conchshell
07-29 04:39 PM
CIS Ombudsman's 2008 Annual Report: Your Questions and Comments" Tuesday, July 29, 3 pm EST - New 07/14/2008
Is any one would like to join this !
I was wondering if there is any update available from this meeting?
Is any one would like to join this !
I was wondering if there is any update available from this meeting?
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wellwisher02
03-27 03:22 PM
Has anyone gone to Vancouver for H1B stamping? Please share your experience and any pointers. It will be a great help.
Also, I found this on Vancouver consolate website:
"Passports and visas will be returned to the applicants with Canadian addresses by Canada Post, generally within three to five business days after the visa is approved. In person pick up will be available only in a legitimate emergency (as determined by the Consulate). "
This is disconcerting. I do not have luxary to wait 3-5 days to get my stamped passport via mail. Is this a standard process? Will they allow in-person pick up the same day?
Thank you.
Hey,
Lemme share my H1B Visa stamping in Vancouver, BC in July 2006:
1. First of all, you need to fix a Visa Stamping appointment via www.nvars.com.
2. Get a Canadian visa to make your trip to Canada. (I didn't have to do this since I hold Canadian Green Card.)
3. On the appointment date, be atleast 1 hour ahead of your appointment time.
4. Do not carry any electronic items (car remote, camera, etc) and food/liquid.
5. Carry all the relevant paperwork along with cash in US dollars, just in case you wanna pay fees by cash.
6. Present the documents asked for, and answer questions posed by the Visa officer confidently.
7. The attending Visa officer will tell you to go to a particular counter to pay a reciprocity fee.
7. Once the fee is paid, you need to collect your passport with new H1B visa stamped the next day at 3 PM.
You will not be able to collect your passport with H1 Visa stamped the same day. If your paperwork is organized (meaning you have all the relevant documents for H1B visa stamping), you'll get your passport the next day. Normally, it is stated in their printed document that it would take 2 - 3 business days. In reality, you can collect it the next day unless your case requires more investigation (due to any missing documentation, etc) by the US consulate. You should stay there for atleast 2 business days to get your H1B visa stamping done. Getting your visa stamped in contiguous neighbouring country like Canada and Mexico is convenient as opposed to going to your home country which would otherwise cost your more time and money.
Hope this helps.
Also, I found this on Vancouver consolate website:
"Passports and visas will be returned to the applicants with Canadian addresses by Canada Post, generally within three to five business days after the visa is approved. In person pick up will be available only in a legitimate emergency (as determined by the Consulate). "
This is disconcerting. I do not have luxary to wait 3-5 days to get my stamped passport via mail. Is this a standard process? Will they allow in-person pick up the same day?
Thank you.
Hey,
Lemme share my H1B Visa stamping in Vancouver, BC in July 2006:
1. First of all, you need to fix a Visa Stamping appointment via www.nvars.com.
2. Get a Canadian visa to make your trip to Canada. (I didn't have to do this since I hold Canadian Green Card.)
3. On the appointment date, be atleast 1 hour ahead of your appointment time.
4. Do not carry any electronic items (car remote, camera, etc) and food/liquid.
5. Carry all the relevant paperwork along with cash in US dollars, just in case you wanna pay fees by cash.
6. Present the documents asked for, and answer questions posed by the Visa officer confidently.
7. The attending Visa officer will tell you to go to a particular counter to pay a reciprocity fee.
7. Once the fee is paid, you need to collect your passport with new H1B visa stamped the next day at 3 PM.
You will not be able to collect your passport with H1 Visa stamped the same day. If your paperwork is organized (meaning you have all the relevant documents for H1B visa stamping), you'll get your passport the next day. Normally, it is stated in their printed document that it would take 2 - 3 business days. In reality, you can collect it the next day unless your case requires more investigation (due to any missing documentation, etc) by the US consulate. You should stay there for atleast 2 business days to get your H1B visa stamping done. Getting your visa stamped in contiguous neighbouring country like Canada and Mexico is convenient as opposed to going to your home country which would otherwise cost your more time and money.
Hope this helps.
sudhirdd
07-11 02:48 PM
I am seriouly looking out for a job as currently on bench from last one month and my employer doesn't pay the bench salary. Currently I am on EAD with my GC sponsering employer. I would appreciate if any of you pls. reply this post. My question is,
If I joined a new employer using EAD-AC21 (as 11 month passed of my I-485) which is very small employer (currently have about 35 employees only), would it cause a problem in my GC process approval? I mean, do you think USCIS may create any RFC as I have join the very small employer, may ask any financial document to declare? Can you pls. tell me what are the potential problems my come in this situation?
