bbenhill
07-09 05:15 PM
PM me ur email address. I will send u the reply via email :-)
Thx
1. My parents included their Indonesian bank statement in rupiah. And they went to US embassy in Jakarta, their hometown. Does it make a difference to go to other city after they got rejected twice? If so, which one?
2. I had never gone back to Indonesia since I got the asylum. I'm not supposed to although I have already got my greencard. In fact, VO asked them if I ever went back to Indonesia. And my parents said no.
3. I didn't include my US bank statement because my parents self-sponsor themselves. I don't have much anyway to sponsor them.
Please let me know your advice. Thank you so much.
Thx
1. My parents included their Indonesian bank statement in rupiah. And they went to US embassy in Jakarta, their hometown. Does it make a difference to go to other city after they got rejected twice? If so, which one?
2. I had never gone back to Indonesia since I got the asylum. I'm not supposed to although I have already got my greencard. In fact, VO asked them if I ever went back to Indonesia. And my parents said no.
3. I didn't include my US bank statement because my parents self-sponsor themselves. I don't have much anyway to sponsor them.
Please let me know your advice. Thank you so much.
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pappu
10-01 11:03 AM
Once your Priority date of a category is current and namechecks are cleared, it is First in first out within the country quota. At that time, earlier priority dates do not matter at all. What matters is how early you applied for your I485 (date the application was physically received by the center, and not the date a notice was sent).
raysaikat
01-06 03:33 PM
Sincerest thanks for the information. Iam looking at criteria 1 to 10 in the list that you have provided. I believe that I can gather evidence to satisfy 2 criteria�s completely and maybe 1 partially, does that suffice or there is a rule that atleast say 4 / 10 or X / 10 should be satisfied as a minimum. Most of the criteria�s are actually meant for distinguished people in research, whereas my profile is more of an IT application developer / designer.
Please read the text in the USCIS page carefully. You need to clearly satisfy at least 3 criteria. In practice, you try to provide at least some evidence for most criteria.
Note also that you need to provide evidence of sustained fulfillment. E.g., suppose you want to show that
"Evidence that the alien has judged the work of others, either individually or on a panel;"
This is *not* satisfied, e.g., if you graded the papers of your students or did code-reviews! This is likely satisfied if you, e.g., were in an IEEE standards committee (especially if the standard becomes well known, e.g., IEEE 802.11, or Firewire, etc.). Similarly, if you just participated in a panel once, then the reviewer is likely to reject your claim; you really want to show that you regularly (e.g., once a month for last 3-4 years) participate in panels, etc. In my own case, I reviewed literally 100's of conference and journal papers, and was in the TPC of many conferences, and also participated in an NSF panel for reviewing proposals for funding.
The reviewer will want evidence for each criteria. Sometimes you may be able to use the same evidence towards more than one criteria, but generally it is not the case.
Finally remember that you need *very strong* recommendation letters from "well known" people *all over the world". Most people gets some letters from US, some from their home country, some from Europe, other countries, etc. I had about 10-15 letters from US, China, India, Netherlands, etc. The letter writer in each case must be very well known, and must hold a very high position (e.g., one of my letter writer was one of the heads of Philips research).
In any case, it does not matter what I or someone else thinks about your qualifications. What matters is what the reviewer of your petition thinks. What I would suggest is that if you feel that you have a good chance at EB1-A (e.g., in your own mind you believe that you truly satisfy 3 criteria), then hire a good attorney and start working on preparing your dossier. The cost will be about $7000-$10,000 (depending upon what attorney you choose). Attorneys will charge much more for EB1 petitions since they actually have to work on it (rather than get a para-legal fill-in forms, as done in EB2 applications). It usually takes 4-6 months to get all material, etc.
Please read the text in the USCIS page carefully. You need to clearly satisfy at least 3 criteria. In practice, you try to provide at least some evidence for most criteria.
Note also that you need to provide evidence of sustained fulfillment. E.g., suppose you want to show that
"Evidence that the alien has judged the work of others, either individually or on a panel;"
This is *not* satisfied, e.g., if you graded the papers of your students or did code-reviews! This is likely satisfied if you, e.g., were in an IEEE standards committee (especially if the standard becomes well known, e.g., IEEE 802.11, or Firewire, etc.). Similarly, if you just participated in a panel once, then the reviewer is likely to reject your claim; you really want to show that you regularly (e.g., once a month for last 3-4 years) participate in panels, etc. In my own case, I reviewed literally 100's of conference and journal papers, and was in the TPC of many conferences, and also participated in an NSF panel for reviewing proposals for funding.
The reviewer will want evidence for each criteria. Sometimes you may be able to use the same evidence towards more than one criteria, but generally it is not the case.
