Solutions in LA

Solutions in LA Oscar winners were announced!

Solutions in LA — Tue, 30 Apr 2013 02:58:44 +0000

Five lucky students won an Oscar at the first Solutions in LA Oscar Ceremony.

Students showed a great interest in the first Solutions in LA Oscar Ceremony held on March 17th, 2013. As one of the spring activities of Solutions in LA, the event was sponsored by Mama’s Secret.

Traditional Turkish Breakfast at Mama’s Secret

Students from different countries, who came to LA for their education from all over the world started the day with an exceptional Turkish breakfast. It was worth of seeing the happiness of five Oscar winner students while walking on the red carpet.

All members of the Solutions in LA family from different countries met each other and shared their own experiences about being a student abroad. This special event then continued with a raffle.

Solutions in LA organize fun social events throughout the year for the students to mingle with each other and socialize. These events are also a great opportunity for us to listen to the students’ problems they encounter during their stay in LA and help them in the best possible way. We, Solutions in LA team, are dedicated to make you feel like you are at home and have you a pleasant and smooth experience during your time in LA. For more information please visit us at www.solutionsinla.com and follow us on Facebook.

Here are some photos from this great day! See you in our next event!

Click to view slideshow.

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International Student Week at SMC

Solutions in LA — Thu, 13 Dec 2012 03:31:05 +0000

Santa Monica College hosted an international student week in November. The week was designed to show both local and international students how diverse the campus is. The week included a free lunch and exciting lectures. The lunch offered a taste of food from around the world. It was also an exciting stage to meet new people from around the globe. There was music, delightful international dances, and exciting games. The lectures provided insight for students who wonder what is occurring across the international stage. Some of the lectures were; CLAC-ing Across the Curriculum: Lessons Learned, and An Evening with Oscar-nominated Filmmaker Christine Choy.

The first lecture CLAC-ing Across the Curriculum: Lessons Learned was given by Dr. Judy Krutky a professor of political science. The lecture provided insight on language and culture involving discipline. The second lecture An Evening with Oscar-nominated Filmmaker Christine Choy was brilliant. Ms. Choy a world famous documentarian showed clips of her past documentaries and then let the audience ask her questions about the film, or the process of filming. Her documentaries gave voice to the poor or rejected parts of society in countries like Africa and China. There was an aura of harmony and cooperation felt at all of the events across campus. The week left students feeling part of a larger community than just Santa Monica College.

Ryan SINDON

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Labor Certification Permanent

Solutions in LA — Wed, 28 Nov 2012 00:26:26 +0000

Hello, In this section our goal is to give you some basic information on different US immigration and visa categories. Please remember that a qualified authority should assess all cases on an individual basis.

This article is about the process of “Labor Certification/Perm” (Labor Certification Permanent)-one of the ways to get a Green Card on labor based applications.

GREEN CARD APPLICATION THROUGH EMPLOYER

(LABOR CERTIFICATION/PERM)

The first step of the application process is the inchoative stage, which is called “PERM” or in other words “Labor Certification” and then send it out to Department of Labor (DOL) via internet or mail. In order to do this, employer has to try to fill the open permanent, full time position with American workers first. After this process, necessary documents are prepared and presented to DOL.

The categories vary depending on the position and the requirements of Green Card. Most common categories are EB-2 and EB-3.

EB-2: It encloses the job positions which require advanced university degree like master or Phd, or 4 years of university education with 5 years of experience. It also encloses people with special or rare skills.
EB-3: This category is for the job positions which requires proficiency (2 years of experience), professional jobs which requires to have 4 years of university education with 4 years of experience and “other employees”.

This step is supposed to take 45 days but it takes around 4 to 6 months at this time.

There are two other stages after PERM. Both these two stages are affiliated with the progress, category of the position and visa number.

USA National Assembly set a yearly quota for every immigrant visa category. While these quotas are enough for some categories, they are not enough for others. For instance, quotas for EB-2 and EB-3 categories are full at this moment and this situation could leads to a waiting time. According to September 2012 Visa Bulletin published by US Department of State, applications in progress under EB-2 category has been filed on January 1^st, 2009. The filing date is October 1^st 2006 for EB-3 category. In another words there is 4 to 6 years of waiting time. However this time may vary due to the quota transfers from other categories.

