purplehazea
02-01 04:59 PM
Amazing, I think we are the most self critical group of human beings on this planet. Unwilling to acknowledge and boast of the right things we do and predisposed to criticising ourselves when things are not PERFECT.
wallpaper The quot;Speak Nowquot; World Tour
conundrum
12-11 05:14 PM
Just now posted my story. Hopefully this gets somewhere
english_august
07-13 12:11 PM
HTML version (useful if you want to copy-paste): http://docs.google.com/Doc?id=ap9x7pmvk6s_42gpm3dw
Also include the link to PDF version in your email
http://www.touchdownusa.org/SanJose/SanJoseRallyPR.pdf
Please send it out to as many media contacts as possible specially in the Silicon Valley area.
Also include the link to PDF version in your email
http://www.touchdownusa.org/SanJose/SanJoseRallyPR.pdf
Please send it out to as many media contacts as possible specially in the Silicon Valley area.
2011 When holding #39;Speak Now#39; tour
english_august
07-11 06:36 PM
I think you guys are organizing a watershed event for skilled, legal immigrants - I wish you great success.
I cannot emphasize the importance of alerting media to this. Media attention is not at its best over the weekend so you will have to work extra hard to make sure that you get good media coverage. I hope that someone is working on creating a press release for the event.
While we were creating the press release for the flower campaign, we were given the following advice by a friendly journalist
Make sure that you have a catchy slogan and title for your press release and the event
Don't let your press release be a big mass of text. Break it down into What, Where, When and Why (refer to flower campaign PR if you need to)
In the media contact, absolutely have at least one contact with cell phone number and name. It is important that journalists can all and talk to a person if needed
Also have a post event press conferenceAll the best guys.
I cannot emphasize the importance of alerting media to this. Media attention is not at its best over the weekend so you will have to work extra hard to make sure that you get good media coverage. I hope that someone is working on creating a press release for the event.
While we were creating the press release for the flower campaign, we were given the following advice by a friendly journalist
Make sure that you have a catchy slogan and title for your press release and the event
Don't let your press release be a big mass of text. Break it down into What, Where, When and Why (refer to flower campaign PR if you need to)
In the media contact, absolutely have at least one contact with cell phone number and name. It is important that journalists can all and talk to a person if needed
Also have a post event press conferenceAll the best guys.
more...
satyasaich
12-07 04:00 PM
Hope the Change will come for us as well
hpandey
07-18 07:40 AM
Dude, You might be a new entry in to the ball of Immigration now. As said earlier , every one is free to judge and post the queries. If IV is shutting door of any questions you wouldnt have seen forum threads. There is enough discussion and direction taken on information being released to ALL members. Why one should complain IV not doing anything ?
here are some atleast, immaterial you agree or not:
1. If ppl are reaping benefits of EAD for multiple years , its becoz of IV.
2. whole of July fiasco was a win becoz of IV , not sure whether you are in the boat, but i can see the pain and how IV helped all of us.
3. all the admin fixes were co-ordinated by IV ,
4. The list goes on.. those 3 above are just enough to prove the help an ORGANIZATION did with minimal resources. Also please note none of the core are full time IV , they are also ppl like you and me.
Reason one has donor forum is becoz they are trusted sources. How can one know that you are pro-immigrant or anti-immigrant.
You would see dialy or minutes updates on sites of anti-immigrants becoz they have dedicated members and number base is too high.
Again , no one is shutting door against you, looking at your post i see you are shutting door against yourself just becoz your idea of Fax through AILA is not acceptable as an IV agenda.
Do you know first of all what provisions in CIR 2007 were in there which would have broke the back of ppl on H1 and potential immigrants? Can you confirm which provisions of CIR 2009 if there be one will help you ? will you support CIR even if it says you have to go back to india in no time ? AILA never mentioned in first place whether it would support EB community.
Plain simple, we pay Dollars even to newspaper ... You dont want to contribute for your own cause but get info for free and prove that will raise for your own cause. Those newsletters are for your benefit and collectively for the whole community.
Still IV is posting info to non-paying members , IV Never shuts its door but with limited resources they are doing what they can. Before complaining on IV you do your part. :cool:
Hope this helps you to rethink differently...
