IT HAS been a busy week here in Brunei. For the people and government of Brunei, the 6th annual Legislative Council is in session. I believe everyone will follow this year’s session with keen interest. We in the embassy have also been very busy. I am pleased that Assistant Secretary of State, Kurt Campbell is in Brunei for a working visit.

We are looking forward to a productive and enjoyable visit. I also want to answer a question for a fan ofAmerica who asked about immigrating. As always, I welcome your questions at ask_usambassador@yahoo.com.

Q: Ambassador, can you tell us more about the Assistant Secretary’s visit?

I am very pleased that Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs, Kurt Campbell is in Brunei. His visit from March 12 till the 14 is an outstanding opportunity for senior US and Bruneian officials to discuss key bilateral, regional, and global issues. Brunei is one stop on his extensive tour of Southeast Asia and Japan. Our Assistant Secretary has already been to Malaysia, Laos and Thailand. After his stop in Brunei, he and his staff will proceed directly to Indonesia in advance of President Obama’s historic visit there. Following Indonesia, Mr Campbell will proceed to Thailand and Japan.

As I have said many times in this column, Brunei plays an important and, we hope, growing role in the region. Whether in the context of Asean or other regional fora, Brunei continues to be viewed as a voice of reason. The Assistant Secretary’s visit is a chance to discuss these important regional organiations and how Brunei and the United States can further contribute and strengthen them. In addition, this visit is a chance for our senior leaders to discuss our positive and expanding bilateral relationship.

I have stressed throughout my tenure in Brunei, that my top priorities are to increase the relevance of the US embassy and to strengthen US-Brunei relations. Visits by senior leaders, such as our Assistant Secretary, are one of the key means to solidify our ties. The timing of the visit is perfect given the President’s visit in the region further demonstrates the United States commitment and engagement in Southeast Asia.

Q: Ambassador, I’m a huge fan of America and its entrepreneurial spirit. I would like to immigrate, how do I do that? Malik Omar.

Excellent question Malik, you have actually touched on some of the most important aspects of American society. These qualities are: the ability to innovate, to be rewarded for your hard work, and to improve your station in life. America is a land of opportunity and it remains so today. Our society welcomes those who wish to prosper in America through ingenuity and self reliance.

You are 100 per cent correct that we encourage entrepreneurs. Small businesses are pillars of our success as a nation. President Obama feels so strongly about the importance of entrepreneurship that he is hosting a global summit in April on this very issue. In fact, Brunei has a very important and worthy attendee who I will talk more about in upcoming articles. I know all of Brunei will be proud and supportive of your representative at the President’s summit.

The second part of your question focuses on immigration. Immigration to the US is based on our legal system. Immigration on a permanent basis can be a lengthy process based on how a person is eligible to immigrate. Some immigrate because they have family members who are US citizens.

Some are able to immigrate and live and work for many years on business investor visas. These visas require a fairly large monetary investment into a business or other commercial venture. We also have a diversity visa lottery system, which I have discussed in prior columns.

The easiest way to learn more about immigration to the US is to consult the State Department and Department of Homeland Security websites. You are also welcome to send my Embassy consular staff an email at ConsularBrunei@state.gov. I encourage anyone who has visa or immigration questions to use this email.

The US is proud of its heritage of innovation and hard work. We welcome those who share that same spirit.
As always, have a great weekend.

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