b2visahelp
06-15 11:17 PM
which country are you from?
Indonesia
Indonesia
wallpaper Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
pappu
07-14 10:18 AM
Nobody knows much about when Skil bill will be debated. Webfaxes are a means to influence lawmakers to bring this to the floor of the house. Independent analaysis by a lawfirm based on collection of information from various sources indicates the chance that some business backed bill for high skilled immigrants will be passed this year. There is a 45% chance that it will get passed early next year. You can view details on this link.
http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/7644/2582/1600/chart_alert7.11.2006.gif
photos1.blogger.com/blogger/7644/2582/1600/chart_alert7.11.2006.gif
http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/7644/2582/1600/chart_alert7.11.2006.gif
photos1.blogger.com/blogger/7644/2582/1600/chart_alert7.11.2006.gif
amitkhare77
08-26 03:04 PM
Is this true? I think once you start using EAD your H status is imiidiately invalid. she needs to go out of the country and get the H1B stamped in order to work on H1b.
She can always have the H1 in her back pocket for back up
She can always have the H1 in her back pocket for back up
2011 Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
Ramba
12-22 07:13 PM
If a person has filed I-485 at least 6 months back and got laid off from job,
How much time does the rule permit to find another similar job and use AC 21.
Is this similar to H1B grace period or say no grace period.
thanks
Unlike H1B, at the time of layoff, if 485 is pending more than 6 months, you are still in legal status, (in h1b case there is no grace period). There is no time limit to find a similar job. You can stay at home for till your 485 approval, with legal status. Having said that, if INS asks for a eveidence of full time-permanat job you should be in a postion to show the job offer. In simple terms, tou should have a vaild job offer at the time of approval of your 485.
How much time does the rule permit to find another similar job and use AC 21.
Is this similar to H1B grace period or say no grace period.
thanks
Unlike H1B, at the time of layoff, if 485 is pending more than 6 months, you are still in legal status, (in h1b case there is no grace period). There is no time limit to find a similar job. You can stay at home for till your 485 approval, with legal status. Having said that, if INS asks for a eveidence of full time-permanat job you should be in a postion to show the job offer. In simple terms, tou should have a vaild job offer at the time of approval of your 485.
more...
DDash
11-10 03:36 PM
Go for it! She can volunteer (obviously, she cannot get paid for the work she will do). I think it is a great idea to volunteer to establish connections and gain work experience to get ready for a real job.
My wife did the same thing when she was on H-4 and HR had no issues with that.
Cheers!
My wife did the same thing when she was on H-4 and HR had no issues with that.
Cheers!
raysaikat
04-22 01:41 PM
I think i understand:) Thank you.
As I might have already mentioned, i've been working for a company for 2 years now with my EAD, they are willing to sponsor for H1B. so as long as my J principal has a waiver, then my company shoulnd face any problems on applying for a H1B right?
Could you please explain "As long as the H1-B quota is not exhausted and the petition was correctly filed". ? Is there a deadline to apply for H1B ?
i really appreciate your opinoins, thank you very much.
Talk to the immigration attorney your company is using. You (guys) do need a home residency requirement waiver to be eligible to work on H1-B. IIRC, the waiver has to come from both your home country as well as US. Anyway, I am not well conversant on J visas.
There is an annual 65,000 visa limit for H1-B visas. There is an additional 20,000 visas for M.S. degree holders in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) disciplines from US universities. Non-profit organizations and US universities are exempt from the quota limit.
The application time window for H1-B that takes effect on Oct 1, 2010 opens on April 1, 2010 (i.e., H1-B VISA starts from the start of the fiscal year, and application for that opens in the previous April). A few years back all 65,000 VISAs would get exhausted within a couple of days after the window opened (i.e., by April 3-4, all VISAs would be gone). AFAIK, the H1-B quota for 2010 (i.e., for H1-B VISAs that would start from Oct 1, 2010) is not yet exhausted. But it is always a very good idea to do the petition as soon as you can.
As I might have already mentioned, i've been working for a company for 2 years now with my EAD, they are willing to sponsor for H1B. so as long as my J principal has a waiver, then my company shoulnd face any problems on applying for a H1B right?
Could you please explain "As long as the H1-B quota is not exhausted and the petition was correctly filed". ? Is there a deadline to apply for H1B ?
i really appreciate your opinoins, thank you very much.
Talk to the immigration attorney your company is using. You (guys) do need a home residency requirement waiver to be eligible to work on H1-B. IIRC, the waiver has to come from both your home country as well as US. Anyway, I am not well conversant on J visas.
There is an annual 65,000 visa limit for H1-B visas. There is an additional 20,000 visas for M.S. degree holders in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) disciplines from US universities. Non-profit organizations and US universities are exempt from the quota limit.
