girijas
06-19 03:30 PM
http://www.opencongress.org/person/sponsoredbills/400245_zoe_lofgren
Check out the above website. 6039 is the one relating to STEM and it has 26 co-sponsors
Check out the above website. 6039 is the one relating to STEM and it has 26 co-sponsors
wallpaper Happy Birthday, Nancy Sinatra!
smisachu
07-30 05:51 PM
I agree. These ETFs are too risky. With so many pros in the game nothing is easy nowadays. As you had mentioned in one of your post, the market for individuals is as close to gambling as it gets.
If you cannot make trading your profession then Invest don't trade. Or trade options where you don't have to watch tick by tick.
Hey guys who are scolding us that this is not related to immigration- Common cut us some slack. Can we discuss just immigration 365 days when we are the only ones doing it and policy makers dont care about us? We will go nuts doing it. What is the harm if we all discuss other stuff. Maybe there could be a seperate thread or something for discussing non immigration stuff. As a community we should be able to discuss and share other stuff than just our frustrations.
If you cannot make trading your profession then Invest don't trade. Or trade options where you don't have to watch tick by tick.
Hey guys who are scolding us that this is not related to immigration- Common cut us some slack. Can we discuss just immigration 365 days when we are the only ones doing it and policy makers dont care about us? We will go nuts doing it. What is the harm if we all discuss other stuff. Maybe there could be a seperate thread or something for discussing non immigration stuff. As a community we should be able to discuss and share other stuff than just our frustrations.
waitin_toolong
07-17 03:12 PM
I applaud you for starting this effort but the petition needs correction, You are calling Lou Dobbs of lying but all the instances you quote are from Sen Tancredo . You may accuse Lou Dobbs of supporting these lies by letting them stand unchallenged not correcting them.
When we fight we should get our facts straight so that no one can point a finger at us.
I am saying all this at the risk of being ridiculed and abused by some of you. But before you do read the petition again and read my statement with cool head.
Victory will come to those who are righteous not impetuous
We need to document all the inaccuracies floating around and patiently with the backing of facts dismantle each and every one of them.
When we fight we should get our facts straight so that no one can point a finger at us.
I am saying all this at the risk of being ridiculed and abused by some of you. But before you do read the petition again and read my statement with cool head.
Victory will come to those who are righteous not impetuous
We need to document all the inaccuracies floating around and patiently with the backing of facts dismantle each and every one of them.
2011 Happy birthday Nancy
SGP
04-14 06:15 PM
$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$GOOD EVENING GC$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$
Deadline = April 30th, 2011
Goal = 5000 votes on survey (see I-485 filing w/o current PD thread) and momentum to continue with this campaign.The survey is a platform to gather and push for launching action items. Based on response by 04/30/2011 - IV will decide whether to even proceed with initiative or not.
Actions - 1) Vote on survey.
2)Email ivcoordinator@gmail.com with PD, ph#,email & subject "I485 filing impacted�,
3)Print/Circulate Fliers and spread FB, wiki link (see "support thread")
Dear IV Members,
If you believe that your success depends on your immigration process - whether it's the ability to file I-485 earlier or to get green-card and citizenship sooner or whether it's the ability of your spouse to work - then you have to believe that your success somehow depends on the success of Immigration voice and these 170 volunteers in DC next week.
As you may know, we are just one more week away from hosting Advocacy day in Washington DC where about 170 members of Immigration Voice will conduct nearly 250 meetings with offices of Senators and Congressmen. Such events cost money. If we have enough contributions, we can spend as per our budget of nearly $ 50,000. If not, we will have to cut back on the event spending and reduce the magnitude and size of the event.
If you are not coming to DC next week, please do your part and contribute funds to Immigration Voice. It not only finances the event properly, it instills pride and confidence in the members who will be there in DC that there are thousands of willing supporters behind them who could not be there physically but are 100% with them in their determination and resolve.
For background click here -> Announcement about April 2011 Advocacy Days (http://immigrationvoice.org/forum/forum85-action-items-for-everyone/1901186-action-item-advocacy-days-in-washington-dc-in-april-2011-a.html#post2301599)
Contribute to Advocacy Event on the Capitol Hill (http://immigrationvoice.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=26&Itemid=44#onetimepaypal) (All one-time contributions will go towards organizing the Advocacy Days event)
Deadline = April 30th, 2011
Goal = 5000 votes on survey (see I-485 filing w/o current PD thread) and momentum to continue with this campaign.The survey is a platform to gather and push for launching action items. Based on response by 04/30/2011 - IV will decide whether to even proceed with initiative or not.
Actions - 1) Vote on survey.
