94, Arrival/Departure Record (if applicable);
Certified copies of court records (if you have been arrested);
Form I-693, Report of Medical Examination and Vaccination Record;
Applicable Fees; and
Approval Notice for Form I-526 (Form I-797).

In any given fiscal year, roughly 10,000 Green Cards through investment are granted.

Obtaining a Green Card

carolthompson — Tue, 03 Apr 2012 21:01:50 +0000

For many immigrants, obtaining a Green Card represents an important step in realizing the American Dream. This article will assist you in understanding a few ways by which you can obtain a green card.

There are three common ways you may apply and qualify for a Green Card: employment, family, and through marriage.

Family Based Green Card

If you choose this route of obtaining your Green Card, you must be sponsored by a family member in the United States. Your sponsoring family member must fall within one of the listed categories:

Mother or Father
Brother or Sister
Son or Daughter
Husband or Wife

If your sponsor is a Law Permanent Resident, then he or she must be either your spouse or your child.

Employment Based Green Card

In order to apply for a Green Card for reasons of employment, you must be sponsored by a qualifying employer within the United States. Your employer must submit a Labor Certification Application.

Asylum and Refugee

If you have been granted Asylum or Refugee status, you may apply for a Green Card after you have been in the United States for one year.

Renewal of the Green Card

Your Green Card is generally valid for only ten years and must be renewed prior to the expiration date. If your Green Card is lost or stolen, you must replace it right away.

Join the MyLegalEdge Affiliate Program

carolthompson — Fri, 07 Oct 2011 20:37:06 +0000

The MyLegalEdge Affiliate Program is designed to offer businesses and organizations the ability to partner with MLE by having a link placed on the affiliate website. As customers purchase forms and other services from MLE’s website through the affiliate’s web page, the affiliate will be paid a percentage of those total sales.

So, consider becoming an affiliate of MLE today.

Alabama Law Will Deny Illegal Immigrants Water Service

carolthompson — Fri, 23 Sep 2011 01:29:53 +0000

An Associated Press article has reported that an illegal immigrant was denied water and sewer service in order to comply with Alabama’s new immigration law. The catch is, the law has yet to take effect. To read full story, please click on the link.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/44613538

Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel Favors Same Sex Marriage

carolthompson — Fri, 01 Jul 2011 03:40:40 +0000

Laura Klairmont of CNN News recently posted an article detailing Mayor Rahm Emanuel’s support of same sex marriage legislation in Illinois. In an interview with CNN’s Wolf Blizter, Mayor Emanuel stated that he would support similar legislation for same sex marriage that was recently passed in New York.

While running as a candidate for Chicago mayor and after his election, Emanuel advocated for civil union legislation in Illinois. To read the entire article posted by Klairmont, go to CNN.com.

Rhode Island Passes Legislation to Permit Civil Unions Between Same Sex Couples

carolthompson — Fri, 01 Jul 2011 03:24:51 +0000

Rhode Island has passed legislation that will permit civil unions between same sex couples. The bill was passed by the Rhode Island Senate on a vote of 21-16. The law is scheduled to take effect on July 1st.

Civil unions are currently allowed in New Jersey and Illinois and will be legal in Delaware and Hawaii on January 1,2012. To read more on this new development, visit CNN.com.

Federal Judge Issues Preliminary Injunction Against Georgia Immigration Law

carolthompson — Fri, 01 Jul 2011 03:00:08 +0000

CNN reported that a federal judge has issued a preliminary injunction that will temporarily block key provisions of the Georgia illegal immigration law. U.S. District Judge Thomas Thrash, Jr. ruled that state and local law enforcement officers would not have the authority to arrest, detain, or prosecute anyone based on sections 7 and 8 of this particular law while the injunction remains effective. In his opinion, Thrash wrote, “The apparent legislative intent is to create such a climate of hostility, fear, mistrust, and insecurity that all illegal aliens will leave Georgia.”

Georgia Attorney General Sam Olens intends to appeal Judge Thrash’s ruling.

Same-Sex Marriage Bill Becomes Law in New York

carolthompson — Sat, 25 Jun 2011 05:46:15 +0000

CNN reported that the New York legislature has approved a measure that will allow same-sex couples to marry in New York within 30 days. New York Governor Andrew Cuomo signed the bill into law after a 33-to-29 vote legalized same-sex marriages in New York.

New York is the sixth state to approve same sex marriages. It joins the ranks of Massachusetts, Connecticut, Iowa, Vermont, New Hampshire, and the District of Columbia in granting licenses for same-sex marriages.

Comprehensive Immigration Reform Act of 2011 Reintroduced

carolthompson — Fri, 24 Jun 2011 02:58:31 +0000

The Comprehensive Immigration Reform Act of 2011 was reintroduced by U.S. Senators on June 22nd. The bill includes the Uniting American Families Act (UAFA) which would allow U.S. nationals the right to sponsor foreign-born same-sex partners for U.S. citizenship.

The bill also includes measures that would strengthen border security, require that an estimated 11 million undocumented immigrants register with the U.S. government, pay their taxes, learn English, pay a fine, pass a background check, and complete the appropriate paperwork to apply for permanent residence.

The following Senators sponsored the introduction of the bill:

Senator Robert Menendez (D-NJ)
Senator Harry Reid ( D-NV)
Senator Patrick Leahy (D-VT)
Senator John Kerry ( D- MA)
Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL)
Senator Chuck Schumer (D-NY)
Senator Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY)

To view the entire bill, please visit govtrack.us.