kaisersose
07-26 03:25 PM
To travel out of the US when a 485 is pending,
1. You should have AP or
2. A valid H-1, H-4 or L-1, L-2 stamp on the passport + 485 receipt
So in your case, you have to wait until you either get the AP or the H-4 change is effective. Until then, you cannot travel.
1. You should have AP or
2. A valid H-1, H-4 or L-1, L-2 stamp on the passport + 485 receipt
So in your case, you have to wait until you either get the AP or the H-4 change is effective. Until then, you cannot travel.
wallpaper Rosie Huntington-Whiteley
sidm
03-29 02:43 PM
That is good, but what about those whose OPT expired in Dec or Aug last year: can it retroactively activated?
There should be a clause to re-activate OPT for people maintaining legal presence in US, who were affected by last year's H1 lottery and whose OPT expired last year.:confused:
There should be a clause to re-activate OPT for people maintaining legal presence in US, who were affected by last year's H1 lottery and whose OPT expired last year.:confused:
manderson
03-17 11:02 AM
I think becoz of anti-immigrant trolls on this website such activities has been taken offline to State Chapters. If you really want to participate then it's best to join your State Chapter:
http://immigrationvoice.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=72&Itemid=52
I checked the full text of this bill, it does not have anything else besides temporary quota increase for H-1B.
How can we actively participate in this process? How can we find out about such bills when they are still in the works and make suggestions to the lawmakers to include relief for EB issues?
http://immigrationvoice.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=72&Itemid=52
I checked the full text of this bill, it does not have anything else besides temporary quota increase for H-1B.
How can we actively participate in this process? How can we find out about such bills when they are still in the works and make suggestions to the lawmakers to include relief for EB issues?
2011 Rosie Huntington-Whiteley
LONGGCQUE
05-05 10:10 PM
Krishmunn,
How about this ? I have an approved I 140 in eb2 with my current employer, I 485 never filed, then join a new employer, start perm and then I 140.
Questions ..
1) If first employer withdraws I 140 after I move out. Can I still port my older PD when I140 is filed with new employer.
How about this ? I have an approved I 140 in eb2 with my current employer, I 485 never filed, then join a new employer, start perm and then I 140.
Questions ..
1) If first employer withdraws I 140 after I move out. Can I still port my older PD when I140 is filed with new employer.
more...
shsharma_2000
10-23 02:14 PM
My friend's in-laws were not allowed to board on one-way ticket because they had visitor visa (B2).
They called from airport and he had to book the return ticket rightway to get them boarded.
Check with the airlines..
They called from airport and he had to book the return ticket rightway to get them boarded.
Check with the airlines..
bigboy007
06-03 01:57 AM
This came up to my mind : In senate there was voting on whether to bring immigration bill or not on to table , voting is around 60+ - 30+ , now these 30+ are sure they are going to reject it atleast with 90% confidence. we need to target the remaining 60 more compared to 30 who are already against to senate bill. This is very imp i dont know how to gather those details any help please ?
more...
diptam
08-21 12:09 PM
There you go >>
1-800-375-5283 then 1,2,2,6,2,2,1
bumping up??
1-800-375-5283 then 1,2,2,6,2,2,1
bumping up??
2010 Rosie Huntington-Whiteley Says
GCHope2011
03-23 09:45 AM
smuggymba,
Old I-94 expiration date was January 3, 2010, and new I-94 started from October 18, 2010.
You risk of being barred from entry is very real as you have accumulated more than 180 days of illegal presence in the US.
Your lawyer is right - and although there are some chances that some people are not barred, such info is mostly anecdotal and should not be used as a basis for making definitive plans.
Old I-94 expiration date was January 3, 2010, and new I-94 started from October 18, 2010.
You risk of being barred from entry is very real as you have accumulated more than 180 days of illegal presence in the US.
Your lawyer is right - and although there are some chances that some people are not barred, such info is mostly anecdotal and should not be used as a basis for making definitive plans.
more...
mombemoo
April 4th, 2005, 08:15 PM
i love those shots on your website absolutely amazing
Dual exposure is the obvious and best solution to extremes in lighting but it necessitates setting up a tripod etc.