2)Email ivcoordinator@gmail.com with PD, ph#,email & subject "I485 filing impacted�,
3)Print/Circulate Fliers and spread FB, wiki link (see "support thread")
Dear IV Members,
If you believe that your success depends on your immigration process - whether it's the ability to file I-485 earlier or to get green-card and citizenship sooner or whether it's the ability of your spouse to work - then you have to believe that your success somehow depends on the success of Immigration voice and these 170 volunteers in DC next week.
As you may know, we are just one more week away from hosting Advocacy day in Washington DC where about 170 members of Immigration Voice will conduct nearly 250 meetings with offices of Senators and Congressmen. Such events cost money. If we have enough contributions, we can spend as per our budget of nearly $ 50,000. If not, we will have to cut back on the event spending and reduce the magnitude and size of the event.
If you are not coming to DC next week, please do your part and contribute funds to Immigration Voice. It not only finances the event properly, it instills pride and confidence in the members who will be there in DC that there are thousands of willing supporters behind them who could not be there physically but are 100% with them in their determination and resolve.
For background click here -> Announcement about April 2011 Advocacy Days (http://immigrationvoice.org/forum/forum85-action-items-for-everyone/1901186-action-item-advocacy-days-in-washington-dc-in-april-2011-a.html#post2301599)
Contribute to Advocacy Event on the Capitol Hill (http://immigrationvoice.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=26&Itemid=44#onetimepaypal) (All one-time contributions will go towards organizing the Advocacy Days event)
more...
justAnotherFile
07-18 08:57 AM
Several of us are not sure if our early July applications will be accepted or rejected (although common-sense says that a rejected application should be back in our hands by now, who can predict the system anymore).
This tracker is verify how many applications were rejected in early July.
Date Delivered To USCIS:
Time Delivered To USCIS:
Service Center: TSC, NSC etc.
Rejected: Yes/No/Dont Know
My Data
--------
Date Delivered To USCIS: July 2
Time Delivered To USCIS: 11:15 AM
Service Center: TSC
Rejected: Dont Know
This tracker is verify how many applications were rejected in early July.
Date Delivered To USCIS:
Time Delivered To USCIS:
Service Center: TSC, NSC etc.
Rejected: Yes/No/Dont Know
My Data
--------
Date Delivered To USCIS: July 2
Time Delivered To USCIS: 11:15 AM
Service Center: TSC
Rejected: Dont Know
walking_dude
11-21 09:52 AM
Don't debate. Send the E-mail NOW!
We can debate in pleasure later. I have created a poll to keep count of how many have responded to our request. So far it's just a handful. Wish IV members were as dedicated as the anti-immigrants at ALIPAC.
Folks, your silence is killing our cause. Don't fret and fume later when you get the 'Leave Immediately. You application is cancelled' notice. Remember then, you were responsible for you sorry state due to your silly inexcusable inaction.
It's useless to discuss with bigots at ALIPAC. They don't want to understand us!. Why do you think they didn't link to our website? There's so much you can do to those who run away from the truth, and hide their heads in the sand like an ostrich.
When we cannot make the 'Great Egoists' of the anti-IV immigrant crowd to see reason for a cause that benefits them, what chances we have with bigots who have a vested interest in opposing us?
I am still debating whether to call in or to write - but I will definitely do one of the two. I just read the other thread linked to by 'internet' above & thought I would say a couple of things to the losers at alipac who worship racists like tancredo and lou:
We can debate in pleasure later. I have created a poll to keep count of how many have responded to our request. So far it's just a handful. Wish IV members were as dedicated as the anti-immigrants at ALIPAC.
Folks, your silence is killing our cause. Don't fret and fume later when you get the 'Leave Immediately. You application is cancelled' notice. Remember then, you were responsible for you sorry state due to your silly inexcusable inaction.
It's useless to discuss with bigots at ALIPAC. They don't want to understand us!. Why do you think they didn't link to our website? There's so much you can do to those who run away from the truth, and hide their heads in the sand like an ostrich.
When we cannot make the 'Great Egoists' of the anti-IV immigrant crowd to see reason for a cause that benefits them, what chances we have with bigots who have a vested interest in opposing us?
I am still debating whether to call in or to write - but I will definitely do one of the two. I just read the other thread linked to by 'internet' above & thought I would say a couple of things to the losers at alipac who worship racists like tancredo and lou:
more...
vikramark
01-30 05:07 PM
Voted, Question has slipped to 20, more people need to vote
2010 Fine Wine: Happy Birthday,
waitingGC
02-07 11:46 AM
Sorry to confuse you ..
It is very difficult to make a prediction...The 7% country quota for china is satisfied already...So it could be this october
The only chance that it happens is that visa overflow from other categories into EB2China/India...For that to happen..Eb3 world has to become current.....
That would mean that more visa are available than can be used for Rest of world...Then CHINA/India would get some more than 7% country quota....
So it could be Oct 07 or if you are lucky... earlier....
