Editorial

Dear Reader,

We would have liked to begin our summer newsletter with better news for you. However, unfortunately, the US government has again provided us with some not so good news again this month. In addition to the new regulations for the B Visa we have already explained in detail in our last newsletters, the attorney general has again introduced something that will make admission of foreigners into the US even more difficult. However, we hope that the following bad news won't spoil your holiday mood. We will closely observe all new developments and advise you on how to behave at the US borders, in the same reliable way you are used to.

Redesign of the security agencies The US president has announced the biggest restructuring of the US government since 1947 to improve the effectiveness of the US security agencies and improve the country's defenses against terrorist attacks. A Department of Homeland Security is to be created, with a staff of 170,000 employees and a $37 billion budget. It is supposed to be the head of all security agencies that are so far parts of other departments.

Tom Ridge, the governor of Pennsylvania, is being considered as the first Secretary of Homeland Security. The new department would be the head of US customs, the coast guard, the INS, as well as border control and disaster control. It is to be responsible for security of transport routes, for border control, for defense against chemical, biological and nuclear attacks and for comparing intelligence information.

Apart from the increased threat to the US according to Bush, the reform is also caused by gaps in the coordination of intelligence and FBI that have become apparent after September 11. Clues about potential assassins and suspicious facts have not been followed with the necessary attention.

B1/B2 Visa ATTENTION!: Even though the commentary period for the B1/B2 Visa is over, the regulations for the B1/B2 Visa are NOT yet in effect, even if officials at the border sometimes already feel compelled to observe them. That is: the 30-day minimum regulation is definitely NOT yet in effect. So the officers still have to grant you the 180-day stay, if all the requirements are met. In case you only get 30 days at the border, please contact us, maybe there is an administrative way out from inside the country.

Green card lottery We still cannot congratulate all our winners. Every day we receive some winners notifications that we forward immediately to the lucky winners. Up to no, almost 300 people have received there winners' notifications, all others can still hope. The US State Department has informed us that probably by the end of June all winners will have been notified, but because the notifications are sent by mail from the US, this might even take a few days more.

Of course we will also notify all those who didn't win, but probably not before the beginning of July. However, we can already give you the good news that participation for our regular customers will be significantly cheaper in the next lottery - you will get a discount of up to €10. However, anything's still possible for now - we will still keep our fingers crossed and maybe you will still win this year. All the best!

Archive You can find all newsletters since 1999 in the archive on our website.

Have fun reading a nice vacation,

Sincerely yours,

The AMERICAN DREAM team