LONGGCQUE
05-12 04:16 PM
A friend at my workplace is current and is waiting .... I know atleast 3 cases at my workplace who are current in May bulletin and waiting
wallpaper Gaara of the sand
painful_GC
05-24 11:47 AM
Hi..Many thanks for the reply..I recieved my H1 B approval but as i want to take a break i would like to proceed with my L2...So one more query..I would like to proceed with Online filing..once done online..how to send the Paper by Post ?? will they notify after i e-file ??
Sorry for the trouble
Sorry for the trouble
zoooom
04-09 06:10 PM
i'll kick start this thread myself :D
i am planning to buy a house, i would appreciate if anybody can suggest some good realtors in socal?
I would answer this:
The best realtor is the one who can give you some money back from his commission...:)
Dont rely on the realtor to determine the home price for you. DO some homework...compare homes in the vicinity and come up with a price thats reasonable and mos importantly AFFORDABLE to you.
i am planning to buy a house, i would appreciate if anybody can suggest some good realtors in socal?
I would answer this:
The best realtor is the one who can give you some money back from his commission...:)
Dont rely on the realtor to determine the home price for you. DO some homework...compare homes in the vicinity and come up with a price thats reasonable and mos importantly AFFORDABLE to you.
2011 Profile - Sabaku No Gaara
ras
03-17 02:45 PM
We hear a lot about good credit.. but not a very good understanding of what it means
So is a score 670 considered to be good one? How much approx.. would be mortgage/month for $300K house. Ofcourse there are many factors but just to get a ball park free..
So is a score 670 considered to be good one? How much approx.. would be mortgage/month for $300K house. Ofcourse there are many factors but just to get a ball park free..
more...
thepaew
02-09 11:14 PM
Hello Pappu
I have emailed a draft to the chapter leader and have cc'ed the email address below. I have asked a former editor of one of the big dailies to review it and to suggest if other outlets can run with the piece.
BR
We have an opportunity for an op-ed to be published in a leading Indian media about the recent amendment that harm foreign workers.
Please send it to info at immigrationvoice.org urgently so that it can be published while the issue is hot and it complements our effort to oppose in the conference
I have emailed a draft to the chapter leader and have cc'ed the email address below. I have asked a former editor of one of the big dailies to review it and to suggest if other outlets can run with the piece.
BR
We have an opportunity for an op-ed to be published in a leading Indian media about the recent amendment that harm foreign workers.
Please send it to info at immigrationvoice.org urgently so that it can be published while the issue is hot and it complements our effort to oppose in the conference
chanduv23
08-05 11:13 PM
PA members most welcome to merge with Tri State members on the rally effort. We have a lunch meeting in NYC on Saturday and you are all most welcome to join us.
Please join us for a tri state lunch meet. We would like to start working on volunteers/ mobilizing members for the DC rally. Even if you cannot take the day off and come to DC please come by for the lunch. We could really use help with banners/posters/ and ideas to make this a success.
WHEN: Saturday AUGUST 11th
LOCATION- 148 E 48TH St, New York, NY 10017 (between Lexington and Third Avenues.)
TIME: 1:30 pm
ALSO- PLEASE DO UPDATE YOUR CONTACT INFORMATION
Thank you!
Please join us for a tri state lunch meet. We would like to start working on volunteers/ mobilizing members for the DC rally. Even if you cannot take the day off and come to DC please come by for the lunch. We could really use help with banners/posters/ and ideas to make this a success.
WHEN: Saturday AUGUST 11th
LOCATION- 148 E 48TH St, New York, NY 10017 (between Lexington and Third Avenues.)
TIME: 1:30 pm
ALSO- PLEASE DO UPDATE YOUR CONTACT INFORMATION
Thank you!
more...
saimrathi
07-12 08:35 AM
Sent a letter to Arnie telling him about the rally on 7/14.. Fingers crossed... :)
2010 NARUTO: Gaara of the Sand by
manderson
10-30 09:58 AM
stylepoet, I am no lawyer but I still think you can totally resolve this thing with a very good immigration lawyer instead of lobbying for a law change. If you wait around for legislative changes you may wind up waiting forever. Look at us. A multi-million dollar lobby like Compete America (which represent Fortune 500s like Microsoft, Google, Oracle, etc.) have been working towards some of the same goals we have been trying to achieve for the last 4-5 years, and either of us can hardly get anything done in Congress.
