If you are living in United States, you know how important your Social Security Number (SSN) is. It is but understood that the SSN is the most important number for all purposes of identification in the United States. It is but obvious that one should not give out his number unless it is absolutely necessary. But the million dollar question is the definition of such necessary situations.

By accessing our SSN, an intruder can illegally get his hands on our personal information. With the help of this information, he would further be able to use our credits in our name which would leave us with a mess leading to financial troubles. More so, in the future we might not be permitted to take any loans.

The 2010 Identity Fraud Survey Report projects that there were more than eleven million people in the nations who were subjected to an identity fraud. This led to a total cost of $54 billion. However, the better part was that these people did not have to pay up for that. On an average, $373 had to be paid out for those who had to. But then the average time spent on resolving this issue by each victim was about 21 hours.

Thus, in order to save yourself from such fraudulent practices, here are a few precautions which you can follow:

• It is important to keep the social security card from vulnerable place. This definitely means that you should not keep it in your wallet.
• It is not wrong to consider this number as highly confidential. You can be firm on denying writing your social security number on a cheque.
• Incase you get any requests via your email for your SSN; it is best not to respond. This should be followed even for phone calls.
• If some insurance quote from an online company asks for the same, ensure that the server is secure and the company is known and a reputable one.
• It is highly advised to get your free credit reports each year. This is to make sure that there have been no unusual credit lines.

Apart from the above, there are certain cases where in it would be important for you to give out your Social Security Number. To know more, stay tuned for our next update on the same.

April marked the third straight month when New Zealand’s yearly growth in level of immigration has dropped. So far, residents’ leaving the country has been the main reason behind. As per the figures by Statistics New Zealand, the number of arrivals who considered the country as permanent base surpassed the number of people who left the country. The number of permanent residents had outdone the latter by 19,954 during the twelve months until April 30. Still, the figure is lesser as compared to the figure of the year until March, when the number of permanent residents was 20,973. With this, the fourth month of 2010 experienced that lowest migration growth since the month of October last year.

With this, New Zealand minister of finance has come up with a novel idea, which dictates the step of cutting income taxes. The minister thinks such a step would ensure that more number of New Zealanders stay back in the country, instead of the residents going overseas in search of better paying jobs. Reportedly, factors like fewer immigrants, tight credits and low wages restricting domestic demand, which is in turn making the country’s central bank to lower down the rates of interest at its record level in order to ensure economic growth in the country. As per the reports, in Wellington, the New Zealand dollar collapsed to 66.80 at noon on May 21 from 66.93 (both in U.S. cents).

Immigration of overseas people to New Zealand is declining after reaching the highest in January, 2010. In April, a total of 770 migrants entered the country, and this marked the smallest gain since December 2008. Last month number of immigrants coming to the country declined by 12 percent from that of the same period last year. More than three thousand New Zealand residents left the country in April. Overseas people who left New Zealand accounted for about 2,130 in the same month. The figure was 1,791 last year. A total of 2,450 New Zealanders moved to Australia in April, while the number was 2,507 the previous year.

Immigration is a life changing decision which has to be taken at the right time for the right country. But before deciding upon this major decision, there are many factors that must be considered. Being such a major step in your life, you would not want it be your biggest mishap. Here are the five most important aspects without considering which you cannot move further:

Language Skills

It is important to know the local language of the particular country or place where you intend to immigrate. Without a common form of communication, it would be difficult to adjust and settle down in the new country. More so, you would not be permitted without a visa. So, having proficient language skills is of key importance.

Finances

Having a substantial amount of finances is very important. Your savings would help during your initial days in the new country. Till the time you get a job to support yourself and family, your financial resources would be the key for you and your family. More so, you have to prove that you have a specified amount of money before you are actually considered as being eligible. So, make sure that you have ample funds before you decide to immigrate.

Cost of Living

Big cities are often more expensive compared to the small towns. Based on what you can afford, make a thorough analysis of each city and state in the country of your choice. Get to know about various factors that would affect and contribute to your comfortable living.

Education

If you are moving with your family, education is one key factor that you would be looking for. You would want to enroll your children in a good school. Look out for all the child care services and the ones that would apply for the immigrants. More so, the child needs to be prepared to be enrolled into a similar grade when he joins school at the new place. Your child might need to have extra credits depending on the system of education being followed in the new country.