If immigration reform happens..you would definately become current immedialtely...
Thank you for your elaboration.
How do you know that all the unused visas go to EB3 before go to EB2?
Even if the immigration reform happens, will it take effect next year or sometime later? How come my PD can become current immediately once the immigration reform happens?
thanks
It is very difficult to make a prediction...The 7% country quota for china is satisfied already...So it could be this october
The only chance that it happens is that visa overflow from other categories into EB2China/India...For that to happen..Eb3 world has to become current.....
That would mean that more visa are available than can be used for Rest of world...Then CHINA/India would get some more than 7% country quota....
So it could be Oct 07 or if you are lucky... earlier....
If immigration reform happens..you would definately become current immedialtely...
Thank you for your elaboration.
How do you know that all the unused visas go to EB3 before go to EB2?
Even if the immigration reform happens, will it take effect next year or sometime later? How come my PD can become current immediately once the immigration reform happens?
thanks
more...
joe_dirt
04-15 02:47 PM
in the mail
hair friend Nancy#39;s birthday.
pbojja
06-12 06:06 PM
This is really sad that they count all dependents under employement category. USCIS should treat all categories in same way. Can't we raise this issue?
Thats a very good point , If they dont count the dependents in Family based cateogry , why are they counting in Employment Based cateogry . Again may be rules are different but we can defiently raise this question
IV what are your thoughts on this ?
Thats a very good point , If they dont count the dependents in Family based cateogry , why are they counting in Employment Based cateogry . Again may be rules are different but we can defiently raise this question
IV what are your thoughts on this ?
more...
uumapathi
05-26 03:05 PM
This bill is only for FB. IV has to give some direction on this bill so that we can push to include EB too in the bill.
(b) Worldwide Level of Employment-Based Immigrants- Section 201(d) of the Immigration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1151(d)) is amended to read as follows:
`(d) Worldwide Level of Employment-Based Immigrants-
`(1) IN GENERAL- The worldwide level of employment-based immigrants under this subsection for a fiscal year is equal to the sum of--
`(A) 140,000;
`(B) the number computed under paragraph (2); and
`(C) the number computed under paragraph (3).
`(2) UNUSED VISA NUMBERS FROM PREVIOUS FISCAL YEAR- The number computed under this paragraph for a fiscal year is the difference, if any, between--
`(A) the worldwide level of employment-based immigrant visas established for the previous fiscal year; and
`(B) the number of visas issued under section 203(b), subject to this subsection, during the previous fiscal year.
`(3) UNUSED VISA NUMBERS FROM FISCAL YEARS 1992 THROUGH 2007- The number computed under this paragraph is the difference, if any, between--
`(A) the difference, if any, between--
`(i) the sum of the worldwide levels of employment-based immigrant visas established for each of fiscal years 1992 through 2007; and
`(ii) the number of visas issued under section 203(b), subject to this subsection, during such fiscal years; and
`(B) the number of unused visas from fiscal years 1992 through 2007 that were issued after fiscal year 2007 under section 203(b), subject to this subsection.'.
(c) Effective Date- The amendments made by this section shall take effect on the date which is 60 days after the date of the enactment of this Act.
Looks like EB visas are recaptured and fed into EB pool.
(b) Worldwide Level of Employment-Based Immigrants- Section 201(d) of the Immigration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1151(d)) is amended to read as follows:
`(d) Worldwide Level of Employment-Based Immigrants-
`(1) IN GENERAL- The worldwide level of employment-based immigrants under this subsection for a fiscal year is equal to the sum of--
`(A) 140,000;
`(B) the number computed under paragraph (2); and
`(C) the number computed under paragraph (3).
`(2) UNUSED VISA NUMBERS FROM PREVIOUS FISCAL YEAR- The number computed under this paragraph for a fiscal year is the difference, if any, between--
`(A) the worldwide level of employment-based immigrant visas established for the previous fiscal year; and
`(B) the number of visas issued under section 203(b), subject to this subsection, during the previous fiscal year.
`(3) UNUSED VISA NUMBERS FROM FISCAL YEARS 1992 THROUGH 2007- The number computed under this paragraph is the difference, if any, between--
`(A) the difference, if any, between--
`(i) the sum of the worldwide levels of employment-based immigrant visas established for each of fiscal years 1992 through 2007; and
`(ii) the number of visas issued under section 203(b), subject to this subsection, during such fiscal years; and
`(B) the number of unused visas from fiscal years 1992 through 2007 that were issued after fiscal year 2007 under section 203(b), subject to this subsection.'.
(c) Effective Date- The amendments made by this section shall take effect on the date which is 60 days after the date of the enactment of this Act.