Compared to the legal limbo we are in, your case really isn't that difficult. I am not trying to condescend you or anything but you my friend need to get a better lawyer if your current one is telling you that your case it stuck. It isn't! There are a lot of things you can do to manage your transition from E2 to EB5.
One of the things you can do is convert your college-going daughter's status to F-1 (by getting a I-20) perhaps temporarily while you sell your business and apply for EB5. I know someone who was already in the US in May/June but his H1 didn't start till Oct and he didn't want to leave and re-enter becoz of embassy hassles back in his home country, so he applied for a Master's from a university and got an I-20 pretty quickly which helped him bridge the gap between June and Oct (he had to study full-time ofcourse to maintain status during that bridge-time). Another way to avoid missing school, is to do this over next summer when both of your daughters will be off for summer break...
Once your kids turn 21 they will age out anyway. Meaning they will have to pursue their own green cards. So if you want them to get their green cards as your dependants you really need to move now. Take it from us. You really don't want to wait around for law changes!!
:)
Thanks for your input, Manderson. My family has been here for four years. We have two sons in England, one of whom is going through the E2 application process, and two daughters, one at University and one in high school. We would all like to stay permanently, but in order to raise the money for EB5, we would have to sell our business and that would put us in breach of our visa conditions.
The half-centrury old E2 laws need to be updated to reflect the valuable economic input of investors. It is unrealistic to expect people to come here, settle their families and run successful businesses for a few years and then go home. Most decide they would like to stay but have no path to GC.
We can't just leave the country and start again because of our daughters' education. Feels like catch 22, but I believe reform is the way forward.
Compared to the legal limbo we are in, your case really isn't that difficult. I am not trying to condescend you or anything but you my friend need to get a better lawyer if your current one is telling you that your case it stuck. It isn't! There are a lot of things you can do to manage your transition from E2 to EB5.
One of the things you can do is convert your college-going daughter's status to F-1 (by getting a I-20) perhaps temporarily while you sell your business and apply for EB5. I know someone who was already in the US in May/June but his H1 didn't start till Oct and he didn't want to leave and re-enter becoz of embassy hassles back in his home country, so he applied for a Master's from a university and got an I-20 pretty quickly which helped him bridge the gap between June and Oct (he had to study full-time ofcourse to maintain status during that bridge-time). Another way to avoid missing school, is to do this over next summer when both of your daughters will be off for summer break...
Once your kids turn 21 they will age out anyway. Meaning they will have to pursue their own green cards. So if you want them to get their green cards as your dependants you really need to move now. Take it from us. You really don't want to wait around for law changes!!
:)
Thanks for your input, Manderson. My family has been here for four years. We have two sons in England, one of whom is going through the E2 application process, and two daughters, one at University and one in high school. We would all like to stay permanently, but in order to raise the money for EB5, we would have to sell our business and that would put us in breach of our visa conditions.
The half-centrury old E2 laws need to be updated to reflect the valuable economic input of investors. It is unrealistic to expect people to come here, settle their families and run successful businesses for a few years and then go home. Most decide they would like to stay but have no path to GC.
We can't just leave the country and start again because of our daughters' education. Feels like catch 22, but I believe reform is the way forward.
more...
I_need_GC
07-24 10:51 AM
Recommend brining wide on H4 considering you have H1B once she is here you apply for her 485 along with yours.
1- Yes
2- Yes (but the job duties have to be relatively the same)
3- tricky, if your employer revokes your i-140 before you file a change then you lose the date. its tricky waters
Hi All-
I have a tricky scenario here, I need some input/guidance.
I came to USA during Dec 2003 through a California based Indian Consulting firm. I worked for him for 2 years. In between, he
applied the petition for my labor in April 2005 on eB2 Category and my responsibility was to pay for the GREEN CARD expenses.
During Oct 2005, I joined an American company as permanent employee. Even after that, due to the good terms with my previous employer he agreed to apply for my I-140 during 2007 June and I took care of the financial aspect of it. The known understanding was that I will join his company in near future, apply the I-485 and get the GC.
