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This used to be common in Brazil: a guy in a VW van with a typewriter to help you with bureaucracy. I see the fact that these characters are gone as a sign of p

by forinti 15y ago

This used to be common in Brazil: a guy in a VW van with a typewriter to help you with bureaucracy. I see the fact that these characters are gone as a sign of progress, so it's funny that this has shown up in the US.

learc83 15y ago
At the Chinese consultate, ran by the Chinese.
ruchi 15y ago
In India too. There are people who validate your passport application and supporting docs for a small fee before you submit them to the officials.
Vivtek 15y ago
Yeah, there's a whole cottage industry across the street from the DMV in Puerto Rico.
- mey 15y ago
  Got married in Puerto Rico a bit ago, and extremely happy we worked with a group that helped handle the marriage license details.
personlurking 15y ago
And there are guys who will take your cell phone, etc, and hold it for a small fee outside the US consulate in Rio.
soneil 15y ago
Not sure this really needs another "me too", but these aren't actually new in the US either. It used to be (circa 2000) that photo requirements for the US greencard required a mugshot at an odd angle, such that a given % of ear (yes, really) was visible. Most passport photo places were terrible at this single requirement, but the chaps that ran the parking lot beside the INS office in Detroit certainly had it figured out. Tangentially related, as the state of H1-B visas seems to come up a lot lately; I just checked Google Maps to make sure my memory wasn't fooling me (check out the crosswalk at 339 Mount Elliot Street, Detroit), and I noticed the INS office there is now marked "US Detention & Deportation". This shift speaks volumes about problems most skilled workers have getting into the US now. The INS under the DoJ, was "the letting people department, under the justice umbrella". USCIS under the DHS is now the "keeping people out department, under the fatherland umbrella". While picking at the naming is exceptionally petty, the nuance will sound very familiar to anyone who's delt with the INS/USCIS in the last 10 years.

by forinti 15y ago

learc83 15y ago

At the Chinese consultate, ran by the Chinese.

ruchi 15y ago

In India too. There are people who validate your passport application and supporting docs for a small fee before you submit them to the officials.

Vivtek 15y ago

Yeah, there's a whole cottage industry across the street from the DMV in Puerto Rico.

mey 15y ago
Got married in Puerto Rico a bit ago, and extremely happy we worked with a group that helped handle the marriage license details.

personlurking 15y ago

And there are guys who will take your cell phone, etc, and hold it for a small fee outside the US consulate in Rio.

soneil 15y ago

Not sure this really needs another "me too", but these aren't actually new in the US either. It used to be (circa 2000) that photo requirements for the US greencard required a mugshot at an odd angle, such that a given % of ear (yes, really) was visible. Most passport photo places were terrible at this single requirement, but the chaps that ran the parking lot beside the INS office in Detroit certainly had it figured out. Tangentially related, as the state of H1-B visas seems to come up a lot lately; I just checked Google Maps to make sure my memory wasn't fooling me (check out the crosswalk at 339 Mount Elliot Street, Detroit), and I noticed the INS office there is now marked "US Detention & Deportation". This shift speaks volumes about problems most skilled workers have getting into the US now. The INS under the DoJ, was "the letting people department, under the justice umbrella". USCIS under the DHS is now the "keeping people out department, under the fatherland umbrella". While picking at the naming is exceptionally petty, the nuance will sound very familiar to anyone who's delt with the INS/USCIS in the last 10 years.