Looks like EB visas are recaptured and fed into EB pool.
hot Happy Birthday Nancy and many more.
black_logs
04-07 12:57 PM
Guys it is really upto you to decide how much you are willing to contribute towards something which will change your future. I'm on 7th year H1B extension I pay $200 for my dependents visas. I am going to my home country and I'm paying close to $600 for Visa stamping, plus pain for doing all the paper work, and pain of taking a visa interview after living 7 years here. We don't get anything done then this visa will expire in 6 months, so another $200 for visa, another $600 for stamping, another form & another filing and above all another sleepless night. This is endless, we need to support this effort, please contribute generously.
more...
house Happy Birthday, Nancy!
Mayday
03-30 07:49 PM
I am sorry guys, but I was only able to read through the 1st page; and there are a lot of dumb answers and advises.
The best you could do now - go to immigration lawyer. Take a $100-$150 consultation and clarify all answers and the following strategies:
Alex, you did not do it well coming to USA without employer consent, so he has some defense. If you sue him he will argue that he DID NOT ask you to come; or even more ASKED NOT TO COME. if this was the case, it will be cheap for you to just pack the belongings and leave before you are here for 6 months; as staying longer will make you ineligble for any visa for next 3 to 10 years.
If you both agreed on day of arrival before and you came on day agreed and then was asked not to come to work - you can sue the employer at least for the cost of transportation. You can also sue him for money he must pay you until he officially fires you from work - because what he currently does is "bench sitting" - which is also not legal for him. So until he officially notifies you that he fired you, he must pay.
If you paid for H-1 fees then you could also try to file a police report on this matter - if the total of fees is less than what you paid then an employer could be responsible for the difference, and you can suspect that all he wanted is to rip you for these money (fraud). This will be especially true if his company profile does not match your skills (he is a restaurant and you are a doctor for example).
If you leave the country it will be very hard and expensive for you to sue him. So try changing to B2 or consider leaving the country and coming back later. Bad thing about going to B1/B2 status is that you claim you are going to leave the country afterwards; but you can actually change B1/B2 status to H1 but you should not mention you are going to actively look for another job as it is against your claim about leaving country after that.
Another your mistake is to look for H1 transfer. Since you never worked for any company on H1 you are not eligible for this type of petition. But a new employer can file a new petition and reference your approved but not yet used H1B approval so that you do not need to be counted, and on premium processing they will be able to get response in 2 weeks. It is as simple as transfer but it's not a transfer and most companies will not be able to do that without an attorney.
So generally I would advise you to use "attorney locators" service as you would pay much less for first consultation with an attorney then or could afford 3 consultations with different attorneys and choose the one who is actually willing to solve this case. You have two lawyers involved: immigration lawyer and labor lawyer and most probably you would need two of them. One to resolve your H1 issue with a new employer if you risk to stay and continue looking for a job, and another lawyer to sue your employer for transportation and probably first month check.
The best you could do now - go to immigration lawyer. Take a $100-$150 consultation and clarify all answers and the following strategies:
Alex, you did not do it well coming to USA without employer consent, so he has some defense. If you sue him he will argue that he DID NOT ask you to come; or even more ASKED NOT TO COME. if this was the case, it will be cheap for you to just pack the belongings and leave before you are here for 6 months; as staying longer will make you ineligble for any visa for next 3 to 10 years.
If you both agreed on day of arrival before and you came on day agreed and then was asked not to come to work - you can sue the employer at least for the cost of transportation. You can also sue him for money he must pay you until he officially fires you from work - because what he currently does is "bench sitting" - which is also not legal for him. So until he officially notifies you that he fired you, he must pay.
If you paid for H-1 fees then you could also try to file a police report on this matter - if the total of fees is less than what you paid then an employer could be responsible for the difference, and you can suspect that all he wanted is to rip you for these money (fraud). This will be especially true if his company profile does not match your skills (he is a restaurant and you are a doctor for example).
If you leave the country it will be very hard and expensive for you to sue him. So try changing to B2 or consider leaving the country and coming back later. Bad thing about going to B1/B2 status is that you claim you are going to leave the country afterwards; but you can actually change B1/B2 status to H1 but you should not mention you are going to actively look for another job as it is against your claim about leaving country after that.
Another your mistake is to look for H1 transfer. Since you never worked for any company on H1 you are not eligible for this type of petition. But a new employer can file a new petition and reference your approved but not yet used H1B approval so that you do not need to be counted, and on premium processing they will be able to get response in 2 weeks. It is as simple as transfer but it's not a transfer and most companies will not be able to do that without an attorney.
