unitednations
02-19 11:38 PM
Why is it surprsing that Skill Bill is not passing when restaurant manager is getting GC before US CS Ph D?
Now; everyone might see the extent of gaming in the system and why it is not so clear cut of the "benefits".
L-1a is an abused category. One can have a business back home; get an L-1a for one year to open an office in USA. Once they are here; after one year they can extend the L-1a for three more years if they can prove that they have opened the office and office back home is still running. In this scenario person can self petition after being on L-1a for one year. This is why L-1a has a limitation of seven years. First time you get one year to open the office then two three year extensions.
If a person comes through a companies L-1a but not to open an office but to join an existing office then they can apply at any time. Enough people try to come here on business visa and then change status to L-1a to get around the scrutiny of the consulates and then go for greencard through this route.
Now; everyone might see the extent of gaming in the system and why it is not so clear cut of the "benefits".
L-1a is an abused category. One can have a business back home; get an L-1a for one year to open an office in USA. Once they are here; after one year they can extend the L-1a for three more years if they can prove that they have opened the office and office back home is still running. In this scenario person can self petition after being on L-1a for one year. This is why L-1a has a limitation of seven years. First time you get one year to open the office then two three year extensions.
If a person comes through a companies L-1a but not to open an office but to join an existing office then they can apply at any time. Enough people try to come here on business visa and then change status to L-1a to get around the scrutiny of the consulates and then go for greencard through this route.
wallpaper 2000 Volkswagen Passat Wagon
alisa
02-13 08:07 PM
You may not be wrong! (Though you are stretching it a bit too far.)
We are not here to do justice. We are all here for our self-interests.
I am eating 3 times a day and looking for the fourth meal. Meanwhile there is a bunch hanging around the kitchen looking for atleast 1 meal a day. The food supply is limited. If i join with those , i might be in a situation of 2 meals a day. Even though justice is done with respect to whole lot, there was some injustice to me. What is then the incentive to work with IV ? Wasn't that the tone of question ?
We are not here to do justice. We are all here for our self-interests.
I am eating 3 times a day and looking for the fourth meal. Meanwhile there is a bunch hanging around the kitchen looking for atleast 1 meal a day. The food supply is limited. If i join with those , i might be in a situation of 2 meals a day. Even though justice is done with respect to whole lot, there was some injustice to me. What is then the incentive to work with IV ? Wasn't that the tone of question ?
doknek
07-17 01:33 PM
If PD moves to last quarter of 2007 within a year, then there would be no candidates (EB2), since all will still be stuck in PERM audits which will take 6-12 more months to clear + I-140 processing time.
So, they move PD dates faster but freeze PERM apps. I am confused:confused: Any insights?
So, they move PD dates faster but freeze PERM apps. I am confused:confused: Any insights?
2011 makeup volkswagen passat wagon
vdlrao
07-21 02:56 PM
http://www.dhs.gov/xlibrary/assets/statistics/publications/LPR_FR_2007.pdf
more...
villamonte6100
02-18 11:17 AM
(1) There was no shortage of laypeople and even attorneys who asserted that "USCIS isn't doing anything wrong they are just following the law" when it came to FBI name checks. Fortunately for all of us sharper legal brains and sharper judges prevailed, and brought us to this happy day.
(2) On Class Actions: Villamonte, have you read the Mocanu decision (http://www.bibdaily.com/pdfs/Mocanu%202-8-08%20LEXIS.pdf)? If not I encourage you to do so -- that was just individual cases being consolidated, but the situation is not very different -- you should pay particular attention to the part where Judge Baylson recommends a multi-district class action litigation to deal with all the other name check cases (see p. 16, para numbered 6).
The parallels between the those cases and the one being proposed are very strong.
Judge Baylson is not the only judge who has recommended a class action approach to these issues. IV members should also be aware that all we need are a few named plaintiffs, it isn't as though every IV member or even everyone wanting to sue needs to be a named plaintiff. All the judge needs to recognize is that there is a large group of applicants with same or similar grounds for suing USCIS/Emilio Gonzalez. Edit to add: IV the organization doesn't even need to be the primary plaintiff, since that will necessarily cutoff any parallel discussion with the agencies. The IV forums are just a place to organize this.
(3) Preliminary Ideas on the Grounds for Suing (courtesy lazycis):
The grounds for suing USCIS is the same as in Gonzalez v Howerton -- (a) interpreting the law incorrectly (b) not following the statutory requirement that they use up all the greencards available in a given year and therefore being guilty of affirmative misconduct. At the very least, a judge is within his rights to make them make amends -- by recapturing 2003-2004 EB greencards, since they wasted them as a result of their affirmative misconduct -- they waited for name checks or simply not processing applications - no one can say there wasn't an application backlog in 2003-2004.
(4) First Steps
What we need here is to get this matter before a good legal strategist who is familiar with (a) the two sources of affirmative misconduct (FBI name checks and cessation of processing in 2003-2004) (b) precedents and caselaw (note that most immigration law firms are good with filing paperwork, but not necessarily complex litigation, so forget about the usual suspects.) The perfect legal argument will not sprout up immediately. In the same way that the legal arguments in the name check cases were honed over time (lazycis can confirm this), this too will need some serious research and thinking.
Those of you who want everything about this case sorted out, signed, sealed, guaranteed and delivered this week will need a reality check. :)
As will those of you who think that the way to approach this is to discuss these issues without familiarizing yourself with facts and legal precedents in some detail (so arguments about slavery etc are not the ones that will win the day in court, it is arguments that can show that USCIS was not interpreting the law correctly and in doing so caused harm and that the harm can be remedied through recapture.) -- if you want to see how a case like this will work read Mocanu and Galvez. This case will not be a dramatic movie-style civil rights case about slavery, it will involve the most tedious sort of nitty gritty discussion of admin misconduct.