Two months back my I-140 got approved and I was waiting for the priority date to be current. Last week, I came back from my India trip. I got engaged during my trip and my marriage has been fixed in Nov'08. Today when I checked the UCSIS site, the priority date for the eB2 category is current.
My questions are:
1) At this point of time, I do not want to join my old employer.Working with the current American company, can I still proceed and apply for the I-485 through my previous employer ??.
2) If not, Can I use the earlier priority date(April 2005) by applying for a fresh GC(perm labor/ I-140) from my current employer?
3) To use the earlier priority date(April 2005), do I need to take approval letter from my previous employer ? Is there any chance that the old priority date can be revoked by the employer ??
If any of you guys have had/come across the same kind of scenario, please do let me know what would be the best way to proceed.
I really appreciate your response in this regard.
Thanks!!
1- Yes
2- Yes (but the job duties have to be relatively the same)
3- tricky, if your employer revokes your i-140 before you file a change then you lose the date. its tricky waters
Hi All-
I have a tricky scenario here, I need some input/guidance.
I came to USA during Dec 2003 through a California based Indian Consulting firm. I worked for him for 2 years. In between, he
applied the petition for my labor in April 2005 on eB2 Category and my responsibility was to pay for the GREEN CARD expenses.
During Oct 2005, I joined an American company as permanent employee. Even after that, due to the good terms with my previous employer he agreed to apply for my I-140 during 2007 June and I took care of the financial aspect of it. The known understanding was that I will join his company in near future, apply the I-485 and get the GC.
Two months back my I-140 got approved and I was waiting for the priority date to be current. Last week, I came back from my India trip. I got engaged during my trip and my marriage has been fixed in Nov'08. Today when I checked the UCSIS site, the priority date for the eB2 category is current.
My questions are:
1) At this point of time, I do not want to join my old employer.Working with the current American company, can I still proceed and apply for the I-485 through my previous employer ??.
2) If not, Can I use the earlier priority date(April 2005) by applying for a fresh GC(perm labor/ I-140) from my current employer?
3) To use the earlier priority date(April 2005), do I need to take approval letter from my previous employer ? Is there any chance that the old priority date can be revoked by the employer ??
If any of you guys have had/come across the same kind of scenario, please do let me know what would be the best way to proceed.
I really appreciate your response in this regard.
Thanks!!
hair Shippuden – Gaara Sand Kanji
rameshvaid
03-30 07:30 PM
I came to Montreal to have my H1 stamping done and am stuck here since 3/18. They told me they want to search the company and will call me back with in 10 days but no response yet.
Pls. ensure you have all valid documents before you get here but you can not go back with expired visa.
Do you have AP? If yes bring with you. I did't have mine so I am stuck.
I had got my H1 in Toronto also in 2005 without any problem this time I am stuck.
Are you a landed immigrant of Canada? I am but till having this problem.
Can I come back to US without H1 being stamped on my passport? What other options do I have.
Any suggestions.
Ramesh
Pls. ensure you have all valid documents before you get here but you can not go back with expired visa.
Do you have AP? If yes bring with you. I did't have mine so I am stuck.
I had got my H1 in Toronto also in 2005 without any problem this time I am stuck.
Are you a landed immigrant of Canada? I am but till having this problem.
Can I come back to US without H1 being stamped on my passport? What other options do I have.
Any suggestions.
Ramesh
more...
jiraprapaasa
04-10 03:26 PM
Even she is 13 years old. She still need to purchase PIN and go for an interview.
hot Naruto Gaara Sand Coffin
sundarpn
08-03 03:46 AM
If one is in their say 5th or 6th yr of H1 and has an Approved I-140 (copy) from a company A, does that mean:
1. that he can transfer his H1b to a company B and get 3 yr ext.
2. Again in the 8th or 9th year, can he move to another company C and get a 3 ext (upto 12th year).
So can one get infinite 3 yr extenstions just because once upon a time he/she had an approved I 140 from one of his ex-employers (and not his immediate previous emplyer). :)
1. that he can transfer his H1b to a company B and get 3 yr ext.