So generally I would advise you to use "attorney locators" service as you would pay much less for first consultation with an attorney then or could afford 3 consultations with different attorneys and choose the one who is actually willing to solve this case. You have two lawyers involved: immigration lawyer and labor lawyer and most probably you would need two of them. One to resolve your H1 issue with a new employer if you risk to stay and continue looking for a job, and another lawyer to sue your employer for transportation and probably first month check.
tattoo Happy Birthday, Nancy!
gc_on_demand
06-11 08:57 AM
Folks
July bulletin is OUT and NO more significant movement. Donot hope for future bulletin . Please call Lawmakers ASAP. Unless we take action USCIS is not going to do anything. Situation can be worse once we head towards election season. Still we have 1-2 months to get things done or we will be waiting for years to get green card OR EAD ( For some folks ).
It is just 10-15 minutes need to spend to call. Let them know WHO WE ARE AND WHAT ARE OUR ISSUES .
I request all of you to call , if you have called then ask your friends and family members to call.
Now its time to act. If we dont take action CHC will not allow to move ahead our 3 bills.
CALL NOW .... and Spread this message to everyone.
July bulletin is OUT and NO more significant movement. Donot hope for future bulletin . Please call Lawmakers ASAP. Unless we take action USCIS is not going to do anything. Situation can be worse once we head towards election season. Still we have 1-2 months to get things done or we will be waiting for years to get green card OR EAD ( For some folks ).
It is just 10-15 minutes need to spend to call. Let them know WHO WE ARE AND WHAT ARE OUR ISSUES .
I request all of you to call , if you have called then ask your friends and family members to call.
Now its time to act. If we dont take action CHC will not allow to move ahead our 3 bills.
CALL NOW .... and Spread this message to everyone.
more...
pictures Happy Birthday Nancy!
maristella61
02-27 08:02 PM
I have a labor certification approved in my name. Does all this mean that if this new law gets approved and I have not yet filed for I-140 I lose my labor and the possibility to file for I-140? Or would I still be able to file ? I am confused.:confused:
dresses Happy Birthday Nancy Double
qplearn
09-13 03:38 PM
Why don't you write and sumbit an op-ed piece to The NY Times? While I personally like watching Jim Lehrer's newshour on PBS, we shouldn't get obsessed with a particular program. We have been featured all over the mainstream media.
Here's the Washington Post Article that inspired me to join IV in April. I challenge you to write an article that will get us our next 6,000 members. And alll news articles about IV exist on a thread. Please look carefully before you trash our efforts. Thank you.
RR
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
Skilled Immigrants Turn to K Street
High-Tech Workers Awaiting Green Cards Hire Lobbyists, Hit the Hill
By S. Mitra Kalita
Washington Post Staff Writer
Wednesday, April 26, 2006; D01
On the December day when Congress killed a budget amendment that might have allowed him to become an American a little sooner, Aman Kapoor started a movement.
He did not march through streets, carry signs, wave a flag from here or there. He did not walk off the job or file out of school. The computer programmer simply went online to a message board tracked by thousands of people in his predicament: highly skilled foreigners waiting years for their green cards.
"I think we can do better and really create the impact with organized effort," he wrote. "To achieve this we need a group of individuals who have shown commitment and motivation in this forum."
The next night, a dozen people living across the United States shed their Internet handles -- Kapoor's was "WaldenPond," a nod to his hero, Henry David Thoreau -- and addressed one another by name on a conference call that lasted an hour. Today, just four months later, the organization they dubbed Immigration Voice boasts 3,000 members; a fundraising goal of $200,000; and, most notably, a partnership with a high-powered lobbying firm, Quinn Gillespie & Associates LLC.
The group's transformation from an insular circle to a politically active movement offers a window into an alternative immigrant campaign being waged as the Senate this week resumes its work on immigration laws.
Most members and all the core organizers of Immigration Voice hail from India, though Chinese membership numbers in the hundreds and is on the rise. Most arrived on an international student visa or a visa known as the H-1B, reserved for highly skilled workers who can stay for up to six years -- unless an employer sponsors their green cards, which grant immigrants permanent residence in the United States and the right to live and work here freely. Over the past decade, the largest numbers of H-1Bs have been awarded to high-technology workers from India and China.
Thus, while the passage of a strict border-security bill introduced by Rep. F. James Sensenbrenner Jr. (R-Wis.) mobilized many other immigrants in December, members of this high-tech group had their eye on another: a budget reconciliation bill that, in the Senate version, would have allowed those waiting in line for a green card to proceed even if the quota had been exhausted. The provision was cut in conference committee, stirring many to action and leading to the founding of Immigration Voice.
While hundreds of thousands of protesters took to the streets to get Congress's attention, Immigration Voice took a decidedly different approach. Shortly after the group was established, Kapoor and other volunteers began interviewing lobbyists, relying mostly on Google searches and data from the Center for Public Integrity's Web site.
"If it was not going to be big, it would not be worth the effort," said Kapoor, who works for Florida State University and has traveled to Washington nine times in the past three months. "Most of us have reached that point, having waited for eight or nine years, where individual lives are on hold."