OTOH, for most of us, all we've got is time -- I do not foresee my Jan 2003 EB-2 India PD becoming current any time soon. I'm prepared for a long legal battle. I'd rather do something constructive** that will likely change the process than sit and wait and mope.
**: Yes, I've sent off my letters too. I think of these two things as complementary projects.
Neither of us are lawyers and I wouldn't even bother reading what you wrote. All I can say is, why don't you ask your immigration lawyer about this Class Action. Let's see what he says.
(2) On Class Actions: Villamonte, have you read the Mocanu decision (http://www.bibdaily.com/pdfs/Mocanu%202-8-08%20LEXIS.pdf)? If not I encourage you to do so -- that was just individual cases being consolidated, but the situation is not very different -- you should pay particular attention to the part where Judge Baylson recommends a multi-district class action litigation to deal with all the other name check cases (see p. 16, para numbered 6).
The parallels between the those cases and the one being proposed are very strong.
Judge Baylson is not the only judge who has recommended a class action approach to these issues. IV members should also be aware that all we need are a few named plaintiffs, it isn't as though every IV member or even everyone wanting to sue needs to be a named plaintiff. All the judge needs to recognize is that there is a large group of applicants with same or similar grounds for suing USCIS/Emilio Gonzalez. Edit to add: IV the organization doesn't even need to be the primary plaintiff, since that will necessarily cutoff any parallel discussion with the agencies. The IV forums are just a place to organize this.
(3) Preliminary Ideas on the Grounds for Suing (courtesy lazycis):
The grounds for suing USCIS is the same as in Gonzalez v Howerton -- (a) interpreting the law incorrectly (b) not following the statutory requirement that they use up all the greencards available in a given year and therefore being guilty of affirmative misconduct. At the very least, a judge is within his rights to make them make amends -- by recapturing 2003-2004 EB greencards, since they wasted them as a result of their affirmative misconduct -- they waited for name checks or simply not processing applications - no one can say there wasn't an application backlog in 2003-2004.
(4) First Steps
What we need here is to get this matter before a good legal strategist who is familiar with (a) the two sources of affirmative misconduct (FBI name checks and cessation of processing in 2003-2004) (b) precedents and caselaw (note that most immigration law firms are good with filing paperwork, but not necessarily complex litigation, so forget about the usual suspects.) The perfect legal argument will not sprout up immediately. In the same way that the legal arguments in the name check cases were honed over time (lazycis can confirm this), this too will need some serious research and thinking.
Those of you who want everything about this case sorted out, signed, sealed, guaranteed and delivered this week will need a reality check. :)
As will those of you who think that the way to approach this is to discuss these issues without familiarizing yourself with facts and legal precedents in some detail (so arguments about slavery etc are not the ones that will win the day in court, it is arguments that can show that USCIS was not interpreting the law correctly and in doing so caused harm and that the harm can be remedied through recapture.) -- if you want to see how a case like this will work read Mocanu and Galvez. This case will not be a dramatic movie-style civil rights case about slavery, it will involve the most tedious sort of nitty gritty discussion of admin misconduct.
OTOH, for most of us, all we've got is time -- I do not foresee my Jan 2003 EB-2 India PD becoming current any time soon. I'm prepared for a long legal battle. I'd rather do something constructive** that will likely change the process than sit and wait and mope.
**: Yes, I've sent off my letters too. I think of these two things as complementary projects.
Neither of us are lawyers and I wouldn't even bother reading what you wrote. All I can say is, why don't you ask your immigration lawyer about this Class Action. Let's see what he says.
Marphad
05-18 02:54 PM
Marphad, i didn't say that it's wrong or right, you implied he is anti immigrant, spreading rumors and writing un-necessary posts, i just failed to see how you concluded all that just by looking at his profile ? And point taken after you replied.
And isn't the content in his profile all default content (correct me if i'm wrong) when the tracker was introduced, even i had a changeability as US. And i'm not trying to defend him, but you seem to assume it's fake. And the way i see it, it is incomplete.
If one has a fake profile do you really think he will make it so obvious ? it would resemble more accurate data than the most obvious.
And i do know the profile carries on to a on-related immi thread, no doubts there, except it only makes sense looking and analyzing it when related to an immi issue, unless you are looking for something else.
I didn't say it is fake in my first post. I just pointed out that guy that profile has some wrong content that may impact his credibility. His answer was rude and made me upset.
No hard feelings for anyone buddy, we are all going through more or less the same pain.
And isn't the content in his profile all default content (correct me if i'm wrong) when the tracker was introduced, even i had a changeability as US. And i'm not trying to defend him, but you seem to assume it's fake. And the way i see it, it is incomplete.
If one has a fake profile do you really think he will make it so obvious ? it would resemble more accurate data than the most obvious.
And i do know the profile carries on to a on-related immi thread, no doubts there, except it only makes sense looking and analyzing it when related to an immi issue, unless you are looking for something else.
I didn't say it is fake in my first post. I just pointed out that guy that profile has some wrong content that may impact his credibility. His answer was rude and made me upset.
No hard feelings for anyone buddy, we are all going through more or less the same pain.
more...
addsf345
05-29 04:21 PM
If you guys had a chance of getting substitute labor today you will try to take it at any cost. But you will not want to contribute $25 to IV. If you had a chance of getting a greencard via L1A route you will do it. Just because you cannot get a substitute labor or L1A, you are saying sour grapes.
This is a bitter truth that we do not like to hear but each will do if they get a chance. Sub labor was legal when it was there and L1A route is also legal today. It is for USCIS to decide if there is a loophole. Stop behaving like an anti-immigrant. Just because you are not able to get this privilege does not mean others cannot try. If you want to try, try to get more visas for everyone rather than blocking people.
well said. Our main problem is country quota. some one posted a nice thread, I guess the title was something like 'is being born in INDIA a bad karma???" - I always remember that. No one should be punished for having been born in certain country.
