So, while working on my last post, I found a cool tool I didn’t mention – it’s the National Atlas. You can click on a state and show its cities, counties, population, or even bodies of water. In fact, you can even display levels of arsenic in ground water, if you’d like, and you can mix and match any of the display items you’d like. There are also specialty maps showing additional information in a map format. Above, I’ve shown the distribution of zebra mussels in the US as of 2003, and if you’re interested you can check the progression …read more

This blog isn’t really about politics, but a recent statement about Republican Vice Presidential candidate Sarah Palin struck me. Apparently, she doesn’t need foreign policy experience because Alaska is so close to Russia, with variations on the theme citing from seventy to 300 miles or so. Without even addressing the validity of that logic to begin with, it got me thinking – just how far is Anchorage from Moscow, where the real seat of Russian power lies? The answer to that (and any distance questions) is here, at the Distance Calculator.
Apparently, Anchorage is about 4,350 miles from Moscow, only about …read more

Earlier I mentioned the new on-line registration system the US has come up with, which may well make things difficult for people who don’t have a computer. I’ve also mentioned efforts to make getting your laptop through security less burdensome. Increasingly, those who travel internationally with a computer may want to rethink bringing their laptop with them at all, or at least consider which data should really be on there.
According to recent reports, US border officials have increasingly been “inspecting” laptops of US citizens and non-citizens alike, and holding those laptops for, in some case, an extended period of …read more

The visa waiver program makes it relatively easy for citizens of certain (mostly developed) countries to enter the United States without a visa (see map above). Travelers simply fill out a paper form on the airplane before deplaning and, assuming they have a valid passport and are eligible for entry, are admitted to the United States.
Under a new rule promulgated in June, however, travelers wishing to use the visa waiver program will be required to submit certain personal data electronically prior to entering the US on the waiver program. Those who wish to do so may start using the online …read more

Summer is just around the corner and if you work in the US and are planning a vacation, you should consider yourself lucky: unlike Europe where 25 or 30 days paid vacation are required by law, US employers are not obligated to grant paid vacation days or sick days and many do not.
David Moberg has written an excellent article published at “In These Times” about America’s vanishing free-time and offers some insight into why paid time off is a standard benefit in all industrialized countries except the US.
Any more questions about why I choose to live in Europe?
How many paid …read more

I was at an event last week where a representative of the German government was asked to choose the best of the presidential hopefuls from a German-US relations perspective. Needless to say, he refused to do so, pointing out instead some concerns he had with each of the candidates. He rightfully pointed out that some of the Democratic hopefuls’ statements on trade have been worrying in the least.
Whatever his faults, McCain has been consistently pro-trade, and even his shift to the right doesn’t appear to have altered that stance much. He’s certainly added some of the “tough scrutiny” language …read more

I’ve been reminded a lot recently that European males really have to be exceptionally careful when traveling to the US for business. Crime, perhaps? Or excessive shopping brought on by the abysmal dollar? No, although those may well be reasons for concern as well. European males have to be concerned about women or, more correctly, the way they treat women (or anybody for that matter).
Now, I’m not going to go on a screed about sexual harassment or discrimination, because that’s not really the point of this blog. What I will say is that males from overseas in a management …read more

The US Dollar has fallen 40% against the Euro since 2001. Purchases made in the US are a bargain for anyone with Euros.
More and more European companies are setting up or expanding their US holdings to take advantage of the exchange rates. In effect, the US has become a “low-cost country” (LCC) for businesses based in Euro.
Bernd Matthes, president of BorgWarner Transmission Systems reports “The cost advantage in the US is at least one-third compared to Europe.”
Other examples from the automotive industry:

Alfa Romeo is looking for a location to produce vehicles in the US.
Ditto for Volkswagen
BMW will invest $750 million …read more

In the aftermath of 9-11, the US cut back on the number of visas issued, including non-immigrant visas used by employers to hire foreigners with technical skills (H-1B Visas). International business depends on mobility of information, goods and human resources; the US visa restrictions are in direct conflict with this need. Add to that the lack of science and engineering students in the US (and other developed countries) and you have a recipe for impending problems.
Bill Gates recently provided testimony to the House Science Committee, outlining a plan to help the US maintain a competitive edge. The four points …read more

So, you’ve decided to start doing business in the US, you’ve looked at locations for your US office, and maybe you’ve even incorporated an entity in the US. Now it’s time to start work, and it’s likely that you need to send someone to the US. Now you need some visas.
First things first, in most cases, the organizational work leading up to this point is likely ok “without a visa,” assuming you’re from one of the countries whose citizens are permitted to enter without a visa. Others will have completed that work on the B-1 visitor visa, but either way …read more