Uscis Announces Revisions In The Employment Authorization Document (ead)

The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has proclaimed to have revised the Employment Authorization Document (EAD) or Form I-766. In order to add a machine-readable zone on the back of the card, the EAD cards have been revised.

Generally, the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services issues the Employment Authorization Document, which is also referred to as the U.S. work permit visa. The visa authorizes the holder to work in the United States lawfully. The Form I-766 has to be filed by a foreign national who stays in the U.S. temporarily and wishes to acquire an EAD.

On the basis of the foreign nationals immigration situation, the EAD cards are issued for a specific period of time. Unless the employer has any citizenship requirements, the foreign national with an EAD card can work anywhere in the United States. If the immigrant holds an EAD card, the employer is not even required to file a non-immigrant worker petition.

Currently, the USCIS issues EAD cards under two categories, namely the Renewal EADs and the Replacement EADs. The renewal EAD can be applied for not more than 120 days before the current EAD expires. When lost, stolen, or damaged, individuals can apply for their replacement EAD cards. EAD cards can also be replaced if they contain incorrect information or misspelled name.

In view of deterring immigration fraud, the EAD cards have been revised by the USCIS. The revised EAD cards are being issued by the USCIS from May 11, 2010. The machine-readable zone that has been added newly is in accordance with the International Civil Aviation Organization standards.

The previous version had a two-dimensional bar code, which has now been removed. Additionally, the USCIS has shifted the informational text box just below the magnetic stripe on the card and has retained all the security features that the previous version had.

The revision of the EAD cards has resulted from the collaboration of the USCIS with the U.S. Immigration and Custom Enforcement and the Customs and Border Protection.

Foreign currency exchange rates Influences and retail options

Buying foreign currency is an act of purchasing certain currency which is not the form of money that is generally being used and circulated in your own country. For example, if you are in the US, the generally accepted and used form of currency is the US dollar. If you reside in Germany, the local form of money that is generally circulated and used in almost all business transactions in the country is Euro. Therefore, if you want to have Euro, and that you are in the United States, what you should do is to but foreign currency. The price in buying foreign currency is determined by the ever-changing currency exchange rates. Foreign currency exchange rate is deemed ever-changing since it varies for from hour to hour and from time to time. Literally, the exchange rates are largely influenced by the issue on supply and demand of the currency subject to the exchange. The currencys supply and demand is also influenced by different issues that include market psychology, political conditions, and economic factors. Hence, in buying foreign currency, it is better to consider these factors. The market psychology as well as traders perceptions on a particular market can possibly affect and change the foreign currencys price. Political conditions, as another factor, can be international, regional, or internal. This condition profoundly impacts on the value of the money in purchasing foreign currency. As an example, if one nation currently experiences political leadership, investors may raise their doubts and lose confidence which may consequently lower the currency value of the nation. The economic factors that affect foreign currency exchange include the regulations which the government agencies disseminate; the economic conditions revealed by government and non-governmental institutions, as well as other indicators in the economy. Where to purchase foreign currency

There are many competing stores in the United States that offer good deals in buying foreign currency. Their competition generally evolves in making the best offer of currency exchange in their area. As the buyer, it is important for you to take note of the exchange rates these competing stores offer and select the one that make you the best exchange deal.

Another option where you can make your foreign currency buying is the airports. However, airports rarely offer better exchange rates than others do; so, it is suggested that you make your purchase of the foreign currency before you had to the airport. Around the world, almost every airport says that buying foreign currency is easy once you land at you r destination. But once again, buying foreign currency is typically not so good in airports since they offer a bit higher exchange rates. Not all airports have offer currency exchange. You also do not intend to land in a place where currency exchange desk is not available, anyway.

If you started your foreign travel or vacation already, and then you need to buy foreign currency, you may as well purchase foreign currency from many large hotels aside from the many currency exchange retail stores. Like the airports, hotels do not usually offer fantastic rates. But if buying foreign currency is needed, hotel is another option for you.

