gc28262
07-12 12:31 AM
Are all these paper based filings or e-filings?
I e-filed EAD/AP renewals on May 25th, 2009. Applications are at TSC. My AP got approved on June 19th and I received the AP documents on June 20th. However, my EAD application is still pending since May 25th. I think most, if not all, EAD e-files receive a FP notice and they take a picture as well as FP when we go to the ASC. I haven't received FP notice either so far. From what I am seeing, EAD paper based filing is being processed much faster (2-3 weeks) than e-filings. Anyone who e-filed EAD could pls let us know how long it took for FP notice and EAD approval.
Mine was an e-filing. However my FP scheduling was quite weird.
I had my FP scheduled for 11/13
but my Card Production was Ordered on 11/12
I still went ahead and gave my FP on 11/13.
I e-filed EAD/AP renewals on May 25th, 2009. Applications are at TSC. My AP got approved on June 19th and I received the AP documents on June 20th. However, my EAD application is still pending since May 25th. I think most, if not all, EAD e-files receive a FP notice and they take a picture as well as FP when we go to the ASC. I haven't received FP notice either so far. From what I am seeing, EAD paper based filing is being processed much faster (2-3 weeks) than e-filings. Anyone who e-filed EAD could pls let us know how long it took for FP notice and EAD approval.
Mine was an e-filing. However my FP scheduling was quite weird.
I had my FP scheduled for 11/13
but my Card Production was Ordered on 11/12
I still went ahead and gave my FP on 11/13.
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jonty_11
08-13 06:40 PM
just read teh 3rd post above urs...phew!!! that was tiring wasnt it...
roseball
10-07 06:30 PM
I would really love to hear comments from ppl who can relate to this possibly with some first-hand experience in going through this stage!
My labor cert was filed just this February (been about 8 months now). The application was put in as EB2 with the minimum requirements being - Masters + 3 yrs, or alternatively, a Bachelors + 5 yrs.
Now the law firm has contacted my manager asking her to prepare a "Business Necessity Statement" for a "POSSIBLE" audit! (note the word "possible", its not really an audit yet). They want my manager to explain why a Masters and 3 years is better than a Bachelors + 5 yrs for this job, and stuff like that.
Preparing a business necessity statement if there was really an audit is understandable, but this request from the law firm makes it look like they're more than certain that there will be an audit on my application. Have things gotten that bad really? Or is our law firm just pre-emptively preparing for the worst? Just to let you know, there are other ppl at my office with my similar job profile, whose labor cert has also been applied for as an EB3 (requiring only a Bachelors and work experience).
How scared should I be realistically about the possibility of an audit? And how realistic is it in this day and age to actually get an approved labor cert after responding to a business necessity audit.
Also, here's an excerpt from the email that the law firm sent to my manager. Can anyone of you suggest what kind of "additional documentation" they are talking about including with all the explanation for business necessity?
"All business necessity arguments must be evidenced via supporting documentation. Please note that the DOL prefers �independent� forms of documentation to statements from or information created by <companyname>. Make sure to be reasonably specific and identify the sources and bases for your assertions in the context of <companyname>'s business. Independent documentation that contains financial justification(s) to substantiate the business necessity argument will be particularly helpful."
The main issue with your PERM is to justify why your job required EB-2 qualifications as a requirement while others in your company with similar job profiles were only eligible under EB-3. That should be your main focus in preparing any documentation incase your case gets audited.
My labor cert was filed just this February (been about 8 months now). The application was put in as EB2 with the minimum requirements being - Masters + 3 yrs, or alternatively, a Bachelors + 5 yrs.
Now the law firm has contacted my manager asking her to prepare a "Business Necessity Statement" for a "POSSIBLE" audit! (note the word "possible", its not really an audit yet). They want my manager to explain why a Masters and 3 years is better than a Bachelors + 5 yrs for this job, and stuff like that.