Job Opportunities

In order to settle down, employment opportunities are a must. It is important to get a job to support self and family. Get information on the kind of jobs available in your specific profession. Find out about the skills required and whether you match the same or not. Also, the amount of wages that are provided for the same is also important. It is always better to find a job in prior before you actually move into the new country.

However, there are many other aspects involved such as the qualifying criteria for the visa, your level of adaptability in the new country, medical facilities and other social services and so on.

This might seem very confusing and highly tedious. For this purpose, it is best to contact a registered Immigration and Visa Consultant who deals with your country of choice. He would be able to guide you appropriately in such issues that matter. Such a consultant is always updated with the latest in this regard. So contact one today!

Now that you have arrived in Canada, certain mandatory requirements are a must to be fulfilled. The initial culture shock of the new place would make it a difficult for you to settle down. But, worry not! The service of an immigration and visa specialist is an important guiding factor at this stage.

You would need to find a job for yourself so that you can support self and dependents. Along with this, comes chalking out a suitable accommodation. The following details would help you with the same –

Apply for a Canadian identification which includes a driver’s license, a health insurance card which are mandatory to be carried at all times.
Open a local bank account, apply for private health insurance incase you do not qualify for the immediate public health insurance coverage of the local province.
A Social Insurance Number (SIN) has to be applied for.
Last but the not least, start searching for a job.

In your initial days of landing, you can prioritize the below mentioned activities as the major ones –

Look for accommodation and housing options.
Get accustomed to the local area. It would be ideal if you go through a map and find out about the various modes of transportation available.
Exchange money to get and use the Canadian currency.
Get your hand on a local telephone and make a record of all the telephone numbers that are important.
Get to know more about Canada and enroll your children to an appropriate school.

The first few months should see you doing the following –

Work on your language and communication skills.
Register with a doctor in the community.
Immunize your children.
Know more about the various services offered in your local community which is now your home.
Get in touch with the Language Instruction for Newcomers (LINC) assessment centre in your community. It is suggested that you enroll yourself for language classes.
Apply for tax and the various tax benefits and other credits.

As time passes and you get acclimatized to your surroundings, you can slowly learn more about your rights and responsibilities as put forth by the Canadian laws.

Above all, it is best to consult an Immigration and Visa firm where the consultants would see to it that you go through a smooth ride post landing in Canada.

Now that you have landed in the new country, there would be many changes you would experience, some expected and others unexpected. This article gives you an insight on such instances.

It is always better to get acquainted with the changes you would need to adapt to. To help you with this, consult an Immigration and Visa Specialist who is adept with all the information in this regard. A Visa Expert would provide you with all the relevant information which would help you better adjust with your new environment. And the more you learn, the better it is.

Since, it is going to be extremely challenging dealing with the extreme weather or the culture shock, it is highly important that you are mentally prepared for the same. Some such challenges include the following:

• Canada could be considered as a mix of cultures where you can find people from different ethnicities from across the world. Thus, you would meet people totally different from you in all aspects. You would have to get used to the local customs and traditions followed by the citizens.
• You might end up feeling uncomfortable, alienated, insecure and uncertain of the decision you took. This would lead to an increase in your stress levels. You might feel helpless and how to react to situations initially.
• You might have to get used to the Canadian accent or even learn English or French according to the province in which you reside.
• Getting your children enrolled into a school, get yourself a job and a house to live in a decent community.

During such circumstances, it is important that you do not give up hope. It is all a matter of time for you to adjust to the new country. All you need to do is keep trying and learn at every step.

A Visa Veteran would help you contact an Immigrant – Serving Organization which would help you with the necessary resources to cope with the circumstances.

The Canadian government offers various services to all the newly landed immigrants on its soil. These are executed via the Immigrant Serving Agencies or organization in the various communities throughout the country.

For some of the provinces, the respective provincial governments are responsible are implementing such programs. These include British Columbia, Quebec and Manitoba. You can contact the concerned provincial authorities to know more on the same.

The various Immigrant Serving Organizations cater to the following services –

• Getting in touch with the local Canadian officials who could help with the various services.
• Housing and accommodation facilities.
• Applying for the Social Insurance Number (SIN) and a Health Insurance Card.
• Register with a Doctor to rush to incase of emergency.
• Helping to enroll your children in a good school.
• Availing language skills classes.
• Referring to the services offered by the government and the community.
• Making you familiar with the day to day activities such shopping, banking and so on.

To know more, contact an Immigration and Visa veteran who is updated in this regard. He would help you find an Immigrant – Serving Organization in your community which will make it easier for you and your family to better acquaint with the new country.