Pls. help, your reply will be highly appreciable?
If I joined a new employer using EAD-AC21 (as 11 month passed of my I-485) which is very small employer (currently have about 35 employees only), would it cause a problem in my GC process approval? I mean, do you think USCIS may create any RFC as I have join the very small employer, may ask any financial document to declare? Can you pls. tell me what are the potential problems my come in this situation?
Pls. help, your reply will be highly appreciable?
2011 Curtis Stone and Lindsay Price
conchshell
07-16 11:11 AM
It means ALL the cases filed before 7/17/07 have been processed, doesn't mean they are not working on cases beyond july 17th.
Please note, it means that USCIS has touched a case till the mentioned date. It does not mean that they have processed all cases before this date.
Please note, it means that USCIS has touched a case till the mentioned date. It does not mean that they have processed all cases before this date.
more...
rssb
09-15 02:18 PM
Congrats
cnachu2
09-16 02:52 PM
I DONT SEE ANY PROBLEMS, AS LONG AS YOU KEEP YOUR AP, LETTER FROM YOUR EMPLOYER AND LAST 3 PAY STUBS AND COPY OF I485,EAD,AC21 COPY IF YOU HAVE ONE
Hi,
I am also planning to travel on AP to India. I changed my employer, but didn't file AC21. AP's are still from the time when i was working for my old employer who sponsored me. Will it be any issue, if i travel with these AP's. What type of letter do i need to take from present employer durimg my travel. Please advise...
Hi,
I am also planning to travel on AP to India. I changed my employer, but didn't file AC21. AP's are still from the time when i was working for my old employer who sponsored me. Will it be any issue, if i travel with these AP's. What type of letter do i need to take from present employer durimg my travel. Please advise...
more...
snathan
05-19 09:10 PM
Dude snathan,
I am not responding to you for this response, I have seen your responses before.
You definetly need to consider taking this How to Communicate with Diplomacy, Tact and Credibility (http://www.amanet.org/training/seminars/How-to-Communicate-with-Diplomacy-Tact-and-Credibility.aspx)
Take it easy buddy, trying to help you....
Thanks for the link...Btw are you taking the same class...:)
I am not responding to you for this response, I have seen your responses before.
You definetly need to consider taking this How to Communicate with Diplomacy, Tact and Credibility (http://www.amanet.org/training/seminars/How-to-Communicate-with-Diplomacy-Tact-and-Credibility.aspx)
Take it easy buddy, trying to help you....
Thanks for the link...Btw are you taking the same class...:)
2010 Masters Curtis Stone stops
lostinbeta
10-21 02:19 AM
Oh, I gotcha.... your a dead head. Did you decorate a cake like that? (I believe that was the pic in the Tell Us thread)?
more...
BharatPremi
11-09 01:19 PM
to those who replied, i'm sure iv can use all your skills
please make sure your profiles are completed, we cannot proceed without basic contact information on you.
we may eventually ask you for a resume- not that we need all the details but it does help understand background and skills and you will get a much better fit for your volunteer work. this is something we have learnt from past experience...
everyone willing to help is welcome. please do not forget the profile!!!
What main theme do you expect for probable resume?
please make sure your profiles are completed, we cannot proceed without basic contact information on you.
we may eventually ask you for a resume- not that we need all the details but it does help understand background and skills and you will get a much better fit for your volunteer work. this is something we have learnt from past experience...
everyone willing to help is welcome. please do not forget the profile!!!
What main theme do you expect for probable resume?
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jesicakalra
01-30 06:26 AM
China is a very good place for Indian ........
more...
mdipi
10-28 09:15 PM
eberth, did you do the bed?
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chanduv23
10-02 01:28 PM
Come on So Cal folks. We are meeting in Cerritos, CA this Saturday October 6th at 3pm. Login to our yahoo group for more information.
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/SC_Immigration_Voice/
You are welcome - we need active participation at the State level.
Come on SC folks do join the meeting
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/SC_Immigration_Voice/
You are welcome - we need active participation at the State level.
Come on SC folks do join the meeting
more...