Preparing a business necessity statement if there was really an audit is understandable, but this request from the law firm makes it look like they're more than certain that there will be an audit on my application. Have things gotten that bad really? Or is our law firm just pre-emptively preparing for the worst? Just to let you know, there are other ppl at my office with my similar job profile, whose labor cert has also been applied for as an EB3 (requiring only a Bachelors and work experience).
How scared should I be realistically about the possibility of an audit? And how realistic is it in this day and age to actually get an approved labor cert after responding to a business necessity audit.
Also, here's an excerpt from the email that the law firm sent to my manager. Can anyone of you suggest what kind of "additional documentation" they are talking about including with all the explanation for business necessity?
"All business necessity arguments must be evidenced via supporting documentation. Please note that the DOL prefers �independent� forms of documentation to statements from or information created by <companyname>. Make sure to be reasonably specific and identify the sources and bases for your assertions in the context of <companyname>'s business. Independent documentation that contains financial justification(s) to substantiate the business necessity argument will be particularly helpful."
The main issue with your PERM is to justify why your job required EB-2 qualifications as a requirement while others in your company with similar job profiles were only eligible under EB-3. That should be your main focus in preparing any documentation incase your case gets audited.
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raysaikat
04-21 12:00 PM
I am currently on my 9th year h1..my 140 is approved..and i am not a june 2007 filer..H1 valid till may 2010
My spouse is on H1..can i switch over H4..
> My company had not "officially" laid me off.. i am on an extended LOP.. and since there is no time limit of LOP on H1.. i am sure i cannot be on LOP for ever..;-)..its been 2 weeks..and i dont want to become illegal now..
so here is my dilemma::confused:
a.) If i switch to H4 and after few months i get a project..can i go back to H1..->
Yes. You might need to file a new H1-B petition though (I am not positive on that).
b.) Can i file for H4 on my own..is it complicated?
c.) if i change to H4..and my PD becomes current (PD Dec 2005)
.) Can i file for AOS..as my 140 is approved..
Yes.
.) Suppose i go back to desh ..can i file for consular processing..if my PD become current
Yes. You do need to file an application to change it into CP.
thank you!
Note however that you need to have a job offer to get the GC.
My spouse is on H1..can i switch over H4..
> My company had not "officially" laid me off.. i am on an extended LOP.. and since there is no time limit of LOP on H1.. i am sure i cannot be on LOP for ever..;-)..its been 2 weeks..and i dont want to become illegal now..
so here is my dilemma::confused:
a.) If i switch to H4 and after few months i get a project..can i go back to H1..->
Yes. You might need to file a new H1-B petition though (I am not positive on that).
b.) Can i file for H4 on my own..is it complicated?
c.) if i change to H4..and my PD becomes current (PD Dec 2005)
.) Can i file for AOS..as my 140 is approved..
Yes.
.) Suppose i go back to desh ..can i file for consular processing..if my PD become current
Yes. You do need to file an application to change it into CP.
thank you!
Note however that you need to have a job offer to get the GC.
more...
saimrathi
08-10 03:10 PM
Not a big fan of recurring contribution.. would like to contribute when I feel comfortable...
from your signature it says you contributed and you voted 'no', am i missing something here?
from your signature it says you contributed and you voted 'no', am i missing something here?
gcwait2007
12-25 10:12 PM
If you are stuck in name check over a year and PD was current, you can file WOM. Add the Secretary of State (Rice) as a defendant. Check this order where the court ordered the government to issue visa numbers (!) to long-delayed AOS applicants.
http://immigrationportal.com/showpost.php?p=1838094&postcount=14850
Q2. Yes, see 8 USC 1151, 8 USC 1153. Check this thread for details.
http://immigrationvoice.org/forum/showthread.php?t=16266
Guru Lazycis,
The information posted by you in Immigration Portal is very useful and informative and encouraging. You are a great guy, if u r male. Great lady if u r female. Please accept my salutes and regards.
Thanks a lot.
http://immigrationportal.com/showpost.php?p=1838094&postcount=14850
Q2. Yes, see 8 USC 1151, 8 USC 1153. Check this thread for details.
http://immigrationvoice.org/forum/showthread.php?t=16266
Guru Lazycis,
The information posted by you in Immigration Portal is very useful and informative and encouraging. You are a great guy, if u r male. Great lady if u r female. Please accept my salutes and regards.