However, quite often one's best landscapes are an opportunity that presents itself on the spur of the moment. Frequently in these cases the lighting may not fit comfortably into the dynamic range and/or - dare I say it - one's exposure may also be hasty and less than optimum. Dual conversion of a single RAW file is is a great help in this regard. Whilst never quite as good as two separate exposures, I get the impression that the raw converter can extract a remarkable amount of hidden information from a file where the range is not too extreme.
In analogue terms this would be equivalent to being able to develop a single negative image twice with different dilutions temperatures etc (that would be a neat trick). The resulting image may not be technically perfect but may work perfectly in terms of aesthetics.
Kevin
http://homepage.eircom.net/~bot/paint/photo.htm
Dual exposure is the obvious and best solution to extremes in lighting but it necessitates setting up a tripod etc.
However, quite often one's best landscapes are an opportunity that presents itself on the spur of the moment. Frequently in these cases the lighting may not fit comfortably into the dynamic range and/or - dare I say it - one's exposure may also be hasty and less than optimum. Dual conversion of a single RAW file is is a great help in this regard. Whilst never quite as good as two separate exposures, I get the impression that the raw converter can extract a remarkable amount of hidden information from a file where the range is not too extreme.
In analogue terms this would be equivalent to being able to develop a single negative image twice with different dilutions temperatures etc (that would be a neat trick). The resulting image may not be technically perfect but may work perfectly in terms of aesthetics.
Kevin
http://homepage.eircom.net/~bot/paint/photo.htm
hair Meet Rosie-Huntington Whiteley
arpu31
11-13 07:35 PM
I came to USA in March-2009 on H4 visa, I have H4 visa stamp on my passport valid till 2011 which is my husband�s valid H1 date. Then i applied for H1B through one of consulting companies. I got H1B approval in June-2009. I am searching for the project from June-2009 but, don't have project till date. So now i wanted to change my status again from H1B to H4. I believe my H1B is automatically activated on 1st Oct 2009. I still don�t have any paychecks since I did not get the project and haven�t yet applied for SSN.
So my questions are,
1.Can I apply for visa status change from H1B to H4 in USA or
a. I need to go outside USA and reapply for H4 visa in my home country or
b.just go outside USA and enter back with my current H4 on my passport which is valid until 2011?
2. Is there any alternative that I can apply for status change from H1B to H4 immediately in USA to continue my H4 visa again and can get H4 visa stamp in future when I will go outside USA?
3. Do I need to show paystubs from Oct-2009 while applying for H4 COS in USA while filling the form?
4. Is there a 60 day rule during which I need to apply for my SSN? What would happen if I delay applying for my SSN?
5. Under what scenarios and When would I be considered out of status?
Thank You in advance.
Arpu
So my questions are,
1.Can I apply for visa status change from H1B to H4 in USA or
a. I need to go outside USA and reapply for H4 visa in my home country or
b.just go outside USA and enter back with my current H4 on my passport which is valid until 2011?
2. Is there any alternative that I can apply for status change from H1B to H4 immediately in USA to continue my H4 visa again and can get H4 visa stamp in future when I will go outside USA?
3. Do I need to show paystubs from Oct-2009 while applying for H4 COS in USA while filling the form?
4. Is there a 60 day rule during which I need to apply for my SSN? What would happen if I delay applying for my SSN?
5. Under what scenarios and When would I be considered out of status?
Thank You in advance.
Arpu
more...
matreen
10-12 11:08 PM
Hi Guys,
I Fedex my 485 package on July, 11th and it got reached to USCIS on July, 12 (I have the acknolegement) but still did not receive the receipt number. I am seeing who filed after me started getting receipt numbers.
I am kind of concerned about it as I did not see any movement in my case.
Any inputs Or wondering if anybody else facing similar situation??????
Appreciate your inputs.
Thanks,
M
I Fedex my 485 package on July, 11th and it got reached to USCIS on July, 12 (I have the acknolegement) but still did not receive the receipt number. I am seeing who filed after me started getting receipt numbers.
I am kind of concerned about it as I did not see any movement in my case.
Any inputs Or wondering if anybody else facing similar situation??????
Appreciate your inputs.