Finally remember that you need *very strong* recommendation letters from "well known" people *all over the world". Most people gets some letters from US, some from their home country, some from Europe, other countries, etc. I had about 10-15 letters from US, China, India, Netherlands, etc. The letter writer in each case must be very well known, and must hold a very high position (e.g., one of my letter writer was one of the heads of Philips research).
In any case, it does not matter what I or someone else thinks about your qualifications. What matters is what the reviewer of your petition thinks. What I would suggest is that if you feel that you have a good chance at EB1-A (e.g., in your own mind you believe that you truly satisfy 3 criteria), then hire a good attorney and start working on preparing your dossier. The cost will be about $7000-$10,000 (depending upon what attorney you choose). Attorneys will charge much more for EB1 petitions since they actually have to work on it (rather than get a para-legal fill-in forms, as done in EB2 applications). It usually takes 4-6 months to get all material, etc.
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glus
08-01 10:18 AM
My wife's current H4 is valid till Nov. She got her H1 also approved from Oct'2007. She checked the status this morning only on USCIS.
I'm applying for I-485 and adding her as spouse. Should I file for her advance parole and put her status as H4 in it? What happens to to her H1 approval, if advanced parole gets approved also. Will she loose her H1 status?
any ideas??
Put her status as H4. She is in H4 until October 2007 (assuming you asked for change of status and change of status was also approved.) No, she will not loose her H1, as H1 is a "dual intent" visa.
I'm applying for I-485 and adding her as spouse. Should I file for her advance parole and put her status as H4 in it? What happens to to her H1 approval, if advanced parole gets approved also. Will she loose her H1 status?
any ideas??
Put her status as H4. She is in H4 until October 2007 (assuming you asked for change of status and change of status was also approved.) No, she will not loose her H1, as H1 is a "dual intent" visa.
more...
psczd4
09-27 06:21 PM
--u can find a one year program in your school and apply soon..they do have a certain time frame to accept your application for Spring semester, say mid of October(depends upon Univ.)...Financial assistant could be a factor but if you can somehow get an I-20 for that program..you should be safe
--Most important,get in touch with your advisor
--At last, apply for a toursit visa
Good Luck.
--Most important,get in touch with your advisor
--At last, apply for a toursit visa
Good Luck.
styrum
06-12 03:10 AM
He doesn't need an H1B transfer to be approved to start working for the new employer, just "filed".
more...
WaldenPond
02-24 11:57 AM
Here is my honest opinion.... you guys need to highlight the fact that IV is equlally concerned about PBEC issue. This is what i have heard and read from a lot of folks... Just to let u guys know that even my app is stuck with PBEC..
The main goal of IV is to bring an end to labor processing delay in the backlog center and I-485 retrogression. We have consistently mentioned this in all possible forums. This has been clearly mentioned on home page. And if there is anybody who has any doubt, could you please request them to please call at (281) 576-7185.
I am beginning to realize that for some people who do not want to contribute, there will always be plenty of reasons and plenty of excuses not to participate & contribute. I think these people are the once who are actually responsible for the problems of all of us. Our problems do not originate in the slow GC process or the existing bad legislation. Our problems originate due to the people who are always looking for reasons to not participate or do anything or these people who are always looking for reasons to feel offended. And these people are sure doing a wonderful job because there will always be plenty of reasons to feel offended or not feel part of the group or not find enough motivation to feel part of the bigger community.
Asking questions or requesting a specific item in the goals is one thing. People beating the drum of transparency �. That is no big deal either. Everybody is entitled for their opinion. But people watching from the sidelines or for the people who want to include agenda as Goals of the IV or for the people putting conditions to their contributions, here is what I have to say to you. I would sincerely request you to never visit Immigration Voice or any other immigration related forum or website. You guys are the real problem because you are the once helping to foster the current system by not participating in brining the change. At the end of the day, know that you are the real culprits not the system which will be shaped by the contribution of each of us.
In last 2 weeks the contributions has really come down drastically. Everybody please note that we are running very low on the funds collection. All of us have two choices. One, contribute for this cause generously and lead the friends and acquaintances by example and tell them to do the same. Secondly, find reasons to not participate or not to contribute due to this, that or whatever �. The choice is entirely yours. But with your choice also understand whether you are being part of the solution or part of the problem. And whatever you do (including posting negative messages), I would sincerely request everybody to ask yourself one question, whether you (or your post) are strengthening or weakening this effort.
I would like to request all the members who have not yet contributed to please contribute generously. Please put your money where your mouth is. This effort or any similar effort for that matter cannot do much without the necessary funds that only come in the form of contributions from its members. And for those of us who have already contributed in the past, its time to please contribute more and help to fuel this effort.