Thanks a lot.
more...
sk2006
07-14 10:47 PM
Hi,
Recently I transfered my H1 B from X company to Y company & now I am going for my visa renewal. My previous employer is not providing me the experience letter. Though I am having all my paystubs, appointment letter etc. I think I need the experience letter also...So what should I do now. Please suggest me.
Thanks,
Sangeetha K
Dear Sangeetha,
For H1B you may not need exp letter.
However for I140, you will and you can get experience letter from Ex-Colleagues or Ex-Manager. It worked for me.
Recently I transfered my H1 B from X company to Y company & now I am going for my visa renewal. My previous employer is not providing me the experience letter. Though I am having all my paystubs, appointment letter etc. I think I need the experience letter also...So what should I do now. Please suggest me.
Thanks,
Sangeetha K
Dear Sangeetha,
For H1B you may not need exp letter.
However for I140, you will and you can get experience letter from Ex-Colleagues or Ex-Manager. It worked for me.
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optimist578
01-31 03:10 PM
You can always ask for a copy of the approval after the I-140 is approved. Depends on how cooperative your HR and lawyer are.
Is there a way to track the status of one's I-140 petition through USCIS's website?
Is there a way to track the status of one's I-140 petition through USCIS's website?
more...
nozerd
01-15 01:35 PM
1) General test.
2) Best thing is not to ask them to send results. Just get an extra copy for yourself and mail it to Buffalo. No specific officer just write on the address
TO
File # B4567890
Immigration section
Consulate General of Canada
Best of luck
2) Best thing is not to ask them to send results. Just get an extra copy for yourself and mail it to Buffalo. No specific officer just write on the address
TO
File # B4567890
Immigration section
Consulate General of Canada
Best of luck
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nhfirefighter13
October 23rd, 2005, 05:53 AM
Adding to what Kevin said about shadows... If you are using strobes or tungsten sources, placing them at the side, down low, of your object will create some nice depth.
Good luck! I'm off to the Islands for a week.
Good luck! I'm off to the Islands for a week.
more...
pappu
07-29 11:45 AM
My son is an U.S citizen (4 years old) and my Attorney successfully filed a petion on behalf of me and mywife.
But that petion is based on EB2 :p
I did not understand your answer.
How come your 4 year old son apply in EB2 category and sponsor the parents. I know the application is for future employment. But this one is stretching too far? :)
But that petion is based on EB2 :p
I did not understand your answer.
How come your 4 year old son apply in EB2 category and sponsor the parents. I know the application is for future employment. But this one is stretching too far? :)
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prioritydate
07-25 12:11 PM
May be true if they are doing other work, like working on the Family based immigration. But here I am talking about dedicated I-485 application processors. This is just an assumption. I am sure that USCIS have lot of employees than our assumption. I am sure that USCIS is lot more capable, and it they genuinely wants to speedify the process, they could. I sincerely hope that USCIS, with it's new revenue that it is going to get in August, would add workforce to process applications in a timely manner.
more...
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stemcell
09-27 12:18 PM
Thanks for the honest and to-the-point answer Yagw. Yes, I am aware of the risks involved and therefore never EVER exceed the threshold I set for myself. I am not new to stock market having been in it for the past four years -- not that that makes me ANY safer than a newbie though.
Appreciate your advise of caution, will definitely keep that in mind.
Thanks!
Any tips as to how you pick a stock would be welcome.
Mostly for day trading do you do any technical analysis or is it mostly intuition?
BTW you can day trade, it should not matter your H1B status as some one else duly pointed out.
Appreciate your advise of caution, will definitely keep that in mind.
Thanks!
Any tips as to how you pick a stock would be welcome.
Mostly for day trading do you do any technical analysis or is it mostly intuition?
BTW you can day trade, it should not matter your H1B status as some one else duly pointed out.