Neither Quinn Gillespie nor Immigration Voice would disclose the amount being paid for the firm's services. Kapoor said it is "less than five figures."
"This is a sympathetic story," said Nick Maduros, a lobbyist for Quinn Gillespie. "For this group, their issues are very technical and are frankly not that controversial, but they have been overshadowed ."
Immigration Voices also enlisted the help of Rick Swartz, who has his own firm and has long been a leading lobbyist for immigration groups. Swartz gathered members of the group at his home one January weekend for a crash course in American politics, teaching them to position themselves as the "new Cubans for the Republicans."
Although their numbers are far smaller -- fewer than 2 million Indians live in the United States, according to the 2000 Census -- the group is among the more affluent immigrant communities. And because their numbers are smaller than those of Hispanics, they are trying to focus on other ways they can exert power -- through their wealth, their positions of influence in the high-tech and business communities, and their alliances with more established advocacy groups such as one for Indian physicians and an Indian political action committee.
While the immigrant marchers' demands have covered a range of issues, including allowing immigrants to gain legal status and eventually citizenship, the members of this association are more narrowly focused: They want Congress to pass measures that would end the years-long wait for a green card. In fact, they warn that efforts to enable millions of illegal immigrants to remain here permanently would result in the same bureaucratic nightmare legal immigrants are now facing.
"If you're going to reform, reform across the board," said Bharati Mandapati, who oversees content for the group, which means she has learned how to word and pitch legislative amendments.
The group has refrained from taking a stand on the fate of the undocumented workers, though it monitors chatter on its Web site to ensure that frustrated high-tech workers don't disparage lower-skilled laborers such as landscapers and restaurant workers. It also has stayed mum on raising the cap on H-1Bs, the visas that made most of their passages possible.
Under a proposal introduced by Sen. Arlen Specter (R-Pa.), the number of employment-based green cards being issued would increase from 140,000 to 290,000. Currently, no one country is supposed to take up more than 7 percent of the allotment, though unused green cards can be redistributed to countries that have already met their quota. That has made possible migrations in excess of 7 percent from nations such as India, China, Mexico and the Philippines. Under the proposal, the per-country cap would be increased to a hard and fast 10 percent. Proponents say this would prevent one country from dominating the category and would retain jobs for native-born Americans.
But Mandapati, a California-based economist, argues that the restriction would hurt the United States because the demand for skills changes. "It just so happens that computer technology and certain technical skills are in great demand here and all over the world. It just so happens that there are two countries that have invested a lot of resources in educating people in these fields . . . India and China."
About a half-million immigrants are caught in the green-card backlog, some as they wait for Labor Department approval or because quotas have been exceeded. In that time, they cannot be promoted or given substantial pay increases because that would mean a change in job description and salary. They turn to Web sites to compare their wait times with others, and their Internet handles, such as "stucklabor" and "waiting_labor," exude their frustration.
During meetings on Capitol Hill, Maduros and at least one Immigration Voice representative lay out the group's platform, weaving in the personal stories of members. Shilpa Ghodgaonkar, a Germantown housewife, has become a staple anecdote -- and a frequent visitor on the Hill.
For four years, she and her husband have been waiting for their green cards. Ghodgaonkar's husband arrived on an H-1B visa, and she followed as his dependent, unauthorized to work here. To pass the time, she learned to cook. Then she volunteered as a career counselor in Montgomery County. Last year, she earned her MBA from George Washington University. In December, around the time Kapoor sent out his e-mail plea for mass mobilization, Ghodgaonkar had run out of options.
"I just couldn't keep quiet anymore," Ghodgaonkar said. "I cannot be depressed anymore."
She keeps a spreadsheet that lays out appointment times and the senators' offices she has visited or still plans to: Specter, Frist, Schumer, Brownback, Bingaman, Feinstein, Feingold. Wednesdays bring a weekly call with Quinn Gillespie. And every few nights, there are conference calls among Immigration Voice's core team.
Now the group plans to closely watch the debate resuming in the Senate Judiciary Committee. Earlier this month, Sen. Sam Brownback (R-Kan.) proposed amendments with all of the group's provisions. Other lawmakers confirm that they are still meeting with the group to hear their concerns.
Immigration Voice leaders say the past few months have focused and politicized Indian immigrants in a way that was not apparent in the past. "There is a very 'Mr. Smith Goes to Washington' quality" about the current effort, Mandapati said. "It's been a journey, a loss of naivet� and getting to know about American politics."
� 2006 The Washington Post Company
This is not the article placed on the thread. And nobody is trashing your efforts!!!!
Here's the Washington Post Article that inspired me to join IV in April. I challenge you to write an article that will get us our next 6,000 members. And alll news articles about IV exist on a thread. Please look carefully before you trash our efforts. Thank you.
