shutterbabe
11-18 10:21 AM
Biometrics is not needed for EAD. I received mine with "NO fingerprint available" marked on the card. Please call them back or get another infopass and this time, you might be lucky to talk to somone who knows what they are saying. Or just may be, they changed the rule on the fly a few days ago regarding biometrics and EAD.
Hi, I didn't receive my EAD after the 90 days and my lawyer caller the customer service center and they told her that it hasn't been issued because I haven't gotten FPed for it even though I have gotten my FP done for the 485. Is this right? I have never heard of a separate FP needed for an EAD. I am really confused and despite several attempts to make an infopass appointment with the local office I keep getting "no appointments available" notice. My another question is can I get an appointment in an office that doesn't service the region? I live in Southern CT and New Rochelle, NY is the service center that I got my biometrics done and since I didn't get a date putting my own zip code in - I put New Rochelle's zip in it and it gave me openings in New York City. So, can I go see an officer in New York City even though that is not my local office?
Please help, I need to get my EAD soon since my job is waiting for it.:confused:
Hi, I didn't receive my EAD after the 90 days and my lawyer caller the customer service center and they told her that it hasn't been issued because I haven't gotten FPed for it even though I have gotten my FP done for the 485. Is this right? I have never heard of a separate FP needed for an EAD. I am really confused and despite several attempts to make an infopass appointment with the local office I keep getting "no appointments available" notice. My another question is can I get an appointment in an office that doesn't service the region? I live in Southern CT and New Rochelle, NY is the service center that I got my biometrics done and since I didn't get a date putting my own zip code in - I put New Rochelle's zip in it and it gave me openings in New York City. So, can I go see an officer in New York City even though that is not my local office?
Please help, I need to get my EAD soon since my job is waiting for it.:confused:
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kprgroup
08-10 09:02 AM
Good Morning,
I went to the uscis local office. The officer told my case SRC-****7236 (765) Renewal was denied on 06/25/2010. He didn’t have the denial details. He told he will send an email to Texas USCIS asking the details. He also told my 485 motion approved and my recent travel document approved but strange that they denied EAD.
Unfortunately we (Myself & Lawyer) never received a denial notice.
My EAD is expiring sep 3rd. I know mostly they denied by without seeing my 485 motion approval.I am requesting denial notice by opening SR
Help me and suggest to overcome this SITUATION (Another wrong denial by USCIS.)
Thanks
KPR
-----------------
Background OF Myself
----------------------
1)Worked for Company A from 2003 to 2008.
2)Company A applied I-140 and approved April 2006. AOS 485 filed on July 2007. Got EAD but never used it
3)September 2008 I have Joined employer “B” by transferring H1B (Valid until Aug 2010).
4)Employer A revoked 140 which triggered 485 denials in October 2008.
5)Applied MTR and it was approved in NOVEMBER 2008 and 485 reopened.
I went to the uscis local office. The officer told my case SRC-****7236 (765) Renewal was denied on 06/25/2010. He didn’t have the denial details. He told he will send an email to Texas USCIS asking the details. He also told my 485 motion approved and my recent travel document approved but strange that they denied EAD.
Unfortunately we (Myself & Lawyer) never received a denial notice.
My EAD is expiring sep 3rd. I know mostly they denied by without seeing my 485 motion approval.I am requesting denial notice by opening SR
Help me and suggest to overcome this SITUATION (Another wrong denial by USCIS.)
Thanks
KPR
-----------------
Background OF Myself
----------------------
1)Worked for Company A from 2003 to 2008.
2)Company A applied I-140 and approved April 2006. AOS 485 filed on July 2007. Got EAD but never used it
3)September 2008 I have Joined employer “B” by transferring H1B (Valid until Aug 2010).
4)Employer A revoked 140 which triggered 485 denials in October 2008.
5)Applied MTR and it was approved in NOVEMBER 2008 and 485 reopened.
jnagendra
08-13 01:35 PM
Total H1Bs sponsored by the dirty 4 Indian companies are 12000 multiplied by $2000, gives 12 million if you add same no of L1 visas its only 24 million not 600 million. Obama requires a calculator .
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priderock
05-15 12:48 PM
Is there already a poll like this for EB3?
Yes I have seen one for EB3 ...
http://immigrationvoice.org/forum/showthread.php?t=4440
Yes I have seen one for EB3 ...
http://immigrationvoice.org/forum/showthread.php?t=4440
more...
belmontboy
01-09 04:08 PM
Its like going to tirupati and asking people if they have seen any mottai's [mottai - tamil, meaning shaved head].
:D
On another note, practically everybody over here has seen/heard somebody losing their jobs...
:D
On another note, practically everybody over here has seen/heard somebody losing their jobs...
bidhanc
07-23 08:32 AM
Hi,
Would like to throw some more ideas;
You should keep in mind that with this economy there is no guarantee of your job (my personal experience).
