umangini
04-13 10:41 PM
The law does not applicable to child born in USA. If child born in USA then the cross chargeable for child is applicable to the parents birth country. I am still searching for more information. I will post more information as I will find out.
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bearstory
05-24 12:43 AM
Thank you everyone!
We want to get married in court ( simple) in late may, 2010 so we can fill all of the paper work but we are going to las vegas for the real ceremony in late september 2010. Do you think the USCIS will get suspicious?
We want to get married in court ( simple) in late may, 2010 so we can fill all of the paper work but we are going to las vegas for the real ceremony in late september 2010. Do you think the USCIS will get suspicious?
logiclife
01-31 10:47 AM
You are not helping yourself by saying such things.
Believe me, everyone here knows ins and outs of consulting business, the desi employer, the Nick Mandallappas of the world etc. etc.
By saying such things on public forum you are helping the enemies who are arguing the exact thing they say to oppose H1b and oppose EB greencards.
I would urge you to restrain raw emotions, especially on public forums, and help us put arguments in an articulate way.
Sarcasm and rhetoric will not take you an inch away from where you are right now.
--logiclife.
Believe me, everyone here knows ins and outs of consulting business, the desi employer, the Nick Mandallappas of the world etc. etc.
By saying such things on public forum you are helping the enemies who are arguing the exact thing they say to oppose H1b and oppose EB greencards.
I would urge you to restrain raw emotions, especially on public forums, and help us put arguments in an articulate way.
Sarcasm and rhetoric will not take you an inch away from where you are right now.
--logiclife.
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immigrationvoice1
03-06 01:59 PM
It has been taking for ever to move. I had missed 3 times already to get it approved during the last 5 years. Lets see if it moves to 2002
What do you mean when you say you missed 3 times ? Please elaborate if possible.
What do you mean when you say you missed 3 times ? Please elaborate if possible.
more...
h1b_forever
10-01 12:09 PM
I am the primary applicant.
But AP seems to be going the other way. I got my approval. My wife hasnt yet.
But AP seems to be going the other way. I got my approval. My wife hasnt yet.
TeddyKoochu
04-22 03:42 PM
Congrats and thanks for sharing this great news. Looks like E-E Relationship memo is not being applied.
more...
FinalGC
04-28 09:00 AM
That is encouraging news, after heari ng all bad news of people getting stopped and being sent back........
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seahawks
06-10 01:27 AM
http://www.murthy.com/news/UDisster.html
It is possible but I don't know the time line.
It is possible but I don't know the time line.
more...
mambarg
08-30 01:30 PM
I dont think you mean LUD on 485 correctly.
It has to be after ND.
It has to be after ND.
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gconmymind
08-27 05:21 PM
I think you will not be able to apply for Visa renewal. You will be applying for H1 stamp for the first time hence it is a new visa applicaiton. this is per my understanding, please check with your lawyer. You can also send an email to the consulate (email address on VFS website). They will answer withing 3 business days...Goodluck
VFS website for booking H1B stamping appointments in India seems to have added a new question when booking a H1B appointment.
The question is "Are you applying for same visa class that expired in the last 12 months?*" and they have defined the Visa renewal criteria (which I have pasted below) in order to answer this question. Yes- means you are seeking a appointment for visa renewal and No - means your appt is NOT for visa renewal.
Can somebody advice if me and my wife would fall under the visa renewal category. The last US visa on my passport is F1. My H1b status started in May 2004 and I am now in my 4rth year of H1B. In between I changed employer and my H1 is now valid upto October 2008. But I have NOT travelled outside the country after my H1B status began in May 2004. Hence I am going to get my H1B stamped for the first time. In my wife's case also her last stamp is F1 and she went from F1 to H4 this year so she is also going to get her H4 stamped for the first time. Do we answer YES (appt for visa renewal) or NO(appt not for visa renewal). We are booking a appointment at the Mumbai consulate.
The below is the visa renewal criteria as defined on the website:
Visa renewal appointments are available to visa applicants who:
have a U.S. visa that has expired less than 12 months ago.
wish to apply for the same category visa (work, business, tourist, etc.)
are Indian nationals (hold Indian passports)
are resident in the New Delhi, Chennai, or Mumbai consular districts (this category is not available to Kolkata based applicants).
The following applicants do NOT qualify for appointments in the visa renewal category:
Applicants who have never had a US visa.
Applicants who have a U.S. visa that expired more than 12 months ago.
Applicants applying for a different category visa (e.g. had a student visa, now applying for a work visa).
Non Indian passport holders
Applicants applying at the U.S. Consulate in Kolkata.