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ssbaruah@yahoo.com
06-01 02:24 PM
Thank you for your immediate reply. I have 2 more questions as below :
My H1B is valid till 2011. I came through “A” company and this is my second employer (“B”). After I joined “B” company, I never went out of USA. “B” Company’s name is not reflected in my H1B visa (in passport). Only I have the copy of I129 with “B” company’s name. Now, I am no more with “B” company.
1. What is the process of re-enter to USA ? I mean, what type of documents I need to show to Immigration Dept ?
3. My families also need to re-enter to USA at the same time ?
Hopefully, I am able to explain my occurred situation correctly.
I need your valuable suggestion pls.
My H1B is valid till 2011. I came through “A” company and this is my second employer (“B”). After I joined “B” company, I never went out of USA. “B” Company’s name is not reflected in my H1B visa (in passport). Only I have the copy of I129 with “B” company’s name. Now, I am no more with “B” company.
1. What is the process of re-enter to USA ? I mean, what type of documents I need to show to Immigration Dept ?
3. My families also need to re-enter to USA at the same time ?
Hopefully, I am able to explain my occurred situation correctly.
I need your valuable suggestion pls.
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monkeyman
10-21 07:44 PM
You have taken a very risky proposition. The best bet is to talk to the lawyer and let him/her handle the situation. You could receive the RFE on 1 and on account of trying to mislead the USCIS may have some issues and could lead to a murky situation.
My friend's situation is even murkier - both him and his wife filed for I-485 (along with other documents). The hubby added his wife as dependent and the wife has added the hubby as dependent. So, they received two EADs each and two APs each. They also got 4 FP notices and when they went for FP the second time, the issue came to light. Now the two lawyers are trying to clear the issue - I am sure this is posted someplace in the forum.
Best bet is to talk to the lawyer.
My friend's situation is even murkier - both him and his wife filed for I-485 (along with other documents). The hubby added his wife as dependent and the wife has added the hubby as dependent. So, they received two EADs each and two APs each. They also got 4 FP notices and when they went for FP the second time, the issue came to light. Now the two lawyers are trying to clear the issue - I am sure this is posted someplace in the forum.
Best bet is to talk to the lawyer.
more...
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gccovet
06-25 12:24 PM
The question is, did you earn any money at all in 2007? The information you provided is a bit vague, in one place you say you received paychecks till December 15 2007, in another place you say you did not get paid in 2007. It is simple really, if you did not earn any money in 2007, then you do not have to add your W2 to your tax returns. If you did earn money in 2007, then the company has to supply you with a W2.
Of course, not earning any money in 2007, while keeping you okay with respect to the IRS, might get you in trouble with the USCIS.
also, not getting paychecks while on H1 open another can of worms.
GCCovet
Of course, not earning any money in 2007, while keeping you okay with respect to the IRS, might get you in trouble with the USCIS.
also, not getting paychecks while on H1 open another can of worms.
GCCovet
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lonedesi
08-04 04:29 PM
I have made changes and posted separate letters on http://immigrationvoice.org/forum/showthread.php?t=20657
Please post your comments on that thread
Please post your comments on that thread
more...
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99mutd08
06-18 03:50 PM
Nathu lodge is good to stay for 30 rs/night. This is behind the big koorakarkat near the laddoo baba temple. Just across the street from 2 coconut trees and coconut waterwaala.
Nathu lodge...30 Rs/night...lol.....good luck finding that
Nathu lodge...30 Rs/night...lol.....good luck finding that
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sunny1000
12-14 12:15 AM
Hi,
If married in India & want to take divorce in USA what is the procedure & will it be a valid divorce?
Sorry to hear that your marriage did not work out. If there is a way to work it out, please do via marriage counseling.
If not, give us some more details about your present situation to give you a qualified answer. I am attempting with what I have.
I assume that you both are Indian citizens.
If you and your spouse consent to the divorce mutually, you can obtain it here in the U.S (in your state of residence) as per the state law since divorce in the U.S is a state subject OR get it in India by mutual consent (it takes 6 months to obtain a divorce by mutual consent).
If your divorce is going to be contested and you both live here in the U.S, then, you can file here provided you believe that your spouse will not take refuge under the Indian laws by going back at any point during the start of the process (once you serve her/him with the Notice of action and she/he responds to it in the Court here in the U.S, that court has the jurisdiction usually).
