Crossing the border between two different countries is never easy. You might even need plasma cutting to get those gates to open in order for you to cross over. Anyway, the following advisory may help ease your travel woes by getting you prepared for all those identity checks.
The Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative (WHTI) is a U.S. law that will require all travelers, including U.S. and Canadian citizens, to present a valid passport or other secure document when traveling to the United States from within the western hemisphere. The Canada Border Services Agency has issued this advisory for Canadian citizens traveling to the U.S. by land or water.
Attention: Canadian citizens traveling to the United States by land or water
As of January 31, 2008, if you travel to the U.S. by land or water, a U.S. law will require you to present:
- a government-issued photo ID, such as a driver’s licence; AND
- a birth certificate or a citizenship card; OR
- A valid passport;OR
- A NEXUS or a Free and Secure Trade (FAST) card;OR
- For those 18 and under, a birth certificate.
Canadian citizens flying to or through the U.S. must present a valid Canadian passport.
To find out more of the document requirements and to help you plan for your U.S. travel, please visit or call:
www.canada.gc.ca
1 800 O-Canada (1 800 622-6232)
TTY 1-800-926–9105
Source: Canada Border Service Agency
It looks like we are now entering the very high-tech age of managing stroke patients. Researchers are now trying to employ robots in rehabilitation.
Using robots in a therapeutic role in neurorehabilitation, particularly for stroke, is based on the premise that repeating limb movements can help to recover motor control. However, stroke is the most common cause of severe disability in the UK, and physiotherapists are in short supply. So if patients can retrain limbs with the aid of a robot but overseen by a professional physio, then more patients can get more out of rehab programmes.
Hermano Krebs is a principal research scientist at Massachusetts Institute of Technology and is one of the leaders in robotics, with a broad research base to his work. It’s what pioneers in the UK are building on today and everyone who’s anyone in therapeutic robots will at some stage pass through his lab.
‘We started here in 1989 back when I was a student at MIT,’ he says. ‘We introduced a paradigm shift in the use of robots for rehabilitation.’ Previously, they had been used as assistive devices: helping people with a spinal cord injury to feed themselves or as a prosthesis. ‘Our idea was to introduce a tool to help clinicians increase their productivity and make more efficient use of their time.’
Initial trials of a robot-assisted arm and shoulder exercises were with sub-acute patients with a localised lesion. Patients who had the added robot therapy showed twice as much improvement as those who did not.
Source: Frontline
However, none of them have ever been used in the actual settings yet. All results have been based on clinical trials. Click here to read more.
Call for opinions
What are your thoughts on robots in rehabilitation? Do you think they will ever become a reality? Are you willing to work with robots? How do you think therapists and patients will accept them?
Tell us your thoughts by leaving us a comment. We’d love to hear from you!
Run by one of the UK’s largest immigration and work permit firms, WORKPERMIT.COM summarizes top immigration news for 2007.
Spotlight – Top Immigration Stories for 2007
2007 was a busy year for immigration news. Some major changes were introduced to immigration regulations in various countries and plans were introduced for further changes in 2008 and beyond. In addition, 2008 marks workpermit.com’s 20th year providing assistance for people wishing to live and work abroad!
Policy Changes
New Zealand made quite a few changes to its Skilled Migrant Category on 30 July 2007. A number of bonus points were adjusted to meet their labor market needs, including awarding more points for recognized qualifications and work experience in areas of expected future growth sectors. Bonus points for previous skilled employment, qualifications, and 2-5 years of work experience were doubled.
Following New Zealand, Australia implemented sweeping changes to its General Skilled Migration program on 01 September 2007. The changes included streamlining the different visa subclasses from 15 to 9, awarding more points to migrants with excellent English language skills, and awarding more points for work and education experience gained in
Australia. Australia reduced the number of visa subclasses to make it simpler for migrants to decide what visa best suits them.
Read more
Source: http://www.workpermit.com/