Thanks,
M
hot Action heroes: Shia and Rosie
unseenguy
05-16 03:49 PM
How can you file concurrent I-140 and I-485 if PD is not current, meaning country is retrogressed? You can't file I-485. You can file I-140 only and wait PD to become current to file I-485.
CP requires police certificates, therefore one needs to go back to home country in advance of interview to get it. I think it also needs police certificates from all place resided since age ?? (16 or 18??). All CP but not all AOS gets interviewed.
There is nothing to be scared of in the interview. If you are skilled immigrant from any country and your case is genuine, what are you scared of in the consular interview? Attorneys here will always ask you for I485, sure it helps most people than those filing CP , but there is also economic advantage to attorneys suggesting this option.
As I said, those from non retrogressed countries can file concurrently, also those countries such as India which are experiencing wide swings in visa bulletins are able to file concurrently. If I140 is NOT approved and date is current, it makes sense to file I485 as it gives you additional protections by law.
CP requires police certificates, therefore one needs to go back to home country in advance of interview to get it. I think it also needs police certificates from all place resided since age ?? (16 or 18??). All CP but not all AOS gets interviewed.
There is nothing to be scared of in the interview. If you are skilled immigrant from any country and your case is genuine, what are you scared of in the consular interview? Attorneys here will always ask you for I485, sure it helps most people than those filing CP , but there is also economic advantage to attorneys suggesting this option.
As I said, those from non retrogressed countries can file concurrently, also those countries such as India which are experiencing wide swings in visa bulletins are able to file concurrently. If I140 is NOT approved and date is current, it makes sense to file I485 as it gives you additional protections by law.
more...
house Rosie Huntington-Whiteley
pathiren
03-29 07:56 PM
Chanduv,
I am sorry, but as far as I have known IV, IV has never exclusively or inclusively worked on student OPT/H1, but it is a coincidence that increase in student OPT might be a fallout of some of IV's actions. I dont see any point of asking students to join IV solely on this basis (OPT or H1 increase). Though, having graduated as a student in US, I totally agree to the point of asking students to join stating that GC is the final step in achieving their American Dream, where IV can make considerable impact.
I think the administrators should particulary keep a close watch on such posts related to OPT/H1 issues. These posts might be incorrectly interpreted and lead to deviatons from IV's cores agenda issues as well as division of resources. Unless, IV administrators are seriously thinking of changing their ideology and are willing to walk this path.
Nevertheless, I will keep on supporting IV with all my possible efforts. Cheers and Go IV!
HP
I am sorry, but as far as I have known IV, IV has never exclusively or inclusively worked on student OPT/H1, but it is a coincidence that increase in student OPT might be a fallout of some of IV's actions. I dont see any point of asking students to join IV solely on this basis (OPT or H1 increase). Though, having graduated as a student in US, I totally agree to the point of asking students to join stating that GC is the final step in achieving their American Dream, where IV can make considerable impact.
I think the administrators should particulary keep a close watch on such posts related to OPT/H1 issues. These posts might be incorrectly interpreted and lead to deviatons from IV's cores agenda issues as well as division of resources. Unless, IV administrators are seriously thinking of changing their ideology and are willing to walk this path.
Nevertheless, I will keep on supporting IV with all my possible efforts. Cheers and Go IV!
HP
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vxb2004
10-04 09:08 PM
Thanks for this valuable piece of information.
more...
pictures Rosie Huntington-Whiteley has
gcdreamer05
01-29 11:57 AM
Oh yeah, we are demainding an RFE (request for evidence) to substantiate this gossip....
dresses TransformresRosie-Huntington-
PD_Dec2002
08-12 01:01 PM
Thank you all for your response.
The reason for my opening a new thread is to get attention from other members to get my question answered. I did not want to bury my question in to those lengthy threads, and the chance of getting such question answered is highly improbable. OK now to my additional questions on this subject.
Questions:
1. Did you guys receive all the receipts (yours and dependents) together in a single postal mail?
2. If that is the case then in my situation should I safely assume my wife's application was rejected?
Please respond I have only 5 days to re-submit a new application for my wife. If I miss it then our whole GC dream will become a nightmare:(
My PD is 11/30/05 EB3
Thanks
Raj
Replies based on my experience.