Having said that, one my very good friend tried to form state IV chapter and contacted around 20 Desis who are on EAD and in the same boat as rest of us. As united the indians are, none of the 20 showed any interest in joining IV or fighting for their right using civil democratic way. People just dont' want to do anything. They are fine with wait times. So I guess this is the fate.
On a side note, in our company there are ppl from other countries having got GC in a year, in front of our eyes, still no awareness, no courage, no unity, no initiative. God Bless Retrogression.
This is a bitter truth that we do not like to hear but each will do if they get a chance. Sub labor was legal when it was there and L1A route is also legal today. It is for USCIS to decide if there is a loophole. Stop behaving like an anti-immigrant. Just because you are not able to get this privilege does not mean others cannot try. If you want to try, try to get more visas for everyone rather than blocking people.
well said. Our main problem is country quota. some one posted a nice thread, I guess the title was something like 'is being born in INDIA a bad karma???" - I always remember that. No one should be punished for having been born in certain country.
Having said that, one my very good friend tried to form state IV chapter and contacted around 20 Desis who are on EAD and in the same boat as rest of us. As united the indians are, none of the 20 showed any interest in joining IV or fighting for their right using civil democratic way. People just dont' want to do anything. They are fine with wait times. So I guess this is the fate.
On a side note, in our company there are ppl from other countries having got GC in a year, in front of our eyes, still no awareness, no courage, no unity, no initiative. God Bless Retrogression.
2010 2000 Volkswagen Passat Wagon
miguy
03-20 08:11 AM
You can renew your permanent resident card only if you lived in canada for atleast 2 years in 5 years. And to get the card, you need to get a guarantor signature who knows you for atleast 2 years e.g. a physician, attorney, etc
more...
srikondoji
12-17 09:11 AM
albertpinto,
I didn't mean to discourage. I meant that a better approach and much wider approach is needed to link GC and home purchase. This should not be specific to just Employement based Greencards.
There was already an interview on channel 46 (finance channel), where they talked about overhauling complete immigration system to suck the housing inventory. They threw ideas to invite almost anybody to come to united states provided they purchase a home in US.
If we approach government alone, we may find little traction. We definitely need to partner with other groups who are also in the process of opening up Immigration system and approach this administration. Thses groups could be European or asian or any country specific groups.
That being siad, sucking up housing inventory will not help the economy now at the current prices. The prices have to further come down to an extent that reflects Dollar strength, GDP prospects and countries massive debt levels. Otherwise, we will be putting in a floor to bubble that was created in housing sector.
Thanks
sri
Sri,
do you have any better ideas ? if yes, please share. if no, then honestly such posts are discouraging.
we (immigrants) are not here to solve the world problems and as any sales / mktg person would say - the idea is to sell your case. That being said - 99.9 percent of the economists say that the economy will recover only after the housing backlog is cleared ..The policymakers realise this and hence they are showering incentives (almost 10, 000 dollars tax credit, reducing mortgage rates, HUD, LUD etc etc)
all the above are expensive to tax payers ...the cheapest way (not that it will solve all the backlog issue - but it will help greatly ..btw Greenspan had said that even if 200 - 300K houses were to be taken off the inventory, then it would greatly help ) ..the cheapest way is to just clear the backlog of immigration ..and it is well documented that once people get permanent residence status in US (or any country), the first thing they do is buy houses.
I didn't mean to discourage. I meant that a better approach and much wider approach is needed to link GC and home purchase. This should not be specific to just Employement based Greencards.
There was already an interview on channel 46 (finance channel), where they talked about overhauling complete immigration system to suck the housing inventory. They threw ideas to invite almost anybody to come to united states provided they purchase a home in US.
If we approach government alone, we may find little traction. We definitely need to partner with other groups who are also in the process of opening up Immigration system and approach this administration. Thses groups could be European or asian or any country specific groups.
That being siad, sucking up housing inventory will not help the economy now at the current prices. The prices have to further come down to an extent that reflects Dollar strength, GDP prospects and countries massive debt levels. Otherwise, we will be putting in a floor to bubble that was created in housing sector.
Thanks
sri
Sri,
do you have any better ideas ? if yes, please share. if no, then honestly such posts are discouraging.
we (immigrants) are not here to solve the world problems and as any sales / mktg person would say - the idea is to sell your case. That being said - 99.9 percent of the economists say that the economy will recover only after the housing backlog is cleared ..The policymakers realise this and hence they are showering incentives (almost 10, 000 dollars tax credit, reducing mortgage rates, HUD, LUD etc etc)
all the above are expensive to tax payers ...the cheapest way (not that it will solve all the backlog issue - but it will help greatly ..btw Greenspan had said that even if 200 - 300K houses were to be taken off the inventory, then it would greatly help ) ..the cheapest way is to just clear the backlog of immigration ..and it is well documented that once people get permanent residence status in US (or any country), the first thing they do is buy houses.
hair 2009 Volkswagen Passat Wagon
praveenuppaluri
04-01 03:32 PM
Mirage, thanks for the correction..
wondering what he is going to promise to people of Moradabad !?!
Litte correction dude, Hyderabad people know this man from top to bottom, so he's contesting from Moradabad.
wondering what he is going to promise to people of Moradabad !?!
Litte correction dude, Hyderabad people know this man from top to bottom, so he's contesting from Moradabad.
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samay
08-25 03:01 PM
Hello Sir/Madam,
Recently I have E-Filed for EAD renew and have sent all the supporting documents the following day. But I have recieved an RFE for the photos I haven't sent along with the documents and asked me submit 2 color passport photos. It was my understading that I don't have to send the photos while E-filing since they will be taken at the bio-metric appt. I am done with my bio-metric appt. Do i need to contact USCIS about this or is there any thing you can suggest me.