If you want to stay in this country and that is one of your foremost desires/aim
then in my opinion it is always better to aim for the GC and then do whatever you have to do.
If you have option of going back to your home country and do not mind (due to job loss or other situation) then by all means go for career.
Good Luck.
Would like to throw some more ideas;
You should keep in mind that with this economy there is no guarantee of your job (my personal experience).
If you want to stay in this country and that is one of your foremost desires/aim
then in my opinion it is always better to aim for the GC and then do whatever you have to do.
If you have option of going back to your home country and do not mind (due to job loss or other situation) then by all means go for career.
Good Luck.
more...
peer123
04-10 09:22 AM
I am not sure how to set up a poll question
Can any one who knows how to do it set up a poll question
Have changed job using AC21, after having approved I140 and > 180 days of 485 application?
1. Invoked AC21
2. Invoked AC21 and H1B transfer
3. Did not inoked AC21 but only H1B Transfer
4. Did not change JOB
Thanks
peer123
Can any one who knows how to do it set up a poll question
Have changed job using AC21, after having approved I140 and > 180 days of 485 application?
1. Invoked AC21
2. Invoked AC21 and H1B transfer
3. Did not inoked AC21 but only H1B Transfer
4. Did not change JOB
Thanks
peer123
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IndiaNJ
08-26 01:32 PM
My wife recieved an RFE on her 485, as one of the questions on Page 3 of the 485 was not answered and Page 4 was missing.
I am not sure how the Page 4 got lost..:confused:
I am not sure how the Page 4 got lost..:confused:
more...
pappu
08-10 03:58 PM
Thanks for your contributions.I joined IV in the 3rd week of July 2007 when I was randomly searching for information. I did my first one time contribution right on the day the great news was released on 17th July. I have started my $50 monthly starting August 2007.
I would like to mention, what made me believe that IV Core was doing a great job and that it was worth contributing was that IV Core took a lot of risk(credibility) and posted critical news well before it came on any other website. It was like; they had all the scoop before it hit mainstream lawyers or AILA websites sometimes even before it came on USCIS official website (FAQ 3)!
This shows that IV Core has got a lot stronger and they indeed are in close contact with USCIS and that with the enough funds and enough support they will surely make things happen!
Way to go IV Core!
I would like to mention, what made me believe that IV Core was doing a great job and that it was worth contributing was that IV Core took a lot of risk(credibility) and posted critical news well before it came on any other website. It was like; they had all the scoop before it hit mainstream lawyers or AILA websites sometimes even before it came on USCIS official website (FAQ 3)!
This shows that IV Core has got a lot stronger and they indeed are in close contact with USCIS and that with the enough funds and enough support they will surely make things happen!
Way to go IV Core!
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Nil
11-09 09:19 PM
^^^^
more...
chanduv23
03-27 09:52 AM
My wife is currently on a H1b doing her residency. When she was on h4, she wanted to do research or observership on a voluntary basis so that she can get some good letters and also have her name on papers and journals.
She got into a research position as a "research volunteer" at Emory University in Atlanta and was an unpaid volunteer. After getting into that position she figured out that the department was actually advertising for that position for a "research assistant" position - which is a salaried position but they could not really find people to fill that position and because they found her promising and did not want to lose her, they offered her a research position.
Without her knowledge she was a regular worker and was dumped with regular work like a paid employee (though she was not paid). They stressed her out and not flexible with hours and never allowed her to study for USMLE etc... and were expecting her to continue that way for 3 months she worked and worked. So I interfered and stopped her from going there, and we wrote a strong letter to the Head of Cardiology at Emory, who got pissed off because she was not aware that the position was not being paid and the department did not officially want to acknowledge that they did it. So they called her to the department and "WARNED" her not to have any kind of communication and not to step into the department or talk to anyone for any reason. We got pissed and we strongly requested for a "Research Experience Letter" which they told they will mail us. We never recieved any mail for 3 months and then one day we called heer superior doctor and blasted her on phone and she in turn blasted us saying we must not call her. Then after a few weeks, we emailed the department politely asking for a experience letter and pleaded them and used a lot of sugar coated words with a lot of A** Ki***" and finally we got a decent letter. Then after a few weeks, the department sent her an email asking her if she still wants her name to be on a paper she worked on, she replied she wanted to. Then they responded that it is not possible to have her name as she was never working there and in future there must not be any communication from us.
The reason I wrote all this is : Most of you people seem to be desperate to work around the system for your benefit. As people do it, it becomes a mess.
Ours was a genuine case and see how an organization like Emory can do whatever they want for their advantage.
So it all depends on the kind of people you deal with - if you want to work on h4 just for sake of experience - expect the unexpected.