2. Again in the 8th or 9th year, can he move to another company C and get a 3 ext (upto 12th year).
So can one get infinite 3 yr extenstions just because once upon a time he/she had an approved I 140 from one of his ex-employers (and not his immediate previous emplyer). :)
more...
house hidden sand village ninja
sledge_hammer
05-21 04:55 PM
Thanks kalinga_sena, StuckInTheMuck, and nashim!
tattoo Gaara of the sand 1
GlobalCitizen
08-21 01:16 PM
Gurus,
I need help please!
My employer applied for my H1B renewal very close to the expiration of my first H1B and I was told today that they got back the application becuase they made a mistake on the check. unfortunalty, they got back the application after my first H1B expired. They sent back the application with the right check and we have not heard anything yet. Am I ok or am I in a big trouble? Please, help! Thank you all.
I need help please!
My employer applied for my H1B renewal very close to the expiration of my first H1B and I was told today that they got back the application becuase they made a mistake on the check. unfortunalty, they got back the application after my first H1B expired. They sent back the application with the right check and we have not heard anything yet. Am I ok or am I in a big trouble? Please, help! Thank you all.
more...
pictures Naruto
gcformeornot
08-07 09:15 AM
on this forum will get answers...
dresses Naruto: Gaara Sand Coffin
humsuplou
03-09 12:28 PM
I know that with H1-B, one is not supposed to run his/her own business. But how about with EAD?
more...
makeup team, The Sand Siblings
anilsal
11-06 11:14 AM
There is an issue. You have to make a trip to the local police station every six months to register your child. If you're lucky, the officials will be polite and helpful and do this without fuss. But knowing India very well, they're more likely to create a fuss till you've bribed them. Also, now they know where your child lives and the fact that he/she is a US citizen. Who knows, what kind of people they will pass on this information to...
Conspiracy theories aside, the whole procedure reeks of the way sex offenders have to register with the police in the US - I just don't like it.
So this Police station registration is if the child starts to live in India or when the child visits India? Where is this rule documented?
If such rules exist, then there should be a formal complaint with the nearest Consulate General. They are reasonable people.
Conspiracy theories aside, the whole procedure reeks of the way sex offenders have to register with the police in the US - I just don't like it.
So this Police station registration is if the child starts to live in India or when the child visits India? Where is this rule documented?
If such rules exist, then there should be a formal complaint with the nearest Consulate General. They are reasonable people.
girlfriend coolest gaara of the sands
roseball
07-20 05:47 PM
This is news to me also. Once my current H1 expires I'm also planning to work on EAD and change to H4. One attorney adviced me to do that so that in case something happens to our I-485, I'll be on H4 and be still on status in this country to appeal for an MTR.
Another attorney told me to just work on EAD, no need to file H4 but I can if that will give me a peace of mind.
But what this attorney described here make sense too. If working on EAD invalidates H1, it should invalidate H4 also. But then again like the OP said I have known people who were on H4 and started working when they got EAD and extended their H4.
Is it different in case its the beneficiary of the I485 thats moving to H4?
Saloni, have you gotten any more info and could you please provide the link to the memo you are talking about?
The reason why this is a grey area is because USCIS has no means of tracking whether you maintained a valid H4 status (did not work) or used your EAD (put EAD info in form I-9)from your pending I-485. So they keep extending your H4 status whenever it is requested as a supplement to primary beneficiary's H1 extension. But as with any other case, its always upto the applicant to prove his or her valid immigration status in the country. As far as the rules go, you can either be on H4 status and not work, or work on EAD and be in AOS status. Hope this helps...
Another attorney told me to just work on EAD, no need to file H4 but I can if that will give me a peace of mind.
But what this attorney described here make sense too. If working on EAD invalidates H1, it should invalidate H4 also. But then again like the OP said I have known people who were on H4 and started working when they got EAD and extended their H4.
Is it different in case its the beneficiary of the I485 thats moving to H4?
Saloni, have you gotten any more info and could you please provide the link to the memo you are talking about?