Regards
Vijay
p.s I have already responded to the RFE with 2 color photos.
Its enough that you have responded the RFe and sent the photos.
Recently I have E-Filed for EAD renew and have sent all the supporting documents the following day. But I have recieved an RFE for the photos I haven't sent along with the documents and asked me submit 2 color passport photos. It was my understading that I don't have to send the photos while E-filing since they will be taken at the bio-metric appt. I am done with my bio-metric appt. Do i need to contact USCIS about this or is there any thing you can suggest me.
Regards
Vijay
p.s I have already responded to the RFE with 2 color photos.
Its enough that you have responded the RFe and sent the photos.
hot gt;2005 Volkswagen Passat GLX
rbalaji5
03-30 02:29 PM
Do some research on Nuclear deal and see what it will bring to India in the next couple of decades. And tell me what Mr.Advani brought us when they were in power.
We need food and shelter to sleep than Nuclear Deal I like your Future prediction of Nuclear deal.!!. (obviously, we are hungry and looking for food and place to sleep :)
Letz change the Govt and see what will they do in future. (We did n't see anything big with Congress for the past 4 decades -
We need food and shelter to sleep than Nuclear Deal I like your Future prediction of Nuclear deal.!!. (obviously, we are hungry and looking for food and place to sleep :)
Letz change the Govt and see what will they do in future. (We did n't see anything big with Congress for the past 4 decades -
more...
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OLDMONK
07-24 04:29 PM
Its not the question of economy alone. When deciding to go back. Its a question about convenience.
a) I don't want to stand in line to pay my Electric/Telephone/House Tax/Income Tax/Train Ticket/Air Ticket/Bus Ticket/Children Admission-donations/Petrol Line/LP Gas Line/Restaurant Line/Chola Bhatura Line/Samosa Line/RTO Office line/Registration line/License Line/Stock Buy line/Stock Sell Line/Bank Deposit Line/Bank Draft Line/Fixed Deposit Line/Kisaan Vikas Patra Line/Registered/Speed post Line/Blue Dart Line/Company registration line/College admission line/College fee line/University degree line/Interview Line/Booking a Car line/Beer Whisky Line/Canteen Line.
Half the country stands in line, the other half manages the line. Neither has any civic sense.
b) I don't want to bribe babus who manage above lines to get ahead in line.
d) I don't want power failures/cooler failures/ac failures/broken roads/or other catastrophic system failures.
e) I dont want fake or mixed eating oil / flour / milk / cheese / butter / peppers / lentils / rice
f) I don't want dangerous chemical fertilizers in my produce (slow killers - massive kidney failure rate in India for past 10 years)
g) I don't want to teach my children dishonesty and tricks of survival/street smartness (in ref to corruption in India) which don't add any value to their personality.
h) The only reason I would wanna go back is for my immediate family and friends. Thats the only thing I miss when it comes to India.
I wouldn't go back and I believe even MK Gandhi himself would'nt leave from Africa for India in todays times.
Also Its the enemy within (corruption) which can cause great harm and we have that kind of enemy now. You can never ever change the attitudes which people carry in India without another revolution.
I am sure I can come up with a huge list of positives too, They will sound very good and will give me a great feeling of fake National Pride.
Now go ahead and kill me for saying all the above.!!
a) I don't want to stand in line to pay my Electric/Telephone/House Tax/Income Tax/Train Ticket/Air Ticket/Bus Ticket/Children Admission-donations/Petrol Line/LP Gas Line/Restaurant Line/Chola Bhatura Line/Samosa Line/RTO Office line/Registration line/License Line/Stock Buy line/Stock Sell Line/Bank Deposit Line/Bank Draft Line/Fixed Deposit Line/Kisaan Vikas Patra Line/Registered/Speed post Line/Blue Dart Line/Company registration line/College admission line/College fee line/University degree line/Interview Line/Booking a Car line/Beer Whisky Line/Canteen Line.
Half the country stands in line, the other half manages the line. Neither has any civic sense.
b) I don't want to bribe babus who manage above lines to get ahead in line.
d) I don't want power failures/cooler failures/ac failures/broken roads/or other catastrophic system failures.
e) I dont want fake or mixed eating oil / flour / milk / cheese / butter / peppers / lentils / rice
f) I don't want dangerous chemical fertilizers in my produce (slow killers - massive kidney failure rate in India for past 10 years)
g) I don't want to teach my children dishonesty and tricks of survival/street smartness (in ref to corruption in India) which don't add any value to their personality.
h) The only reason I would wanna go back is for my immediate family and friends. Thats the only thing I miss when it comes to India.
I wouldn't go back and I believe even MK Gandhi himself would'nt leave from Africa for India in todays times.
Also Its the enemy within (corruption) which can cause great harm and we have that kind of enemy now. You can never ever change the attitudes which people carry in India without another revolution.
I am sure I can come up with a huge list of positives too, They will sound very good and will give me a great feeling of fake National Pride.
Now go ahead and kill me for saying all the above.!!
tattoo 2001 Volkswagen Passat
tikka
07-03 11:02 PM
Immigration lawyers raised unusually irate protests yesterday after the State Department and the immigration service abruptly withdrew tens of thousands of job-based visas they had offered last month to foreign professionals hoping to become permanent residents in the United States.
The outcry was provoked by a terse announcement on Monday in which the State Department said it would not grant any more visas for the 2007 fiscal year to foreigners applying to become permanent residents based on their job skills. That notice reversed one the department had issued on June 13 announcing a two-month window starting July 2 for aspiring, high-skilled immigrants from around the world to present applications for visas known as green cards.