If your divorce is going to be contested by your spouse AND if he/she is moving to India OR if already living in India, you are better off filing there. But, believe me, in this scenario, there is no good answer as you are in the lose/lose situation. Here is why:
1. It is very difficult to get a divorce in India, if contested (especially if contested by women) and it takes a very long time (average is 3 years in the Family court and it takes another 5-8 years to go thru the appeals process in the High court and the Supreme Court, if one of you choose to do so).
2. He/she can counter your divorce by filing what is called "Restitution of conjugal rights" (yes, India is one of those countries which still has this section) which entitles him/her temporary maintenance until the cases (both Restitution and Divorce) are settled, if he/she is not working (it runs in the average of Rs.35000 to Rs.40000 a month for you, if you are a working spouse from the U.S). Based on the final judgement, you will be responsible for a final settlement which may include property, monthly/one time alimony, child support etc.
3. You will have to appear for every hearing in person which is every 15 days to a month (exception is Karnataka where you can give power of Attorney to a relative. Even in that case, you will have to fly in every 6 months).
4. If her/his lawyer is a scumbag, he/she can harrass you by threatening to file false charges against you.
Please note, getting a divorce ex parte in U.S is very difficult and is also not valid in India. Your spouse can contest that in the Indian Supreme Court and you will be issued with a subpoena/summon. Failure to appear will lead to an arrest warrant.
Do a lot of research if your divorce is going to be contested in India and PLEASE consult a VERY qualified attorney in divorce law who can also handle international laws about divorce. This gets even more complicated if you have children. If any lawyer tells you that it will be over in 2-3 hearings, don't believe that unless it is a divorce by mutual consent.
From my personal experience, please try the best to get an out-of-court settlement (by hanging the pride and ego outside the door) as it saves a lot of time,money and agony for you and your family. Contested divorce is one of the most painful experiences in one's life and it does leave a permanent scar.
Good luck.
If married in India & want to take divorce in USA what is the procedure & will it be a valid divorce?
Sorry to hear that your marriage did not work out. If there is a way to work it out, please do via marriage counseling.
If not, give us some more details about your present situation to give you a qualified answer. I am attempting with what I have.
I assume that you both are Indian citizens.
If you and your spouse consent to the divorce mutually, you can obtain it here in the U.S (in your state of residence) as per the state law since divorce in the U.S is a state subject OR get it in India by mutual consent (it takes 6 months to obtain a divorce by mutual consent).
If your divorce is going to be contested and you both live here in the U.S, then, you can file here provided you believe that your spouse will not take refuge under the Indian laws by going back at any point during the start of the process (once you serve her/him with the Notice of action and she/he responds to it in the Court here in the U.S, that court has the jurisdiction usually).
If your divorce is going to be contested by your spouse AND if he/she is moving to India OR if already living in India, you are better off filing there. But, believe me, in this scenario, there is no good answer as you are in the lose/lose situation. Here is why:
1. It is very difficult to get a divorce in India, if contested (especially if contested by women) and it takes a very long time (average is 3 years in the Family court and it takes another 5-8 years to go thru the appeals process in the High court and the Supreme Court, if one of you choose to do so).
2. He/she can counter your divorce by filing what is called "Restitution of conjugal rights" (yes, India is one of those countries which still has this section) which entitles him/her temporary maintenance until the cases (both Restitution and Divorce) are settled, if he/she is not working (it runs in the average of Rs.35000 to Rs.40000 a month for you, if you are a working spouse from the U.S). Based on the final judgement, you will be responsible for a final settlement which may include property, monthly/one time alimony, child support etc.
3. You will have to appear for every hearing in person which is every 15 days to a month (exception is Karnataka where you can give power of Attorney to a relative. Even in that case, you will have to fly in every 6 months).
4. If her/his lawyer is a scumbag, he/she can harrass you by threatening to file false charges against you.
Please note, getting a divorce ex parte in U.S is very difficult and is also not valid in India. Your spouse can contest that in the Indian Supreme Court and you will be issued with a subpoena/summon. Failure to appear will lead to an arrest warrant.
Do a lot of research if your divorce is going to be contested in India and PLEASE consult a VERY qualified attorney in divorce law who can also handle international laws about divorce. This gets even more complicated if you have children. If any lawyer tells you that it will be over in 2-3 hearings, don't believe that unless it is a divorce by mutual consent.