Perm is the first stage of the two stages we talked about earlier. Immigration Petition for Alien Employee application is to be filed by the employer/sponsor to US Citizenship and Immigration Service after PERMs acceptance. The next step after the acceptance of Immigration Petition for Alien Employee is the Adjustment of Status where the sponsored person to get his/her Green Card as a Permanent United States Resident. If the sponsored person is out of USA, the last stage needs to be filed to USA Embassy of their current resident country as consular process not as adjustment of status.

There are some other application exist without getting PERM/Labor Certification ((Labor Certification Permanent) from Department of Labor which we will review on an another article.

Until next time, be well and stay well.

Yasemin Elmas

This information is intended to provide basic information about Labor Certification/PERM (Labor Certification Permanent). The information contained here may be helpful in providing a general overview of important points for this visa category. It should not be construed as legal advice. A qualified authority should assess all cases on an individual basis.

* Yasemin Elmas, works as a manager and consultant at the Theabridge Group, Inc. Theabridge provides miscellaneous services to immigrants in the United States. You can reach Yasemin at 1-310-629-3375 or via Contact form

**All the rights of the article is reserved by the author.

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Free and Exciting Activities in Los Angeles

Solutions in LA — Tue, 09 Oct 2012 00:00:13 +0000

Whoever said that you need money to have fun in Los Angeles; is lying to you. These ten free and exciting activities in Los Angeles only scratch the surface of what Los Angeles has to offer. Each of these free and exciting activities will have a link attached, so your one click away from your awesome Los Angeles adventure.

1- Los Angeles has a verity of beautiful hikes to offer. Solutions in LA suggests you take the time to find and enjoy the gorgeous Franklin Canyon. The canyon is hidden and an unknown part of Los Angeles, so if you need a day getaway this is the place.

2- If you’re interested in different types of music, Amoeba music store, on Sunset Boulevard at Cahuenga, in Hollywood offers free concerts almost weekly. Just show up ready to have a good time.

3- When you’re in Hollywood you can’t pass up the chance to see the stars. Take a walk down Hollywood’s walk of fame; to see Hollywood’s famous stars, and have your picture taken next to them. Its only 2 blocks north of Amoeba Music.

4- California is known for its beaches, and no beach is more famous or fun than Venice Beach, also known as muscle beach. Take a towel and a swimsuit because the water is amazing. However the people and performance artists on the boardwalk can keep you entertained for hours. There are many hotels located on the boardwalk if you’re interested in a beachfront vacation, and Solutions in LA is ready to help you find your perfect beachfront hotel.

5- Both the Getty Museums are free to enter, and hold some of the most famous pieces of artwork known to man. The rose garden at the Getty Center in Brentwood, is one of the most romantic places in LA.

6- The California Science Center in Exposition Park, is a fun and informative museum. A lot of their exhibits are hands on, and they have a new fish tank that houses countless numbers of marine wildlife. They even have a marine petting zoo where you can touch starfish.

7- The La Brea Tar Pits have been around for thousands of years. Located in Hancock Park the tar pits show what life was like during the time of the cave man. If you visit on the second Tuesday of the month you can also visit the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA) next door.

8- Window shopping down Rodeo Drive in Beverly Hills can yield some unexpected results. You may not be able to afford the items in the stores, but the movie stars who shop there can, so you never know who you can meet or get a picture with.

9- The Griffith Observatory is a perfect place to watch the sky. It has been newly renovated, and is the perfect place to learn about the universe. Griffith Park is also the perfect place to get a view of a LA and have a nice picnic.

10- Walking down Olvera St. will show you what LA used to look like before Hollywood existed, the street is centuries old. It was the first street in LA, and it is a great place to experience some of the local history, and Latino culture.

If you know any other free or exciting things in Los Angeles, or you have been to any of these places, and you have advice for first time visitors pleases feel free to comment below, or if you liked the article please share it. If you’re interested in doing any or all of these things, but you don’t live in LA, but you want to visit; contact Solutions in LA for information about hotels, transportation, or any other accommodation you might be interested in.

By,

Ryan Sindon

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Interview with Polina Haryacha

Solutions in LA — Wed, 18 Jul 2012 22:32:46 +0000

Polina, from Ukraine, is studying towards her Marketing Certificate with concentration in Social Media and Web Analytics at UCLA and currently working for Lenmar Enterprises Inc. as a marketing intern. We had a great conversation about what brought her to LA, challenges she has faced and her advice to those coming to LA for studying.

What brought you to LA?