The State Department said the 60,000 visas it had expected to offer would no longer be available because of �sudden backlog reduction efforts� by Citizenship and Immigration Services, the federal agency that processes applications for the visas offered by the department.
In a statement yesterday, the American Immigration Lawyers Association accused the two agencies of perpetrating a �hoax� and a �bait and switch� against hopeful legal immigrants who played by the book.
�Here people followed the rules and did everything right, yet without warning or explanation the door was slammed in their faces,� said Kathleen Campbell Walker, the president of the association.
To apply, immigrants must undergo medical examinations and assemble documents to prove their job skills and show that a United States employer has sponsored them. Foreigners must be in the United States when they present their applications, which are processed on a first-come, first-served basis.
Because of backlogs for employment-based visas, foreigners have had to wait many years just to be allowed to file their applications.
Thousands of medical and technology professionals, including many working here on temporary visas, scrambled for weeks to get their documents together, in some cases canceling travel plans, in order to file their applications on Monday, the first day of the window. The State Department and the immigration agency closed the window without accepting a single application.
�I am concerned that such action may violate the law and could threaten the integrity of our immigration system,� Representative Zoe Lofgren, Democrat of California who is chairwoman of the House Judiciary subcommittee on immigration, wrote in letters yesterday to Michael Chertoff, the secretary of homeland security, and Condoleezza Rice, the secretary of state. Ms. Lofgren warned that the federal government could face costly litigation because of its change of course.
The State Department said it would begin accepting applications on Oct. 1 for 2008 visas. On July 30, the immigration agency will raise its processing fees by an average of 66 percent.
The outcry was provoked by a terse announcement on Monday in which the State Department said it would not grant any more visas for the 2007 fiscal year to foreigners applying to become permanent residents based on their job skills. That notice reversed one the department had issued on June 13 announcing a two-month window starting July 2 for aspiring, high-skilled immigrants from around the world to present applications for visas known as green cards.
The State Department said the 60,000 visas it had expected to offer would no longer be available because of �sudden backlog reduction efforts� by Citizenship and Immigration Services, the federal agency that processes applications for the visas offered by the department.
In a statement yesterday, the American Immigration Lawyers Association accused the two agencies of perpetrating a �hoax� and a �bait and switch� against hopeful legal immigrants who played by the book.
�Here people followed the rules and did everything right, yet without warning or explanation the door was slammed in their faces,� said Kathleen Campbell Walker, the president of the association.
To apply, immigrants must undergo medical examinations and assemble documents to prove their job skills and show that a United States employer has sponsored them. Foreigners must be in the United States when they present their applications, which are processed on a first-come, first-served basis.
Because of backlogs for employment-based visas, foreigners have had to wait many years just to be allowed to file their applications.
Thousands of medical and technology professionals, including many working here on temporary visas, scrambled for weeks to get their documents together, in some cases canceling travel plans, in order to file their applications on Monday, the first day of the window. The State Department and the immigration agency closed the window without accepting a single application.
�I am concerned that such action may violate the law and could threaten the integrity of our immigration system,� Representative Zoe Lofgren, Democrat of California who is chairwoman of the House Judiciary subcommittee on immigration, wrote in letters yesterday to Michael Chertoff, the secretary of homeland security, and Condoleezza Rice, the secretary of state. Ms. Lofgren warned that the federal government could face costly litigation because of its change of course.
The State Department said it would begin accepting applications on Oct. 1 for 2008 visas. On July 30, the immigration agency will raise its processing fees by an average of 66 percent.
more...
pictures 2010 Volkswagen Passat Wagon
unseenguy
03-27 04:07 PM
I think Laloo will make a good PM with external support.
It should be performance based ;)
It should be performance based ;)
dresses 2000 Volkswagen Passat
Macaca
07-03 09:01 PM
I will need everyone's input since I don't know all issues.
Titles
"Immigration scandal goes unnoticed" or "USCIS drama and tantrum to lessen workload" or "Is this legal?" or "Resignations due at USCIS" or "Foul Play synonym USCIS Play" or GOVT "AGENCIES SHORT CIRCUIT A MILLION HOPES" or "The US govt. does a number on High Skilled Immigrants" or "Legal immigrants and the prison of USCIS" or "Door slams shut for highly skilled LEGAL immigrants in the US" or "US closes the door for highly skilled LEGAL immigrants" or "US isolates highly skilled legal immigrants" or "Broken Legal immigration system harmful to US competitiveness" or "Legal Immigration system in shambles" or "Flip-Flop: DOS & USCIS in cahoots?" or "USCIS betrays thousands of hopeful"
Retrogression in employment based (EB) legal permanent resident (= GC) process
Skilled tax paying immigrants
Adjustment of Status (AOS) is last stage in EB GC process
AOS application requirements
Application requires
Medical
increase in (hard to get) appointments across United States
Some had to take MMR vaccine and hence postpone their plans to have kids by 3-6 months as recommended by NIH. (newbee7)
Birth certificate
request for documentation in country of origin
Requires applicant and dependents (spouse + children) to be in country.
Some applicants and/or dependents had to fly in to be able to apply. (chanduv23)
2-3 days to prepare forms
Applicants changed their schedules to submit forms
Cost of applying
Application Fee
I-765 (Application for Employment Authorization) $180
I-485 (Application for Adjustment of Status to register as Permanent Resident)
($225 for applicaiton below 14 and over 80 (Should check on this)) $ 325
I-131 (Application for Advance Parole / Travel Document) $170 -
Biometric Recording Fees (Finger Printing, etc) $70
Total $745
Lawyer Fee $1000+
Others
Medical $250+
Pictures $30-40
Postage $50
Misc $50
2 Days off Work
Overseas travel to fill form
Looks like only $380+ is lost per applicant.
Need good estimate on #dependents!