Also , FYI... AILA doesnt post all messages to free members .. all the critical info is circulated via PAID members of AILA.. this is part of any organization ... Can you complain against AILA, becoz if you are FREE member of AILA you still get emails like the one reg. Fax to CIR... There is a lot going in background for CIR than many of us even know...
Well said.
Raji - I don't know how long you have been around since you just started posting. If you want to promote Family Based Immigration go ahead and go for it.
We all at IV are for EB visa recapture and would want to use our energy and resources for that. IV has done a lot of things for us in the past and continues to do so. In fact IV is the ONLY organization that fights for us.
The last CIR was like a bill from hell for us Legals. You can be very sure the coming CIR is going to be like this too ( with the job enviroment so bad ) . Unless we see something concrete helping the EB community in any bill , supporting it doesn't make any sense.
I don't want the transfer of EB unused visas to FB visa category. As such they already have much more visas every year .
here are some atleast, immaterial you agree or not:
1. If ppl are reaping benefits of EAD for multiple years , its becoz of IV.
2. whole of July fiasco was a win becoz of IV , not sure whether you are in the boat, but i can see the pain and how IV helped all of us.
3. all the admin fixes were co-ordinated by IV ,
4. The list goes on.. those 3 above are just enough to prove the help an ORGANIZATION did with minimal resources. Also please note none of the core are full time IV , they are also ppl like you and me.
Reason one has donor forum is becoz they are trusted sources. How can one know that you are pro-immigrant or anti-immigrant.
You would see dialy or minutes updates on sites of anti-immigrants becoz they have dedicated members and number base is too high.
Again , no one is shutting door against you, looking at your post i see you are shutting door against yourself just becoz your idea of Fax through AILA is not acceptable as an IV agenda.
Do you know first of all what provisions in CIR 2007 were in there which would have broke the back of ppl on H1 and potential immigrants? Can you confirm which provisions of CIR 2009 if there be one will help you ? will you support CIR even if it says you have to go back to india in no time ? AILA never mentioned in first place whether it would support EB community.
Plain simple, we pay Dollars even to newspaper ... You dont want to contribute for your own cause but get info for free and prove that will raise for your own cause. Those newsletters are for your benefit and collectively for the whole community.
Still IV is posting info to non-paying members , IV Never shuts its door but with limited resources they are doing what they can. Before complaining on IV you do your part. :cool:
Hope this helps you to rethink differently...
Also , FYI... AILA doesnt post all messages to free members .. all the critical info is circulated via PAID members of AILA.. this is part of any organization ... Can you complain against AILA, becoz if you are FREE member of AILA you still get emails like the one reg. Fax to CIR... There is a lot going in background for CIR than many of us even know...
Well said.
Raji - I don't know how long you have been around since you just started posting. If you want to promote Family Based Immigration go ahead and go for it.
We all at IV are for EB visa recapture and would want to use our energy and resources for that. IV has done a lot of things for us in the past and continues to do so. In fact IV is the ONLY organization that fights for us.
The last CIR was like a bill from hell for us Legals. You can be very sure the coming CIR is going to be like this too ( with the job enviroment so bad ) . Unless we see something concrete helping the EB community in any bill , supporting it doesn't make any sense.
I don't want the transfer of EB unused visas to FB visa category. As such they already have much more visas every year .
more...
aadimanav
10-16 04:23 PM
bump :p
How do I find out that I am "suffering" from namecheck? :confused:
PD: EB3 --> April 2004 --> India
I-140 Approved.
I-485 Received on July 2, 2007
Fingerprinting --> DONE
EAD --> RECEIVED
How do I find out that I am "suffering" from namecheck? :confused:
PD: EB3 --> April 2004 --> India
I-140 Approved.
I-485 Received on July 2, 2007
Fingerprinting --> DONE
EAD --> RECEIVED
2010 Taylor Swift Free Concert To
alisa
02-13 07:30 PM
A lot of people, including me have lost faith in IV. They are not going to pay. We don't know what IV is working on
I believe the core group has made efforts to let us know what they are working on. Obviously, we shouldn't expect them to give us a daily update. That would be quite stupid.
and we don't believe it can do anything. The sooner IV accepts it, the better. I have seen this personally in talking to people and you can see the evidence with less than 300 people contributing. IV needs to produce results first.
