Putting in an application for citizenship or immigration status
When you seek immigration status, you have to submit an application to the United States Citizenship and Immigration Service, better known as USCIS. When you do so, they will provide you with a receipt that will essentially confirm that you have sought status. On your receipt, you will find a receipt number. This, rather than your alien number, is the number you will need in order to check your immigration status online.

The next step is to go to the USCIS website with your immigration receipt number. When there, you will be asked to enter this number along with some other information. You may be required to submit your full name and birth date. It should match what you submitted when you first put in an application to the USCIS. This information will allow the automated system to pull up your information. When it does, it will provide you with an update on what has taken place on your case. You’ll get information on whether your case is pending, whether a decision has been made and any pending action that is needed from you.

What if I don’t have this information?
There are often cases where people won’t have their receipt number. Perhaps you lost the documentation. Perhaps you can’t figure out which number to use or the system is not pulling up your status when you enter what you think is the proper number. When these things happen, you will need to put in a phone call to the USCIS. While the agency prefers to handle most of its business on the Internet, it does handle phone calls to make things easier on people who may have these sorts of questions.

You will need to call 1-800-375-5283 and explain what has happened in your situation. Generally speaking, the people there will be willing to help you locate your receipt number as long as you can provide them with enough information to identify the application. Once you have the receipt number, you will be able to go online to the USCIS website and check your application again. You should expect lengthy processing times when you call, as the USCIS can sometimes be overwhelmed with phone calls. However, if you have the patience to do so, you will likely get the information you need by making this call.

Jim Treebold

Jim Treebold is a North Carolina based writer. He lives by the mantra of “Learn 1 new thing each day”! Jim loves to write, read, pedal around on his electric bike and dream of big things. Drop him a line if you like his writing, he loves hearing from his readers!

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Pre-tax Premiums

Pre-tax premiums can be identified by reviewing an employee’s pay stub. Each stub contains important information regarding the employee’s gross salary or wages, federal income tax withheld and deductions for employer-sponsored benefits. Most employer-sponsored health plans are classified as cafeteria plans, which means employees are allowed to contribute some of their gross income to the plan before any taxes are withheld.

For taxpayers enrolled in employer-sponsored health plans, determining if health premiums are pre-tax is as easy as viewing the pay stub and looking for a column labeled “Deductions,” “Before-tax Deductions” or something similar. If a health premium appears in this column and is deducted from the employee’s gross pay before any taxes are calculated, it is a pre-tax premium.

Post-tax Premiums

Health premiums are classified as post-tax earnings if they are paid with a taxpayer’s net income. Gross income is the amount of money a person earns before any taxes are withheld, while net income is defined as the amount of take-home pay that is left over after any taxes other payroll deductions. If an employee with $1,000 in gross income pays $200 in federal taxes, $40 in state taxes and $76.50 in Medicare and Social Security taxes, she has $683.50 left over in net income. If any of this net income is used to pay a health premium, then the premium is classified as a post-tax premium.

If an employer deducts an employee’s health premiums after income taxes have already been calculated, the premiums are classified as post-tax. Since most employer-sponsored health plans qualify as cafeteria plans, however, this is an uncommon situation. For taxpayers who purchase coverage directly from an insurance company, the premiums are post-tax, as they are paid with the taxpayer’s net income.

Tax Implications

Pre-tax and post-tax premiums have different effects on an individual’s tax situation. One of the major benefits of pre-tax premiums is that they reduce a person’s taxable income. If someone with $1,000 of gross income and no deductions has federal tax withheld from his pay at a rate of 20%, he would pay $200 in federal taxes, and his net pay would be $800. In this example, the employee’s taxable income is $1,000. If the same employee has $150 deducted from his pay for health coverage, his taxable income is only $850. Thus, the employer would only deduct $170 for federal taxes.
Taxpayers with pre-tax premiums get a tax break each time they get paid.

In contrast, taxpayers who pay their premiums with post-tax earnings are allowed to deduct the premiums when they file their tax returns, but only in certain circumstances. The Internal Revenue Service only allows taxpayers to itemize medical expenses, including payments for health premiums, if they exceed 7.5% of a taxpayer’s adjusted gross income.