Benefits of AOS application
provides Employment Authorization (EAD) that
allows applicant to change employers 180 days after filing AOS, if the new job is the same as the one they based their positions/original GC applications on. This is very important for applicants, who are bound to a particular employer for 6+ years due to GC processing delays.
allows spouse to get out of the house and contribute to American economy.
eliminates the need for continually renewing temporary skilled visa
A 21+ year old child can not be filed with primary applicant. However, once AOS is filed the child is "safe" regardless of how long USCIS takes to approve AOS. (My son turn 21 in mid-January 2008: darslee)
provides Advanced Parole (AP) for travel without visa -> saves Embassy overhead
application processing, which includes name checking that can take 1+ year, can be done while waiting for GC #.
USCIS gets a better load estimate for load balancing.
What happened
Applicants started filling forms on June 13th
Some applicants mailed forms on June 29th
USCIS announced on July 2 that it will not accept forms recieved on or after July 2
Why does it hurt
Waiting in line for 6+ years due to previous GC processing delays
Very little chance of legislative relief for a long time.
Rejected June filers can not re-file.
Some applicants did not file in June (due to prior engagements) because they had the option of filing in July.
$'s lost on re-applying
Lawyers who charged $1000+ for filing will not refund service fee and charge for additional processing
Medical will not be valid after 1 year and photos will not be valid after 6 months.
estimated expenses for at least 100,000 applicants is $6,000+ million in filing fees, medical examination expenses, incidental expenses such as travel, photocopying, phone calls, courier, etc., not including the 2-3 days of preparation time expended by each family as well as lost productivity experienced by applicants’ businesses due to absence from work
Fees increasing 66% starting Aug 1 2007; should consider July applicants under old rate
USCIS which is supported 90% by application fee should pay some attention to applicants
Special cases
I applied for H1B extension when my PD was current. Since my PD was current, I got 1 year extension. However, I could not apply for AOS. Now, I have to re-apply for H1B extension after 1 year. (??)
I could not apply in July. I had planned overseas trip on July 8th. What happens if my date becomes current before I return? (andyny73)
Individual trauma and stress
Thousands of individuals and businesses rely on the monthly bulletins to prepare and plan for the submission of applications. This update sets a terrible precedent, and undermines this nation’s efforts to foster legal and orderly immigration.
Patience is not just a virtue but a way of life for millions of legal immigrants who have been living in US for 6+ years. Besides everyday stress of job, mortgage, health and education of their children, they live with the added suspense of their GC application. (from vasa)
We are raising families here, our everyday life is no different from any other AMERICAN middle class family with same expectations and hopes. So it is not easy to presume that we can pull out or get out of this situation and return to our home countries. (from vasa)
The biggest loss is trust: Can we trust and rely on visa bulletin to prepare AOS application?
Applicants will always live in fear untill they receive receipt #
USCIS history
376, 345 GCs went unused from 1992-2006 mainly due to USCIS inefficiency
According to page 35 of ombudsman report, This loss of visas is due to:
gaps in USCIS’ accounting of cases;
USCIS not processing enough pending applications in a timely manner; and
the imprecise art of predicting workflows and demand surges at three federal agencies:
Department of Labor (DOL) (approves labor certifications);
USCIS (processes immigration petitions after completion of labor certifications and processes green card applications for applicants in the United States); and
DOS (establishes priority dates and processes immigrant visas from applicants outside the United States).
Comparison with Undocumented
Titles
"Immigration scandal goes unnoticed" or "USCIS drama and tantrum to lessen workload" or "Is this legal?" or "Resignations due at USCIS" or "Foul Play synonym USCIS Play" or GOVT "AGENCIES SHORT CIRCUIT A MILLION HOPES" or "The US govt. does a number on High Skilled Immigrants" or "Legal immigrants and the prison of USCIS" or "Door slams shut for highly skilled LEGAL immigrants in the US" or "US closes the door for highly skilled LEGAL immigrants" or "US isolates highly skilled legal immigrants" or "Broken Legal immigration system harmful to US competitiveness" or "Legal Immigration system in shambles" or "Flip-Flop: DOS & USCIS in cahoots?" or "USCIS betrays thousands of hopeful"
Retrogression in employment based (EB) legal permanent resident (= GC) process
Skilled tax paying immigrants
Adjustment of Status (AOS) is last stage in EB GC process
AOS application requirements
Application requires
Medical
increase in (hard to get) appointments across United States
Some had to take MMR vaccine and hence postpone their plans to have kids by 3-6 months as recommended by NIH. (newbee7)
Birth certificate
request for documentation in country of origin
Requires applicant and dependents (spouse + children) to be in country.
Some applicants and/or dependents had to fly in to be able to apply. (chanduv23)
2-3 days to prepare forms
Applicants changed their schedules to submit forms
Cost of applying
Application Fee
I-765 (Application for Employment Authorization) $180
I-485 (Application for Adjustment of Status to register as Permanent Resident)
($225 for applicaiton below 14 and over 80 (Should check on this)) $ 325
I-131 (Application for Advance Parole / Travel Document) $170 -
Biometric Recording Fees (Finger Printing, etc) $70
Total $745
Lawyer Fee $1000+
Others
Medical $250+
Pictures $30-40
Postage $50
Misc $50
2 Days off Work
Overseas travel to fill form
Looks like only $380+ is lost per applicant.
Need good estimate on #dependents!
Benefits of AOS application
provides Employment Authorization (EAD) that
allows applicant to change employers 180 days after filing AOS, if the new job is the same as the one they based their positions/original GC applications on. This is very important for applicants, who are bound to a particular employer for 6+ years due to GC processing delays.
allows spouse to get out of the house and contribute to American economy.
eliminates the need for continually renewing temporary skilled visa
A 21+ year old child can not be filed with primary applicant. However, once AOS is filed the child is "safe" regardless of how long USCIS takes to approve AOS. (My son turn 21 in mid-January 2008: darslee)
provides Advanced Parole (AP) for travel without visa -> saves Embassy overhead
application processing, which includes name checking that can take 1+ year, can be done while waiting for GC #.