The application time window for H1-B that takes effect on Oct 1, 2010 opens on April 1, 2010 (i.e., H1-B VISA starts from the start of the fiscal year, and application for that opens in the previous April). A few years back all 65,000 VISAs would get exhausted within a couple of days after the window opened (i.e., by April 3-4, all VISAs would be gone). AFAIK, the H1-B quota for 2010 (i.e., for H1-B VISAs that would start from Oct 1, 2010) is not yet exhausted. But it is always a very good idea to do the petition as soon as you can.
more...
roseball
02-28 04:33 PM
Can anybody please help in answering below questions on my case? I really appreciate your help. This is urgent for me.
#1: I am working for Company A (current company). My GC processing details (with current company):
1. Labor Approved.
2. I-140 Approved with priority date of Aug 2006 (Category -EB2)
3. I-485 - NOT filed
#2: I am on 6th year of H1-B. My current H1-B is valid till Jan 29, 2011 (less than 365 days from today).
I want to change job and join Company B (new company) for excellent offer and life long stability.
As per my understanding, for continuous H1-B extension & GC approval on existing priority date, I must stay with existing company(A). But attorney of new company(B) is saying he will be able to handle my H1-B extension and may be able to save my priority date also by filing new PERM & I-140. I am not sure whether attorney of new company(B) is correct or not. Can anybody please help in answering below questions?
Ques : If new company(B) transfers H1-B and USCIS will grant H1-B for 3 years based on approved I-140 with current company(A):
A. Can USCIS revokes extended period ( after Jan 29, 2011) if current company(A) revokes their approved I-140 before new company(B) gets approval of new PERM and I-140?
B. Can new company (B) start new PERM application during my extension period (after Jan 29, 2011)?
C. Can new company (B) transfer Priority date even if existing company(A) revokes their I-140?
A. Since the law is unclear, to be on the safe side, you can have the new company file H1 extension in premium processing and resign/leave the current employer only after extension is approved
B. Yes, new company can start a new PERM and port your earlier PD during I-140 process
C. PD can be ported even if old employer revokes I-140, provided the revocation was not due to fraud.
Also, I am sure all IV members would really appreciate if you could tell us the name of this company which is offering a life long stability..:-)
#1: I am working for Company A (current company). My GC processing details (with current company):
1. Labor Approved.
2. I-140 Approved with priority date of Aug 2006 (Category -EB2)
3. I-485 - NOT filed
#2: I am on 6th year of H1-B. My current H1-B is valid till Jan 29, 2011 (less than 365 days from today).
I want to change job and join Company B (new company) for excellent offer and life long stability.
As per my understanding, for continuous H1-B extension & GC approval on existing priority date, I must stay with existing company(A). But attorney of new company(B) is saying he will be able to handle my H1-B extension and may be able to save my priority date also by filing new PERM & I-140. I am not sure whether attorney of new company(B) is correct or not. Can anybody please help in answering below questions?
Ques : If new company(B) transfers H1-B and USCIS will grant H1-B for 3 years based on approved I-140 with current company(A):
A. Can USCIS revokes extended period ( after Jan 29, 2011) if current company(A) revokes their approved I-140 before new company(B) gets approval of new PERM and I-140?
B. Can new company (B) start new PERM application during my extension period (after Jan 29, 2011)?
C. Can new company (B) transfer Priority date even if existing company(A) revokes their I-140?
A. Since the law is unclear, to be on the safe side, you can have the new company file H1 extension in premium processing and resign/leave the current employer only after extension is approved
B. Yes, new company can start a new PERM and port your earlier PD during I-140 process
C. PD can be ported even if old employer revokes I-140, provided the revocation was not due to fraud.
Also, I am sure all IV members would really appreciate if you could tell us the name of this company which is offering a life long stability..:-)
2010 The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
m.e.g.
04-01 01:22 PM
Ok, sadly there is no option in Illustrator 9. At least nothing convenient like when you go to save. I've tried searching in the preferences for anything that would let me save it as a PDF compatible, but no luck. Guess it finally time to upgrade. :emb:
On the bright side there is a lot of good info on sunnypixels about what happens with gradients, strokes, etc. when you import them into Blend.
Thank you!
Meg
On the bright side there is a lot of good info on sunnypixels about what happens with gradients, strokes, etc. when you import them into Blend.
Thank you!
Meg
more...
plassey
08-13 10:48 AM
Congratulations but I was wondering if you are more an exception then a rule...:confused:
Yes, i opened a new thread so that everybody can see that CIS does mostly work on cases according to 485 Receipt Date. Otherwise i can't justify my EAD approval. I filed 485 and AP on June 18th and got RNs 2 weeks later. But EAD was filed later on July 12th. I got the receipt number for EAD from the back of my cashed check but never got actual Receipt Notice. Today i got the email that card production has been ordered.