First time H4 or L2 applicants under 18 years of age. (If you have recently married a H1b or L1 visa holder but have never had a visa interview for a visa in the H/L category, you may not schedule in the renewal category.)
Applicants applying for more than one visa at the same time (e.g. F and B1/B2).
Applicants applying for entertainment/performance visas(P3 category).
Applicants applying for unskilled worker visas (H2b category).
All visa renewal applicants should bring the following documents to the Embassy/Consulate Consular Section on the day of their appointment:
Current, valid passport
Passports containing previously issued U.S. visas
As applicable, I-797 (H and L), I-20 (F & M students), DS-2019 (J visa applicants)
VFS website for booking H1B stamping appointments in India seems to have added a new question when booking a H1B appointment.
The question is "Are you applying for same visa class that expired in the last 12 months?*" and they have defined the Visa renewal criteria (which I have pasted below) in order to answer this question. Yes- means you are seeking a appointment for visa renewal and No - means your appt is NOT for visa renewal.
Can somebody advice if me and my wife would fall under the visa renewal category. The last US visa on my passport is F1. My H1b status started in May 2004 and I am now in my 4rth year of H1B. In between I changed employer and my H1 is now valid upto October 2008. But I have NOT travelled outside the country after my H1B status began in May 2004. Hence I am going to get my H1B stamped for the first time. In my wife's case also her last stamp is F1 and she went from F1 to H4 this year so she is also going to get her H4 stamped for the first time. Do we answer YES (appt for visa renewal) or NO(appt not for visa renewal). We are booking a appointment at the Mumbai consulate.
The below is the visa renewal criteria as defined on the website:
Visa renewal appointments are available to visa applicants who:
have a U.S. visa that has expired less than 12 months ago.
wish to apply for the same category visa (work, business, tourist, etc.)
are Indian nationals (hold Indian passports)
are resident in the New Delhi, Chennai, or Mumbai consular districts (this category is not available to Kolkata based applicants).
The following applicants do NOT qualify for appointments in the visa renewal category:
Applicants who have never had a US visa.
Applicants who have a U.S. visa that expired more than 12 months ago.
Applicants applying for a different category visa (e.g. had a student visa, now applying for a work visa).
Non Indian passport holders
Applicants applying at the U.S. Consulate in Kolkata.
First time H4 or L2 applicants under 18 years of age. (If you have recently married a H1b or L1 visa holder but have never had a visa interview for a visa in the H/L category, you may not schedule in the renewal category.)
Applicants applying for more than one visa at the same time (e.g. F and B1/B2).
Applicants applying for entertainment/performance visas(P3 category).
Applicants applying for unskilled worker visas (H2b category).
All visa renewal applicants should bring the following documents to the Embassy/Consulate Consular Section on the day of their appointment:
Current, valid passport
Passports containing previously issued U.S. visas
As applicable, I-797 (H and L), I-20 (F & M students), DS-2019 (J visa applicants)
more...
aamchimumbai
05-17 03:11 AM
How long did i take for you to get the vaccinations ? I mean were you done in a day.
Thanks
I just posted another alternative to saving on the vaccines:
http://immigrationvoice.org/forum/showpost.php?p=87048&postcount=20
Basically, if your county health dept has a program, they can give you vaccinations for dirt cheap prices. I paid only $10 per person for Td & MMR :)
Thanks
I just posted another alternative to saving on the vaccines:
http://immigrationvoice.org/forum/showpost.php?p=87048&postcount=20
Basically, if your county health dept has a program, they can give you vaccinations for dirt cheap prices. I paid only $10 per person for Td & MMR :)
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chintu25
08-28 10:07 PM
could you please review this thread
http://immigrationvoice.org/forum/forum16-iv-agenda-and-legislative-updates/184288-from-iv-access-to-donor-forum-issues.html
if you are a recurring subscriber please mail details to info at immigrationvoice.org. We verify each member before adding in the donor forum.
mail is bouncing back to that id
http://immigrationvoice.org/forum/forum16-iv-agenda-and-legislative-updates/184288-from-iv-access-to-donor-forum-issues.html
if you are a recurring subscriber please mail details to info at immigrationvoice.org. We verify each member before adding in the donor forum.
mail is bouncing back to that id
more...
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shaikhshehzadali
07-08 05:51 PM
They took 20 k tilll last month and no match.
____________________
contributed $260 so far
How do u know that?
____________________
contributed $260 so far
How do u know that?
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redgreen
09-25 04:52 PM
There are diversity lottery, asylum, etc, options also for gc.
However, the main points of getting us citizenship is described clearly in it.
However, the main points of getting us citizenship is described clearly in it.
more...
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unit
09-16 07:43 PM
Thank you for your responses.
