beautifulMind
07-16 01:02 PM
Feed from my lawyer
Several sources have now reported that high-level agency discussions on solutions to the July 2007 Visa Bulletin crisis are underway and could result in a new opportunity for certain eligible foreign nationals to submit adjustment of status applications. Apparently, no final decision has been reached, and it is difficult to predict with absolute certainty what the final outcome will be or when an announcement might be made.
__________________________________________________ _______
Several sources have reported that high-level discussions are now taking place within the government concerning a possible solution to the July 2007 Visa Bulletin crisis. As a result of these discussions, there have been indications that U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) could change course on its position regarding acceptance of applications for adjustment of status, in whole or in part, and create a new opportunity to submit adjustment cases. Some reports have indicated that cases submitted on July 2 will now be accepted for filing, while other reports have suggested that there will be a completely new window of opportunity to submit cases. Apparently, several options are being considered.
Sources caution that the government has not reached a final decision on this matter, and there are no concrete details concerning the mechanics of any future filing opportunity. It is important to note that in the current climate of swift policy reversals and rampant rumors, it is possible that any tentative agreement on reopening an adjustment submission period could falter
Several sources have now reported that high-level agency discussions on solutions to the July 2007 Visa Bulletin crisis are underway and could result in a new opportunity for certain eligible foreign nationals to submit adjustment of status applications. Apparently, no final decision has been reached, and it is difficult to predict with absolute certainty what the final outcome will be or when an announcement might be made.
__________________________________________________ _______
Several sources have reported that high-level discussions are now taking place within the government concerning a possible solution to the July 2007 Visa Bulletin crisis. As a result of these discussions, there have been indications that U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) could change course on its position regarding acceptance of applications for adjustment of status, in whole or in part, and create a new opportunity to submit adjustment cases. Some reports have indicated that cases submitted on July 2 will now be accepted for filing, while other reports have suggested that there will be a completely new window of opportunity to submit cases. Apparently, several options are being considered.
Sources caution that the government has not reached a final decision on this matter, and there are no concrete details concerning the mechanics of any future filing opportunity. It is important to note that in the current climate of swift policy reversals and rampant rumors, it is possible that any tentative agreement on reopening an adjustment submission period could falter
LostInGCProcess
09-18 04:24 PM
my I-140 is pending for than 600 days as well in addition to my pending I-485.
while using EAD with my current GC applying employer(lets say not
getting paid as in this economy its hard to find corp to corp jobs), can I
work another job full time using EAD?
It would be risky to move to another company before your I-140 is approved.
If you start using your EAD, you no longer will be in H status. You would be in AOS pending status.
while using EAD with my current GC applying employer(lets say not
getting paid as in this economy its hard to find corp to corp jobs), can I
work another job full time using EAD?
It would be risky to move to another company before your I-140 is approved.
If you start using your EAD, you no longer will be in H status. You would be in AOS pending status.
posmd
06-08 07:45 PM
Guys,
I have approved EB3 LC and approved I 140 with PD JAN 2002. My wife has approved EB2 LC (Perm) and Approved I 140 with PD JAN 2006
As we represent one family can't my wife use my PD and apply I 485 under EB2.
for example If husband is born in a retrogressed country and wife in a non retrogressed country in that case, husband gets a free ride !
Why not in this case ? Just curious !
Faced with this same predicament. The truth is the US immigration rules were not made to cater for this era of fast paced change and lifestyles.
When the current EB rules were fashioned, mostly in the early 1960s most families had one working household and were generally migrating in the very highest skills level. Opportunities in the high skilled fields were also not as prevalent as they are today. US was not the knowledge economy it is today.
In the same sense people if they would migrate did so just once in their lifetime, nowadays people often shift 3 places sometimes even more. Hence your citizenship does not count, only your birth place. Imagine the insanity in a scenario that you are from antigua and you are born in India while your father was serving as the consul general there. If fate and destiny have you wishing to immigrate to the US now in the EB2 category then you would have to have a PD of Jan 2003 as opposed to current.