I think this has also been addressed here in different threads. IV cannot, just by itself, get congress to pass pro-immigration laws. However, it can influence the senate/congress to add pro-EB provisions to pro-immigration laws.
If you think that with 8000 members, and 300 contributing members, you can have the congress/senate pass pro-EB laws, you are grossly mistaken.
IV needs to figure out other ways to generate cash if it thinks that would help. One way would be advertising on the site. I think IV has built this website well and it is an asset it needs to use NOW. I believe IV can charge up to $10,000 a day for advertising on the website. That would be $300,000/month or $3.6 million a year. Even $3000/day would result in over $1 million. That should not be very difficult to do.
Great idea.
Except, nobody is going to pay 10K/day to advertise on this site.
For a group that can't generate more than 4k-5k per month (200 contributions times 20) for something that it desperately needs, it would be an absolute travesty of common-sense for a business, to invest 300K per month in advertising to such a group.
Keep in mind the following two equations.
Membership+funding+lobbying+patience = Chance of success
Sitting on our butts = Guaranteed failure
BTW, I would also like to point out the antiwar website again.
They are doing a funding drive.
On day 1 of their funding drive, 117 people gave a total of 5312 dollars.
Their goal is 70K for this quarter. And they hope to raise that money in one week. After this week, they will again ask for funding in the next quarter.
Obviously they have a HUGE membership compared to IV. But that just underscores the need for increasing membership.
I believe the core group has made efforts to let us know what they are working on. Obviously, we shouldn't expect them to give us a daily update. That would be quite stupid.
and we don't believe it can do anything. The sooner IV accepts it, the better. I have seen this personally in talking to people and you can see the evidence with less than 300 people contributing. IV needs to produce results first.
I think this has also been addressed here in different threads. IV cannot, just by itself, get congress to pass pro-immigration laws. However, it can influence the senate/congress to add pro-EB provisions to pro-immigration laws.
If you think that with 8000 members, and 300 contributing members, you can have the congress/senate pass pro-EB laws, you are grossly mistaken.
IV needs to figure out other ways to generate cash if it thinks that would help. One way would be advertising on the site. I think IV has built this website well and it is an asset it needs to use NOW. I believe IV can charge up to $10,000 a day for advertising on the website. That would be $300,000/month or $3.6 million a year. Even $3000/day would result in over $1 million. That should not be very difficult to do.
Great idea.
Except, nobody is going to pay 10K/day to advertise on this site.
For a group that can't generate more than 4k-5k per month (200 contributions times 20) for something that it desperately needs, it would be an absolute travesty of common-sense for a business, to invest 300K per month in advertising to such a group.
Keep in mind the following two equations.
Membership+funding+lobbying+patience = Chance of success
Sitting on our butts = Guaranteed failure
BTW, I would also like to point out the antiwar website again.
They are doing a funding drive.
On day 1 of their funding drive, 117 people gave a total of 5312 dollars.
Their goal is 70K for this quarter. And they hope to raise that money in one week. After this week, they will again ask for funding in the next quarter.
Obviously they have a HUGE membership compared to IV. But that just underscores the need for increasing membership.
more...
pbojja
10-03 11:20 AM
Is that a mandatory criterion to express an opinion? If so, then you should have obliged to it first. Simple. :)
Maybe he doesn't give a shit about the profile. What's your point?
I questioned GC test and I dont understand why are you responding for every question in this forum ... If you have free time do some voulnteer work ..god may forgive your ignorance ...
Maybe he doesn't give a shit about the profile. What's your point?
I questioned GC test and I dont understand why are you responding for every question in this forum ... If you have free time do some voulnteer work ..god may forgive your ignorance ...
hair Taylor Swift announced today
caliguy
10-28 08:16 PM
@ ndialani - Got your pvt. message. I will email you the letter to USCIS sec. Napolatino and the name of the IO at TSC.
It's good to see that a lot of people who are not even current are proactively working on their cases and getting everything ready.
Good luck!
Hi Caliguy,
My case is stuck in Texas service center.