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GCwaitforever
04-15 01:05 PM
You are not loosing anything. Continue on H-1B with current salary as long as it satisfies LCA made for H-1B petition.
You do not have to say anything to DOL. Your LC might be approved after the audit process. Then comes I-140, where the ability to pay comes into question. This could be difficult to get approved based on the situation you described.
If you have more time on H-1B, try to switch to different employer and restart the Greencard process.
You do not have to say anything to DOL. Your LC might be approved after the audit process. Then comes I-140, where the ability to pay comes into question. This could be difficult to get approved based on the situation you described.
If you have more time on H-1B, try to switch to different employer and restart the Greencard process.
more...
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HV000
08-11 09:21 AM
The Administration Will Reform And Expedite Background Checks For Immigration. Current mechanisms for conducting immigration background checks are backed up, slowing processing times and endangering national security (finally!). The Administration is investing substantial new funds to address the backlog, and the FBI and USCIS are working together on a variety of projects designed to streamline existing processes so as to reduce waiting times without sacrificing security.
Full press release:
http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2007/08/20070810.html
They have not given a timeline for this reform. Hopefully they will a timeline for processing the cases.
Full press release:
http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2007/08/20070810.html
They have not given a timeline for this reform. Hopefully they will a timeline for processing the cases.
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cgs
08-21 10:54 AM
Enjoy and Please visit us:)
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gc_bulgaria
02-12 02:40 PM
http://www..com/discussion-forums/i485-1/28005017/
Its not easy but can be done. The cover letter in my case didn't work - no way of knowing because my application was filed in July when EVERYONE was current. Lawyer screwed up and didnt file in February 07 with the I 140. Below is what I got back from TSC re: cross charge- I had to jump through the hoops for them to consider it. There are some good and informative posts on .
"Today I received an email from my lawyers office who had requested a congressional inquiry with TSC. Good news is that my congresswoman's office is really efficient - they followed up till they got the confirmation. Now atleast I know they will consider it as CC.
Below is what TSC wrote back. Now the wait for visa bulletins and processing dates resumes!
"The message was sent to management. Yes they can be charge cross chargeability. However, at this time the files can not be request due to the large volume of work the unit has. Cases are process accordingly and chronological.
Will sent another message to management, but this request in expediting these cases does not meet the service criteria.
Thank you for your inquiry and please do not hesitate to contact us again if you have further questions regarding this case.
Texas Service Center
Congressional Relations " "
Its not easy but can be done. The cover letter in my case didn't work - no way of knowing because my application was filed in July when EVERYONE was current. Lawyer screwed up and didnt file in February 07 with the I 140. Below is what I got back from TSC re: cross charge- I had to jump through the hoops for them to consider it. There are some good and informative posts on .
"Today I received an email from my lawyers office who had requested a congressional inquiry with TSC. Good news is that my congresswoman's office is really efficient - they followed up till they got the confirmation. Now atleast I know they will consider it as CC.
Below is what TSC wrote back. Now the wait for visa bulletins and processing dates resumes!
"The message was sent to management. Yes they can be charge cross chargeability. However, at this time the files can not be request due to the large volume of work the unit has. Cases are process accordingly and chronological.
Will sent another message to management, but this request in expediting these cases does not meet the service criteria.
Thank you for your inquiry and please do not hesitate to contact us again if you have further questions regarding this case.
Texas Service Center
Congressional Relations " "
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PMisYMMV
09-03 01:13 PM
I just called USCIS and confirmed with TSC and 2nd level customer service center that my case is approved on monday 09/01/09 SLUD date even though i have not recieved email for same.. Thank you all and good luck.
How did you do that? can you please provide info?
The phone number to call and would they need any information from me?
How did you do that? can you please provide info?
The phone number to call and would they need any information from me?
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zCool
04-01 02:27 PM
Yes, at the time of adjudication, you will need employment varification letter that shows Permenent Full time job with same or similar duties and reasonable wage difference.
jasonalbany
07-04 12:28 PM
Access to Job Market in U.S. a Matter of Degrees
Foreign workers with high-tech skills are in demand, but visa quotas snarl the hiring process.