From my personal experience, please try the best to get an out-of-court settlement (by hanging the pride and ego outside the door) as it saves a lot of time,money and agony for you and your family. Contested divorce is one of the most painful experiences in one's life and it does leave a permanent scar.
Good luck.
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cpolisetti
03-31 03:56 PM
She was also available for Q&A earlier today on Washington Post. I am quoting one question and answer in particular. Probably she can help in more visibilty of our voice?
Here is the link for todays Q&A:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/discussion/2006/03/30/DI2006033001345.html
Question from Washington, D.C.: Thank you for your informative article on a topic that needs more attention.
I'm trying to get an sense of the scope of the problem from the perspective of an H-1B visa holder. Just how long does it typically take professionals from India and China/Taiwan to get a green card through their employer these days? What disinsentives are there for employers, other than the risk that the green card may not be approved and their employee will have to return to their home country?
Answer from S. Mitra Kalita: Absent from much of this debate are the voices of H-1B holders themselves and I thank you for your question. I talked to someone who wouldn't allow himself to be quoted by name (so I did not use him in today's story) but this particular individual's story is one I hear often: He has been here for nine years, first on a student visa, then an H-1B. His employer applied for his green card in 2002 and he has been waiting four years because it is tied up in the backlog for labor certification. He said he is giving it six more months and if it doesn't come through, he's heading back to India. This stage is the one that a lot of observers agree where a worker risks being exploited. They are beholden to the employer because of the green card sponsorship (an H-1B visa can travel with a worker from one company to another, however) and cannot get promoted because that is technically a change in job classification -- and would require a new application. On the other hand, a lot of companies say that they know once someone gets a green card, they are out the door because suddenly they can start a company, go work for someone else, get promoted... Anyway, I could go on and on with background on this but instead I will post a story I did last summer on the green card backlog. Hang on.
Todays article:
Most See Visa Program as Severely Flawed
By S. Mitra Kalita
Washington Post Staff Writer
Friday, March 31, 2006; D01
Somewhere in the debate over immigration and the future of illegal workers, another, less-publicized fight is being waged over those who toil in air-conditioned offices, earn up to six-figure salaries and spend their days programming and punching code.
They are foreign workers who arrive on H-1B visas, mostly young men from India and China tapped for skilled jobs such as software engineers and systems analysts. Unlike seasonal guest workers who stay for about 10 months, H-1B workers stay as long as six years. By then, they must obtain a green card or go back home.
Yesterday, the House Judiciary Committee heard testimony for and against expanding the H-1B program. This week, the Senate Judiciary Committee approved legislation that would increase the H-1B cap to 115,000 from 65,000 and allow some foreign students to bypass the program altogether and immediately get sponsored for green cards, which allow immigrants to be permanent residents, free to live and work in the United States.
But underlying the arguments is a belief, even among the workers themselves, that the current H-1B program is severely flawed.
Opponents say the highly skilled foreign workers compete with and depress the wages of native-born Americans.
Supporters say foreign workers stimulate the economy, create more opportunities for their U.S. counterparts and prevent jobs from being outsourced overseas. The problem, they say, is the cumbersome process: Immigrants often spend six years as guest workers and then wait for green card sponsorship and approval.
At the House committee hearing yesterday, Stuart Anderson, executive director of the National Foundation for American Policy, a nonprofit research group, spoke in favor of raising the cap. Still, he said in an interview, the H-1B visa is far from ideal. "What you want to have is a system where people can get hired directly on green cards in 30 to 60 days," he said.
Economists seem divided on whether highly skilled immigrants depress wages for U.S. workers. In 2003, a study for the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta found no effect on salaries, with an average income for both H-1B and American computer programmers of $55,000.
Still, the study by Madeline Zavodny, now an economics professor at Agnes Scott College in Decatur, Ga., concluded "that unemployment was higher as a result of these H-1B workers."
In a working paper released this week, Harvard University economist George J. Borjas studied the wages of foreigners and native-born Americans with doctorates, concluding that the foreigners lowered the wages of competing workers by 3 to 4 percent. He said he suspected that his conclusion also measured the effects of H-1B visas.
"If there is a demand for engineers and no foreigners to take those jobs, salaries would shoot through the roof and make that very attractive for Americans," Borjas said.
The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers-USA says H-1B salaries are lower. "Those who are here on H-1B visas are being worked as indentured servants. They are being paid $13,000 less in the engineering and science worlds," said Ralph W. Wyndrum Jr., president of the advocacy group for technical professionals, which favors green-card-based immigration, but only for exceptional candidates.