Most skilled immigrants are capable of doing great work if allowed to do but we are unable to do it , and organizations that break rules (Desi consultants or Microsoft or Emory or anyone for that sake) - will have only one motive - to exploit your skill and get the work done. In case of any issues, they will "scapegoat you" and make themselves look clean. So think twice before get attracted to breaking rules.
She got into a research position as a "research volunteer" at Emory University in Atlanta and was an unpaid volunteer. After getting into that position she figured out that the department was actually advertising for that position for a "research assistant" position - which is a salaried position but they could not really find people to fill that position and because they found her promising and did not want to lose her, they offered her a research position.
Without her knowledge she was a regular worker and was dumped with regular work like a paid employee (though she was not paid). They stressed her out and not flexible with hours and never allowed her to study for USMLE etc... and were expecting her to continue that way for 3 months she worked and worked. So I interfered and stopped her from going there, and we wrote a strong letter to the Head of Cardiology at Emory, who got pissed off because she was not aware that the position was not being paid and the department did not officially want to acknowledge that they did it. So they called her to the department and "WARNED" her not to have any kind of communication and not to step into the department or talk to anyone for any reason. We got pissed and we strongly requested for a "Research Experience Letter" which they told they will mail us. We never recieved any mail for 3 months and then one day we called heer superior doctor and blasted her on phone and she in turn blasted us saying we must not call her. Then after a few weeks, we emailed the department politely asking for a experience letter and pleaded them and used a lot of sugar coated words with a lot of A** Ki***" and finally we got a decent letter. Then after a few weeks, the department sent her an email asking her if she still wants her name to be on a paper she worked on, she replied she wanted to. Then they responded that it is not possible to have her name as she was never working there and in future there must not be any communication from us.
The reason I wrote all this is : Most of you people seem to be desperate to work around the system for your benefit. As people do it, it becomes a mess.
Ours was a genuine case and see how an organization like Emory can do whatever they want for their advantage.
So it all depends on the kind of people you deal with - if you want to work on h4 just for sake of experience - expect the unexpected.
Most skilled immigrants are capable of doing great work if allowed to do but we are unable to do it , and organizations that break rules (Desi consultants or Microsoft or Emory or anyone for that sake) - will have only one motive - to exploit your skill and get the work done. In case of any issues, they will "scapegoat you" and make themselves look clean. So think twice before get attracted to breaking rules.
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saro28
12-26 07:57 PM
It took about 4 weeks. Do you have H1-B extension? If so, I would suggest to use that instead of waiting for AP. The AP has new date instead of old one. Good Luck in getting the AP sooner.
agc2005,
Thanks for the reply.
I already send my EAD card. on Dec 11th. When did you resubmitted EAD Card and how many day USCIS took to reissue new EAD cards.
THanks
Any body who has simillary issue with AP and did you guys did. and how it took for u you to new cards.
Please send your experince.
Can I make this expedite. As I planning to go to India in Jan.
agc2005,
Thanks for the reply.
I already send my EAD card. on Dec 11th. When did you resubmitted EAD Card and how many day USCIS took to reissue new EAD cards.
THanks
Any body who has simillary issue with AP and did you guys did. and how it took for u you to new cards.
Please send your experince.
Can I make this expedite. As I planning to go to India in Jan.
more...
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TexasGC
07-21 03:21 PM
Why does USCIS want TB test done? Many countries like India have BCG vaccination administered at childhood thus preventing TB. However, such people will show a false positive if administered a skin test for TB.
This is causing many Indians to go for a chest xray. I feel this is a ridiculous requirement.
This is causing many Indians to go for a chest xray. I feel this is a ridiculous requirement.
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estrela21
02-08 11:52 PM
As gsc999 said peoples here mostly know about "Employment Based GC" not much about "Family Based GC" .... Still few questions if we can guide you to the right place...
a) What is your current Immigration Status ?
b) Do you have SSN ?
c) Forget about he goes to Jail/not is it impossible to get your "Marriage Certified" or at least put the Application before March 31st ? You have almost 51 days ...Based on that a lawyer can guide you but if you dont have a Marriage Certficate no one can really help... You know !
d) Lets the Justice system decide he goes to Jail or not but if unfortunately he is convicted and goes to Jail for 18 months do you want to live/continue your marriage with him after he comes out ?
e) Based on Marriage with US Citizen they give you "conditional GC" - and they would verify after 2-3 years if your marriage is a "Bonafide Marriage" etc... and then only give you a "unconditional GC"
That's why you will see those fake "immigration marriage" start giving problem after 2-3 years and end up in mutual Divorce. Be cautious about converting you GC to a regular "unconditional GC" .