This is not just about the life of the people who started this effort or the core/active members who have taken the initiative and responsibility. This is about all of us whether or not you feel part of it or not. It doesn�t make any difference how you feel about the situation or state of affairs. Why? Because this will be over very soon. And for the people who want to continue to ponder over this idea of whether or not they have a sense of belonging to IV, I would sincerely request you to please understand and know that by any contribution to this effort, you are strengthening your our voices. Know that this is not about anybody else but you.
The main goal of IV is to bring an end to labor processing delay in the backlog center and I-485 retrogression. We have consistently mentioned this in all possible forums. This has been clearly mentioned on home page. And if there is anybody who has any doubt, could you please request them to please call at (281) 576-7185.
I am beginning to realize that for some people who do not want to contribute, there will always be plenty of reasons and plenty of excuses not to participate & contribute. I think these people are the once who are actually responsible for the problems of all of us. Our problems do not originate in the slow GC process or the existing bad legislation. Our problems originate due to the people who are always looking for reasons to not participate or do anything or these people who are always looking for reasons to feel offended. And these people are sure doing a wonderful job because there will always be plenty of reasons to feel offended or not feel part of the group or not find enough motivation to feel part of the bigger community.
Asking questions or requesting a specific item in the goals is one thing. People beating the drum of transparency �. That is no big deal either. Everybody is entitled for their opinion. But people watching from the sidelines or for the people who want to include agenda as Goals of the IV or for the people putting conditions to their contributions, here is what I have to say to you. I would sincerely request you to never visit Immigration Voice or any other immigration related forum or website. You guys are the real problem because you are the once helping to foster the current system by not participating in brining the change. At the end of the day, know that you are the real culprits not the system which will be shaped by the contribution of each of us.
In last 2 weeks the contributions has really come down drastically. Everybody please note that we are running very low on the funds collection. All of us have two choices. One, contribute for this cause generously and lead the friends and acquaintances by example and tell them to do the same. Secondly, find reasons to not participate or not to contribute due to this, that or whatever �. The choice is entirely yours. But with your choice also understand whether you are being part of the solution or part of the problem. And whatever you do (including posting negative messages), I would sincerely request everybody to ask yourself one question, whether you (or your post) are strengthening or weakening this effort.
I would like to request all the members who have not yet contributed to please contribute generously. Please put your money where your mouth is. This effort or any similar effort for that matter cannot do much without the necessary funds that only come in the form of contributions from its members. And for those of us who have already contributed in the past, its time to please contribute more and help to fuel this effort.
This is not just about the life of the people who started this effort or the core/active members who have taken the initiative and responsibility. This is about all of us whether or not you feel part of it or not. It doesn�t make any difference how you feel about the situation or state of affairs. Why? Because this will be over very soon. And for the people who want to continue to ponder over this idea of whether or not they have a sense of belonging to IV, I would sincerely request you to please understand and know that by any contribution to this effort, you are strengthening your our voices. Know that this is not about anybody else but you.
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sumansk
07-16 06:45 PM
I dont think murthy is the right place to search for updates..Murthy is lacking far behind others in this times of crisis.I am not sure what are their fees/charges...:p
more...
quizzer
02-23 04:54 PM
Thats true, When my I-140 was approved, as per the site my date was atleast 2 months away, but i received the approval notice. :)
Shirish,
Can you give more details about your I140?
EB2 or EB3?
NSC or TSC?
RD and AD???
Thanks
Shirish,
Can you give more details about your I140?
EB2 or EB3?
NSC or TSC?
RD and AD???
Thanks
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logiclife
08-03 05:25 PM
I worked for a firm for last couple of years and then moved to another firm. Now I want to apply for a Perm process and need the Experience letter. My previous employer has issued me the experience letter without my roles and responsibility:
It was an unprotected word file, so I changed it and incorporated the roles and responsibilty and my self submitted it to my employer; Now i am afraid if they are going to verify it.
1. What is the INS verification process?
2. Do employer can verifty it by Fax?
3. What can happen if INS came to know that everything was fine except the roles and responsibilities was included afterwards?
What you did was creative (in a bad way). Sorta illegal. And sorta forgerish and borderline fraudulent. I am not judging you, I am just telling you how it sounds.
Now, how did you add material to the word document that was already signed? And therin lies the bad part.
Anyways, correspondence between USCIS and employer/lawyer/employee is always thru mail. I dont think they communicate thru faxes.
Now, if for some reason INS (and by the way, its USCIS now) came to know afterwards, then you are in a deep hole because it sounds like fraud. Fraud is grounds of denial of immigration benefits (any benefit, like H1, or GC or citizenship). Besides, roles and responsibilities are not really needed if the letter says that all conditions in labor cert and 140 are still valid and employment is still offered as per labor cert. Then you dont need detailed description of what you are doing. And even if you felt the urge to add that part in your letter, why didnt you just ask them that?