Many such combinations are possible, but in my humble view all this country quota stuff for EB based immigration is ridiculous and worse yet when it takes no acccount of population size. Clearly they ought to be more discerning in who they allow in via EB immigration by tightening the regulations as they stand currently, but this insane quota is off base in todays world.
A quota system for family or any other type of immigration is more reasonable, but once it is deemed you are immigrating based on your skills why should something else matter in this land of opportunity where every man is considered equal and is said to rise or fall on his ability and nothing else. Perhaps others know the answer to this but it befuddles me and makes me realise how antequated the rules really are.
I have approved EB3 LC and approved I 140 with PD JAN 2002. My wife has approved EB2 LC (Perm) and Approved I 140 with PD JAN 2006
As we represent one family can't my wife use my PD and apply I 485 under EB2.
for example If husband is born in a retrogressed country and wife in a non retrogressed country in that case, husband gets a free ride !
Why not in this case ? Just curious !
Faced with this same predicament. The truth is the US immigration rules were not made to cater for this era of fast paced change and lifestyles.
When the current EB rules were fashioned, mostly in the early 1960s most families had one working household and were generally migrating in the very highest skills level. Opportunities in the high skilled fields were also not as prevalent as they are today. US was not the knowledge economy it is today.
In the same sense people if they would migrate did so just once in their lifetime, nowadays people often shift 3 places sometimes even more. Hence your citizenship does not count, only your birth place. Imagine the insanity in a scenario that you are from antigua and you are born in India while your father was serving as the consul general there. If fate and destiny have you wishing to immigrate to the US now in the EB2 category then you would have to have a PD of Jan 2003 as opposed to current.
Many such combinations are possible, but in my humble view all this country quota stuff for EB based immigration is ridiculous and worse yet when it takes no acccount of population size. Clearly they ought to be more discerning in who they allow in via EB immigration by tightening the regulations as they stand currently, but this insane quota is off base in todays world.
A quota system for family or any other type of immigration is more reasonable, but once it is deemed you are immigrating based on your skills why should something else matter in this land of opportunity where every man is considered equal and is said to rise or fall on his ability and nothing else. Perhaps others know the answer to this but it befuddles me and makes me realise how antequated the rules really are.
KVHTMBA
01-11 01:12 PM
Good to see this bill and it will be great if it is passed even with less than 60% allocation from the lottery program. I don’t think they would completely eliminate lottery program and the lottery program might have their own advocacies. As mentioned in this thread they might have the lottery program for many reasons. I am hoping for the bill to pass as it is :-)
Regarding satyasrd’s question I think section 2 . line #15 thru #19 in the bill (I copied the text below) helps who obtain the advanced degree in USA before 01/05/2011 (preceding the date of the petition) and obtain the degree within 5 years you should be good to go. Others please correct me if I am wrong.
15 ‘‘(ii)(I) obtained such degree within
16 the United States during the 5-year period
17 preceding the date on which the petition
18 filed under section 204(a)(1)(F) for
19 classification under this subparagraph is filed;
Regards,
KVHTMBA
Regarding satyasrd’s question I think section 2 . line #15 thru #19 in the bill (I copied the text below) helps who obtain the advanced degree in USA before 01/05/2011 (preceding the date of the petition) and obtain the degree within 5 years you should be good to go. Others please correct me if I am wrong.
15 ‘‘(ii)(I) obtained such degree within
16 the United States during the 5-year period
17 preceding the date on which the petition
18 filed under section 204(a)(1)(F) for
19 classification under this subparagraph is filed;
Regards,
KVHTMBA
more...
ivgclive
07-25 10:00 AM
Wait a minute....
So, it does not matter whether you have GC or not,
Dealing with USCIS and paying lawyers are part of rest of your life....
So, it does not matter whether you have GC or not,
Dealing with USCIS and paying lawyers are part of rest of your life....
BigMouth
10-26 10:55 AM
Thanks Masti for your response.
Anybody else have any experiences from this year?
Thanks.
I got approval of H1 extension applied on Aug. 06...
Anybody else have any experiences from this year?
Thanks.
I got approval of H1 extension applied on Aug. 06...
more...
fullerene
08-13 11:14 AM
From my notice the processing date is meaningless at TSC because the dates are mostly the processing windows. For example, I140 was Jan 13 in July notice, which was 6 months behind. If you take a look on AP and EAD, they were just 3 months behind.