Jim Treebold

Jim Treebold is a North Carolina based writer. He lives by the mantra of “Learn 1 new thing each day”! Jim loves to write, read, pedal around on his electric bike and dream of big things. Drop him a line if you like his writing, he loves hearing from his readers!

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The test depends on your policy amount
As with most things, the more money you stand to collect, the more scrutiny you will be subjected to. A policy with a high face value amount would almost certainly lead to more screening. You may have to do a blood test or even a hair exam, which would look for evidence of drug use from a much longer prior period. Most of these drug tests will be designed to find a variety of drugs. Urinalysis can detect marijuana that you smoked or ingested over a month-long period. Hair tests are known to detect marijuana over a much longer period. The extent of your testing, both in terms of duration and drugs taken, will depend on how big the policy happens to be.

A broad range of potential drug substances
A standard person applying for a life insurance policy can expect to be subjected to a urine exam during the course of the routine medical exam that goes along with the screening. Companies want to know if you are in good health, so you will need to go through a sometime thorough examination. With this in mind, the standard urine test taken during a medical exam will turn up a number of substances, including marijuana, various opiates, power or crack cocaine, amphetamines, and even barbiturates. This covers a wide swath of potential drugs.

That drug test is just the first. If yours comes back clean, then you will be off the hook for further testing. If yours comes back with a positive result, then you will be subjected to a second test. This subsequent test is designed to confirm the first test. Most insurance companies will simply deny your policy if you happen to have a positive confirmatory test. In some cases, you may be able to negotiate for a higher premium as a result. Many companies are not willing to take the risk of insuring a person who uses drugs, however.

In many cases, you will end up with a positive test for prescription drugs. Things like painkilling medications can end up on the test. If you happen to get a positive hit for these drugs, you’ll need to produce documentation that you have a prescription for the drugs. On top of that, you may end up with a higher premium rate as a result of nicotine found in your body. This confirms that you smoke or otherwise use potentially risky substances, raising the potential liability for the insurance provider.

Jim Treebold

Jim Treebold is a North Carolina based writer. He lives by the mantra of “Learn 1 new thing each day”! Jim loves to write, read, pedal around on his electric bike and dream of big things. Drop him a line if you like his writing, he loves hearing from his readers!

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Why Look for Free Arrest Records?

There are a number of reasons to seek arrest records. You may have questions about a prospective employee or a personal relationship. You might wish to verify someone’s identity. You may even be curious if your own information is available.

Should You Pay for Arrest Records?

The answer is a simple no. Arrest records are public. It may be faster to pay someone to look up arrest records for you, but it is never necessary. The only cases in which you may not be able to find arrest records are if they have been sealed or thrown out. Otherwise, you can get them for free, often with very little effort.

Can You Find Arrest Records Online?

This answer is a bit more murky. Arrest records are available online in some places though not in others. If you know exactly which state or county an individual lived in when arrested or where they were charged, you can go to that state or county’s websites. Many have arrest record searches available to the public. You will need to know the person’s name. You often need their date of birth as well. Some may even ask for identifiers like last known address or ethnicity. The more information you have, the more likely you will be able to accurately identify the person.

Another option is to use the Federal Bureau of Prisons. This search will not give you all of the information, as it only includes records of those who have been to prison. Many arrests do not end in prison time. Likewise, the Federal Bureau of Prisons only contains information that is voluntarily submitted by county and state prisons.

Are There Other Ways to Find Arrest Records for Free?

You can go directly to a county courthouse to ask for arrest records. You may also do a search of local newspapers if you happen to know the location or rough time frame of the suspected crime. You may also call a state or county system to ask about arrest records, though if these aren’t already online you may be charged a processing fee.

When is it Time to Pay for Arrest Records?

If you have exhausted all of your resources and you are still unable to find an arrest record for free, you may wish to pay a service to look for you. The safest and smartest choice is to run an official criminal background check through your state highway patrol. You will need to have the person’s name and date of birth or social security number. You will receive any public records for a nominal fee while also being certain that your personal information is protected.

Jim Treebold

Jim Treebold is a North Carolina based writer. He lives by the mantra of “Learn 1 new thing each day”! Jim loves to write, read, pedal around on his electric bike and dream of big things. Drop him a line if you like his writing, he loves hearing from his readers!