It was an unprotected word file, so I changed it and incorporated the roles and responsibilty and my self submitted it to my employer; Now i am afraid if they are going to verify it.
1. What is the INS verification process?
2. Do employer can verifty it by Fax?
3. What can happen if INS came to know that everything was fine except the roles and responsibilities was included afterwards?
What you did was creative (in a bad way). Sorta illegal. And sorta forgerish and borderline fraudulent. I am not judging you, I am just telling you how it sounds.
Now, how did you add material to the word document that was already signed? And therin lies the bad part.
Anyways, correspondence between USCIS and employer/lawyer/employee is always thru mail. I dont think they communicate thru faxes.
Now, if for some reason INS (and by the way, its USCIS now) came to know afterwards, then you are in a deep hole because it sounds like fraud. Fraud is grounds of denial of immigration benefits (any benefit, like H1, or GC or citizenship). Besides, roles and responsibilities are not really needed if the letter says that all conditions in labor cert and 140 are still valid and employment is still offered as per labor cert. Then you dont need detailed description of what you are doing. And even if you felt the urge to add that part in your letter, why didnt you just ask them that?
more...
naushit
02-12 03:22 PM
Chris,
This is what I did, I just called and told them I need to do FP, can you please schedule it for me?, and surprisingly without any resistance they just scheduled my finger prints for First week of March! (yesterday I received FP notice,scheduled for fist week of March 2009).
I do not think without valid FP your case will pass their , "ready to approve" filter criteria.
so get your FP done.
Good luck,
Regards,
-N
You are right. My finger prints are expired and called several times and took info pass.
Same answer, " if IO thinks need FP, they will send. Wait for their decission". :mad:
This is what I did, I just called and told them I need to do FP, can you please schedule it for me?, and surprisingly without any resistance they just scheduled my finger prints for First week of March! (yesterday I received FP notice,scheduled for fist week of March 2009).
I do not think without valid FP your case will pass their , "ready to approve" filter criteria.
so get your FP done.
Good luck,
Regards,
-N
You are right. My finger prints are expired and called several times and took info pass.
Same answer, " if IO thinks need FP, they will send. Wait for their decission". :mad:
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seahawks
09-07 01:40 PM
emailed my details for lobby day.
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samrat_bhargava_vihari
06-25 03:42 PM
It looks like my lawyer has already mailed the application to USCIS. The priority dates becomes current only on July 1st.
What are my options here? Does anyone has faced such a situation?
Some people did same mistake for June buliten they filed in may and still they didn't get their applications back. Check with some good lawyer and file once again in first week of July. If you don't send them back by EOM and if dates get retrogress you will be in serious problem.
http://immigrationvoice.org/forum/showpost.php?p=86794&postcount=25
Check with shailesh what he did.
What are my options here? Does anyone has faced such a situation?
Some people did same mistake for June buliten they filed in may and still they didn't get their applications back. Check with some good lawyer and file once again in first week of July. If you don't send them back by EOM and if dates get retrogress you will be in serious problem.
http://immigrationvoice.org/forum/showpost.php?p=86794&postcount=25
Check with shailesh what he did.
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jasonalbany
07-04 12:28 PM
Access to Job Market in U.S. a Matter of Degrees
Foreign workers with high-tech skills are in demand, but visa quotas snarl the hiring process.
By Anna Gorman, Times Staff Writer
July 3, 2006
This spring, a U.S. high-tech company recruited British citizen Gareth Lloyd for a possible engineering job.
But before the Irvine office made its hiring decision, the number of available visas for skilled workers ran out, in a record time of less than two months.
Lloyd, who has degrees in applied physics and electrical and electronics engineering, found another job in Germany.
"I was a little bit incredulous," Lloyd, 34, said in a phone interview. "It seems arbitrary to put some kind of quota on this."
Much of the national debate on immigration has centered on undocumented workers who fill agriculture, construction and service jobs. But highly skilled foreign scientists, engineers and computer programmers recruited by U.S. companies to work here legally also have a lot at stake in the outcome. "The major focus for all the laws and all the bills has mainly been for illegal immigrants," said Swati Srivastava, an Indian software engineer who lives in Playa del Rey and is waiting for her green card. "We kind of get pushed to the sidelines."
The Senate's sweeping immigration bill that passed in May calls for increasing the number of H-1B visas, which are available for professional foreign workers, from 65,000 to 115,000 annually. Foreigners with certain advanced degrees would be exempt from the cap.