Top Import And Export Products In China A Guide For Business Trends

China has one of the largest economies in the world. The nation also stands first in terms of its population. Due to its cheap labor cost, the country is known for its low cost and good quality products. Thus, numerous countries all over the world prefer to import goods from the country instead of manufacturing by their own. Therefore, China exports voluminous quantity of goods all over the world every year. Major industries contributing in its economy are manufacturing, clothing, and electronics. Most of these industries require high labor work. This is also a reason behind the nations unemployment rate that is 6.4 percent, much lower than the global average unemployment rate that is approximately 9.

Good quality and low cost products have played a major role to empower nations economy in the last decade. Now, China has a strong and growing economy. Due to its growing financial system, several global trading firms are focusing on the open business opportunities in the territory. To have an In-depth understanding of its market, import and export data has proved a useful tool in recent years. Now, many companies are analyzing business statistics of commodities dispatched and received in China to understand the market trends.

Import and export data contains useful records about business trends. It contains Imports and exports value and quantity. It also includes complete information about the sender and receiver, ports details where goods have been dispatched and received, manufacturer details, shipping cost, custom duty, lot size, shipping root and other information. It helps business companies to understand the countrys market and plan their strategies.

Let us have an overview of the nations top imported and exported products:

Top Imported Commodities
China is the worlds second largest importer. In year 2013, it received products for more than USD 1.90 trillion net worth from other countries. Top received goods were electronic equipment, oils, machinery, ores and medical apparatus. Apart from these commodities, fastest growing products were cereals, art and antiques, collector items, dairy products, honey, egg and meat, coffee and spices. Japan, United States, and Germany were the three big exporters. Japan, United States and Germany contributed around 8.3, 7.9, and 4.8 percent of total imports respectively.

Top Exported Commodities
China is also one of the biggest exporters of goods. In 2013, the country exported goods worth around USD 2.2 trillion. Top items in demand were electronic equipment, machinery, crochet clothing and accessories, furniture and lightening products, optical and medical apparatus, irons and steel, footwear and automobiles.

You can hire a data service provider to get the complete China Import Data. Due to high demand of business statistics, these days several firms are collecting and managing wide range of business records as their core function. These service providers collect business records from various sources. They validate, store, and manage these records efficiently in order to cater needs of their clients.

Data service providers are easily available on the Internet. They provide data on demand. They have online portals where you can download required information. On these portals, you can also filter, sort, and perform various other operations on stored records to get the useful business insights.

History Of The Trucking Industry

The trucking industry as we know it, began at the turn of the twentieth century with the invention of the motorized truck. Motorized vehicles were competition for the railroad industry and became a major factor in the increase of land transportation of goods throughout the United States. The development of fuel also contributed to the increased use of trucks. As motor technology advanced and improved, there was a natural progression for the construction of paved roads. As a result, there were regulations set by the state and federal government that were to be adhered to when moving freight.

Prior to the use of trucks, trains were the most efficient mode of transporting goods because it had the capacity to accommodate bulk. Trucks were initially used to deliver items to remote locations that were inaccessible for the train. The first boom in the usage of trucks occurred during the 1920s. At this time, roads were improving and made delivery locations more accessible. Eventually more durable tires replaced the rubber tires and trucks were made larger in order to carry more goods while providing comfort to the driver.

The first trucks were extremely heavy and had crude mechanisms. Initially they were only providing delivery and hauling to the city. This restriction was due in large part because the trucks could not handle the pothole and unpaved roads. The Automobile Club of America put on the very first United States contest for commercial vehicles; the goal of the test was to examine the reliability, speed and capacity of the truck. Excited by the results of the contest, manufacturers were to meet the demand for trucks and the use of trucks for freight transportation flourished.

The trucking industry as we know it was still in its infancy when the Great Depression hit and a number of trucking companies were forced to close their operations. The companies who survived were able to benefit from the repeal of Prohibition, which also occurred during a time of economic recovery. In 1935, Congress passed the Motor Carrier Act; this act halted the legislative mudslinging between the rail and automotive providers and provided structure for the industry. At that time, the federal government became an investor into the railroad industry, which happened to have also from the depression, as well as from the emerging auto transport industry.

The Motor Carrier Act set regulations for freight-hauling. The act limited the hours that could be driven. It also mandated the classification of freight that could be carried. The owners of the trucking companies became concerned that the new regulations would compromise their competitive advantage over established rail companies. As infrastructures were improved, driver demand increased and opened up opportunity for new businesses to enter the market.