USCIS gets a better load estimate for load balancing.
What happened
Applicants started filling forms on June 13th
Some applicants mailed forms on June 29th
USCIS announced on July 2 that it will not accept forms recieved on or after July 2
Why does it hurt
Waiting in line for 6+ years due to previous GC processing delays
Very little chance of legislative relief for a long time.
Rejected June filers can not re-file.
Some applicants did not file in June (due to prior engagements) because they had the option of filing in July.
$'s lost on re-applying
Lawyers who charged $1000+ for filing will not refund service fee and charge for additional processing
Medical will not be valid after 1 year and photos will not be valid after 6 months.
estimated expenses for at least 100,000 applicants is $6,000+ million in filing fees, medical examination expenses, incidental expenses such as travel, photocopying, phone calls, courier, etc., not including the 2-3 days of preparation time expended by each family as well as lost productivity experienced by applicants’ businesses due to absence from work
Fees increasing 66% starting Aug 1 2007; should consider July applicants under old rate
USCIS which is supported 90% by application fee should pay some attention to applicants
Special cases
I applied for H1B extension when my PD was current. Since my PD was current, I got 1 year extension. However, I could not apply for AOS. Now, I have to re-apply for H1B extension after 1 year. (??)
I could not apply in July. I had planned overseas trip on July 8th. What happens if my date becomes current before I return? (andyny73)
Individual trauma and stress
Thousands of individuals and businesses rely on the monthly bulletins to prepare and plan for the submission of applications. This update sets a terrible precedent, and undermines this nation’s efforts to foster legal and orderly immigration.
Patience is not just a virtue but a way of life for millions of legal immigrants who have been living in US for 6+ years. Besides everyday stress of job, mortgage, health and education of their children, they live with the added suspense of their GC application. (from vasa)
We are raising families here, our everyday life is no different from any other AMERICAN middle class family with same expectations and hopes. So it is not easy to presume that we can pull out or get out of this situation and return to our home countries. (from vasa)
The biggest loss is trust: Can we trust and rely on visa bulletin to prepare AOS application?
Applicants will always live in fear untill they receive receipt #
USCIS history
376, 345 GCs went unused from 1992-2006 mainly due to USCIS inefficiency
According to page 35 of ombudsman report, This loss of visas is due to:
gaps in USCIS’ accounting of cases;
USCIS not processing enough pending applications in a timely manner; and
the imprecise art of predicting workflows and demand surges at three federal agencies:
Department of Labor (DOL) (approves labor certifications);
USCIS (processes immigration petitions after completion of labor certifications and processes green card applications for applicants in the United States); and
DOS (establishes priority dates and processes immigrant visas from applicants outside the United States).
Comparison with Undocumented
more...
makeup 2000 Volkswagen Passat GLX
vamsi_poondla
05-13 10:21 AM
Tamil problem is true, relevant and has to be solved within the framework of SL Constitution with all moderate SL Tamil parties sitting across the table.
If Tamil issue == LTTE, no Indian would support (and a significant majority of SL Tamils themselves will not support). Every single LTTE member has to be brought to the court if possible or they should perish in the war. However noble their intention was, their means is called Terrorism, which any civil person should oppose. Now don't draw any arguments about Black July or Sinhalese Only policy of 1960s. I know that and that is what is reflected in the paragraph 1 above.
And dont get hyper if you see TN politicians making ruffle. They already proved that they have no brain. Just want your votes and they know how to provoke. Otherwise offensive started long back and with the same arms approved by Indian Cabinet in which many TN parties are members of.
If Tamil issue == LTTE, no Indian would support (and a significant majority of SL Tamils themselves will not support). Every single LTTE member has to be brought to the court if possible or they should perish in the war. However noble their intention was, their means is called Terrorism, which any civil person should oppose. Now don't draw any arguments about Black July or Sinhalese Only policy of 1960s. I know that and that is what is reflected in the paragraph 1 above.
And dont get hyper if you see TN politicians making ruffle. They already proved that they have no brain. Just want your votes and they know how to provoke. Otherwise offensive started long back and with the same arms approved by Indian Cabinet in which many TN parties are members of.
girlfriend vw wagon 9.jpg (25.49 KB,
chintanop
07-03 04:21 PM
Hi all,
Regarding the recent goofup by USCIS, please rate this story
http://digg.com/politics/No_July_4th_Celebrations_for_Highly_Skilled_Future _Americans/who
if this receives more than 100 users rating for the story in next 5-10 hours - it would be displayed on the first page. Digg.com is read by hundreds of thousands of web users and there is high chance of getting picked by main stream media.
Note that you ll have to signup as digg.com member to rate it - it ll just take 30 secs of your time.
Sorry I wasn't able to submit the official IV prlog.com url since it is not accepted by Digg.
thanks.
Regarding the recent goofup by USCIS, please rate this story
http://digg.com/politics/No_July_4th_Celebrations_for_Highly_Skilled_Future _Americans/who
if this receives more than 100 users rating for the story in next 5-10 hours - it would be displayed on the first page. Digg.com is read by hundreds of thousands of web users and there is high chance of getting picked by main stream media.
Note that you ll have to signup as digg.com member to rate it - it ll just take 30 secs of your time.
Sorry I wasn't able to submit the official IV prlog.com url since it is not accepted by Digg.
thanks.
hairstyles 2000 Volkswagen Passat Station
villamonte6100
02-18 02:13 PM
Did you ask you lawyer? It's so much easier to criticize.