By Anna Gorman, Times Staff Writer
July 3, 2006
This spring, a U.S. high-tech company recruited British citizen Gareth Lloyd for a possible engineering job.
But before the Irvine office made its hiring decision, the number of available visas for skilled workers ran out, in a record time of less than two months.
Lloyd, who has degrees in applied physics and electrical and electronics engineering, found another job in Germany.
"I was a little bit incredulous," Lloyd, 34, said in a phone interview. "It seems arbitrary to put some kind of quota on this."
Much of the national debate on immigration has centered on undocumented workers who fill agriculture, construction and service jobs. But highly skilled foreign scientists, engineers and computer programmers recruited by U.S. companies to work here legally also have a lot at stake in the outcome. "The major focus for all the laws and all the bills has mainly been for illegal immigrants," said Swati Srivastava, an Indian software engineer who lives in Playa del Rey and is waiting for her green card. "We kind of get pushed to the sidelines."
The Senate's sweeping immigration bill that passed in May calls for increasing the number of H-1B visas, which are available for professional foreign workers, from 65,000 to 115,000 annually. Foreigners with certain advanced degrees would be exempt from the cap.
Despite President Bush's urging to increase such quotas, however, the House bill that passed late last year does not include any provisions for skilled-worker visas. And a conference committee, which would negotiate a compromise, has yet to be selected. U.S. companies complain that they are losing prospective employees to other countries because of a shortage of highly skilled and educated foreign workers. As a result, companies are either outsourcing science and engineering jobs or making do with fewer employees.
"There aren't enough U.S. citizens pursuing those types of degrees," said Jennifer Greeson, spokeswoman for Intel Corp. in Santa Clara, Calif., where about 5% of the company's U.S.-based employees are on H-1B visas. "U.S. companies being able to have access to talent, no matter where it originates, is key to our continued competitiveness."
But critics of the H-1B program argue that there are enough Americans qualified for the jobs. Companies just prefer to hire younger, less expensive workers from other countries, such as India and China, instead of more experienced American workers at higher salaries.
"The bottom line is cheap labor," said UC Davis computer-science professor Norman Matloff, who has studied the H-1B program.
The six-year visas are available to foreigners with at least a bachelor's degree. Firms must pay foreign workers the prevailing wage.
The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services agency begins accepting H-1B visa applications on April 1 each year. The agency received enough visas to hit the congressionally mandated cap of 65,000 at the end of May this year, compared with August in 2005 and October in 2004. Those who receive the visas can begin work Oct. 1, the start of the fiscal year.
There are also 20,000 additional visas available for foreign workers who earned a master's or higher-level degree in the U.S. The Citizenship and Immigration Services is still accepting applications for those visas.
Because the H-1B cap is reached more quickly each year, many companies prepare their paperwork ahead of time so they can be at the front of the line. But they say it's often difficult to make hiring decisions six months before the start date.
Orange County immigration attorney Mitchell Wexler has a courier ready on the first day to take his clients' completed applications to Citizenship and Immigration Services.
"The whole white-collar business community is kind of crossing our fingers" that the number of visas is raised, Wexler said. Highly skilled foreign workers, he said, are "the best and brightest" and should be invited into the economy.
"If we can't get them," Wexler added, "they will go to a country that will accept them, and they will get jobs in Canada, Australia and England and will compete against us."
One of Wexler's clients, Massachusetts-based Skyworks Solutions, develops and manufactures integrated circuits for cellphones. Connie Williams, senior human resources specialist at the company's Irvine office, said her firm was effectively cut off from a foreign labor pool that included Lloyd of Britain when the government stopped accepting H-1B applications.
Williams said she worries that if Congress fails to pass reform legislation, the door will slam shut even earlier next year. The company has just over 2,000 U.S.-based employees, roughly 100 of whom have H-1B visas.
"We need these highly skilled, highly educated, highly qualified engineers," said Williams. "These people are a needle in a haystack."
