IR_Blog

Certification by Translator: Translating Foreign Language Documents into English

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When submitting an immigration related application, you must have all foreign language documents translated into English. Translation can be done by you or someone you know, as long as the translator is competent to translate the foreign language into English. Another option is to hire a professional firm that specializes in immigration translation services. The … Read more

A New Way to Look at Visa Bulletins

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Today we added another feature to our Visa Bulletin Toolbox: Instead of reading visa bulletins by month, you will be able to select just your category and see years of cutoff dates all on one page, plus month-to-month movement and your overall wait time. Both employment-based and family-sponsored categories are included, covering every visa bulletin … Read more

Save Janet

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Her time is running out, but there is still hope: Janet’s personal blog: http://janetliang.wordpress.com/ Save Janet Facebook Page: http://www.facebook.com/events/236450299768633/ In short, here’s how you can help. 1) Register in the National Bone Marrow Registry. 2) Spread the word to your friends via social media, word of mouth, whatever means you can think of. We really … Read more

Visit Alaska – Trip Planning

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Alaska GlacierWe visited Alaska from July 16 to 24, 2011. Although we planned early, we couldn’t start making reservations until early May because of some uncertainties in my parents’ visa application, and that turned out to be a bit late for many things. If you are planning to visit Alaska this summer, I recommend that you start looking around as soon as possible. This way you will have more choices with regard to hotels, rental cars, etc. In addition, you will have better chances to score those “coupon-only” deals if you book early.

Alaska Coupon Books

Even if you are not a typical “coupon clipper,” don’t overlook the Alaska Coupon Books. They can easily save you hundreds of dollars. The one I bought is called Alaska TourSaver, priced at $99.95 on Amazon. Despite the high price, I’m glad I bought it since the first two coupons I used already recouped the book cost. If your plans include train tours, glacier cruises, flightseeing, river rafting…your savings could quickly add up with those buy-one-get-one coupons.

Some places, especially hotels, accept only a limited number of coupons per day. So again, book early if possible. The TourSaver’s website lists all the coupons in the book. You can find out beforehand if a particular activity offers a coupon, and whether there are validation or other limitations. Do not tear off the coupons just yet; many places require the entire book, with the coupon still attached, to honor the discount. Alaska Railroad, on the other hand, asked me to mail the coupons to them, which was interesting.

Other than the Tour Saver, another coupon book called Northern Lights is also quite popular. Although there are overlaps, the two books do offer different coupons. Another tip, if you’re planning a trip for later in the summer, you can probably grab a lightly used coupon book off eBay for half the price.

Best Time to Visit Alaska

Alaska is open to tourists all year round, but obviously the majority of people go during the summer. Alaska’s travel season is usually May 15 through September 15, peaking from mid-June to mid-August.

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Visit National Parks for Free in 2012

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There are nearly 400 national parks in the United States. Many of them are not only spectacular, but also suitable for family vacations. In fact, visiting a national park has been our top choice for vacation trips ever since my kids were old enough to enjoy travelling. The National Park Service (NPS), in my opinion, … Read more

Isle of Hope, Isle of Tears

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A beautiful song about Annie Moore, the first immigrant to pass through Ellis Island to the United States, on January 1, 1892. Below is a well made YouTube video of the song with lyrics; and here is another one showing live performance by the Celtic Woman. Enjoy.

New Grounds – Isle of Hope, Isle of Tears
by Brendan Graham

On the first day of January,
Eighteen ninety-two,
They opened Ellis Island and they let
The people through.
And the first to cross that threshold
Of the isle of hope and tears,
Was Annie Moore from Ireland
Who was all of fifteen years.

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It is Tax Time Again

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You’ve probably heard that 51% of Americans don’t pay federal income tax, and many end up getting paid by the IRS. But if you are an EB2/EB3 immigrant waiting for green card, you most likely belong to the other 49%. Oops!

I don’t remember how much taxes I paid over the years, but I do recall the pain every year before April 15. So today when I saw a hot deal on Amazon’s tax software, I jumped on it. Now, I may still find other excuses to procrastinate, but at least shopping for a tax program can’t be one.

I have been using tax software and e-filing for nearly 10 years, mostly TaxCut (now called H&R Block at Home – quite intuitive, huh?) but for a couple years I did try TurboTax. I never had an accountant do my taxes before, although some friends strongly recommend it. Maybe some day I’ll give it a shot. I only know one person that still fills out paper forms and does calculations by hand, so he is my hero.

There are two major commercial tax programs on the market: TurboTax and TaxCut (H&R Block at Home), with TaxAct being a third option. They are priced pretty much in that order, from high to low. They can all import last year’s tax returns, as well as financial data from certain institutions. They are somewhat cross-compatible. There are many articles on the Internet to compare the three, but my personal experience is that they all get the job done. You may prefer one’s user interface, or certain features, more than the others. For me I started with TaxCut and found no reason to switch.

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