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In every university there is a career guidance center. And in each guidance center there is usually a stack of white notebooks with laminated pages which show a list of occupations. Each occupation will list average salary, education requirements, a brief description of the job, average hours worked per week, etc. It has been my personal experience that the information contained within those books are not even close to the truth. And as it pertains to the legal profession, they are dead wrong!Imagine if you went to your guidance counselor on your university campus and you asked about a promising career in teaching high school algebra. Your career guidance counselor pulls out one of those thick white binders and she explains to you that in order to become a California High School Algebra teacher you will need a Doctorate Degree which will require an additional 3 years of study after your undergraduate degree. On top of that she accurately explains that to go to one of these universities you will have to take a rigorous entrance exam and you will rack up over $100,000 in student loans. And upon graduation you will have to take a rigorous three-day "teacher's bar exam" in order to even start sending out your resumes. And by the way, once you are an official California-licensed teacher you will also be subject to severe rules on how you teach. If you so much as lie on a resume, cheat on your taxes, mess up a student's grade, or upset a parent you will be immediately suspended for six to twelve months and face possible disbarment for life. And during this time period, you will not be able to accept work as a teacher in any California High School.Yes, you know that it will be a rough road, but you ask your career counselor, "How much does the average California Attorney make?". Her answer: around $30,000 per year less student loan payments. But what about all those lawyers who I see on TV driving around in BMW's? Well, unfortunately, Hollywood does exaggerate. What about your next door neighbor who practices wills and trusts? His home is foreclosure proceedings and he is living off his credit cards and his wife's parents' pity money. What about that article you saw in Time Magazine that listed the average attorney's salary at $125,000 per year? Believe me, we don't know where they come up with those numbers either. (We suspect that law schools purposely feed those numbers to unsuspecting journalists to drum up demand for law school applications).California attorneys are not rich. They are poor. They are broke. Many have recently gone bankrupt. Some have had their homes foreclosed (See GQ Magazine's article entitled "The New Economy. What happened to the Neighbors" by Charles Bowden). Some Attorneys in California are now delivering pizzas for Domino's. Many Attorneys in California are living on food stamps. And in some cases, some attorneys in California are homeless and living in their cars.How is this possible? Aside from the awful economy, the single most important reason is three letters: UPL (Unlicensed Practice of Law). Technically, it is illegal to practice law without a license. However, the reality is that the law is never enforced. It is a myth that you need to be an attorney to practice the law these days. Don't believe me? Find a local phone book and look up the term "Immigration Consultants". I guarantee you that each and every one of those people you see there are practicing law without a license. It is not uncommon these days for paralegals to make court appearances for their clients. Insurance agents draft buy-sell agreements for their clients. Large corporations practice law without a license with impunity. We have also noticed that in several phone books, many non-attorneys who have never even set foot in a law school classroom are now advertising themselves as "Attorneys". They do so with such chutzpah, that their brazen actions seems to indicate they have assurances that they will never be prosecuted.Although there are no official statistics, it is safe to say that in th

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The TN Visa is the nonimmigrant visa category for professional workers from Canada and Mexico whose specific occupations appear on the schedule created by NAFTA (Appendix 1603.D.1 of NAFTA). The TN Visa category (technically, for Canadians, the TN is a status and not a visa) is particularly beneficial for Canadians since they can adjudicate their applications directly at a port of entry without obtaining prior USCIS approval or a visa. Included in the occupation list are numerous professions, ranging from accountants, architects, computer analysts, and social workers to those falling within the medical and science professions, such as pharmacists and physicians and astronomers and biologists.TN Visa RequirementsThe TN requirements for Canadians are as follows: 1) The applicant must be a Canadian citizen and present evidence of his/her Canadian citizenship in the form of a passport; 2) The occupations created by NAFTA either require that the applicant have a Baccalaureate degree or a post-secondary diploma or post-secondary certificate and three years experience; and 3) The prospective position requires someone in that professional capacity.TN Visa Application ProcessThe process of applying for and acquiring a TN work status (technically speaking TN is a status and not a visa) is one of the quickest processes of all the U.S. work visas/statuses. Initial TN applications should be