Despite President Bush's urging to increase such quotas, however, the House bill that passed late last year does not include any provisions for skilled-worker visas. And a conference committee, which would negotiate a compromise, has yet to be selected. U.S. companies complain that they are losing prospective employees to other countries because of a shortage of highly skilled and educated foreign workers. As a result, companies are either outsourcing science and engineering jobs or making do with fewer employees.
"There aren't enough U.S. citizens pursuing those types of degrees," said Jennifer Greeson, spokeswoman for Intel Corp. in Santa Clara, Calif., where about 5% of the company's U.S.-based employees are on H-1B visas. "U.S. companies being able to have access to talent, no matter where it originates, is key to our continued competitiveness."
But critics of the H-1B program argue that there are enough Americans qualified for the jobs. Companies just prefer to hire younger, less expensive workers from other countries, such as India and China, instead of more experienced American workers at higher salaries.
"The bottom line is cheap labor," said UC Davis computer-science professor Norman Matloff, who has studied the H-1B program.
The six-year visas are available to foreigners with at least a bachelor's degree. Firms must pay foreign workers the prevailing wage.
The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services agency begins accepting H-1B visa applications on April 1 each year. The agency received enough visas to hit the congressionally mandated cap of 65,000 at the end of May this year, compared with August in 2005 and October in 2004. Those who receive the visas can begin work Oct. 1, the start of the fiscal year.
There are also 20,000 additional visas available for foreign workers who earned a master's or higher-level degree in the U.S. The Citizenship and Immigration Services is still accepting applications for those visas.
Because the H-1B cap is reached more quickly each year, many companies prepare their paperwork ahead of time so they can be at the front of the line. But they say it's often difficult to make hiring decisions six months before the start date.
Orange County immigration attorney Mitchell Wexler has a courier ready on the first day to take his clients' completed applications to Citizenship and Immigration Services.
"The whole white-collar business community is kind of crossing our fingers" that the number of visas is raised, Wexler said. Highly skilled foreign workers, he said, are "the best and brightest" and should be invited into the economy.
"If we can't get them," Wexler added, "they will go to a country that will accept them, and they will get jobs in Canada, Australia and England and will compete against us."
One of Wexler's clients, Massachusetts-based Skyworks Solutions, develops and manufactures integrated circuits for cellphones. Connie Williams, senior human resources specialist at the company's Irvine office, said her firm was effectively cut off from a foreign labor pool that included Lloyd of Britain when the government stopped accepting H-1B applications.
Williams said she worries that if Congress fails to pass reform legislation, the door will slam shut even earlier next year. The company has just over 2,000 U.S.-based employees, roughly 100 of whom have H-1B visas.
"We need these highly skilled, highly educated, highly qualified engineers," said Williams. "These people are a needle in a haystack."
Once foreigners have H-1B visas, they face another hurdle � becoming permanent legal residents. Applicants are often forced to wait years because there are only 140,000 employment-based green cards available annually. A backlog at Citizenship and Immigration Services adds to the delays.
Swati and Aradhana Srivastava, 34, both Indian software engineers working in the U.S. on H-1B visas, began the green card process with their employer in November 2001. Since then, the sisters said they have not been able to change jobs, positions or salaries.
They have taken film classes and are eager to pursue second careers in filmmaking but cannot do so until after they get their green cards. They also are reluctant to buy property or start a business. If they don't get their green cards by the time they finish film school, the sisters may return home.
"It's like living in a holding pattern continuously," said Swati Srivastava, 28, a member of Immigration Voice, a new grass-roots organization of skilled foreign workers pushing for immigration reform. The Internet-based group formed late last year and has about 5,000 members scattered around the country.
"We work in [the] U.S. legally in high-skilled jobs, but we still get penalized for playing by the rules," Immigration Voice co-founder Aman Kapoor said in an e-mail. "Since no one was working on our issues, we decided to organize."
Sandy Boyd, vice president of the National Assn. of Manufacturers, said there is an urgency to fixing the problems facing highly skilled foreign workers, whether they're seeking temporary or permanent legal status. The Senate's proposed immigration bill would increase the number of available employment-based green cards.
If compromise legislation cannot be reached on the broader issues, Boyd said, Congress should pass a separate, more narrow reform bill.
"This is not an issue that can be put off until comprehensive immigration reform is passed," Boyd said, "because once we lose these jobs, it's very difficult for them to come back."
But industry lobbyists arguing against increases in H-1B visas say the program hurts U.S. citizens by lowering wages and increasing job competition. They cite a recent report by the Government Accountability Office that says the program lacks sufficient oversight from the Department of Labor.
"We feel for the most part there are not shortages of U.S. engineers and computer scientists that have the skills these companies are looking for," said Chris McManes, spokesman for the U.S. sector of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers. "If the cap is increased, that will further hamper the ability of a U.S. engineer to find a job."