So if they have to approve an EAD filed in mid July, they must have gone with the 485 Receipt date. There is an LUD for our APs too for this Sunday. I'm happy that they are processing the cases in somewhat FIFO order. I was expecting EAD only 3-4months later since i filed it along with the July flood of applications.
Dec2002 EB3 India.
Yes, i opened a new thread so that everybody can see that CIS does mostly work on cases according to 485 Receipt Date. Otherwise i can't justify my EAD approval. I filed 485 and AP on June 18th and got RNs 2 weeks later. But EAD was filed later on July 12th. I got the receipt number for EAD from the back of my cashed check but never got actual Receipt Notice. Today i got the email that card production has been ordered.
So if they have to approve an EAD filed in mid July, they must have gone with the 485 Receipt date. There is an LUD for our APs too for this Sunday. I'm happy that they are processing the cases in somewhat FIFO order. I was expecting EAD only 3-4months later since i filed it along with the July flood of applications.
Dec2002 EB3 India.
hair The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
BPforGC
10-15 12:28 PM
1. It goes to the mail room and stamped on the date it was received.
2. Goes through tagging, "A" number will be assigned, bar code and a cover sheet will be attached.
3. All of your pending petitions such as I-140s, priority date information, finger prints, name check, chargability country information will be loaded into your A-file.
4. USCIS has a system of tracking the A-files of the pending 485s and picks those who satisfies all these conditions for adjudication.
a) I-140 must be approved and no inconsistencies should be found related to your employer letter, residence, etc.
b) Priority date must be current otherwise VISA number file cannot be requested. The date when USCIS got your 485 matters very little here. Guys who sent their 485 after you may get ahead of you.
c) Your finger prints must be there along with medicals. Namecheck may be waived if you are past 180 days.
d) Then, if everything is fine, your file will be allocated to an Officer. Wait! it did not go to him yet. It may take upto 30 days for your file to go to the officer. By that time if priority date goes backward, you are back to square one.
e) Once it reaches the officer's desk, he can take upto 2 weeks to adjudicate it. When he enters your information, A-number and if VISA number is not available, it goes back to "pending VISA number availability" status. You are out of luck. Fortunately, USCIS can track these kind of cases separately and as soon as VISA numbers are available and priority date is current, they will adjudicate your 485.
Its like the flow chart for a COBAL the program, if 'yes' got to step 4, at step 4 "if answer is 'no', go back to step 1 and start over". Its an unending loop and if you can manage 4-5 'yes', you get your card.
So, many things can go wrong for people from India and China due to retrogression and adjudication of 485 is a matter of luck even if your priority date is current. A single issue can derail the whole process. It is also upto officer's discretion if he considers some information not complete and issue a RFE.
Its a messed up system. In my case, USCIS agreed that my work is on national interest and greatly benefit the country and my I-140 was approved under EB2-NIW. However, being from India, I need to wait another 5 years to get my green card. How ridiculous?
God save us.
---------------------------------------------------------------
All at NSC
EB1-EA: I-140 (4/3/2007; RFE-9/2/2008; pending)
EB2-NIW: I-140 (4/4/2007)- approved 8/7/2008
I-485 : 7/24/2007 - Pending
----------------------------------------------------------------
2. Goes through tagging, "A" number will be assigned, bar code and a cover sheet will be attached.
3. All of your pending petitions such as I-140s, priority date information, finger prints, name check, chargability country information will be loaded into your A-file.
4. USCIS has a system of tracking the A-files of the pending 485s and picks those who satisfies all these conditions for adjudication.
a) I-140 must be approved and no inconsistencies should be found related to your employer letter, residence, etc.
b) Priority date must be current otherwise VISA number file cannot be requested. The date when USCIS got your 485 matters very little here. Guys who sent their 485 after you may get ahead of you.
c) Your finger prints must be there along with medicals. Namecheck may be waived if you are past 180 days.
d) Then, if everything is fine, your file will be allocated to an Officer. Wait! it did not go to him yet. It may take upto 30 days for your file to go to the officer. By that time if priority date goes backward, you are back to square one.
e) Once it reaches the officer's desk, he can take upto 2 weeks to adjudicate it. When he enters your information, A-number and if VISA number is not available, it goes back to "pending VISA number availability" status. You are out of luck. Fortunately, USCIS can track these kind of cases separately and as soon as VISA numbers are available and priority date is current, they will adjudicate your 485.
Its like the flow chart for a COBAL the program, if 'yes' got to step 4, at step 4 "if answer is 'no', go back to step 1 and start over". Its an unending loop and if you can manage 4-5 'yes', you get your card.