My situation is different, since my 485 is not yet approved (PD Dec 2006 EB2).
Company A applied for my GC (140 approved and 485 filed in July 2007), but I have never worked for company-A. I had been working for company-B during all these on H1. However I am now with company-C for last 6 months using EAD.
I have never done the AC-21, since my lawyer said that is not required since I was with company-B and did not change jobs in between.
In my case, company-A is not closing down, and I am willing to work for them after 6 months or so.
My question is are there any risks in my 485 in this context?
Should I be moving to company-A to reduce any risk?
Would appreciate your responses in this.
My situation is different, since my 485 is not yet approved (PD Dec 2006 EB2).
Company A applied for my GC (140 approved and 485 filed in July 2007), but I have never worked for company-A. I had been working for company-B during all these on H1. However I am now with company-C for last 6 months using EAD.
I have never done the AC-21, since my lawyer said that is not required since I was with company-B and did not change jobs in between.
In my case, company-A is not closing down, and I am willing to work for them after 6 months or so.
My question is are there any risks in my 485 in this context?
Should I be moving to company-A to reduce any risk?
Would appreciate your responses in this.
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fromnaija
07-30 08:36 PM
Here is my situation:
My PD is Sept 2006, EB3 ROW and I have submitted I-485 for my son on July 2. Now I am aware that come October, PD will retrogress and mine may not be current for another 3 or 4 years. My son is now 20 and will become 21 in July of 2008.
My question is this:
If my PD does not become current until after my son turns 21, will his 485 be approved? Or since his 485 is already submitted before his 21st birthday he will eventually get his GC no matter whenever my PD becomes current?
I have been trying to find answers to these questions and will appreciate your input. Thank you.
My PD is Sept 2006, EB3 ROW and I have submitted I-485 for my son on July 2. Now I am aware that come October, PD will retrogress and mine may not be current for another 3 or 4 years. My son is now 20 and will become 21 in July of 2008.
My question is this:
If my PD does not become current until after my son turns 21, will his 485 be approved? Or since his 485 is already submitted before his 21st birthday he will eventually get his GC no matter whenever my PD becomes current?
I have been trying to find answers to these questions and will appreciate your input. Thank you.
more...
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stuckinretro
09-04 10:52 AM
This is confusing. What is the source of this post?
1). It says there can be another 485 that can be filed for the new EB2 labor. Looks like a safer option.
2). It also says the dates have to be current to interfile. Needs lot of clarification to this post.
This is what I found in another thread:
"06/02/2007: NSC Procedure of Transfer of Pending I-1485 From Current Approved Underlying I-140 Petition to New I-140 Petition
• This posting involves aliens who are waiting for the I-485 applications where the underlying I-140 petition was approved but due to retrogression, I-485 cannot be approved. Most of these cases are EB-3 cases. When the same alien obtains an EB-2 labor certification approval through the same employer or a different employer and the visa number is available for the EB-2 for him or her, he should be eligible for filing another I-485 application based on the visa number available EB-2 I-140 petition. This can be achieved either by concurrent I-140/I-485 filing or if the new EB-2 I-140 has already been approved, by filing of stand-alone I-485 application.
• However, in the foregoing situation, the Pearson Memo of 2000 allows the alien to transfer the pending I-485 application from the existing underlying approved I-140 petition to a new EB-2 I-140 petition such that the alien does not have to file another I-485 application to use the second I-140 petition. For this to happen, two conditions must be met: (1) The existing underlying I-140 petition (most likely EB-3) must have been approved before the I-485 transfer is requested. (2) Secondly, the visa number must be "current" for the new I-140 petition (most likely EB-2) before the I-485 transfer is requested. Inasmuch as the visa number is current, the pending I-485 application that suffer from the visa number retrogression can be transferred to the nex I-140 petition.
• According to the Nebraska Service Center, people should take the following procedure to request such transfer of pending I-485 application from one I-140 petition to another I-140 petition:
o Request for Transfer of Pending I-485 Application to a Newly Filed I-140 Petition That Has Visa Number Current: In this situation, he/she is filing a new I-140 petition (probably EB-2 with visa number "current") with the agency to transfer the pending I-485 application and attach it to the new I-140 petition. The NSC states that if he/she files such new I-140 petition, he/she should use "large, bold print in the cover letter or with a separate, brightly colored cover page and notation 'Inter-file I-140 with Pending I-485' and include the Receipt/File Number of Pending I-485 Application, both on the Envelope and Cover Letter.
o Request for Transfer of Pending I-485 Application to Already Approved New I-140 (most likely EB-2 category): NSC asks to print the attached over sheet on brightly colored paper, and submitting it with a cover letter providing the following Information:
Name of 485 applicant
Name of I-140 petitioner (employer)
I-485 Receipt Number
"A" Number of the 485 applicant
Prior I-140 petition (1) Receipt Number, (2) Filing Date, and (3) Approval Date
New I-140 to be inter-filed
Statement requesting new I-140 be inter-filed with the pending I-485 application.