RR
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Skilled Immigrants Turn to K Street
High-Tech Workers Awaiting Green Cards Hire Lobbyists, Hit the Hill
By S. Mitra Kalita
Washington Post Staff Writer
Wednesday, April 26, 2006; D01
On the December day when Congress killed a budget amendment that might have allowed him to become an American a little sooner, Aman Kapoor started a movement.
He did not march through streets, carry signs, wave a flag from here or there. He did not walk off the job or file out of school. The computer programmer simply went online to a message board tracked by thousands of people in his predicament: highly skilled foreigners waiting years for their green cards.
"I think we can do better and really create the impact with organized effort," he wrote. "To achieve this we need a group of individuals who have shown commitment and motivation in this forum."
The next night, a dozen people living across the United States shed their Internet handles -- Kapoor's was "WaldenPond," a nod to his hero, Henry David Thoreau -- and addressed one another by name on a conference call that lasted an hour. Today, just four months later, the organization they dubbed Immigration Voice boasts 3,000 members; a fundraising goal of $200,000; and, most notably, a partnership with a high-powered lobbying firm, Quinn Gillespie & Associates LLC.
The group's transformation from an insular circle to a politically active movement offers a window into an alternative immigrant campaign being waged as the Senate this week resumes its work on immigration laws.
Most members and all the core organizers of Immigration Voice hail from India, though Chinese membership numbers in the hundreds and is on the rise. Most arrived on an international student visa or a visa known as the H-1B, reserved for highly skilled workers who can stay for up to six years -- unless an employer sponsors their green cards, which grant immigrants permanent residence in the United States and the right to live and work here freely. Over the past decade, the largest numbers of H-1Bs have been awarded to high-technology workers from India and China.
Thus, while the passage of a strict border-security bill introduced by Rep. F. James Sensenbrenner Jr. (R-Wis.) mobilized many other immigrants in December, members of this high-tech group had their eye on another: a budget reconciliation bill that, in the Senate version, would have allowed those waiting in line for a green card to proceed even if the quota had been exhausted. The provision was cut in conference committee, stirring many to action and leading to the founding of Immigration Voice.
While hundreds of thousands of protesters took to the streets to get Congress's attention, Immigration Voice took a decidedly different approach. Shortly after the group was established, Kapoor and other volunteers began interviewing lobbyists, relying mostly on Google searches and data from the Center for Public Integrity's Web site.
"If it was not going to be big, it would not be worth the effort," said Kapoor, who works for Florida State University and has traveled to Washington nine times in the past three months. "Most of us have reached that point, having waited for eight or nine years, where individual lives are on hold."
Neither Quinn Gillespie nor Immigration Voice would disclose the amount being paid for the firm's services. Kapoor said it is "less than five figures."
"This is a sympathetic story," said Nick Maduros, a lobbyist for Quinn Gillespie. "For this group, their issues are very technical and are frankly not that controversial, but they have been overshadowed ."
Immigration Voices also enlisted the help of Rick Swartz, who has his own firm and has long been a leading lobbyist for immigration groups. Swartz gathered members of the group at his home one January weekend for a crash course in American politics, teaching them to position themselves as the "new Cubans for the Republicans."
Although their numbers are far smaller -- fewer than 2 million Indians live in the United States, according to the 2000 Census -- the group is among the more affluent immigrant communities. And because their numbers are smaller than those of Hispanics, they are trying to focus on other ways they can exert power -- through their wealth, their positions of influence in the high-tech and business communities, and their alliances with more established advocacy groups such as one for Indian physicians and an Indian political action committee.
While the immigrant marchers' demands have covered a range of issues, including allowing immigrants to gain legal status and eventually citizenship, the members of this association are more narrowly focused: They want Congress to pass measures that would end the years-long wait for a green card. In fact, they warn that efforts to enable millions of illegal immigrants to remain here permanently would result in the same bureaucratic nightmare legal immigrants are now facing.
"If you're going to reform, reform across the board," said Bharati Mandapati, who oversees content for the group, which means she has learned how to word and pitch legislative amendments.
The group has refrained from taking a stand on the fate of the undocumented workers, though it monitors chatter on its Web site to ensure that frustrated high-tech workers don't disparage lower-skilled laborers such as landscapers and restaurant workers. It also has stayed mum on raising the cap on H-1Bs, the visas that made most of their passages possible.
Under a proposal introduced by Sen. Arlen Specter (R-Pa.), the number of employment-based green cards being issued would increase from 140,000 to 290,000. Currently, no one country is supposed to take up more than 7 percent of the allotment, though unused green cards can be redistributed to countries that have already met their quota. That has made possible migrations in excess of 7 percent from nations such as India, China, Mexico and the Philippines. Under the proposal, the per-country cap would be increased to a hard and fast 10 percent. Proponents say this would prevent one country from dominating the category and would retain jobs for native-born Americans.