My immigration lawyer laughed when I asked about a possibility of filing WOM to force action on my stalled I-485. So I proceeded myself. Yes, I did many mistakes but I ultimately prevailed. AILF lawyer and Assistant US Attorney could not believe that an ordinary programmer can write quality legal briefs and challenge the government. Some of my friends did not bother with WOM and are still waiting while others followed and received green cards. If you think outside of the box, you can achieve something others could not.
Congratulations!!! I think you really did a great job.
But what we are discussing here is class action.
My immigration lawyer laughed when I asked about a possibility of filing WOM to force action on my stalled I-485. So I proceeded myself. Yes, I did many mistakes but I ultimately prevailed. AILF lawyer and Assistant US Attorney could not believe that an ordinary programmer can write quality legal briefs and challenge the government. Some of my friends did not bother with WOM and are still waiting while others followed and received green cards. If you think outside of the box, you can achieve something others could not.
Congratulations!!! I think you really did a great job.
But what we are discussing here is class action.
angelfire76
06-02 05:59 PM
This is what I am trying to tell you.
Nobody will do it. Because we all are scared of risking our name added in the lawsuit against USCIS. We will all talk about filing lawsuit but cannot really do it.
How those Indian guys over in the UK filed their lawsuit against UK immigration changing it's rules without notice? I think they filed a public litigation against the government.
Nobody will do it. Because we all are scared of risking our name added in the lawsuit against USCIS. We will all talk about filing lawsuit but cannot really do it.
How those Indian guys over in the UK filed their lawsuit against UK immigration changing it's rules without notice? I think they filed a public litigation against the government.
thomachan72
08-19 08:19 AM
I'm not from India, so you know how non-Indian will look at this issue.
First of all, thanks to IV for helping our cause.
Same as vinzen, that I usually just browse through this kinda topic, but I can't help to reply.
Have several question:
1. How many non-Indian in USA that watch bollywood movie? So, what makes him a high profile in the eyes of Immigration officer (IO)? Do we need to educate all IO to recoqnize all the actors in India, Pakistan, China, Japan, Korea and all others?
I personally never heard of this SRK guy before reading this thread. So how would you guys expect the immigration officer, who's mostlikely non-Indian, would know this guy? I agree with Pappu that says "He is a famous actor to a very very small minority Indian Community in USA".
2. Looking at how he make big deal of this in media. He probably cause this delay by himself. I can imagine the conversation at the immigration office as (copying all the answer from Ryan's earlier comment on what he's asked for when he came here):
IO: Why are you visiting US?
SRK: Do you know that I'm SRK?
IO: Who do you work for?
SRK: I'm SRK, now let me pass.
IO: Where will you live in US?
SRK: I'm SRK
IO: How long have you been in US?
SRK: I'm SRK
IO: Do you have family here?
SRK: I'm SRK
And it goes on and on for 66 mins or 2 hrs until he finally realize that he's a nobody in US.
This is the kinda thread that non-Indian will laugh at. There's lots of non-Indian that goes to this public forum (such as me). Just trying to help IV to not lose credential just because of this sorts of "indian" exclusive thread.
My friend this is the greatest post ever. A real eye opener. But remember that it is through threads like these that you get to see the "real" Indian ideals. I am very sad to say that most of us Indians are screwed up with this idol worship. The conversation between SRK and IO that you put out is exactly true. I know a friend of mine who was waiting in line for the visa interview and ofcourse he is a megalomaniac (world revolves around him). He saw (or imagined) the visa officer talking tough to a women who apparently did not understand english right in front of him and decided he has to be the mesiah (savior). He jumped in and tried to save the women. Ultimately he was denied the visa and ofcourse he later met the women outside who was smiling because she had been granted one. that is why your conversation makes very good sense here. "I am SRK":D:D:D
First of all, thanks to IV for helping our cause.
Same as vinzen, that I usually just browse through this kinda topic, but I can't help to reply.
Have several question:
1. How many non-Indian in USA that watch bollywood movie? So, what makes him a high profile in the eyes of Immigration officer (IO)? Do we need to educate all IO to recoqnize all the actors in India, Pakistan, China, Japan, Korea and all others?
I personally never heard of this SRK guy before reading this thread. So how would you guys expect the immigration officer, who's mostlikely non-Indian, would know this guy? I agree with Pappu that says "He is a famous actor to a very very small minority Indian Community in USA".
2. Looking at how he make big deal of this in media. He probably cause this delay by himself. I can imagine the conversation at the immigration office as (copying all the answer from Ryan's earlier comment on what he's asked for when he came here):
IO: Why are you visiting US?
SRK: Do you know that I'm SRK?
IO: Who do you work for?
SRK: I'm SRK, now let me pass.
IO: Where will you live in US?
SRK: I'm SRK
IO: How long have you been in US?
SRK: I'm SRK
IO: Do you have family here?
SRK: I'm SRK
And it goes on and on for 66 mins or 2 hrs until he finally realize that he's a nobody in US.
This is the kinda thread that non-Indian will laugh at. There's lots of non-Indian that goes to this public forum (such as me). Just trying to help IV to not lose credential just because of this sorts of "indian" exclusive thread.
My friend this is the greatest post ever. A real eye opener. But remember that it is through threads like these that you get to see the "real" Indian ideals. I am very sad to say that most of us Indians are screwed up with this idol worship. The conversation between SRK and IO that you put out is exactly true. I know a friend of mine who was waiting in line for the visa interview and ofcourse he is a megalomaniac (world revolves around him). He saw (or imagined) the visa officer talking tough to a women who apparently did not understand english right in front of him and decided he has to be the mesiah (savior). He jumped in and tried to save the women. Ultimately he was denied the visa and ofcourse he later met the women outside who was smiling because she had been granted one. that is why your conversation makes very good sense here. "I am SRK":D:D:D
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