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American and Filipino immigration laws allow dual citizenship in some cases. One example would be Filipinos who serve in the U.S. Armed Forces; the Navy is a branch that has attracted many sailors from the Philippines because of the Subic Bay Naval Base, which was in operation until 1992 and served as a recruiting station of sorts. There used to be some apprehension among Filipino sailors who would have lost their birthright citizenship if they chose to become naturalized Americans, but this changed in 2003 with the enactment of Republic Act 9225.

Filipinos Born Abroad

The aforementioned Republic Act observes a couple of legal principles that many countries around the world have incorporated into their legislation: jus soli and jus sanguinis. Let’s say a Filipina born in Mindanao joined the U.S. Navy and later decided to become a naturalized U.S. citizen; under the jus soli principle, this sailor is automatically a citizen of the Philippines by means of birthright, and she merely needs to obtain a copy of her birth certificate from the Philippine Statistics Authority, which has an online service platform known as PSA Serbilis.

With a certified copy of the birth certificate, a Filipino can request national identification documents from a consulate office abroad or from the Bureau of Immigration Office in Manila or its branches across the islands. As of 2018, the fees were $50 for processing and $25 per certification of copies.

The jus sanguinis principle applies to individuals born abroad to Filipino parents, which makes them natural-born Filipinos. In the case of Filipinos born in the U.S., the laws of both countries allow dual citizenship, thus they will not have to worry about losing either one, but the process is a bit more involved than for birthright Filipinos.

Americans Who Wish to Become Filipino Citizens

Foreigners whose nationalities do not meet the jus soli or jus sanguinis principles can become Filipino citizens through the process of naturalization; however, they will have to renounce their previous citizenship. To this effect, not many Americans who do not have Filipino blood ties become naturalized citizens in the Philippines, although there are thousands who choose to live and retire there.

It should be noted that an American who becomes a naturalized Filipino citizen is not automatically off the hook with regard to U.S. obligations, particularly taxes. The proper way to go about cutting ties with the U.S. is through the renunciation process, which is complex and must be handled through the U.S. State Department. Americans who renounce their citizenship are typically very wealthy and have a financial interest in avoiding taxation abroad.

Jim Treebold

Jim Treebold is a North Carolina based writer. He lives by the mantra of “Learn 1 new thing each day”! Jim loves to write, read, pedal around on his electric bike and dream of big things. Drop him a line if you like his writing, he loves hearing from his readers!

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What is an affidavit for child custody?
Generally speaking, an affidavit is a sworn statement, made in the presence of a notary, that allows the court to substantiate and validate factual claims made by some party. More specifically, in the context of a divorce, an affidavit for child custody is a legal filing made early on in a given case that states why one party or another believes a child should be placed in their custody. It’s your chance to outline reasons, under oath, for why you think the child is better off with you.

What should the affidavit include?
As you write this document, keep in mind that it has severe legal meaning and comes with consequences. Because it is a sworn statement to a court, it is given more credence than an out of court statement. However, the consequences for lying are greater, as you can be held responsible for perjury in some instances. Only facts should go in your affidavit.

You should include facts both about yourself and the other party. For instance, if you have been the primary caretaker, then let the court know examples of what you have done. At the same time, this is a good chance to outline the negative qualities that should preclude the other party from taking custody of the child. If you know, for instance, that your former spouse has a drinking or gambling problem, then you should state it in this affidavit. The affidavit should not be about your feelings or beliefs. Rather, you should be using a series of powerful verbs. Write about what you witnessed or know rather than what you feel.

Using the format specific to your state
An affidavit is a bit different than many legal writings because you can’t just submit a Microsoft Word document and gained the legal effect. You need to use the format prescribed by your state. You can usually go on the website for the court in question. In so doing, you’ll find a heading suitable for court filing, allowing you to insert your cause number and the names of the parties at the top. There may be specific language about how you are coming in front of the notary to make a sworn statement.

At the bottom of the page, the notary will swear that you were the person who made the statement. They will put their stamp on the page, making it official. This is what gives the document its legal heft and persuasive value.

Jim Treebold

Jim Treebold is a North Carolina based writer. He lives by the mantra of “Learn 1 new thing each day”! Jim loves to write, read, pedal around on his electric bike and dream of big things. Drop him a line if you like his writing, he loves hearing from his readers!