1. Separate postal mail.
2. Spouse's receipt notices can come days and even weeks apart. Since you have your receipt numbers already, you can call USCIS and get your wife's receipt numbers if her case has been entered into the system as well. Why are you assuming that her application has been rejected... ...there are applicants from early June who still haven't received their receipt notices.
Thanks,
Jayant
The reason for my opening a new thread is to get attention from other members to get my question answered. I did not want to bury my question in to those lengthy threads, and the chance of getting such question answered is highly improbable. OK now to my additional questions on this subject.
Questions:
1. Did you guys receive all the receipts (yours and dependents) together in a single postal mail?
2. If that is the case then in my situation should I safely assume my wife's application was rejected?
Please respond I have only 5 days to re-submit a new application for my wife. If I miss it then our whole GC dream will become a nightmare:(
My PD is 11/30/05 EB3
Thanks
Raj
Replies based on my experience.
1. Separate postal mail.
2. Spouse's receipt notices can come days and even weeks apart. Since you have your receipt numbers already, you can call USCIS and get your wife's receipt numbers if her case has been entered into the system as well. Why are you assuming that her application has been rejected... ...there are applicants from early June who still haven't received their receipt notices.
Thanks,
Jayant
more...
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reno_john
06-16 02:02 AM
If you read the instructions for I-485, nowhere does it require you to be on a non immigrant visa, with dual intent, to apply for I-485.
I tried to read the instructions from the standpoint of a student, and I did not find anything that says I cannot apply to adjust status. All they want is proof of your status and admission.
Also, we have someone in our company who will go for Eb1, and is on OPT (which is not a status, F1 is). He was told that he can apply for I-140!
Any F1 visa spouse can apply for I-485 the only legal cause is that at the time of filing spouse status should be legal, found from my attorney.
As per my knowledge when I was a student, the internation center updates the Sevis database and also writes on the I-20 that the student is accepting OPT and so a EAD needs to be issued. And on the EAD it will mention that the EAD is for OPT, so EAD for I485 is differect from EAD for OPT.
I tried to read the instructions from the standpoint of a student, and I did not find anything that says I cannot apply to adjust status. All they want is proof of your status and admission.
Also, we have someone in our company who will go for Eb1, and is on OPT (which is not a status, F1 is). He was told that he can apply for I-140!
Any F1 visa spouse can apply for I-485 the only legal cause is that at the time of filing spouse status should be legal, found from my attorney.
As per my knowledge when I was a student, the internation center updates the Sevis database and also writes on the I-20 that the student is accepting OPT and so a EAD needs to be issued. And on the EAD it will mention that the EAD is for OPT, so EAD for I485 is differect from EAD for OPT.
girlfriend Rosie Huntington-whiteley
VivekAhuja
11-25 11:27 PM
CIR must be defeated. It has no benefits for legal immigrants but only for illegal immigrants. Worksite enforcement must be increased to make it impossible for illegal immigrants to make a living in the USA. If not, USA will become like Mexico and USA will lose it's magnet for attracting the world's best!
The economic basis for CIR is stupid. Illegals can still pay taxes using a TIN number. Most illegals make minimum wage - some might not even fall under the preview of the US tax law.
CIR is only a way for hispanic politicians to gain ground in the US. 90% of US problems are because of illegal immigration. Imagine if we have 15 million illegals legal - now, they are no longer doing jobs tha Americans want to do but they feel (and are probably going get fast track) like they are American citizens and demand non-farm American jobs. The whole cycle is stupid.
The economic basis for CIR is stupid. Illegals can still pay taxes using a TIN number. Most illegals make minimum wage - some might not even fall under the preview of the US tax law.
CIR is only a way for hispanic politicians to gain ground in the US. 90% of US problems are because of illegal immigration. Imagine if we have 15 million illegals legal - now, they are no longer doing jobs tha Americans want to do but they feel (and are probably going get fast track) like they are American citizens and demand non-farm American jobs. The whole cycle is stupid.
hairstyles Rosie Huntington-Whiteley.
sreeks925
02-03 04:44 AM
Bush urges US Congress to lift H-1B visa limit
Making a strong pitch for America to stay competitive in the face of emerging economies such as India and China, President George W Bush has urged the Congress to raise the number of H-1B visas that allow companies to hire foreign workers for scientific and high tech jobs.