Wyndrum said the current system allows foreign skilled workers to "take jobs away from equally good American engineers and scientists." He based his statements about salary disparities on a December report by John Miano, a software engineer, who favors tighter immigration controls. Miano spoke at the House hearing and cited figures from the Occupational Employment Statistics program that show U.S. computer programmers earn an average $65,000 a year, compared with $52,000 for H-1B programmers.
"Is it really a guest-worker program since most people want to stay here? Miano said in an interview. "There is direct displacement of American workers."
Those who recruit and hire retort that a global economy mandates finding the best employees in the world, not just the United States. And because green-card caps are allocated equally among countries (India and China are backlogged, for example), the H-1B becomes the easiest way to hire foreigners.
It is not always easy. Last year, Razorsight Corp., a technology company with offices in Fairfax and Bangalore, India, tried to sponsor more H-1B visas -- but they already were exhausted for the year. Currently, the company has 12 H-1B workers on a U.S. staff of 100, earning $80,000 to $120,000 a year.
Charlie Thomas, Razorsight's chief executive, said the cap should be based on market demand. "It's absolutely essential for us to have access to a global talent," he said. "If your product isn't the best it can be with the best cost structure and development, then someone else will do it. And that someone else may not be a U.S.-based company."
Because H-1B holders can switch employers to sponsor their visas, some workers said they demand salary increases along the way. But once a company sponsors their green cards, workers say they don't expect to be promoted or given a raise.
Now some H-1B holders are watching to see how Congress treats the millions of immigrants who crossed the borders through stealthier means.
Sameer Chandra, 30, who lives in Fairfax and works as a systems analyst on an H-1B visa, said he is concerned that Congress might make it easier for immigrants who entered the U.S. illegally to get a green card than people like him. "What is the point of staying here legally?" he said.
His Houston-based company has sponsored his green card, and Chandra said he hopes it is processed quickly. If it is not, he said, he will return to India. "There's a lot of opportunities there in my country."
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/discussion/2006/03/30/DI2006033001345.html
Here is the link for todays Q&A:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/discussion/2006/03/30/DI2006033001345.html
Question from Washington, D.C.: Thank you for your informative article on a topic that needs more attention.
I'm trying to get an sense of the scope of the problem from the perspective of an H-1B visa holder. Just how long does it typically take professionals from India and China/Taiwan to get a green card through their employer these days? What disinsentives are there for employers, other than the risk that the green card may not be approved and their employee will have to return to their home country?
Answer from S. Mitra Kalita: Absent from much of this debate are the voices of H-1B holders themselves and I thank you for your question. I talked to someone who wouldn't allow himself to be quoted by name (so I did not use him in today's story) but this particular individual's story is one I hear often: He has been here for nine years, first on a student visa, then an H-1B. His employer applied for his green card in 2002 and he has been waiting four years because it is tied up in the backlog for labor certification. He said he is giving it six more months and if it doesn't come through, he's heading back to India. This stage is the one that a lot of observers agree where a worker risks being exploited. They are beholden to the employer because of the green card sponsorship (an H-1B visa can travel with a worker from one company to another, however) and cannot get promoted because that is technically a change in job classification -- and would require a new application. On the other hand, a lot of companies say that they know once someone gets a green card, they are out the door because suddenly they can start a company, go work for someone else, get promoted... Anyway, I could go on and on with background on this but instead I will post a story I did last summer on the green card backlog. Hang on.
Todays article:
Most See Visa Program as Severely Flawed
By S. Mitra Kalita
Washington Post Staff Writer
Friday, March 31, 2006; D01
Somewhere in the debate over immigration and the future of illegal workers, another, less-publicized fight is being waged over those who toil in air-conditioned offices, earn up to six-figure salaries and spend their days programming and punching code.
They are foreign workers who arrive on H-1B visas, mostly young men from India and China tapped for skilled jobs such as software engineers and systems analysts. Unlike seasonal guest workers who stay for about 10 months, H-1B workers stay as long as six years. By then, they must obtain a green card or go back home.
Yesterday, the House Judiciary Committee heard testimony for and against expanding the H-1B program. This week, the Senate Judiciary Committee approved legislation that would increase the H-1B cap to 115,000 from 65,000 and allow some foreign students to bypass the program altogether and immediately get sponsored for green cards, which allow immigrants to be permanent residents, free to live and work in the United States.