David Huber, a network engineer in Chicago and U.S. citizen by birth, said he twice lost out on jobs to foreign workers. He was passed over for one job and replaced at another, he said. Huber, who testified before the House in March, said he could not find work for nearly three years, despite his education and experience. "Too many of us cannot find jobs because companies are turning to H-1B workers as a first choice," Huber said in written testimony to the House.
Swadha Sharma, who lives in Arcadia, said she is not trying to replace U.S. workers. Sharma earned an electronics engineering degree in India but has long dreamed of becoming a math teacher. So while her husband worked here on an H-1B visa, she earned her teaching credential at Cal Poly Pomona.
Sharma, 30, started applying for teaching jobs early this year, but she said only one of three interested districts was willing to sponsor her for an H-1B visa. And that offer, from a Los Angeles charter school, came after the visa cap had been reached. Sharma now plans to pursue a master's degree but said the U.S. is "missing out on a catch."
"I am really qualified," she said. "Hopefully, I will be able to teach soon."
As for Lloyd, his plans to come to the United States are now on indefinite hold. He started his job in Germany but still laments the U.S. immigration system for limiting workers like himself from coming here.
"The H-1B scheme seems a little bit ridiculous," he said. "I would certainly be an asset to the American economy."
Foreign workers with high-tech skills are in demand, but visa quotas snarl the hiring process.
By Anna Gorman, Times Staff Writer
July 3, 2006
This spring, a U.S. high-tech company recruited British citizen Gareth Lloyd for a possible engineering job.
But before the Irvine office made its hiring decision, the number of available visas for skilled workers ran out, in a record time of less than two months.
Lloyd, who has degrees in applied physics and electrical and electronics engineering, found another job in Germany.
"I was a little bit incredulous," Lloyd, 34, said in a phone interview. "It seems arbitrary to put some kind of quota on this."
Much of the national debate on immigration has centered on undocumented workers who fill agriculture, construction and service jobs. But highly skilled foreign scientists, engineers and computer programmers recruited by U.S. companies to work here legally also have a lot at stake in the outcome. "The major focus for all the laws and all the bills has mainly been for illegal immigrants," said Swati Srivastava, an Indian software engineer who lives in Playa del Rey and is waiting for her green card. "We kind of get pushed to the sidelines."
The Senate's sweeping immigration bill that passed in May calls for increasing the number of H-1B visas, which are available for professional foreign workers, from 65,000 to 115,000 annually. Foreigners with certain advanced degrees would be exempt from the cap.
Despite President Bush's urging to increase such quotas, however, the House bill that passed late last year does not include any provisions for skilled-worker visas. And a conference committee, which would negotiate a compromise, has yet to be selected. U.S. companies complain that they are losing prospective employees to other countries because of a shortage of highly skilled and educated foreign workers. As a result, companies are either outsourcing science and engineering jobs or making do with fewer employees.
"There aren't enough U.S. citizens pursuing those types of degrees," said Jennifer Greeson, spokeswoman for Intel Corp. in Santa Clara, Calif., where about 5% of the company's U.S.-based employees are on H-1B visas. "U.S. companies being able to have access to talent, no matter where it originates, is key to our continued competitiveness."
But critics of the H-1B program argue that there are enough Americans qualified for the jobs. Companies just prefer to hire younger, less expensive workers from other countries, such as India and China, instead of more experienced American workers at higher salaries.
"The bottom line is cheap labor," said UC Davis computer-science professor Norman Matloff, who has studied the H-1B program.
The six-year visas are available to foreigners with at least a bachelor's degree. Firms must pay foreign workers the prevailing wage.
The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services agency begins accepting H-1B visa applications on April 1 each year. The agency received enough visas to hit the congressionally mandated cap of 65,000 at the end of May this year, compared with August in 2005 and October in 2004. Those who receive the visas can begin work Oct. 1, the start of the fiscal year.
There are also 20,000 additional visas available for foreign workers who earned a master's or higher-level degree in the U.S. The Citizenship and Immigration Services is still accepting applications for those visas.
Because the H-1B cap is reached more quickly each year, many companies prepare their paperwork ahead of time so they can be at the front of the line. But they say it's often difficult to make hiring decisions six months before the start date.
Orange County immigration attorney Mitchell Wexler has a courier ready on the first day to take his clients' completed applications to Citizenship and Immigration Services.
"The whole white-collar business community is kind of crossing our fingers" that the number of visas is raised, Wexler said. Highly skilled foreign workers, he said, are "the best and brightest" and should be invited into the economy.
"If we can't get them," Wexler added, "they will go to a country that will accept them, and they will get jobs in Canada, Australia and England and will compete against us."