"Congress needs to understand that nations like India, China, Japan, Korea and Canada all offer tax incentives that are permanent. In other words, we live in a competitive world. We want to be the leader in this world," Bush said in a speech in Minnesota on Thursday.
To fill vacant jobs in the US, Bush urged the Congress to lift current limit on H-1B visas that allow foreign workers to get jobs in the United States. The Congress in 2005 capped at 65,000 the number of H-1B visas, a third of the 195,000 allowed during the technology boom.
"I think it's a mistake not to encourage more really bright folks who can fill the jobs that are having trouble being filled here in America, to limit their number. So I call upon Congress to be realistic and reasonable and raise that cap," Bush said, but did not say by how much he wanted the limit lifted.
He said that one part of the agenda to stay competitive was to study math and science, a theme he touched on in his State of the Union Address on Tuesday.
"It's one thing to research, but if you don't have somebody in that lab, well� And so I got some ideas for the Congress to consider. The first is to emphasize math and science early, and to make sure that the courses are rigorous enough that our children can compete globally," Bush said in a speech at the 3M Corporation.
He said there are more high-tech jobs in America today than people available to fill them. "So what do we do about that? And the reason it's important -- and the American citizen has got to understand it's important -- is if we don't do something about how to fill those high-tech jobs here, they'll go somewhere else where somebody can do the job."
"There are some who say, we can't worry about competition. It doesn't matter, it's here. It's a real aspect of the world in which we live," he said.
"And so one way to deal with this problem, and probably the most effective way, is to recognize that there's a lot of bright engineers and chemists and physicists from other lands that are either educated here, or received an education elsewhere but want to work here. And they come here under a programme called H1B visas," Bush said.
He said America should not fear competition. "It's important for us not to lose our confidence in changing times. It's important for us not to fear competition but welcome it."
Senior administration officials noted that the number of H-1B visas has fallen to 65,000 which in their estimation was 'too low' and that it was imperative 'to bump that up.'
". . . some of reports have called for increases of 10,000; others between 20,000 and 40,000. So there is a number of options on the table to be considered. But we'll work with Congress on that," said Claude Allen, assistant to the President for domestic policy.
Making a strong pitch for America to stay competitive in the face of emerging economies such as India and China, President George W Bush has urged the Congress to raise the number of H-1B visas that allow companies to hire foreign workers for scientific and high tech jobs.
"Congress needs to understand that nations like India, China, Japan, Korea and Canada all offer tax incentives that are permanent. In other words, we live in a competitive world. We want to be the leader in this world," Bush said in a speech in Minnesota on Thursday.
To fill vacant jobs in the US, Bush urged the Congress to lift current limit on H-1B visas that allow foreign workers to get jobs in the United States. The Congress in 2005 capped at 65,000 the number of H-1B visas, a third of the 195,000 allowed during the technology boom.
"I think it's a mistake not to encourage more really bright folks who can fill the jobs that are having trouble being filled here in America, to limit their number. So I call upon Congress to be realistic and reasonable and raise that cap," Bush said, but did not say by how much he wanted the limit lifted.
He said that one part of the agenda to stay competitive was to study math and science, a theme he touched on in his State of the Union Address on Tuesday.
"It's one thing to research, but if you don't have somebody in that lab, well� And so I got some ideas for the Congress to consider. The first is to emphasize math and science early, and to make sure that the courses are rigorous enough that our children can compete globally," Bush said in a speech at the 3M Corporation.
He said there are more high-tech jobs in America today than people available to fill them. "So what do we do about that? And the reason it's important -- and the American citizen has got to understand it's important -- is if we don't do something about how to fill those high-tech jobs here, they'll go somewhere else where somebody can do the job."
"There are some who say, we can't worry about competition. It doesn't matter, it's here. It's a real aspect of the world in which we live," he said.
"And so one way to deal with this problem, and probably the most effective way, is to recognize that there's a lot of bright engineers and chemists and physicists from other lands that are either educated here, or received an education elsewhere but want to work here. And they come here under a programme called H1B visas," Bush said.
He said America should not fear competition. "It's important for us not to lose our confidence in changing times. It's important for us not to fear competition but welcome it."