I got to the point in my career development when I needed to take the next step. I felt that working and studying abroad would be the most effective and quick way to gain my goals. I was looking for the offers particularly in California, because this state was recommended as one of the best places in the US and worldwide. So when I got an offer from the company in LA I didn`t have any doubts.

What is special about work and study environment in Los Angeles?

Los Angeles is very artistic city: creative people are coming here from all over the US. Movie and music industry, design, marketing, advertising and other “creative” industries are blossoming here. I can also feel an influence of Northern California, which makes an environment highly technological, applying cutting edge solutions in business and social life.

What is your next goal?

I’ve found what I was looking for in the US and I want to stay here for a while. The speed of my development has literally tripled here, and I want to keep this pace. I will continue both my studying at UCLA and working in order to improve my professional skills. I also consider taking an MBA Program next year.

What is remarkable about Los Angeles and people living here?

Los Angeles is extremely open and multicultural place; here you can meet people from all over the world. People are nice and happy, which I relate to constantly sunny weather, and gorgeous nature It`s also a huge city where you can find anything for anyone activities wise, – you won`t be bored in Los Angeles no matter what your interests are.

What was your main challenge/difficulty after you came?

It`s a high-paced country and city, things are happening rapidly and you should catch up. I came from comparatively small city, where nobody is in a hurry J Here you have to take quick decisions or you lose. I’m talking about everything: work decisions, business and social relationships, purchases etc. It`s a rollercoaster.

What are your recommendations for people like you, who are new to LA?

Having all experience I have now I would do several things about my coming and staying here differently. Firstly, I would prepare myself more – would set everything up ahead, find out what I will need here and start searching being still at home. It appears that when you come to a new place and got swamped with work and studying you just have no time and energy to organize all practical things. You should have some support like relatives, friends or agency that will help you out. Otherwise it`s over-stressful and can hurt your main goals. Also I would start planning my future steps as early as possible, I guess just after coming here. Because any step you will decide to take after your first year will require much of studying, consultancy, time and energy.

Thank you Polina for sharing your experience in LA with us! Polina likes writing about her marketing experiences, insights she gained and inspirations in her blog. You can follow her at http://polinaharyacha.com/blog

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Cemre’s Success Story

Solutions in LA — Wed, 11 Jul 2012 21:11:49 +0000

Cemre Ayhan came in Los Angeles as a young, ambitious man full of ideas and enthusiasm 13 years ago. Now he is well-established, experienced entrepreneur, capable of maintaining successful business both locally and internationally.

Cemre has graduated from Santa Monica College with Master`s in International Business. Several years after, he established his own company and has been working hard on its growth and expansion since then. His company, ALAY Marble, specializes in the design of natural stone materials such as marble, travertine, and limestone in all kind of colors and dimensions. I would say, that the products Cemre deals with reflect his personality in some way: he is as resistant and strong as the stone

But Cemre isn`t satisfied with his achievements yet… At the moment he is opening new horizons and establishing business initiative in his home country. He is planning to share his time between Los Angeles and Istanbul, simultaneously develop business in Turkey and maintain his existing company in LA.

Cemre is extremely friendly, cheerful and helpful person, so no surprise he has made many good friends while living in LA. All of them came to the pool party he organized just before his leaving for Turkey. We were honored to be among Cemre’s guests and wish him all the best in all his endeavors.

Now we want to say thank you to Cemre and his friends for the great time we had and share some of the exciting moments with Solutions in LA guests. Enjoy…

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BIENVENIDO A LOS ANGELES

Solutions in LA — Tue, 03 Jul 2012 00:25:13 +0000

William- BIENVENIDO A LOS ANGELES

Solutions in LA esta publicado en el website de Santa Monica College cuando estas bucando ayuda para housing. Ahi fue donde yo lo encontre e inmediatamente llamé para averiguar precios y disponibilidades. La atencion fue completamente amable y atenta, respondieron absolutamente todas mis preguntas de manera muy educada. Logré reservar la renta desde mi pais solo adelantando parte del pago. Al transcurrir de los días tambien compartian mi emocion por medio del twiter hacienda cuenta regresiva para estar en Los Angeles.

Me recogieron en el aeropuerto con un globo que decia “BIENVENIDO A LOS ANGELES”, y no hay nada mas agradable que llegar a un lugar desconocido y que personas que solo te conocen por telefono y por medio de negocios te reciban de esa manera tan cordial. Soy Venezolano y para mi es dificil obtener dolares, al decil dificil me refiero a que toma mucho tiempo. Ellos entendieron mi caso y me dieron un par de dias extra para cancelar la renta.