It turns out to me that processing date is the date that you are entitled to make a phone call to request your status. You may be lucky to have your EAD in 1 or 2 months. But if you do not have it in three months, you can make a call to request a reason they can not deny your request. But if your date is later than the processing date, they may turn down your request or ask you to wait.
That's it!
It turns out to me that processing date is the date that you are entitled to make a phone call to request your status. You may be lucky to have your EAD in 1 or 2 months. But if you do not have it in three months, you can make a call to request a reason they can not deny your request. But if your date is later than the processing date, they may turn down your request or ask you to wait.
That's it!
mita
08-20 12:46 PM
I just called USCIS and according to the person I spoke with, it takes approximately 30 days from the date of approval of primary applicant for approval of dependents.
more...
ramanujan
03-15 10:53 AM
Folks,
Sen. Specter's immigration bill has no provisions for filing of EAD/I-485 even with priority dates retrogressed. It appears that none of the amendments are proposing that this provision be added to the final bill.
Is there something we can do to get this provision added to the bill? Can QGA help in anyway to get it added? I think that the ability to file EAD/I-485 under retrogression will benefit one and all.
-Ramanujan
Sen. Specter's immigration bill has no provisions for filing of EAD/I-485 even with priority dates retrogressed. It appears that none of the amendments are proposing that this provision be added to the final bill.
Is there something we can do to get this provision added to the bill? Can QGA help in anyway to get it added? I think that the ability to file EAD/I-485 under retrogression will benefit one and all.
-Ramanujan
GooblyWoobly
07-18 07:24 PM
1) I think you can file EAD /AP even if you dont have a AOS receipt. Can someone comment on this?
2) What all docs are required for filing EAD & AP?
1. My lawyer clearly said you can't, unless you file it together with AOS.
2. I765 and I131 forms. Everything else has already gone in with the AOS.
2) What all docs are required for filing EAD & AP?
1. My lawyer clearly said you can't, unless you file it together with AOS.
2. I765 and I131 forms. Everything else has already gone in with the AOS.
more...
Green.Tech
06-19 12:32 PM
Bump.
ebizash
09-28 10:38 AM
On a side note, what do you guys suggest to use for trading for someone like me who does it occasionally and very low volume both in terms of quantity and $. Currently I use share builder... is there anything cheaper and better than this.
Try Zecco. I was also using ShareBuilder but some of their fees are ridiculous like charging % on total trade if no. of stocks traded in an order is more than 1000. On the other hand, Zecco charges flat $4.50 no matter how big the trade is.
PM me if you need more info about Zecco.
Try Zecco. I was also using ShareBuilder but some of their fees are ridiculous like charging % on total trade if no. of stocks traded in an order is more than 1000. On the other hand, Zecco charges flat $4.50 no matter how big the trade is.
PM me if you need more info about Zecco.
more...
fromnaija
07-18 06:19 PM
I have couple of questions, couldn't find answers in other threads.
1. My I485 was filed on July 6th, 2007 (PD Oct, 2005) without EAD/AP (since my lawyer was expecting a rejection). Now, he will apply for EAD/AP, and cannot do it until we get a receipt for AOS, which will probably take more than a month. Given this, I'll be applying for EAD possibly in August end. Is this a blessing in disguise, as, I'll have to pay new fees for EAD, which would mean, I won't have to renew that EAD every year?? Am I correct in this assumption?
Wrong! Yes, you will be the new fee but then you will pay the same fee each year you renew your EAD. No fee payment only applies if you file your I-485 with the new fee structure.
2. My spouse's AOS was filed with mine as dependent. She has a H1 of her own and is working. Now, after the I485 receipt comes back, if she leaves her job, will she be in status (or does she need to move to H4? I'll stay on H1 and won't invoke EAD unless necessary). My understanding is, with the receipt, she is in status no matter what (unless the I485 gets denied).
TIA.
If you are not planning on using EAD and she won't either then she needs to change status to H4.