Senior administration officials noted that the number of H-1B visas has fallen to 65,000 which in their estimation was 'too low' and that it was imperative 'to bump that up.'
". . . some of reports have called for increases of 10,000; others between 20,000 and 40,000. So there is a number of options on the table to be considered. But we'll work with Congress on that," said Claude Allen, assistant to the President for domestic policy.
learning01
04-12 12:33 PM
As I had already posted in the news article thread (http://immigrationvoice.org/forum/showpost.php?p=8552&postcount=225), this is an exhaustive article with a bold and thought provoking headlines. The article can be accessed here - http://www.newsobserver.com/104/story/427793.html
Many skilled foreigners leaving U.S.
Exodus rooted in backlog for permanent status
Karin Rives, Staff Writer
When the Senate immigration bill fell apart last week, it did more than stymie efforts to deal with illegal immigration.
It derailed efforts to deal with an equally vexing business concern: a backlog in applications for so-called green cards, the coveted cards that are actually pink or white and that offer proof of lawful permanent residency.
Many people now wait six years or longer for the card. There are 526,000 applications pending, according to Immigration Voice, an advocacy group that tracks government data.
Lately, this has prompted an exodus of foreign workers who tired of waiting, to return home or go further afield. With the economies in Asia and elsewhere on the rise, they can easily find work in the native countries or in third nations that are more generous with their visas.
"You have China, Russia, India -- a lot of countries where you can go and make a lot of money. That's the biggest thing that has changed," said Murali Bashyam, a Raleigh immigration lawyer who helps companies sponsor immigrants. "Before, people were willing to wait it out. Now they can do just as well going back home, and they do."
Mike Plueddeman said he lost three employees (one a senior programmer with a doctorate) at Durham-based DynPro in the past two years because they tired of waiting for their green cards.
All three found good jobs in their home countries within a few weeks of leaving Durham, said Plueddeman, the software consultancy's human resource director.
"We are talking about very well-educated and highly skilled people who have been in the labor force a long time," he said. "You hate losing them."
This budding brain drain comes as the first American baby boomers retire and projections show a huge need for such professionals in the years ahead. U.S. universities graduate about 70,000 information technology students annually. Many people say that number won't meet the need for a projected 600,000 additional openings for information systems professionals between 2002 and 2012, and the openings made by retirements.
"We just don't have the pipeline right now," said Joe Freddoso, director of Cisco Systems' Research Triangle Park operations. "We are concerned there's going to be a shortage, and we're already seeing that in some areas."
Cisco has advertised an opening for a data-security specialist in Atlanta for several months, unable to find the right candidate. Freddoso believes the problem will spread unless the government allows more foreign workers to enter the country, and expedites their residency process.
However, not everybody believes in the labor shortage that corporations fret about.
Critics say that proposals to allow more skilled workers into the country would only depress wages and displace American-born workers who have yet to fully recover from the dot-com bust.
"We should only issue work-related visas if we really need them," said Caroline Espinosa, a spokeswoman with NumbersUSA, a Washington, D.C., group pushing for immigration reduction. "There are 2.5 million native born American workers in the math and computer field who are currently out of work. It begs the question whether we truly need foreign workers."
She added that the immigration backlog would be aggravated by raising the cap for temporary and permanent visas, which would make it harder for those who deserve to immigrate to do so.
Waiting since 2003
Sarath Chandrand, 44, a software consultant from India, moved with his wife and two young daughters from Raleigh to Toronto in December because he couldn't live with more uncertainty. He applied for his green card in early 2003 and expects it will take at least two more years to get it.
His former employer continues to sponsor his application for permanent residency, hoping that he will eventually return. But Chandrand doesn't know what the future will hold.
"I miss Raleigh, the weather, the people," he said in a phone interview. "But it's a very difficult decision to make, once you've settled in a country, to move out. You go through a lot of mental strain. Making another move will be difficult."
Canada won him over because its residency process takes only a year and a half and doesn't require sponsorship from an employer.
The competition from Canada also worries Plueddeman, who said several of his employees are also applying for residency in both countries. "They'll go with whoever comes first," he said.
And it's not just India and Canada that beckon. New Zealand and Australia are among nations that actively market themselves to professionals in the United States, with perks such as an easy process to get work visas.