1). It says there can be another 485 that can be filed for the new EB2 labor. Looks like a safer option.
2). It also says the dates have to be current to interfile. Needs lot of clarification to this post.
This is what I found in another thread:
"06/02/2007: NSC Procedure of Transfer of Pending I-1485 From Current Approved Underlying I-140 Petition to New I-140 Petition
• This posting involves aliens who are waiting for the I-485 applications where the underlying I-140 petition was approved but due to retrogression, I-485 cannot be approved. Most of these cases are EB-3 cases. When the same alien obtains an EB-2 labor certification approval through the same employer or a different employer and the visa number is available for the EB-2 for him or her, he should be eligible for filing another I-485 application based on the visa number available EB-2 I-140 petition. This can be achieved either by concurrent I-140/I-485 filing or if the new EB-2 I-140 has already been approved, by filing of stand-alone I-485 application.
• However, in the foregoing situation, the Pearson Memo of 2000 allows the alien to transfer the pending I-485 application from the existing underlying approved I-140 petition to a new EB-2 I-140 petition such that the alien does not have to file another I-485 application to use the second I-140 petition. For this to happen, two conditions must be met: (1) The existing underlying I-140 petition (most likely EB-3) must have been approved before the I-485 transfer is requested. (2) Secondly, the visa number must be "current" for the new I-140 petition (most likely EB-2) before the I-485 transfer is requested. Inasmuch as the visa number is current, the pending I-485 application that suffer from the visa number retrogression can be transferred to the nex I-140 petition.
• According to the Nebraska Service Center, people should take the following procedure to request such transfer of pending I-485 application from one I-140 petition to another I-140 petition:
o Request for Transfer of Pending I-485 Application to a Newly Filed I-140 Petition That Has Visa Number Current: In this situation, he/she is filing a new I-140 petition (probably EB-2 with visa number "current") with the agency to transfer the pending I-485 application and attach it to the new I-140 petition. The NSC states that if he/she files such new I-140 petition, he/she should use "large, bold print in the cover letter or with a separate, brightly colored cover page and notation 'Inter-file I-140 with Pending I-485' and include the Receipt/File Number of Pending I-485 Application, both on the Envelope and Cover Letter.
o Request for Transfer of Pending I-485 Application to Already Approved New I-140 (most likely EB-2 category): NSC asks to print the attached over sheet on brightly colored paper, and submitting it with a cover letter providing the following Information:
Name of 485 applicant
Name of I-140 petitioner (employer)
I-485 Receipt Number
"A" Number of the 485 applicant
Prior I-140 petition (1) Receipt Number, (2) Filing Date, and (3) Approval Date
New I-140 to be inter-filed
Statement requesting new I-140 be inter-filed with the pending I-485 application.
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ajju
02-25 12:04 AM
what am I missing here? other than the hassle of getting paper copies filled out/ printed and the advantage of getting a refund a few weeks earlier, what is the advantage of e-filing?
at the end its matter of choice... but having choice is always good :-)
at the end its matter of choice... but having choice is always good :-)
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doctor
01-26 04:10 PM
Thank you so much for your responses so far, it is a good starting point for us.
[QUOTE=ryan;2280334]Please, don't take this wrong way. I assume you moved to the US to seek the positives this land has to offer your children, whilst holding on to certain cultures / values from your hometown. Hence, I don't understand why ..QUOTE]
Ryan, As I mentioned it is not about us (parents). We either ignore it or dont come across it openly. I have been out of india for long time now but never had to consider this before. It is different for children and playgrounds, it is not about missing india. Maybe you dont have small children or if you do please let me know the different cities you have lived so far and I will appreciate it.
Thanks
[QUOTE=ryan;2280334]Please, don't take this wrong way. I assume you moved to the US to seek the positives this land has to offer your children, whilst holding on to certain cultures / values from your hometown. Hence, I don't understand why ..QUOTE]
Ryan, As I mentioned it is not about us (parents). We either ignore it or dont come across it openly. I have been out of india for long time now but never had to consider this before. It is different for children and playgrounds, it is not about missing india. Maybe you dont have small children or if you do please let me know the different cities you have lived so far and I will appreciate it.
Thanks
haifromsk@yahoo.com
10-15 04:00 PM
if RFE for w-2 USCIC will come to know- might not be the only way for USCIC to know
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
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