One of Wexler's clients, Massachusetts-based Skyworks Solutions, develops and manufactures integrated circuits for cellphones. Connie Williams, senior human resources specialist at the company's Irvine office, said her firm was effectively cut off from a foreign labor pool that included Lloyd of Britain when the government stopped accepting H-1B applications.
Williams said she worries that if Congress fails to pass reform legislation, the door will slam shut even earlier next year. The company has just over 2,000 U.S.-based employees, roughly 100 of whom have H-1B visas.
"We need these highly skilled, highly educated, highly qualified engineers," said Williams. "These people are a needle in a haystack."
Once foreigners have H-1B visas, they face another hurdle � becoming permanent legal residents. Applicants are often forced to wait years because there are only 140,000 employment-based green cards available annually. A backlog at Citizenship and Immigration Services adds to the delays.
Swati and Aradhana Srivastava, 34, both Indian software engineers working in the U.S. on H-1B visas, began the green card process with their employer in November 2001. Since then, the sisters said they have not been able to change jobs, positions or salaries.
They have taken film classes and are eager to pursue second careers in filmmaking but cannot do so until after they get their green cards. They also are reluctant to buy property or start a business. If they don't get their green cards by the time they finish film school, the sisters may return home.
"It's like living in a holding pattern continuously," said Swati Srivastava, 28, a member of Immigration Voice, a new grass-roots organization of skilled foreign workers pushing for immigration reform. The Internet-based group formed late last year and has about 5,000 members scattered around the country.
"We work in [the] U.S. legally in high-skilled jobs, but we still get penalized for playing by the rules," Immigration Voice co-founder Aman Kapoor said in an e-mail. "Since no one was working on our issues, we decided to organize."
Sandy Boyd, vice president of the National Assn. of Manufacturers, said there is an urgency to fixing the problems facing highly skilled foreign workers, whether they're seeking temporary or permanent legal status. The Senate's proposed immigration bill would increase the number of available employment-based green cards.
If compromise legislation cannot be reached on the broader issues, Boyd said, Congress should pass a separate, more narrow reform bill.
"This is not an issue that can be put off until comprehensive immigration reform is passed," Boyd said, "because once we lose these jobs, it's very difficult for them to come back."
But industry lobbyists arguing against increases in H-1B visas say the program hurts U.S. citizens by lowering wages and increasing job competition. They cite a recent report by the Government Accountability Office that says the program lacks sufficient oversight from the Department of Labor.
"We feel for the most part there are not shortages of U.S. engineers and computer scientists that have the skills these companies are looking for," said Chris McManes, spokesman for the U.S. sector of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers. "If the cap is increased, that will further hamper the ability of a U.S. engineer to find a job."
David Huber, a network engineer in Chicago and U.S. citizen by birth, said he twice lost out on jobs to foreign workers. He was passed over for one job and replaced at another, he said. Huber, who testified before the House in March, said he could not find work for nearly three years, despite his education and experience. "Too many of us cannot find jobs because companies are turning to H-1B workers as a first choice," Huber said in written testimony to the House.
Swadha Sharma, who lives in Arcadia, said she is not trying to replace U.S. workers. Sharma earned an electronics engineering degree in India but has long dreamed of becoming a math teacher. So while her husband worked here on an H-1B visa, she earned her teaching credential at Cal Poly Pomona.
Sharma, 30, started applying for teaching jobs early this year, but she said only one of three interested districts was willing to sponsor her for an H-1B visa. And that offer, from a Los Angeles charter school, came after the visa cap had been reached. Sharma now plans to pursue a master's degree but said the U.S. is "missing out on a catch."
"I am really qualified," she said. "Hopefully, I will be able to teach soon."
As for Lloyd, his plans to come to the United States are now on indefinite hold. He started his job in Germany but still laments the U.S. immigration system for limiting workers like himself from coming here.
"The H-1B scheme seems a little bit ridiculous," he said. "I would certainly be an asset to the American economy."
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qplearn
11-20 08:05 PM
The email id for 60 minutes is:
60m@cbsnews.com
After sending email, put a post here so we know how many emails have gone.
60m@cbsnews.com
After sending email, put a post here so we know how many emails have gone.
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rc10580
06-14 11:21 AM
Wow, so you were able to file I-140 and I-485 at the same time? My PD is 11/01 but due to retrogression we are waiting for the visa numbers to become current to file :mad:
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NKR
03-17 01:02 PM
I have a priority date of March 2004 (EB2 India) and I am still waiting for my Green Card. I think majority of the 2004 filers are in the same boat except for a lucky few who were able to get the green card after the July fiasco.
Good Luck!!
I agree. Remember there were two backlog elimination centers and the processing from Philly center was slow. So a person with a later 2004 EB2 PD application and whose LC was cleared from Dallas must have got his GC where as someone with an earlier PD was stuck in Philly. Most of the Dallas guys got their GC around that time.