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Long waits are characteristic of the claims process
You can expect to wait for many weeks to resolve the different levels of the claims process. There is documentation to send in. There are periods where adjusters have to come out to assess the claim. You may have lawyers going back and forth over some of the details of what the insurance company has promised to cover and what they have not. With this in mind, you can expect the longest wait to happen in the beginning. Once this period is finished, insurance companies are compelled by law to pay out claims relatively quickly. This won’t stop them in many cases from unnecessarily delaying the process, however.

Insurance payout grace periods
Because state governments understand that people who file insurance claims need their money in a pinch, there are requirements that insurance companies pay out within a statutorily defined period. While the specific time frame will different depending on the state, insurance companies will generally have either 30 or 45 days. If your insurance provider takes more than 60 days to issue a check, then there can be legal ramifications for that delay.

The law imposes not only penalties, but also interest whenever an insurance company fails to make a payout in the required period of time. You may have to file a lawsuit to recover this additional money, however, which can be quite expensive. Whether or not it is worth your effort to go after the delinquency interest will depend on how big your insurance claim is. Bigger claims lead to bigger financial rewards based on interest.

How to handle an insurance payout delay
Delays in insurance payouts can constitute either a break of contract or fraud. An insurance lawyer should be retained to file a lawsuit on your behalf. That lawsuit will allege that the insurance provider breached its settlement agreement. In the alternative, it will allege that the insurance provider is committing fraud by refusing to pay out the claim. Judges can enter ruling and even direct what is known as specific performance. They can force insurance companies to pay out the claim in a short period of time.

Special provisions for life insurance
The rules fleshed out above relate to auto and home insurance, which are the two most common insurance claims. Life insurance has different rules, with most states giving insurance companies a 90-day period to pay out the lump sum. Likewise, you may have elected to receive your payments in an annuity, which will have its own rules by contract that govern the payments.

Jim Treebold

Jim Treebold is a North Carolina based writer. He lives by the mantra of “Learn 1 new thing each day”! Jim loves to write, read, pedal around on his electric bike and dream of big things. Drop him a line if you like his writing, he loves hearing from his readers!

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However, difficult economic times can lead a person to wonder whether or not they should cash out their life insurance policy. This is not a decision to be made lightly, nor should it be undertaken without understanding the consequences.

If you have a term life policy, then you may be out of luck. These policies usually do not have a surrender value, which means that if you want to “cash out” this policy, you may only get the value of the premiums you have paid. With all sorts of fees and penalties, this may not add up to much.

Unlike term life insurance, whole life insurance covers you for your lifetime while also building cash value that you may be able to access. Essentially, a whole life policy features two main components. One of these is the face value. The other is the cash value. Face value is simply the amount that is owed to your beneficiaries upon your death. However, the cash value is more like a savings account where a few dollars from your premiums accumulate. Funds deposited in this account may receive earnings from investment as well.

You may be able to access the cash value in your whole life insurance policy, especially if you’ve had the policy for several years. Generally, 12 to 15 years are required to accumulate a decent amount of money in the cash value component of the policy. Depending upon your policy, you may be able to withdraw a portion of that amount or get a loan against a portion of that amount within the first few years that you have the policy. However, you are likely to pay sizable fees.

The terms of your policy dictate how you may access any funds. Loans are frequently available. While you do not have to pay back these loans, the amount will decrease the death benefit paid to your beneficiaries. With the interest accruing, this can mean a significant reduction. Typically, you are not taxed for these loans during your lifetime. If a loan is still unpaid at your death, then your beneficiaries will be responsible for the taxes.

Your policy’s cash out value also may be referred to as the available partial surrender value. If you choose to surrender the policy, this is the amount that you will receive in cash. This amount typically is far less than the face value of the policy. Surrendering the policy means that you no longer have life insurance, so your beneficiaries will not receive a death benefit. It is generally not advisable to take this route unless you have another life insurance policy in place. Life is uncertain, and you don’t want to leave your loved ones vulnerable in the event of your death.

Jim Treebold

Jim Treebold is a North Carolina based writer. He lives by the mantra of “Learn 1 new thing each day”! Jim loves to write, read, pedal around on his electric bike and dream of big things. Drop him a line if you like his writing, he loves hearing from his readers!