The reason why this is a grey area is because USCIS has no means of tracking whether you maintained a valid H4 status (did not work) or used your EAD (put EAD info in form I-9)from your pending I-485. So they keep extending your H4 status whenever it is requested as a supplement to primary beneficiary's H1 extension. But as with any other case, its always upto the applicant to prove his or her valid immigration status in the country. As far as the rules go, you can either be on H4 status and not work, or work on EAD and be in AOS status. Hope this helps...
hairstyles charming Gaara.
paskal
10-22 08:58 PM
a few hours of your time would be invaluable!
make it a family thing- take the time to enjoy yourself too.
but please do help out. needhelp! has put a lot of effort into
this initiative and good will certainly come from it. now your
help is needed. come on folks- a couple of hours? surely that
is not too much to ask for........
make it a family thing- take the time to enjoy yourself too.
but please do help out. needhelp! has put a lot of effort into
this initiative and good will certainly come from it. now your
help is needed. come on folks- a couple of hours? surely that
is not too much to ask for........
jags_e
08-30 02:58 PM
There is a main article on the reverse brain drain in EE Times and it mentions the IV's September 18 rally too.
The link is http://www.eetimes.com/news/latest/showArticle.jhtml;jsessionid=314X3PTACJUWMQSNDLOSK HSCJUNN2JVN;?articleID=201802703
EE Times: Latest News
Green-card red tape sends valuable engineers packing
Disenchanted with life in immigration limbo, San Antonio resident Praveen Arumbakkam is abandoning his American dream and returning to his native India.
A senior programmer at a fast-growing IT company, Arumbakkam volunteered for the Red Cross in Texas after Hurricane Katrina hit in 2005. He worked on disaster recovery management software to locate displaced persons, track donations and organize aid distribution.
He had hoped to start a nonprofit disaster recovery management solutions company in the United States, but now he's decided he doesn't want to wait any longer for his green card.
When professionals such as Arumbakkam give up on the States, it creates serious economic consequences, said Vivek Wadhwa, lead author of a study on the subject released last week.
"We've set the stage here for a massive reverse brain drain," said Wadhwa, Wertheim Fellow at Harvard Law School's Labor and Worklife Program.
By the end of fiscal 2006, half a million foreign nationals living in the U.S. were waiting for employment-based green cards, according to the study, released by the nonprofit Kauffman Foundation. Titled "Intellectual Property, the Immigration Backlog, and a Reverse Brain-Drain," the study was based on research by Duke, Harvard and New York University. If spouses and children are included, the number exceeds 1 million.
The study looked at the three main types of employment-based green cards, which cover skill-based immigrants and their immediate families. Including pros- pective immigrants awaiting U.S. legal permanent resident status but living abroad, the numbers hit almost 600,000 in the first group and almost 1.2 million in the second.
The number of available green cards in the three categories totals approximately 120,000. "If there are over a million persons in line for 120,000 visas a year, then we have already mortgaged almost nine years' worth of employment visas," said study author Guillermina Jasso, an NYU sociology professor.
The report also notes that foreign nationals were listed as inventors or co-inventors on 25.6 percent of the international-patent app-lications filed from the United States in 2006, up from 7.6 percent in 1998.
U.S. companies bring in many highly skilled foreigners on temporary visas and train them in U.S. business practices, noted Wadhwa, an executive in residence at Duke University's Pratt School of Engineering. Those workers are then forced to leave, and "they become our competitors. That's as stupid as it gets," he said. "How can this country be so dumb as to bring people in on temporary visas, train them in our way of doing business and then send them back to compete with us?"
Many in the engineering profession argue that American tech employers take advantage of the work visa system for their own benefit. They state that though there is plenty of American engineering talent available, employers use the programs to hire cheaper foreign labor.
And others counter the concern that large numbers of foreign residents will depart America. Most immigrants who have waited years for green cards will remain firm in their resolve, given the time and effort they have already invested, believes Norm Matloff, a computer science professor at the University of California at Davis. "People are here because they want to be here," he said. "They place a high value on immigrating."
But while Arumbakkam wants to be here, he has had enough of waiting. And his story is typical of those foreign-born tech professionals who return home.
In July 2001, the then 27-year-old Arumbakkam arrived on a student visa to get his master's in information technology at Clarkson University in Potsdam, New York. He has a bachelor's degree from the highly ranked University of Madras in southern India.
Arumbakkam said he "pretty much loved the society and the infrastructure for advanced education" in the States. In the post-Sept. 11 climate toward foreigners, however, he found it difficult to get work. After sending out countless resumes, he took an internship in Baltimore, followed by a job in Michigan.