1. My I485 was filed on July 6th, 2007 (PD Oct, 2005) without EAD/AP (since my lawyer was expecting a rejection). Now, he will apply for EAD/AP, and cannot do it until we get a receipt for AOS, which will probably take more than a month. Given this, I'll be applying for EAD possibly in August end. Is this a blessing in disguise, as, I'll have to pay new fees for EAD, which would mean, I won't have to renew that EAD every year?? Am I correct in this assumption?
Wrong! Yes, you will be the new fee but then you will pay the same fee each year you renew your EAD. No fee payment only applies if you file your I-485 with the new fee structure.
2. My spouse's AOS was filed with mine as dependent. She has a H1 of her own and is working. Now, after the I485 receipt comes back, if she leaves her job, will she be in status (or does she need to move to H4? I'll stay on H1 and won't invoke EAD unless necessary). My understanding is, with the receipt, she is in status no matter what (unless the I485 gets denied).
TIA.
If you are not planning on using EAD and she won't either then she needs to change status to H4.
ganguteli
06-12 11:50 AM
I was born in Oct too :) :)
2 October 1869 ?
2 October 1869 ?
more...
gcnirvana
04-27 06:39 PM
In my opinion, looks like another placeholder bill just before CIR.
MetteBB
06-06 03:04 PM
I know ;)
more...
ajju
10-13 05:57 PM
But ksircar, instead of accepting can't we raise red flags to USCIS?
This is going to be an issue for lot of folks who all filed for I-485 in the last year July fiasco. We will be forced renew every time. Only by giving 2 years is just a temporary postponement but not solving the real problem.
It is like Drivers Lincense renewal. If you have your documentation and you have been driving legally should be granted renewal instantly. Why can't they do the same thing with EAD?
agree.. 90 days is too much.. esp when just dates need to be extended.. In the first place.. it should be non-expiring .. something like valid with I-485 Receipt... and then when accepting EAD employer can check the I-485 status that its still pending... and any change will send email to the employer about 485 current status...
But then my dear.. where's the money...
Gov: Show me the money?
USCIS: let sdo 1 year EAD/AP renewal... and we can sit for 90 days on it for generating this much money... and find cheapest ways of printing the card and mailing... If errors happen we might get more money :-)
Gov: why are you not moving dates and making more money?
USCIS: Okay we'll issue 2year EAD and accept more new apps...
and so on...
This is going to be an issue for lot of folks who all filed for I-485 in the last year July fiasco. We will be forced renew every time. Only by giving 2 years is just a temporary postponement but not solving the real problem.
It is like Drivers Lincense renewal. If you have your documentation and you have been driving legally should be granted renewal instantly. Why can't they do the same thing with EAD?
agree.. 90 days is too much.. esp when just dates need to be extended.. In the first place.. it should be non-expiring .. something like valid with I-485 Receipt... and then when accepting EAD employer can check the I-485 status that its still pending... and any change will send email to the employer about 485 current status...
But then my dear.. where's the money...
Gov: Show me the money?
USCIS: let sdo 1 year EAD/AP renewal... and we can sit for 90 days on it for generating this much money... and find cheapest ways of printing the card and mailing... If errors happen we might get more money :-)
Gov: why are you not moving dates and making more money?
USCIS: Okay we'll issue 2year EAD and accept more new apps...
and so on...
sam_hoosier
12-21 10:25 AM
I will also be calling in.
immiusa
06-15 06:01 PM
Your parents do not need A/V letter. They can supplement last 3 months of statements. If you still want to give a try. You can ask bank manager to send a letter with current amount on your A/C to the address mentioned on your A/C. which means, they are sending the information to the addressee on the A/C.
If I were you, I would wait until your job is done. Then, close the A/C with a reason specified "Not happy with service".
It will be helpful if you can mention the bank name on this forum for all our immigrant community.
If I were you, I would wait until your job is done. Then, close the A/C with a reason specified "Not happy with service".
It will be helpful if you can mention the bank name on this forum for all our immigrant community.
spicy_guy
04-26 12:24 PM
we live in Chicagoland. PM me if you would like to talk.
Hi Evildead,
Can you check your PM pls?
Hi Evildead,
Can you check your PM pls?
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."
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