El apartamento es espacioso, completamente amueblado, los curators son super comodos y basicamente tiene todo lo necesario integrado, el internet es muy rapido y tiene un balcon en donde puedes disfrutar del clima spectacular de esta ciudad. El soleado todos los dias pero el aire es muy fresco, por mas de que trotes o camines todos el dia no vas a consegui sudar.

Mi experiencia hasta ahora ha sido una maravilla, las atenciones de Solutions in LA han sido muy eficacez. Vivo relativamente cerca de SMC solo camino al Bus Stop y en 15 minutos ya estoy alla. Tambien, hay muchos centros comerciales asi como Wedtside Pavillion que esta muy cerca de mi aparamento, puedo caminar hasta el. Century city, solo agarro el METRO numero 1 y en 10 muntos estoy alla. Y lo mejor Pier que es esta en Venice Beach, con su famosa rueda de la fortuna y montraña Rusa. WOW, Los Angeles +Solutions in LA = La Mejor Eleccion.basicamente tiene todo lo necesario integrado, el internet es muy rapido y tiene un balcon en donde puedes disfrutar del clima spectacular de esta ciudad. El soleado todos los dias pero el aire es muy fresco, por mas de que trotes o camines todos el dia no vas a consegui sudar.

Sin embargo, hay que tomar en cuenta que tengo solo un mes en LA y aun no conosco ni el 10% de ella. Cada dias veo cosas y lugares nuevos. Definitivamente, yo ya descrubri porque es tan famoso el titulo de California Dreaming, estar aqui es como estar soñando.

William Espinel

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OPT – Optional practical training

Solutions in LA — Wed, 27 Jun 2012 14:29:48 +0000

Hello,

In this section our goal is to give you some basic information on different US immigration and visa categories.

Please remember that the information contained here may be helpful in providing a general overview of important points for a visa category. Therefore, it should not be construed as legal advice. A qualified authority should assess all cases on an individual basis.

This article reviews the Optional Practical Training (OPT) and Driver License/ID Application Process in the United States.

“OPTIONAL PRACTICAL TRAINING” (OPT)

OPT, enables foreign students who are in the United States (US) under the F-1 (or M-1) visa category to work temporarily in their direct field of study.

M-1 students are required to graduate from their school they are attending in order to use their OPT.

There are two types of OPTs available for F-1 students.

Pre-graduation OPT: Students can apply after completing their first academic year in their school. It gives them permission to work part-time during school and full-time during holidays.
Post-graduation OPT: It can be used after graduation.

Other than these two general categories, there are two OPT sub-categories. These are summarized as follows:

17-Month STEM Extensions: The 17-month extension of OPT is available to foreign students who completed their studies in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics undergraduate and/or graduate programs in the US. In order to apply for this 17-month STEM extensions, students are required to be in post-graduation OPT period and apply to extend it for 17 months before this mentioned OPT expires. These extensions also require that the employer where the foreign student will be working are enrolled in the E-Verify System.
“Cap-Gap” Extensions: It’s an OPT extension only available for students who apply for H-1B visa during post-graduation OPT period. This is available for students who apply for H-1B while they are on their initial OPT period. It extends their OPT until after their initial OPT expires and H-1B application is approved. Students who would like to utilize this provision, are required to notify “Designated School Official” (DSO) with a proof of their H-1B application and get a new I-20 with the proof of “cap-gap” period.

USCIS advises students to apply for post-graduation OPT, 3 months before their graduation. Students are allowed to work with OPT only after their OPTs’ are approved and they receive the Employment Authorization Document (EAD).

OPT and DRIVER LICENCE / ID

According to USCIS’ recommendation, students who are in legal F, M or J visa status, can apply for driver licenses / IDs 10 days after their entry in to the United States. The validity of the mentioned documents are determined according to their authorized stay in the US.

The students, who are in the US during the period of “Cap-Gap” and would like to extend their drivers licenses are required to submit their updated/current I-20s that are approved by the DSOs to the “Department of Motor Vehicles”. There must be a quote written on the 3^rd page of the revised/updated I-20 form, which states that the F-1 status and the internship period of the student are extended according to the particular section of the related law. DMV will use this information at this page to verify the legal status of the student in the US.