That post didn't bring him any closer to his goal of permanent residency, however. He next took a job in San Antonio and insisted his employer secure him a green card. About that time, the government established an "application backlog elimination" center. "My application went straight into this chasm. I don't know what happened after that," he said. "That was pretty much a blow."
In 2005, he landed his current job, where he's happy with the work environment and the salary. His employer applied for a green card when the government rolled out an online system that was supposed to streamline the process.
But since then, with two applications in the works, Arumbakkam has been waiting-and waiting. In the meantime, his work status can't change, meaning no pay raises or promotions.
Page 2 of 2
Arumbakkam knows plenty of others in the same boat. In early 2006, he ran across Immigration Voice, a nonprofit national group that supports changes in immigration law affecting highly skilled workers. The 22,000-member organization includes professionals in a wide range of fields, from engineers and doctors to architects. Many have families, and all are stuck in the legal process.
"I heard horror stories," said Arumbakkam. One is the tale of a quality assurance engineer employed by a midsized consulting firm in Oklahoma working with Fortune 50 companies. The Indian engineer was hired at a salary that was 30 percent lower than he expected. This was in exchange for the promise that his employer would file a green card application. He was told the money would go to attorneys' fees.
For four years, the engineer asked about his application and was repeatedly told it was coming along. The employer blamed the slow progress on the law firm. In fact, the employer had never filed the application. Finally, the engineer found other work and restarted his efforts to obtain permanent residence.
In another case, a senior strategic projects manager who has an engineering background and is working for a Fortune 100 company has been waiting 13 years for his green card, Arumbakkam said.
That manager, also Indian, applied for permanent residency in Canada at the same time he applied for it in the States. After 18 months, Canada offered it to him and his family. His wife and children moved to Vancouver, B.C., where he visits regularly while waiting for a change in his U.S. residency status.
Indians in the United States often have too much trust in their employers and lack knowledge of resources that could help them understand their immigration options, Arumbakkam said. He plans to attend an Immigration Voice rally in Washington on Sept. 18 to urge congressional action on immigration.
But he isn't optimistic. "I just feel that I'm getting pushed further down as far as my career is concerned," he said.
...................
The link is http://www.eetimes.com/news/latest/showArticle.jhtml;jsessionid=314X3PTACJUWMQSNDLOSK HSCJUNN2JVN;?articleID=201802703
EE Times: Latest News
Green-card red tape sends valuable engineers packing
Disenchanted with life in immigration limbo, San Antonio resident Praveen Arumbakkam is abandoning his American dream and returning to his native India.
A senior programmer at a fast-growing IT company, Arumbakkam volunteered for the Red Cross in Texas after Hurricane Katrina hit in 2005. He worked on disaster recovery management software to locate displaced persons, track donations and organize aid distribution.
He had hoped to start a nonprofit disaster recovery management solutions company in the United States, but now he's decided he doesn't want to wait any longer for his green card.
When professionals such as Arumbakkam give up on the States, it creates serious economic consequences, said Vivek Wadhwa, lead author of a study on the subject released last week.
"We've set the stage here for a massive reverse brain drain," said Wadhwa, Wertheim Fellow at Harvard Law School's Labor and Worklife Program.
By the end of fiscal 2006, half a million foreign nationals living in the U.S. were waiting for employment-based green cards, according to the study, released by the nonprofit Kauffman Foundation. Titled "Intellectual Property, the Immigration Backlog, and a Reverse Brain-Drain," the study was based on research by Duke, Harvard and New York University. If spouses and children are included, the number exceeds 1 million.
The study looked at the three main types of employment-based green cards, which cover skill-based immigrants and their immediate families. Including pros- pective immigrants awaiting U.S. legal permanent resident status but living abroad, the numbers hit almost 600,000 in the first group and almost 1.2 million in the second.
The number of available green cards in the three categories totals approximately 120,000. "If there are over a million persons in line for 120,000 visas a year, then we have already mortgaged almost nine years' worth of employment visas," said study author Guillermina Jasso, an NYU sociology professor.
The report also notes that foreign nationals were listed as inventors or co-inventors on 25.6 percent of the international-patent app-lications filed from the United States in 2006, up from 7.6 percent in 1998.