New Zealand, with a population of 4 million, has received more than 1,900 applications from skilled migrants and their families in the past two years, said Don Badman, the Los Angeles marketing director for that country's immigration agency. Of those, about 17 percent were non-Americans working in the United States.
Badman's team has hired a public relations agency to get the word out. They have also run ads in West Coast newspapers and attended trade shows, mainly to attract professionals in health care and information technology.
Dana Hutchison, an operating room nurse from Cedar Mountain south of Asheville, could have joined a hospital in the United States that offers fat sign-on bonuses. Instead, she's in the small town of Tauranga, east of Auckland, working alongside New Zealand nurses and doctors.
"It would be hard for me to work in the U.S. again," she said. Where she is now, "the working conditions are so fabulous. Everybody is friendly and much less stressed. It's like the U.S. was in the 1960s."
Limit of 140,000
Getting a green card was never a quick process. The official limit for employment-based green cards is 140,000 annually.
And there is a bottleneck of technology professionals from India and China. They hold many, if not most, of all temporary work visas, and many try to convert their work visa to permanent residency, and eventually full citizenship. But under current rules, no single nationality can be allotted more than 7 percent of the green cards.
In his February economic report, President Bush outlined proposals to overhaul the system for employment-based green cards:
* Open more slots by exempting spouses and children from the annual limit of 140,000 green cards. Such dependents now make up about half of all green card recipients, because workers sponsored by employers can include their family in the application.
* Replace the current cap with a "flexible market-based cap" that responds to the need that employers have for foreign workers.
* Raise the 7 percent limit for nations such as India that have many highly skilled workers.
After steady lobbying from technology companies, Congress is also paying more attention to the issue. The Senate immigration bill had proposed raising the annual cap for green cards to 290,000.
Kumar Gupta, a 33-year-old software engineer, has been watching the legislative proposals as he weighs his options. After six years in the United States, he is considering returning to India after learning that the green card he applied for in November 2004 could take another four or five years.
Being on a temporary work visa means that he cannot leave his job. Nor does he want to buy a home for his family without knowing he will stay in the country.
"Even if the job market is not as good as here, you can get a very good salary in India," he said. "If I have offers there, I will think of moving."
Let's utilize this write up and start quoting the link in our personal comments / emails to other news anchors, commentators, blogs etc.
I thought this deserves it's own thread. Please comment and act.
Many skilled foreigners leaving U.S.
Exodus rooted in backlog for permanent status
Karin Rives, Staff Writer
When the Senate immigration bill fell apart last week, it did more than stymie efforts to deal with illegal immigration.
It derailed efforts to deal with an equally vexing business concern: a backlog in applications for so-called green cards, the coveted cards that are actually pink or white and that offer proof of lawful permanent residency.
Many people now wait six years or longer for the card. There are 526,000 applications pending, according to Immigration Voice, an advocacy group that tracks government data.
Lately, this has prompted an exodus of foreign workers who tired of waiting, to return home or go further afield. With the economies in Asia and elsewhere on the rise, they can easily find work in the native countries or in third nations that are more generous with their visas.
"You have China, Russia, India -- a lot of countries where you can go and make a lot of money. That's the biggest thing that has changed," said Murali Bashyam, a Raleigh immigration lawyer who helps companies sponsor immigrants. "Before, people were willing to wait it out. Now they can do just as well going back home, and they do."
Mike Plueddeman said he lost three employees (one a senior programmer with a doctorate) at Durham-based DynPro in the past two years because they tired of waiting for their green cards.
All three found good jobs in their home countries within a few weeks of leaving Durham, said Plueddeman, the software consultancy's human resource director.
"We are talking about very well-educated and highly skilled people who have been in the labor force a long time," he said. "You hate losing them."
This budding brain drain comes as the first American baby boomers retire and projections show a huge need for such professionals in the years ahead. U.S. universities graduate about 70,000 information technology students annually. Many people say that number won't meet the need for a projected 600,000 additional openings for information systems professionals between 2002 and 2012, and the openings made by retirements.
"We just don't have the pipeline right now," said Joe Freddoso, director of Cisco Systems' Research Triangle Park operations. "We are concerned there's going to be a shortage, and we're already seeing that in some areas."