Once foreigners have H-1B visas, they face another hurdle � becoming permanent legal residents. Applicants are often forced to wait years because there are only 140,000 employment-based green cards available annually. A backlog at Citizenship and Immigration Services adds to the delays.
Swati and Aradhana Srivastava, 34, both Indian software engineers working in the U.S. on H-1B visas, began the green card process with their employer in November 2001. Since then, the sisters said they have not been able to change jobs, positions or salaries.
They have taken film classes and are eager to pursue second careers in filmmaking but cannot do so until after they get their green cards. They also are reluctant to buy property or start a business. If they don't get their green cards by the time they finish film school, the sisters may return home.
"It's like living in a holding pattern continuously," said Swati Srivastava, 28, a member of Immigration Voice, a new grass-roots organization of skilled foreign workers pushing for immigration reform. The Internet-based group formed late last year and has about 5,000 members scattered around the country.
"We work in [the] U.S. legally in high-skilled jobs, but we still get penalized for playing by the rules," Immigration Voice co-founder Aman Kapoor said in an e-mail. "Since no one was working on our issues, we decided to organize."
Sandy Boyd, vice president of the National Assn. of Manufacturers, said there is an urgency to fixing the problems facing highly skilled foreign workers, whether they're seeking temporary or permanent legal status. The Senate's proposed immigration bill would increase the number of available employment-based green cards.
If compromise legislation cannot be reached on the broader issues, Boyd said, Congress should pass a separate, more narrow reform bill.
"This is not an issue that can be put off until comprehensive immigration reform is passed," Boyd said, "because once we lose these jobs, it's very difficult for them to come back."
But industry lobbyists arguing against increases in H-1B visas say the program hurts U.S. citizens by lowering wages and increasing job competition. They cite a recent report by the Government Accountability Office that says the program lacks sufficient oversight from the Department of Labor.
"We feel for the most part there are not shortages of U.S. engineers and computer scientists that have the skills these companies are looking for," said Chris McManes, spokesman for the U.S. sector of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers. "If the cap is increased, that will further hamper the ability of a U.S. engineer to find a job."
David Huber, a network engineer in Chicago and U.S. citizen by birth, said he twice lost out on jobs to foreign workers. He was passed over for one job and replaced at another, he said. Huber, who testified before the House in March, said he could not find work for nearly three years, despite his education and experience. "Too many of us cannot find jobs because companies are turning to H-1B workers as a first choice," Huber said in written testimony to the House.
Swadha Sharma, who lives in Arcadia, said she is not trying to replace U.S. workers. Sharma earned an electronics engineering degree in India but has long dreamed of becoming a math teacher. So while her husband worked here on an H-1B visa, she earned her teaching credential at Cal Poly Pomona.
Sharma, 30, started applying for teaching jobs early this year, but she said only one of three interested districts was willing to sponsor her for an H-1B visa. And that offer, from a Los Angeles charter school, came after the visa cap had been reached. Sharma now plans to pursue a master's degree but said the U.S. is "missing out on a catch."
"I am really qualified," she said. "Hopefully, I will be able to teach soon."
As for Lloyd, his plans to come to the United States are now on indefinite hold. He started his job in Germany but still laments the U.S. immigration system for limiting workers like himself from coming here.
"The H-1B scheme seems a little bit ridiculous," he said. "I would certainly be an asset to the American economy."
Foreign workers with high-tech skills are in demand, but visa quotas snarl the hiring process.
By Anna Gorman, Times Staff Writer
July 3, 2006
This spring, a U.S. high-tech company recruited British citizen Gareth Lloyd for a possible engineering job.
But before the Irvine office made its hiring decision, the number of available visas for skilled workers ran out, in a record time of less than two months.
Lloyd, who has degrees in applied physics and electrical and electronics engineering, found another job in Germany.
"I was a little bit incredulous," Lloyd, 34, said in a phone interview. "It seems arbitrary to put some kind of quota on this."
