Saturday, February 28, 2009

Santa Clara County, California -list of site

Hanna-Honeycomb House De Anza Hotel
Lou Henry and Herbert Hoover House Luis Maria Peralta Adobe

Palo Alto Southern Pacific Railroad Depot
Hotel Sainte Claire (Larkspur)

Ramona Street Architectural District
San Jose Downtown Historic District

Professorville Historic District
Winchester House
US Naval Air Station, Sunnyvale, CA, Historic District (Moffett Field)
Le Petit Trianon
Picchetti Brothers Winery
Unitary Plan Wind Tunnel Paul Masson Mountain Winery
James Lick Mill Villa Montalvo

Agnews Insane Asylum Los Gatos Historic Commercial District

Jose Maria Alviso Adobe
Forbes Mill Annex

Charles Copeland Morse House
Yung See San Fong House

Andrew J. Landrum House
Hayes Mansion

Santa Clara Depot
New Almaden
Southern Pacific Depot

Monday, February 23, 2009

How Do I Get A Travel Document?

What is a Travel Document and Who Needs One?
If you are not a U.S. citizen, you may need permission to return to the United States after traveling abroad. This permission is granted through a travel document. Travel documents are also given to people who want to travel, but cannot get a passport from their country of nationality.



Where Can I Find the Law?
The legal foundation for requiring these travel documents comes from the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA). INA § 211 discusses documents required to admit aliens and control their travel. INA § 212 states that any immigrant who does not have the correct travel documents will not be admitted to the United States.

The specific eligibility requirements for travel documents are found in Title 8 of the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR). 8 CFR § 223 describes the purpose, processing, and validity and effect on admissibility of all three documents.



How to File
The alien must file USCIS Form I-131, Application for Travel Document, complete with supporting documentation, photos and applicable fees. This form can be downloaded from our Forms and Fees page. See the application for specific filing instructions.



How to File For a Re-Entry Permit
If the alien is a permanent resident or conditional resident, he or she must attach:



A copy of the front and back of the alien registration receipt card (Form I-551); or
If he has not yet received his alien registration receipt card, a copy of the biographic page(s) of his passport and the visa page of his passport indicating initial admission as a permanent resident, or other evidence that the alien is a permanent resident; or
A copy of the approval notice of a separate application for replacement of the alien registration receipt card (Form I-797) or temporary evidence of permanent resident status.



A copy of any document issued to the alien by USCIS or former INS showing present status in the United States;
An explanation or other evidence demonstrating the circumstances that warrant issuance of Advance Parole.
If the alien is basing his or her eligibility for Advance Parole on a separate application for adjustment of status or asylum, he must also attach a copy of the filing receipt for that application.
If the alien is traveling to Canada to apply for an immigrant visa, he or she must also attach a copy of the consular appointment.


How to File For a Refugee Travel Document
If the alien is a refugee or asylee applying for a refugee travel document, he or she must attach:

A copy of the document issued by USCIS or former INS showing the alien’s refugee or asylee status and indicating the expiration date of such status.



Where to File
Where to file the Form I-131 depends upon the benefit sought. See the Form I-131 instruction page for details.



When to File
The alien must apply for the travel document before leaving the United States. Failure to do so may cause the alien to lose permission to re-enter the country, and lead to the denial of any other applications.



How Can I Find Out the Status of My Application?
To check the status of your application, please contact the USCIS office that received your application. You should be prepared to provide the USCIS staff with specific information about your application. Please click here for complete instructions on checking the status of your application. Please click here for more information on USCIS field offices.



How Can I Appeal?
If your application for a reentry permit or refugee travel document is denied, the denial letter will tell you how to appeal. Generally, you may appeal within 33 days of receiving the denial. Your appeal must be filed on USCIS Form I-290B. The appeal must be filed with the office that made the original decision. After your appeal form and a required fee are processed, the appeal will be referred to the Administrative Appeals Unit (AAU) in Washington, DC. (Sending the appeal and fee directly to the AAU will delay the process.)


Can Anyone Help Me?
If advice is needed, you may contact the USCIS District Office near your home for a list of community-based, non-profit organizations that may be able to assist you in applying for an immigration benefit. Please see our Field Offices for more information on contacting USCIS offices.