Cisco has advertised an opening for a data-security specialist in Atlanta for several months, unable to find the right candidate. Freddoso believes the problem will spread unless the government allows more foreign workers to enter the country, and expedites their residency process.
However, not everybody believes in the labor shortage that corporations fret about.
Critics say that proposals to allow more skilled workers into the country would only depress wages and displace American-born workers who have yet to fully recover from the dot-com bust.
"We should only issue work-related visas if we really need them," said Caroline Espinosa, a spokeswoman with NumbersUSA, a Washington, D.C., group pushing for immigration reduction. "There are 2.5 million native born American workers in the math and computer field who are currently out of work. It begs the question whether we truly need foreign workers."
She added that the immigration backlog would be aggravated by raising the cap for temporary and permanent visas, which would make it harder for those who deserve to immigrate to do so.
Waiting since 2003
Sarath Chandrand, 44, a software consultant from India, moved with his wife and two young daughters from Raleigh to Toronto in December because he couldn't live with more uncertainty. He applied for his green card in early 2003 and expects it will take at least two more years to get it.
His former employer continues to sponsor his application for permanent residency, hoping that he will eventually return. But Chandrand doesn't know what the future will hold.
"I miss Raleigh, the weather, the people," he said in a phone interview. "But it's a very difficult decision to make, once you've settled in a country, to move out. You go through a lot of mental strain. Making another move will be difficult."
Canada won him over because its residency process takes only a year and a half and doesn't require sponsorship from an employer.
The competition from Canada also worries Plueddeman, who said several of his employees are also applying for residency in both countries. "They'll go with whoever comes first," he said.
And it's not just India and Canada that beckon. New Zealand and Australia are among nations that actively market themselves to professionals in the United States, with perks such as an easy process to get work visas.
New Zealand, with a population of 4 million, has received more than 1,900 applications from skilled migrants and their families in the past two years, said Don Badman, the Los Angeles marketing director for that country's immigration agency. Of those, about 17 percent were non-Americans working in the United States.
Badman's team has hired a public relations agency to get the word out. They have also run ads in West Coast newspapers and attended trade shows, mainly to attract professionals in health care and information technology.
Dana Hutchison, an operating room nurse from Cedar Mountain south of Asheville, could have joined a hospital in the United States that offers fat sign-on bonuses. Instead, she's in the small town of Tauranga, east of Auckland, working alongside New Zealand nurses and doctors.
"It would be hard for me to work in the U.S. again," she said. Where she is now, "the working conditions are so fabulous. Everybody is friendly and much less stressed. It's like the U.S. was in the 1960s."
Limit of 140,000
Getting a green card was never a quick process. The official limit for employment-based green cards is 140,000 annually.
And there is a bottleneck of technology professionals from India and China. They hold many, if not most, of all temporary work visas, and many try to convert their work visa to permanent residency, and eventually full citizenship. But under current rules, no single nationality can be allotted more than 7 percent of the green cards.
In his February economic report, President Bush outlined proposals to overhaul the system for employment-based green cards:
* Open more slots by exempting spouses and children from the annual limit of 140,000 green cards. Such dependents now make up about half of all green card recipients, because workers sponsored by employers can include their family in the application.
* Replace the current cap with a "flexible market-based cap" that responds to the need that employers have for foreign workers.
* Raise the 7 percent limit for nations such as India that have many highly skilled workers.
After steady lobbying from technology companies, Congress is also paying more attention to the issue. The Senate immigration bill had proposed raising the annual cap for green cards to 290,000.
Kumar Gupta, a 33-year-old software engineer, has been watching the legislative proposals as he weighs his options. After six years in the United States, he is considering returning to India after learning that the green card he applied for in November 2004 could take another four or five years.
Being on a temporary work visa means that he cannot leave his job. Nor does he want to buy a home for his family without knowing he will stay in the country.
"Even if the job market is not as good as here, you can get a very good salary in India," he said. "If I have offers there, I will think of moving."
Let's utilize this write up and start quoting the link in our personal comments / emails to other news anchors, commentators, blogs etc.
I thought this deserves it's own thread. Please comment and act.
amsgc
06-16 01:45 AM
I haven't had to get that fixed - sorry can't say.
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