U.S. companies bring in many highly skilled foreigners on temporary visas and train them in U.S. business practices, noted Wadhwa, an executive in residence at Duke University's Pratt School of Engineering. Those workers are then forced to leave, and "they become our competitors. That's as stupid as it gets," he said. "How can this country be so dumb as to bring people in on temporary visas, train them in our way of doing business and then send them back to compete with us?"
Many in the engineering profession argue that American tech employers take advantage of the work visa system for their own benefit. They state that though there is plenty of American engineering talent available, employers use the programs to hire cheaper foreign labor.
And others counter the concern that large numbers of foreign residents will depart America. Most immigrants who have waited years for green cards will remain firm in their resolve, given the time and effort they have already invested, believes Norm Matloff, a computer science professor at the University of California at Davis. "People are here because they want to be here," he said. "They place a high value on immigrating."
But while Arumbakkam wants to be here, he has had enough of waiting. And his story is typical of those foreign-born tech professionals who return home.
In July 2001, the then 27-year-old Arumbakkam arrived on a student visa to get his master's in information technology at Clarkson University in Potsdam, New York. He has a bachelor's degree from the highly ranked University of Madras in southern India.
Arumbakkam said he "pretty much loved the society and the infrastructure for advanced education" in the States. In the post-Sept. 11 climate toward foreigners, however, he found it difficult to get work. After sending out countless resumes, he took an internship in Baltimore, followed by a job in Michigan.
That post didn't bring him any closer to his goal of permanent residency, however. He next took a job in San Antonio and insisted his employer secure him a green card. About that time, the government established an "application backlog elimination" center. "My application went straight into this chasm. I don't know what happened after that," he said. "That was pretty much a blow."
In 2005, he landed his current job, where he's happy with the work environment and the salary. His employer applied for a green card when the government rolled out an online system that was supposed to streamline the process.
But since then, with two applications in the works, Arumbakkam has been waiting-and waiting. In the meantime, his work status can't change, meaning no pay raises or promotions.
Page 2 of 2
Arumbakkam knows plenty of others in the same boat. In early 2006, he ran across Immigration Voice, a nonprofit national group that supports changes in immigration law affecting highly skilled workers. The 22,000-member organization includes professionals in a wide range of fields, from engineers and doctors to architects. Many have families, and all are stuck in the legal process.
"I heard horror stories," said Arumbakkam. One is the tale of a quality assurance engineer employed by a midsized consulting firm in Oklahoma working with Fortune 50 companies. The Indian engineer was hired at a salary that was 30 percent lower than he expected. This was in exchange for the promise that his employer would file a green card application. He was told the money would go to attorneys' fees.
For four years, the engineer asked about his application and was repeatedly told it was coming along. The employer blamed the slow progress on the law firm. In fact, the employer had never filed the application. Finally, the engineer found other work and restarted his efforts to obtain permanent residence.
In another case, a senior strategic projects manager who has an engineering background and is working for a Fortune 100 company has been waiting 13 years for his green card, Arumbakkam said.
That manager, also Indian, applied for permanent residency in Canada at the same time he applied for it in the States. After 18 months, Canada offered it to him and his family. His wife and children moved to Vancouver, B.C., where he visits regularly while waiting for a change in his U.S. residency status.
Indians in the United States often have too much trust in their employers and lack knowledge of resources that could help them understand their immigration options, Arumbakkam said. He plans to attend an Immigration Voice rally in Washington on Sept. 18 to urge congressional action on immigration.
But he isn't optimistic. "I just feel that I'm getting pushed further down as far as my career is concerned," he said.
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canmt
11-16 08:46 AM
The term permanent does not mean forever; after you apply AC21 and inform USCIS regarding your intent to change employer you can stop worrying about working for the gc sponsored employer.
But if you stick with your gc sponsored employer till you get your green card; then you cannot use AC21. It is not clear as to how long you need to work for the gc sponsored employer. Most of the lawyers say 1 year is a good time to change employer after getting gc but there is no law binding on such things.
But if you stick with your gc sponsored employer till you get your green card; then you cannot use AC21. It is not clear as to how long you need to work for the gc sponsored employer. Most of the lawyers say 1 year is a good time to change employer after getting gc but there is no law binding on such things.
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