Frequently Asked Questions
See our Frequently Asked Questions for more information. You may also want to read the State Department's Returning Resident Alien Leaflet and see their list of Foreign Consular Offices in the U.S

Monday, February 16, 2009

Office of Authentications

he Department of State, Authentications Office is responsible for signing and issuing certificates under the Seal of the U.S. Department of State (22 CFR, Part 131) providing authentication services to U.S. citizens and foreign nationals on documents that will be used overseas. This office receives a variety of documents from commercial organizations, private citizens, and officials of the Federal and State governments. Documents include but not limited to: company bylaws, powers of attorney, trademarks, diplomas, transcripts, distributorship agreements, articles of incorporation, good standing certificates, home studies, letters of reference etc. It also ensures that the requested information will serve in the interest of justice and is not contrary to U.S. policy.

Fees
The authentication fee is $8.00 per document. A personal/company check or money order made payable to the U.S. Department of State must be submitted with document. Visa and Mastercard are accepted for Walk-in Service only.

Mail Service
The Authentication of documents takes approximately 5 business days to process from the time of receipt**. Please include a cover-letter (see example) with your name, telephone number, address and email address. Please indicate the name of the country where the document will be used. We suggest using a self-addressed stamped envelope for faster return of your documents. Documents received without a return evelope and postage will be returned through the State Department regular mail, which can result in a 2-3 week delay. You can use DHL [see note below], Fed/Ex, UPS and express mail services for faster receipt/return of your documents. However, you must enclose a prepaid airbill and envelope.

Alaska Ski Vacations

Alaska, which has always been a source of awe and
mystery, has some of the best skiing in the world,
and the Alyeska Resort is one of the finest resorts
in the state. With a top elevation of 2751 feet and a
2501 vertical drop, the area gets an average of 631
inches of snow annually.

Although this is some of the best skiing in the world,
you won’t find the slopes overly crowded, and there
are no long lift lines. There are nine lifts, including
six chair lifts and two surface lifts, and one cable
car line. There are 68 trails for beginners,
intermediates, and experts, with the majority of the
trails designed for intermediate skiers.

Night time skiing is allowed, which makes your ski
experience more adventurous and thrilling. You will
see snow capped mountains, hanging glaciers, and
of course, the famous Northern Lights. This resort is
ranked number nine of the top twenty-five killer ski
trips by Skiing Magazine.

The season begins at the Alyeska Resort in mid
November, and runs through mid April. This area of
Alaska boasts the longest daytime areas in the
United States, with approximately sixteen hours of
daylight each day during April. During December,
however, there are only about seven hours of daylight
– which makes night time skiing necessary if you
are going to get in the time that you want to spend
on the slopes.

The Alyeska Prince Hotel is the place to stay! Here
you will enjoy elegant rooms and fine dining. Nightly
entertainment is available as well. There are other
nightlife spots in the area as well, that are not
associated with the Hotel.

If tubing interests you, then visiting the Glacier
Tubing Park is an absolute must! Featuring two
lanes of terrain and a surface lift, everyone in the
family will enjoy spending time at the tubing park.
The Alyeska Terrain Park is a must for
snowboarding enthusiasts. Other winter activities
that can be enjoyed in and around the Alyeska
Resort include flight seeing, helisking, ocean
cruising tours, dog sledding, ice climbing, back
country skiing, mountaineering, and polar bear
viewing.

At the Alyeska Resort, the ultimate winter vacation
can be experienced. Brave the elements, then return
to the Hotel for some pampering. Get a taste of what
Alaska is really like, and what skiing is meant to be!
There are activities for the entire family to enjoy, and
there are many area sights and attractions to be
enjoyed as well. This really is an awesome winter
family ski vacation!

Monday, February 9, 2009

visas:

Welcome to the Visa section of travel.state.gov, an official source of information about United States (U.S.) visa policy and procedures. Use this site to learn about different types of U.S. visas, the application process, and to better understand the requirements when applying for a visa, when you're planning to travel to the United States.

Millions of foreign visitors travel to the U.S. each year. Others come to live here permanently. International visitors and immigrants add greatly to our nation's cultural, education and economic life. We welcome them. At the same time, we need to do everything we can to keep everyone here, safe. We believe in secure borders and open doors.

A citizen of a foreign country, wishing to enter the U.S., generally must first obtain a visa, either a nonimmigrant visa for temporary stay, or an immigrant visa for permanent residence. The type of visa you must have is defined by immigration law, and relates to the purpose of your travel. Having a U.S. visa allows you to travel to a port-of-entry (airport, for example) and request permission of the Department of Homeland Security, Customs Border Protection immigration officer to enter the U.S. A visa does not guarantee entry into the United States.

Monday, February 2, 2009

Foreign Entry Requirements


The Foreign Entry Requirements brochure no longer exists. For information on entry requirements for a specific country, please go to the Entry/Exit Requirements section in the Country Specific Information for the country you are interested in at