The required documents for the application of driver license and IDs from students and other individuals who are in the US temporarily include the documents, that verify their legal status in the US, as listed below:

Passport
I-94 Departure Record
I-20 Student Eligibility Certificate
Employment Authorization Document (EAD) – if any
Form I-797 Certificate of Approval – if applicable
Social Security Number (SSN) or a letter stating the reasons of its non-existence provided by Social Security Administration.

SPOUSE AND CHILDREN

Spouses or the children of F, M or J visa holders can also apply for driver licenses and IDs by providing necessary documentation proof of their legal status in the US.

* Yasemin Elmas, works as a manager and consultant at the Theabridge Group, Inc. Theabridge provides miscellaneous services to immigrants in the United States. You can reach Yasemin at 1-310-629-3375 or via Contact form

**All the rights of the article is reserved by the author.

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Cinco de Mayo: Music and dance

Solutions in LA — Tue, 05 Jun 2012 06:10:46 +0000

We were invited to a pool party at one of the most beautiful houses in Los Angeles on this Saturday. The subject of the party was to celebrate Mexican holiday called Cinco de Mayo. Me and my friends have felt the privilege of living in Los Angeles one more time.

While I was thinking what to do on the weekend, I woke up with a message saying “ Are you ready to celebrate Cinco de Mayo this Saturday on top of the world? Take your towel, your alcohol and your friends for this amazing pool party!”
Some of you may probably be wondering what this Cinco de Mayo is. Here it comes. It means March 5th in Spanish is a holiday which is not official but celebrated nationally.

Story begins as follows; In a Pueblo War, Mexican army had a great victory against French army at May 5th 1862 under the command of General Ignacio Zaragoza. After this victory Mexico and the countries where Mexican population is high, have started to celebrate May 5th.

Cinco de Mayo is celebrated with a great enthusiasm and festivities in Pueblo, where the war has occurred. Type of celebration varies in different places other than Pueblo but the common things of the celebration are the food, alcohol, music and dance!

By thinking this is such a great holiday, dedicated to the people of Mexico which has a great number of population in LA, we ended up at the pool party in our friend’s breath-taking house.

We had a great Saturday with the entertainment, pool, sun, alcohol, food and nice conversations with friends. To be honest, during times like this, I can’t help to say to myself that I am so glad that I am living in LA!
Gökşen Savaş

We would like to share couple of pictures of this wonderful day…

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Interview with Natalia Samoylenko

Solutions in LA — Mon, 07 May 2012 07:31:41 +0000

Natalia Samoylenko - Russia, Saint-Petersburg UCLA Extension International Trade and Commerce
In LA since September 2011

Tell us about yourself, Natasha

I was born in a beautiful city – Saint-Petersburg. My parents are from different parts of Russia. I’ve graduated with IT diploma and worked in this industry for two years. But I got really tired from computers and I decided to take a brake and to come here.

What made you to come to America? Why you chose UCLA?

The friend of mine came here to study in university right after school. She graduated here and got engaged with American boyfriend. But they decided to celebrate wedding in Saint-Petersburg. We met at the wedding and chatted about her life here. Her stories inspired me to come here. As well as I had a moment of my life when I was able to leave everything and come here. I’ve started research of LA universities, found UCLA and a program which I like. So here I am. Laughing

How do you think, is there a difference between Russian and American education styles?

It really depends on an university. But in general, education system here is more oriented on practical part. Here we study a topic and start to discuss it and do assignments applicable to this topic. In Russia we are more concentration on the theory.

What were your expectations about LA? And if you expected something, was it confirmed?

Honestly speaking, I didn’t have expectations about LA. I have never been to US before and didn’t know what to expect. I pictured LA to myself basing on movies. But, of course I didn’t expect to see Madonna walking by the street. Laughing. I had different stages of adaptation. It was very hard to adapt in new city by my own. So I didn’t like it here in the beginning. But now I adapted to LA, I like this city and feel like I’m at home. I’ve been traveled to different European towns and I can say that they are pretty much the same. But LA is completely different. I would call it glamorous village. Laughing

How long are you planning to stay here?

Everybody asks me this question. I’m not sure yet. Definitely I’ll stay here till the end of my program. I’m also planning to apply for internship after my graduation. But if I got lucky and get a job offer, I’ll definitely stay here for a year or two. Its hard to plan for such a long period ahead.

Is there anything you particular like in LA?

I like weather (laughing) and people. I also like LA because it is very different from everything I experienced before.

Is it anything you would like to tell to students who are going to come to LA?

My advise – don’t be afraid to accept help and ask for a company service. I spent to much time, money and efforts of doing everything by my own.

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