Much of the national debate on immigration has centered on undocumented workers who fill agriculture, construction and service jobs. But highly skilled foreign scientists, engineers and computer programmers recruited by U.S. companies to work here legally also have a lot at stake in the outcome. "The major focus for all the laws and all the bills has mainly been for illegal immigrants," said Swati Srivastava, an Indian software engineer who lives in Playa del Rey and is waiting for her green card. "We kind of get pushed to the sidelines."
The Senate's sweeping immigration bill that passed in May calls for increasing the number of H-1B visas, which are available for professional foreign workers, from 65,000 to 115,000 annually. Foreigners with certain advanced degrees would be exempt from the cap.
Despite President Bush's urging to increase such quotas, however, the House bill that passed late last year does not include any provisions for skilled-worker visas. And a conference committee, which would negotiate a compromise, has yet to be selected. U.S. companies complain that they are losing prospective employees to other countries because of a shortage of highly skilled and educated foreign workers. As a result, companies are either outsourcing science and engineering jobs or making do with fewer employees.
"There aren't enough U.S. citizens pursuing those types of degrees," said Jennifer Greeson, spokeswoman for Intel Corp. in Santa Clara, Calif., where about 5% of the company's U.S.-based employees are on H-1B visas. "U.S. companies being able to have access to talent, no matter where it originates, is key to our continued competitiveness."
But critics of the H-1B program argue that there are enough Americans qualified for the jobs. Companies just prefer to hire younger, less expensive workers from other countries, such as India and China, instead of more experienced American workers at higher salaries.
"The bottom line is cheap labor," said UC Davis computer-science professor Norman Matloff, who has studied the H-1B program.
The six-year visas are available to foreigners with at least a bachelor's degree. Firms must pay foreign workers the prevailing wage.
The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services agency begins accepting H-1B visa applications on April 1 each year. The agency received enough visas to hit the congressionally mandated cap of 65,000 at the end of May this year, compared with August in 2005 and October in 2004. Those who receive the visas can begin work Oct. 1, the start of the fiscal year.
There are also 20,000 additional visas available for foreign workers who earned a master's or higher-level degree in the U.S. The Citizenship and Immigration Services is still accepting applications for those visas.
Because the H-1B cap is reached more quickly each year, many companies prepare their paperwork ahead of time so they can be at the front of the line. But they say it's often difficult to make hiring decisions six months before the start date.
Orange County immigration attorney Mitchell Wexler has a courier ready on the first day to take his clients' completed applications to Citizenship and Immigration Services.
"The whole white-collar business community is kind of crossing our fingers" that the number of visas is raised, Wexler said. Highly skilled foreign workers, he said, are "the best and brightest" and should be invited into the economy.
"If we can't get them," Wexler added, "they will go to a country that will accept them, and they will get jobs in Canada, Australia and England and will compete against us."
One of Wexler's clients, Massachusetts-based Skyworks Solutions, develops and manufactures integrated circuits for cellphones. Connie Williams, senior human resources specialist at the company's Irvine office, said her firm was effectively cut off from a foreign labor pool that included Lloyd of Britain when the government stopped accepting H-1B applications.
Williams said she worries that if Congress fails to pass reform legislation, the door will slam shut even earlier next year. The company has just over 2,000 U.S.-based employees, roughly 100 of whom have H-1B visas.
"We need these highly skilled, highly educated, highly qualified engineers," said Williams. "These people are a needle in a haystack."
Once foreigners have H-1B visas, they face another hurdle � becoming permanent legal residents. Applicants are often forced to wait years because there are only 140,000 employment-based green cards available annually. A backlog at Citizenship and Immigration Services adds to the delays.
Swati and Aradhana Srivastava, 34, both Indian software engineers working in the U.S. on H-1B visas, began the green card process with their employer in November 2001. Since then, the sisters said they have not been able to change jobs, positions or salaries.
They have taken film classes and are eager to pursue second careers in filmmaking but cannot do so until after they get their green cards. They also are reluctant to buy property or start a business. If they don't get their green cards by the time they finish film school, the sisters may return home.