Good Luck!!
I agree. Remember there were two backlog elimination centers and the processing from Philly center was slow. So a person with a later 2004 EB2 PD application and whose LC was cleared from Dallas must have got his GC where as someone with an earlier PD was stuck in Philly. Most of the Dallas guys got their GC around that time.
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snram4
01-19 09:42 PM
People voted Obama just for economy and jobs. I remember when Paulin was announced GOP was leading for 2 weeks. When Stock market started tanking with demise of Lehmen GOP started losing. Imstead of not concentrating on economy he started working on healthcare. So democrats lost. In this situation he will realise now and he will take economy as first priority and immigration will be last 10th priority. Immigration group may have defend many anti immigrant bills and memos in this year. But nothing will be passed either for or against immigrants. Status quo will continue for 2010. This nov Election results will decide CIR 20111
Every other year, there is election and only this damn. election drives what is done and what is not done in congress year after year. The good old time, bills are passed that are important and good for the general people and this some times was not popular, but now only the issues popular are are being taken and rather than voting on what is good, the law makers tend to go with what people like, and people's likes and dislikes keep changing and the same change work against them sometimes. Also people on one area does not like what is liked in other area and when we have a product that contains both, well the same people now unite and start to not like the final product and this goes on ..... It is same CHANGE that President Obama mentions too often, but the same change is Now liked by Republicans, and Dems did not like the change this time around. Also with the communication revolutions, the election campaign seems to have become much much long.... And Oh !! Well... now our President apart from Health Care Reform, Immigration Reform and climate change issue, also need to work on his re-election from now on, if he doesn't want the change he loves some much, in White House in 2012 election... HOPE - at least people in this group, see CHANGE for better, CHANGE from AOS to LPR .... Now, let us see what will this loss of filibuster majority by Dems do in the interim.... Only time can tell. Change we can believe in !!!
Every other year, there is election and only this damn. election drives what is done and what is not done in congress year after year. The good old time, bills are passed that are important and good for the general people and this some times was not popular, but now only the issues popular are are being taken and rather than voting on what is good, the law makers tend to go with what people like, and people's likes and dislikes keep changing and the same change work against them sometimes. Also people on one area does not like what is liked in other area and when we have a product that contains both, well the same people now unite and start to not like the final product and this goes on ..... It is same CHANGE that President Obama mentions too often, but the same change is Now liked by Republicans, and Dems did not like the change this time around. Also with the communication revolutions, the election campaign seems to have become much much long.... And Oh !! Well... now our President apart from Health Care Reform, Immigration Reform and climate change issue, also need to work on his re-election from now on, if he doesn't want the change he loves some much, in White House in 2012 election... HOPE - at least people in this group, see CHANGE for better, CHANGE from AOS to LPR .... Now, let us see what will this loss of filibuster majority by Dems do in the interim.... Only time can tell. Change we can believe in !!!
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tnite
10-10 01:04 PM
Service request ?? What is that ??
Anyway, I understand that many people are in the same situation and that makes it a bit better. I will wait... Thanks for the replies...
Its just scary that after all these years they might consider the case abandoned if you don't receive the damn FP letter. Some guys didn't even get the receipts yet. I feel for those...
P.S.: Anybody got the case closed because they missed the FP appointment ? Is there a way to reopen it ?
Thanks again guys !
Call USCIS and ask them to put in service request i.e internal investigation
Thenyou have to wait for 30-45 days for them to get back to you.
Anyway, I understand that many people are in the same situation and that makes it a bit better. I will wait... Thanks for the replies...
Its just scary that after all these years they might consider the case abandoned if you don't receive the damn FP letter. Some guys didn't even get the receipts yet. I feel for those...
P.S.: Anybody got the case closed because they missed the FP appointment ? Is there a way to reopen it ?
Thanks again guys !
Call USCIS and ask them to put in service request i.e internal investigation
Thenyou have to wait for 30-45 days for them to get back to you.
ram112
09-03 05:09 AM
Folks,
I got greened today, surprisingly. Could anyone let me know what are the good numbers to reach a human in USCIS, hopefully with less wait time. I wanted to check with them what address they have on file. I filed an address change in JUne but I am not sure if they have it right in their systems. Also, is there a way to get this information without calling them.
Thanks a lot ..
I got greened today, surprisingly. Could anyone let me know what are the good numbers to reach a human in USCIS, hopefully with less wait time. I wanted to check with them what address they have on file. I filed an address change in JUne but I am not sure if they have it right in their systems. Also, is there a way to get this information without calling them.
Thanks a lot ..
maximus777
09-16 03:20 PM
done
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