So, many things can go wrong for people from India and China due to retrogression and adjudication of 485 is a matter of luck even if your priority date is current. A single issue can derail the whole process. It is also upto officer's discretion if he considers some information not complete and issue a RFE.
Its a messed up system. In my case, USCIS agreed that my work is on national interest and greatly benefit the country and my I-140 was approved under EB2-NIW. However, being from India, I need to wait another 5 years to get my green card. How ridiculous?
God save us.
---------------------------------------------------------------
All at NSC
EB1-EA: I-140 (4/3/2007; RFE-9/2/2008; pending)
EB2-NIW: I-140 (4/4/2007)- approved 8/7/2008
I-485 : 7/24/2007 - Pending
----------------------------------------------------------------
more...
bfadlia
02-21 12:31 PM
your browser might be getting the old one from cashe
hot Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
IfYouSeekAmy
01-20 11:06 AM
EB3 kicks ass!!! So does EB2. :D
more...
house The Elder Scrolls series is
quizzer
11-04 01:11 PM
Guru's
My I140 is approved on October 24 2007 and original document has got my lawyer and employer, but I have not received any original document. My question is: Does I can get original document or I have to ask to my lawyer or employer?
EB2 or EB3?
NSC or TSC?
when was it filed?
My I140 is approved on October 24 2007 and original document has got my lawyer and employer, but I have not received any original document. My question is: Does I can get original document or I have to ask to my lawyer or employer?
EB2 or EB3?
NSC or TSC?
when was it filed?
tattoo elder-scrolls-v-skyrim-5.jpg
ssdtm
10-13 03:34 PM
You are going there for a visa as a professional ( in IT, medicine etc). Dress like a professional. Need not be in a tie, but semi formal is recommended. How you carry yourself speaks about you. There is no rule, no norm, and no guideline but when it comes to communication, non-verbal communication counts a lot.
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pictures The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
gc_wannabe
06-17 09:12 PM
TOTALLY unknown...
No one knows what they look at and won't look at while deciding on your I485. If you one of the "chosen" one, you may get called for personal interview and I have heard lots of horror stories about the stuff they asked at the interview. At the same most of the people get the GC without hitch.
So, the morale of the story is stop worrying. There is nothing you can do/prepare to effect decision on your I-485. Since you have played by book and assuming you don't have any law related issues, you should be fine.
Cheers
ArkBird
Thank you.
No one knows what they look at and won't look at while deciding on your I485. If you one of the "chosen" one, you may get called for personal interview and I have heard lots of horror stories about the stuff they asked at the interview. At the same most of the people get the GC without hitch.
So, the morale of the story is stop worrying. There is nothing you can do/prepare to effect decision on your I-485. Since you have played by book and assuming you don't have any law related issues, you should be fine.
Cheers
ArkBird
Thank you.
dresses Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
jungalee43
09-16 04:27 PM
Whatever problems you have today :- RFE, NOID, TAXES.. You have 4 weeks to 12 weeks time.
For the most important task today, you have barely a few hours left. So leave everything else for tomorrow and it would not be too late.
If you don't call today it would be too late.
For the most important task today, you have barely a few hours left. So leave everything else for tomorrow and it would not be too late.
If you don't call today it would be too late.
more...
makeup Elder-Scrolls-5-PS3
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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eb3India
04-13 11:00 AM
Also, one should know we are not getting help from our group, I know many guys who are effected by GCs in my office in my neighbourhood, I can't even get them to make one call to senator office,
how do you expect some other organization to help us, when we can't help ourselves
how do you expect some other organization to help us, when we can't help ourselves
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don_don
06-25 08:43 AM
If I were you, I would wait till it is 1st of July. What if they reject it,,u loose more time than saving!
paskal
08-22 03:04 PM
" Rally in each state" is a fantastic idea. Lets do it.
But lets concentrate on one location in Texas and for that matter in
every state to pack more punch.
I think everyone can drive to one common location in texas.
Since Austin is capital, i propose rally in Austin for Texas.
Let do it.
but has the unfortunate effect of diluting DC rally attendance and attention. plenty of fence sitters will not bother to travel. also the effect of a large DC rally is far far more significant that multiple small rallies. your good intentions are much appreciated...but please help with the main rally...we need a massive one!
But lets concentrate on one location in Texas and for that matter in
every state to pack more punch.
I think everyone can drive to one common location in texas.
Since Austin is capital, i propose rally in Austin for Texas.
Let do it.
but has the unfortunate effect of diluting DC rally attendance and attention. plenty of fence sitters will not bother to travel. also the effect of a large DC rally is far far more significant that multiple small rallies. your good intentions are much appreciated...but please help with the main rally...we need a massive one!
gc_on_demand
08-13 02:19 PM
Any hope for Jan 2008 PD to get EAD..
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