made at a port-of-entry, whether it is at a land border or an airport. The applicant for the TN status will need to show citizenship and how he or she meets the criteria for the profession, which may at the very least include a diploma/s and a resume, referral letters from previous employers, and even examples of previous work done. In addition, the applicant will need to show information pertaining to the position for the U.S. employer. The most persuasive evidence of this would be a detailed letter from the employer describing the position and its duties.TN Visa Advantages• TN status can be obtained immediately at a port of entry instead of having to be submitted ahead of time by mail, which could take anywhere from weeks to months• There are no quotas or lotteries with TN status, as there are with H-1Bs• There is no cap on TN renewals, whereas H-1B and L-1 have time caps• Renewal of TN can either be done quickly at a port of entry or through the mail• Labor Certification is not required• TN status may be available to some people who do not qualify for H-1B statusTN Visa 3 Year Rule ChangeOn October 14, 2008, the USCIS increased the maximum period of time a TN professional worker from Canada or Mexico may remain in the U.S. before seeking readmission or obtaining an extension of stay from one year to three years. This rule is terrific for those who qualify for TN status as they may now be admitted for periods of up to three years and they may also receive extensions of stay for periods of up to three years instead of the prior maximum period of one year. After being approved for the TN status at a port of entry the applicant will receive an I-94 card valid for up to three years noting the TN category and U.S. employer.TN Visa RenewalsRenewing the TN status can either be made internally by mailing an application to the Vermont Service Center prior to the deadline of the current I-94 or, as an alternative, the applicant can go to a port of entry and apply for readmission under TN classification on the spot (this works like a renewal, but technically you are making a new application when you go to a port of entry). A TN status holder is permitted to work during any overlap between the expiration of the status and an application made for a renewal (not to exceed 240 days and only applies when renewing through mail).

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Foreign students interested in studying at the school of their choice in the US will find the Immigration and National Act has specific criteria that must be met to qualify for a student visa. Student visas provide a student an opportunity to pursue undergraduate and graduate educational opportunities that may not be available, or as easily assessable, in a student's country of origin.Those interested in taking a full course of study in the US can qualify to receive a student visa. The same applies to anyone who travels to the US for a conference or seminar counting as course credit. Those planning to take less than the requirements to meet a full course of study a week can consult with a Houston immigration attorney about the possibility of receiving a visitor visa instead.The first step toward studying abroad in the US is acceptance to an established institution that is Student Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP) certified. SEVP certified institutions include colleges, universities, seminaries, conservatories, high schools, private elementary schools and other academic and vocational schools that applies for and receives SEVP certification. SEVP approves schools with based on Immigration and Customs Enforcement. SEVP certification makes it easier for the Department of Homeland Security and Department of State to monitor school exchange programs and participants.It's important to apply for a student visa as soon as possible since it can be a lengthy process and the waiting time can vary. Students must meet certain requirements in order to apply: Have a secure, permanent residence abroad. Understand that he/she must leave the US as soon as the course of study ends. Have financial means to pursue the chosen course of study. If a student meets these requirements, he can move on the application process. Part of the process for applicants age 14 to 79 involves an interview at the embassy consular. There is a waiting period for the interviewing portion of the application process, but applicants can get a clear idea of the wait time by visiting the U.S. Embassy website under "Visa Wait Times."Applicants will be subject to a digital fingerprint scan during the interview, and must provide the following documentation: Passport A 22 photograph Online non-immigrant visa electronic application form DS-160 A SEVP Form 1-20 provided by an official at the intended institution and the student A MVR receipt as proof of payment for the visa application A SEVP 1-191 receipt a proof of fee payment In addition to these mandatory forms, student should also be prepared to provide the following: Degrees and transcripts from other schools attended Standardized test scores required by the intended institution Proof of ability to financially cover tuition, fees and living expenses while attending the intended institution It's important to keep in mind that student visas are issued with expiration dates. A full-time student can be approved to stay in the US for as long as his visa remains valid. When making travel plans, it's a good idea to wait to have the approved visa in hand before making travel arrangements.