"It's like living in a holding pattern continuously," said Swati Srivastava, 28, a member of Immigration Voice, a new grass-roots organization of skilled foreign workers pushing for immigration reform. The Internet-based group formed late last year and has about 5,000 members scattered around the country.
"We work in [the] U.S. legally in high-skilled jobs, but we still get penalized for playing by the rules," Immigration Voice co-founder Aman Kapoor said in an e-mail. "Since no one was working on our issues, we decided to organize."
Sandy Boyd, vice president of the National Assn. of Manufacturers, said there is an urgency to fixing the problems facing highly skilled foreign workers, whether they're seeking temporary or permanent legal status. The Senate's proposed immigration bill would increase the number of available employment-based green cards.
If compromise legislation cannot be reached on the broader issues, Boyd said, Congress should pass a separate, more narrow reform bill.
"This is not an issue that can be put off until comprehensive immigration reform is passed," Boyd said, "because once we lose these jobs, it's very difficult for them to come back."
But industry lobbyists arguing against increases in H-1B visas say the program hurts U.S. citizens by lowering wages and increasing job competition. They cite a recent report by the Government Accountability Office that says the program lacks sufficient oversight from the Department of Labor.
"We feel for the most part there are not shortages of U.S. engineers and computer scientists that have the skills these companies are looking for," said Chris McManes, spokesman for the U.S. sector of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers. "If the cap is increased, that will further hamper the ability of a U.S. engineer to find a job."
David Huber, a network engineer in Chicago and U.S. citizen by birth, said he twice lost out on jobs to foreign workers. He was passed over for one job and replaced at another, he said. Huber, who testified before the House in March, said he could not find work for nearly three years, despite his education and experience. "Too many of us cannot find jobs because companies are turning to H-1B workers as a first choice," Huber said in written testimony to the House.
Swadha Sharma, who lives in Arcadia, said she is not trying to replace U.S. workers. Sharma earned an electronics engineering degree in India but has long dreamed of becoming a math teacher. So while her husband worked here on an H-1B visa, she earned her teaching credential at Cal Poly Pomona.
Sharma, 30, started applying for teaching jobs early this year, but she said only one of three interested districts was willing to sponsor her for an H-1B visa. And that offer, from a Los Angeles charter school, came after the visa cap had been reached. Sharma now plans to pursue a master's degree but said the U.S. is "missing out on a catch."
"I am really qualified," she said. "Hopefully, I will be able to teach soon."
As for Lloyd, his plans to come to the United States are now on indefinite hold. He started his job in Germany but still laments the U.S. immigration system for limiting workers like himself from coming here.
"The H-1B scheme seems a little bit ridiculous," he said. "I would certainly be an asset to the American economy."
wandmaker
02-26 05:37 PM
wandmaker ..Please read Phony postings and do not respond to these guys , they are just playing .. I m surprised senior members are not understanding the intend of the posts .
What can we help if he had problems with employer ? what can we help if he had h1-h4-h1 issues ? Every one just relax and stop replying .
I know every one wants to help others in our community but think twice before replying
I see the good intentions of your statement. Not sure, whether you really got what I really wanted to convey to to OP. Giving 1% of benefit of doubt based on (2), I was trying to find out
(1) The reason for amendment denial
(2) Whether the employer is exploiting him due to his ignorance
(3) Whether the employer is abusing the immigration system.
BTW, Dig through my posts on this thread and other - You will realize that I'm against everyone who abuses the system.
What can we help if he had problems with employer ? what can we help if he had h1-h4-h1 issues ? Every one just relax and stop replying .
I know every one wants to help others in our community but think twice before replying
I see the good intentions of your statement. Not sure, whether you really got what I really wanted to convey to to OP. Giving 1% of benefit of doubt based on (2), I was trying to find out
(1) The reason for amendment denial
(2) Whether the employer is exploiting him due to his ignorance
(3) Whether the employer is abusing the immigration system.
BTW, Dig through my posts on this thread and other - You will realize that I'm against everyone who abuses the system.
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