But underlying the arguments is a belief, even among the workers themselves, that the current H-1B program is severely flawed.
Opponents say the highly skilled foreign workers compete with and depress the wages of native-born Americans.
Supporters say foreign workers stimulate the economy, create more opportunities for their U.S. counterparts and prevent jobs from being outsourced overseas. The problem, they say, is the cumbersome process: Immigrants often spend six years as guest workers and then wait for green card sponsorship and approval.
At the House committee hearing yesterday, Stuart Anderson, executive director of the National Foundation for American Policy, a nonprofit research group, spoke in favor of raising the cap. Still, he said in an interview, the H-1B visa is far from ideal. "What you want to have is a system where people can get hired directly on green cards in 30 to 60 days," he said.
Economists seem divided on whether highly skilled immigrants depress wages for U.S. workers. In 2003, a study for the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta found no effect on salaries, with an average income for both H-1B and American computer programmers of $55,000.
Still, the study by Madeline Zavodny, now an economics professor at Agnes Scott College in Decatur, Ga., concluded "that unemployment was higher as a result of these H-1B workers."
In a working paper released this week, Harvard University economist George J. Borjas studied the wages of foreigners and native-born Americans with doctorates, concluding that the foreigners lowered the wages of competing workers by 3 to 4 percent. He said he suspected that his conclusion also measured the effects of H-1B visas.
"If there is a demand for engineers and no foreigners to take those jobs, salaries would shoot through the roof and make that very attractive for Americans," Borjas said.
The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers-USA says H-1B salaries are lower. "Those who are here on H-1B visas are being worked as indentured servants. They are being paid $13,000 less in the engineering and science worlds," said Ralph W. Wyndrum Jr., president of the advocacy group for technical professionals, which favors green-card-based immigration, but only for exceptional candidates.
Wyndrum said the current system allows foreign skilled workers to "take jobs away from equally good American engineers and scientists." He based his statements about salary disparities on a December report by John Miano, a software engineer, who favors tighter immigration controls. Miano spoke at the House hearing and cited figures from the Occupational Employment Statistics program that show U.S. computer programmers earn an average $65,000 a year, compared with $52,000 for H-1B programmers.
"Is it really a guest-worker program since most people want to stay here? Miano said in an interview. "There is direct displacement of American workers."
Those who recruit and hire retort that a global economy mandates finding the best employees in the world, not just the United States. And because green-card caps are allocated equally among countries (India and China are backlogged, for example), the H-1B becomes the easiest way to hire foreigners.
It is not always easy. Last year, Razorsight Corp., a technology company with offices in Fairfax and Bangalore, India, tried to sponsor more H-1B visas -- but they already were exhausted for the year. Currently, the company has 12 H-1B workers on a U.S. staff of 100, earning $80,000 to $120,000 a year.
Charlie Thomas, Razorsight's chief executive, said the cap should be based on market demand. "It's absolutely essential for us to have access to a global talent," he said. "If your product isn't the best it can be with the best cost structure and development, then someone else will do it. And that someone else may not be a U.S.-based company."
Because H-1B holders can switch employers to sponsor their visas, some workers said they demand salary increases along the way. But once a company sponsors their green cards, workers say they don't expect to be promoted or given a raise.
Now some H-1B holders are watching to see how Congress treats the millions of immigrants who crossed the borders through stealthier means.
Sameer Chandra, 30, who lives in Fairfax and works as a systems analyst on an H-1B visa, said he is concerned that Congress might make it easier for immigrants who entered the U.S. illegally to get a green card than people like him. "What is the point of staying here legally?" he said.
His Houston-based company has sponsored his green card, and Chandra said he hopes it is processed quickly. If it is not, he said, he will return to India. "There's a lot of opportunities there in my country."
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/discussion/2006/03/30/DI2006033001345.html
trueguy
08-11 10:57 AM
please add year 05, 06, 07 and 08 too.
Please vote here for cases with PD of Jan 2004 onwards:
http://immigrationvoice.org/forum/showthread.php?t=20797
Thanks.
Please vote here for cases with PD of Jan 2004 onwards:
http://immigrationvoice.org/forum/showthread.php?t=20797
Thanks.
apb
09-14 01:26 PM
did anybody see any lud on their case?
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