Good Luck !
thank you....so much
a) What is your current Immigration Status ?
b) Do you have SSN ?
c) Forget about he goes to Jail/not is it impossible to get your "Marriage Certified" or at least put the Application before March 31st ? You have almost 51 days ...Based on that a lawyer can guide you but if you dont have a Marriage Certficate no one can really help... You know !
d) Lets the Justice system decide he goes to Jail or not but if unfortunately he is convicted and goes to Jail for 18 months do you want to live/continue your marriage with him after he comes out ?
e) Based on Marriage with US Citizen they give you "conditional GC" - and they would verify after 2-3 years if your marriage is a "Bonafide Marriage" etc... and then only give you a "unconditional GC"
That's why you will see those fake "immigration marriage" start giving problem after 2-3 years and end up in mutual Divorce. Be cautious about converting you GC to a regular "unconditional GC" .
Good Luck !
thank you....so much
more...
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adiboss007
06-07 10:52 PM
http://ashwinsharma.com/2007/06/03/nasscom-statement-on-the-h1b-program.aspx
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mlk2009
08-06 07:32 PM
hi,
I came to US 5 years back in H4. My husband processed GC and 140 is cleared and 485 pending. I got my EAD and now working. My husband and I have problems and he is threatening to ruin my life.
Can I know a few things
1. Can he take me out of the GC ?
2. Can he revoke my EAD ?
3. Can my employee extend my EAD which is expiring in 2010 and continue my GC.
please help...
I came to US 5 years back in H4. My husband processed GC and 140 is cleared and 485 pending. I got my EAD and now working. My husband and I have problems and he is threatening to ruin my life.
Can I know a few things
1. Can he take me out of the GC ?
2. Can he revoke my EAD ?
3. Can my employee extend my EAD which is expiring in 2010 and continue my GC.
please help...
more...
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carbon
09-19 12:46 PM
Looks like the article is coming straight out of NumberUSA's mouth!
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paisa
07-04 03:42 PM
Gurus, need a lil help clarifying issue in GC process.
I've a question regarding location of work place for a H1B employee filing GC process.
I've learnt that either after filing I-140 or I-485 stage, one should maintain as an employee at the same job position(job description as mentioned in LC) and also the geographical location. I've learnt instances where if an employee is half way through (lets say approved labor or I-140) his GC process has to start all over if he had to move to another branch of the same company in another city/state.
Is this true? I might be wrong about the infomation above but I'm concerned as being consultant, I might have to move to a different city or state if I find a better project and am contemplating whether this would be an issue in future for my green card.
If I'm right, employer has to file LCA for prevailing wage for current city I'm residing now. What will be the process incase I've to move to another city/state.
I'd really appreciate if someone who has better official info or gone through this can clarify my queries so ppl like me can be better informed.
Thanks in advance.
Your LC is approved for your location. If your location changes you need a LC for that location. This is what I had found out a few years back. Things might have changed since then. Other thing my friend told me about this. So I am not sure what the actual rule is. better to confirm from lawyer
I've a question regarding location of work place for a H1B employee filing GC process.
I've learnt that either after filing I-140 or I-485 stage, one should maintain as an employee at the same job position(job description as mentioned in LC) and also the geographical location. I've learnt instances where if an employee is half way through (lets say approved labor or I-140) his GC process has to start all over if he had to move to another branch of the same company in another city/state.
Is this true? I might be wrong about the infomation above but I'm concerned as being consultant, I might have to move to a different city or state if I find a better project and am contemplating whether this would be an issue in future for my green card.
If I'm right, employer has to file LCA for prevailing wage for current city I'm residing now. What will be the process incase I've to move to another city/state.
I'd really appreciate if someone who has better official info or gone through this can clarify my queries so ppl like me can be better informed.
Thanks in advance.
Your LC is approved for your location. If your location changes you need a LC for that location. This is what I had found out a few years back. Things might have changed since then. Other thing my friend told me about this. So I am not sure what the actual rule is. better to confirm from lawyer
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chris9902
06-12 07:41 PM
about as much as i want aids
ngopalak
10-14 11:14 PM
Thanks for the info....sounds like a good idea!....I will ask my lawyer abt this...
You can go visit India after your AP has been applied for, and you can ask your lawyer ( if you are using one ) to send the docs to you in India , so that you can come back with the new approved AP, off course you can't enter USA on an expired AP.
My lawyer has confirmed that one is only required to be present in the USA when applying and it's recommended that one is in US when it's approved, but due to the varying time USCIS is taking to process AP applications that is not a requirement and they can forward the documents to someone not in US.
You can go visit India after your AP has been applied for, and you can ask your lawyer ( if you are using one ) to send the docs to you in India , so that you can come back with the new approved AP, off course you can't enter USA on an expired AP.
My lawyer has confirmed that one is only required to be present in the USA when applying and it's recommended that one is in US when it's approved, but due to the varying time USCIS is taking to process AP applications that is not a requirement and they can forward the documents to someone not in US.
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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