The trucking industry is a key player in the American economy through the transportation of raw materials, produce, and finished goods. Trucks are also vital to the construction industry when large amounts of materials are needed for a project. Currently, the American trucking industry is responsible for most of the movement of freight and will continue to be essential for US manufacturing and construction.

Under the regulation of ICC, companies who have for-hire trucks were required to apply for a license if they wanted like to enter the interstate markets. The guidelines were strict and licenses were granted only if it could be proven that there was a need for additional capacity. The rates, which used to be an agreement between the trucker and the customer, were put in the hands of bureaus. The rate bureaus are owned and administered by participating carriers. The bureaus job is to analyze costs and initiate pricing standards and competitive rates within the industry. In 1980, Congress put through a trucking deregulation bill. The goal of the bill was to increase competition and this competition resulted in reduced shipping costs for customers.

Prior to 1983, truck size and weight limitations were set by individual states. The federal government pushed for legislation that set limitations on the interstate highway system. In addition to increasing the size and weight limitations on truck, the law also resulted in an increase of the national gas tax and increased fees on the industry. Currently, the trucking industry is responsible for paying roughly half of all state and federal road user taxes.

Could Franchising Be The Business For Me

Most people are familiar with franchising. For the benefit of those who are not, according to http://wikipedia.com franchising is the system of doing business wherein a franchisor licenses trademarks of a product and tested methods of doing business to a franchisee to receive payment like a percentage from gross per sales or gross profits as well as the annual fees agreed upon, as compensation for the trade secrets shared as part of the franchising agreement. Sometimes legal contracts may vary as to the terms of franchise and may not fit the definition above. Sometimes, the methods on how to do the business may not be part of the franchise or other benefits that other franchising companies give may not be available to others.

The most common franchising companies known to the public would be chain of food stores like McDonald’s which nowadays offer some franchising strategies to reach a wider consumer market. McDonald’s has become a household name since it was able to reach a wider consumer market that is not only limited to the United States and the Americas but to the rest of the world. The success behind McDonald’s becoming a household name and the one of the most known trademarks around the world is due to the system of franchising. Aside from the buildings that McDonald’s rent to the franchisee, it also has a stake on the sales of the franchise and the cost of the supplies charged to the franchisee. To help out in the quality of products and services offered in each food chain, McDonald’s sends a member from the franchisee to their Hamburger University in Oak Brook, Illinois. This is one support benefit that the franchisee would get once they franchise a restaurant for McDonald’s.

Like any business, there are advantages and disadvantages that franchising offer to anyone who wish to venture into it.

Advantages

Popular labels are widely known and are likely to sell. Popular trademarks like McDonald’s are likely to sell than a new restaurant that has not reached a market such as McDonald’s. It is selling a well known product to a consumer market which knows the product being sold.

No need to develop a new product that has not been well researched. Venturing into franchising would allow the franchisee to have access to information that the franchisor have about an existing product and put up a business in a shorter period of time.

Trainings and seminars would be provided to the franchisee about the product. It would be easier to operate and manage the business since there are available trainings and other support methods for the franchisee.

Disadvantages

High standards held by the franchisor raise costs of maintenance in the franchise. Since the standards of the franchisor would definitely be high, sometimes the cost of maintaining a franchise can escalate. Unless the materials used would be second rate and low in cost.

Development of new products might still need to be passed for approval to the franchisor. If the franchisee would like to add a product which they think would be saleable in their market range, the new product has to be approved first by the franchisor and this may take time and it would likely be rejected if it does not meet standards of the trademark.

Profit is limited since the franchisor has stake, most of the time, on the profits of the franchise. Not only does the franchisee have little control of the franchise due to many stakes that the franchisor has on the franchise, the profit of the franchise would also be split between the two. Therefore, there is a limit to how much the franchise would earn.

Even if there are several disadvantages in franchising, still there are advantages. If you think you could handle this kind of business, all I can say is, business is gambling. In any industry there are players and you might be lucky that you would be on top once and sometimes at the bottom. Get to know the game play and start playing to win the game.