But Mandapati, a California-based economist, argues that the restriction would hurt the United States because the demand for skills changes. "It just so happens that computer technology and certain technical skills are in great demand here and all over the world. It just so happens that there are two countries that have invested a lot of resources in educating people in these fields . . . India and China."
About a half-million immigrants are caught in the green-card backlog, some as they wait for Labor Department approval or because quotas have been exceeded. In that time, they cannot be promoted or given substantial pay increases because that would mean a change in job description and salary. They turn to Web sites to compare their wait times with others, and their Internet handles, such as "stucklabor" and "waiting_labor," exude their frustration.
During meetings on Capitol Hill, Maduros and at least one Immigration Voice representative lay out the group's platform, weaving in the personal stories of members. Shilpa Ghodgaonkar, a Germantown housewife, has become a staple anecdote -- and a frequent visitor on the Hill.
For four years, she and her husband have been waiting for their green cards. Ghodgaonkar's husband arrived on an H-1B visa, and she followed as his dependent, unauthorized to work here. To pass the time, she learned to cook. Then she volunteered as a career counselor in Montgomery County. Last year, she earned her MBA from George Washington University. In December, around the time Kapoor sent out his e-mail plea for mass mobilization, Ghodgaonkar had run out of options.
"I just couldn't keep quiet anymore," Ghodgaonkar said. "I cannot be depressed anymore."
She keeps a spreadsheet that lays out appointment times and the senators' offices she has visited or still plans to: Specter, Frist, Schumer, Brownback, Bingaman, Feinstein, Feingold. Wednesdays bring a weekly call with Quinn Gillespie. And every few nights, there are conference calls among Immigration Voice's core team.
Now the group plans to closely watch the debate resuming in the Senate Judiciary Committee. Earlier this month, Sen. Sam Brownback (R-Kan.) proposed amendments with all of the group's provisions. Other lawmakers confirm that they are still meeting with the group to hear their concerns.
Immigration Voice leaders say the past few months have focused and politicized Indian immigrants in a way that was not apparent in the past. "There is a very 'Mr. Smith Goes to Washington' quality" about the current effort, Mandapati said. "It's been a journey, a loss of naivet� and getting to know about American politics."
� 2006 The Washington Post Company
This is not the article placed on the thread. And nobody is trashing your efforts!!!!
more...
makeup Happy Birthday, NANCY GIRL!
msk
03-30 08:58 AM
Cannot make it to DC, but donated $100 for the Advocacy effort. Thanks to IV and the volunteers for this effort!
girlfriend Happy Birthday Nancy Sinatra
whiteStallion
07-02 05:43 PM
[QUOTE=Humhongekamyab;259652]
Yes but do note you do not have endless time to file a complaint. I don't know how many months you have to file a complaint after leaving your job but I know for sure there is a time limit.
QUOTE]
I think its 3 years from the event, that you have to file a complaint. If its past 3 years, you cannot file the complaint. The event may be such as you left the employer and your employer withheld your last paycheck(very common issue with desi consultants) in the name of covering your H1 expenses etc.
Yes but do note you do not have endless time to file a complaint. I don't know how many months you have to file a complaint after leaving your job but I know for sure there is a time limit.
QUOTE]
I think its 3 years from the event, that you have to file a complaint. If its past 3 years, you cannot file the complaint. The event may be such as you left the employer and your employer withheld your last paycheck(very common issue with desi consultants) in the name of covering your H1 expenses etc.
hairstyles Happy Birthday Nancy And have
Waitnwait
12-03 07:26 PM
I am not sure if its legal or not but various members can contribute their skills in exchange of donation to IV. This way members with skills are giving their time to IV and Members of the forum are getting sound advice/guidance/service for small contribution to IV. Examples can be many like CPA, Tax preparation, Doctors, career guidance, Online tutoring, Software consutlancy. I am sure all the members are "SKILLED" in various walks of life.
bobgc
01-01 08:15 AM
Attended Interview on Dec 12,
Visa Stamped on Dec 17
Got the passport on Dec 20th.
Visa Stamped on Dec 17
Got the passport on Dec 20th.
little_willy
08-12 07:53 PM
I think some of our members put the votes in wrong place.
For Eg : for "Before Nov 01 2002" right now the number of votes are 24 click on 24 you will see which user voted for "Before Nov 01 2002 now check for couple of users for their Labour Approval Date some have labour approval dates of 2006 and 2007
That is labor Approval Date and not their Priority Date
For Eg : for "Before Nov 01 2002" right now the number of votes are 24 click on 24 you will see which user voted for "Before Nov 01 2002 now check for couple of users for their Labour Approval Date some have labour approval dates of 2006 and 2007
That is labor Approval Date and not their Priority Date
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