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Insurance policies often use language like “implicit coverage.” This covers any adult driver who is both licensed and a permanent resident in the same household. The additional drivers do not have to be family members or spouses. They can be partners or roommates who have regular use of the car.

It is required that the policy holder include the names of these drivers on the policy. The holder is listed as the primary driver. The other adults in the household are listed as secondary or occasional drivers. The policy holder must include these names regardless of how often the vehicle will be driven. Otherwise, the primary driver may be financially responsible for any accidents that occur.

Beyond the financial ramifications of not including licensed driver on a policy, there may be legal ones as well. Insurance carriers have a right to drop policies that are found to be fraudulent. Every Progressive insurance application asks about other licensed adult drivers in the household. If the policy holder does not include the names of other drivers, that application is not accurate. Insurance fraud is a serious issue. It could even lead to criminal charges.

The simple addition of these names should not raise the cost of the automobile insurance. However, the cost of insurance may increase as the rate of car usage rises. For instance, a car that is only driven 10,000 miles per year may have a much lower rate than one that is driven 20,000.

The cost of insurance does rise if an adult driver who does not share living quarters is added to the policy. This is an option sometimes chosen by divorced couples who continue to share vehicles. It is also an option for those wishing to grant use of their car to parents or adult children. The additional cost is rarely more than a few hundred dollars per year. However, a person who owns his or her own business should not use this option to insure employees. Business insurance is needed in this situation.

Unlike licensed adult drivers, placing newly licensed teenagers on a policy can significantly increase the cost of insurance. Teenage drivers may cost as much as $1,500 to insure when included on an existing policy. That cost can be lowered through a few factors. Sometimes, the child’s grades are taken into consideration. Those students who have better grades are often thought to be less of an insurance risk. Students who complete driver training courses are much more likely to have a lower risk assessment than those who do not.

Jim Treebold

Jim Treebold is a North Carolina based writer. He lives by the mantra of “Learn 1 new thing each day”! Jim loves to write, read, pedal around on his electric bike and dream of big things. Drop him a line if you like his writing, he loves hearing from his readers!

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What is a Bench Warrant?

The court process can be very complicated. Once a police officer pulls you over and charges you with a crime, your freedom is gradually reduced. You might be placed in a jail to be processed.

This can be especially difficult if you are arrested on the weekend. You might need to wait until Monday when the court is open. You have two choices: 1. Stay in jail to go to the court hearing or 2. Bail out of jail.

Bail Bond

A difficult element of this process is that you are still officially “Innocent Until Proven Guilty.” Still, the court system may require you to appear at various hearings. Court schedules can be very slow and you probably would want to be bailed out.

When you pay off a bail bond, you are actually signing an agreement. You agree to appear at court, as long as the government allows you to be free before the court date. If you do not appear at your scheduled court hearing, a bench warrant might be issued by the judge.

What is a Bench Warrant?

Generally, the judge will write an order – called a bench warrant – that authorizes law enforcement to arrest you for contempt of court or a crime. Unfortunately, if you skipped bail, then you were never really convicted of the original crime. But, if are arrested on a bench warrant, you might have multiple charges to deal with – the original charges, plus the contempt of court.

After you are arrested on a bench warrant, you will probably lose many of your rights to bail out of jail. You are deemed to be a flight risk. The bench warrant also can damage your credibility.

Do Police Search for Warrants?

The police are required to search their computers for bench warrants when they pull you over. The government might find your bench warrant during a license renewal. Whenever your ID is run, the bench warrant might show up.

Those who are still free with a bench warrant are usually just lucky. Police might not have the resources to devote to search for bench warrants.

Bench Warrants Don’t Expire

The bad news for suspects is that bench warrants don’t expire. If you are arrested for one crime, then your record will be searched. You might be held for having an old bench warrant. This can make it very difficult for you to win any case.

An old bench warrant makes you look guilty automatically. An old bench warrant does not vanish, it does not expire. You can be arrested at any time for an outstanding bench warrant.

Jim Treebold

Jim Treebold is a North Carolina based writer. He lives by the mantra of “Learn 1 new thing each day”! Jim loves to write, read, pedal around on his electric bike and dream of big things. Drop him a line if you like his writing, he loves hearing from his readers!

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