Opened SR on 9/8...reply....6 months wait
My spouse SR 9/8....reply....60 days wait
Filled #7001 form
Emailed to Ombudsman...no answer yet.
How can i reach IO .....help me out ....please
Thanks
It's good to see that a lot of people who are not even current are proactively working on their cases and getting everything ready.
Good luck!
Hi Caliguy,
My case is stuck in Texas service center.
Opened SR on 9/8...reply....6 months wait
My spouse SR 9/8....reply....60 days wait
Filled #7001 form
Emailed to Ombudsman...no answer yet.
How can i reach IO .....help me out ....please
Thanks
more...
shortduck
09-11 11:15 AM
Hi letstalklc
Thanks for your reply.
"SBI will update only once in the morning" Just wanted know the morning of India or USA ?
Ok, I just did myself and man you are RIGHT.
Today's exchange rate is [USD 4001 10000 48.07]
and I got ($$$ X 48.07) - 25.
Many thanks for the knowledge.
I am not sure if ICICI also does the same, because I too have stooped using their service. And you know what, I called when once when I had a very bad exchange rate given. I said that I will quit using your service and surprise surprise they didn't care. And ,now, So Do I.
Thanks for your reply.
"SBI will update only once in the morning" Just wanted know the morning of India or USA ?
Ok, I just did myself and man you are RIGHT.
Today's exchange rate is [USD 4001 10000 48.07]
and I got ($$$ X 48.07) - 25.
Many thanks for the knowledge.
I am not sure if ICICI also does the same, because I too have stooped using their service. And you know what, I called when once when I had a very bad exchange rate given. I said that I will quit using your service and surprise surprise they didn't care. And ,now, So Do I.
hot Speak Now World Tour: Taylor
cdeneo
04-22 05:25 PM
Another question for the group related to porting from EB3 to EB2 -
I-485 for the EB-3 application was filed for both the primary applicant and the dependent spouse. Now the primary applicant and spouse are separated.
Once the new EB2 Perm application is filed and is followed by the premium I-140 petition that should get approved - and since no I-485 application is required this time around - would both the primary applicant and spouse get the GC based on the original I-485 pending application?
Since the primary applicant and spouse are now separated - how does one get the spouse's I-485 application cancelled since the spouse has moved out of the country.
Any insight would be very appreciated. Thanks!
If I-485 is already pending with old EB-3 india I-140, then no need to apply new I485.
IF I485 was not field for some reason due to delays in backlog processing or PERM audits, then one needs to apply for new I485 alongwith new approved I-140.
I-485 for the EB-3 application was filed for both the primary applicant and the dependent spouse. Now the primary applicant and spouse are separated.
Once the new EB2 Perm application is filed and is followed by the premium I-140 petition that should get approved - and since no I-485 application is required this time around - would both the primary applicant and spouse get the GC based on the original I-485 pending application?
Since the primary applicant and spouse are now separated - how does one get the spouse's I-485 application cancelled since the spouse has moved out of the country.
Any insight would be very appreciated. Thanks!
If I-485 is already pending with old EB-3 india I-140, then no need to apply new I485.
IF I485 was not field for some reason due to delays in backlog processing or PERM audits, then one needs to apply for new I485 alongwith new approved I-140.
more...
house #speak now tour photo #taylor
sbabunle
08-19 04:10 PM
Does we need something to cheer of once in a while? Why do you goto movies? Why do you play some games?
This is a free forum man! And this is a free country as well...
babu
Seriously, folks. What's with this thread? Total waste of time.
Someone announces his 'greatest achievement' ... others challenge him to show true patriotism... yet others ask him to continue supporting India etc., AND this chap actually responds :)!
Wow! Seriously we all have too much time on our hands to be self promoting / congratulating / reminiscing etc...
Glad that this person will call US Senators etc., lets thank him for that and keep moving... instead of grilling him on things that matter to you! He owes you all no explanations or apologies.
Peace!
This is a free forum man! And this is a free country as well...
babu
Seriously, folks. What's with this thread? Total waste of time.
Someone announces his 'greatest achievement' ... others challenge him to show true patriotism... yet others ask him to continue supporting India etc., AND this chap actually responds :)!
Wow! Seriously we all have too much time on our hands to be self promoting / congratulating / reminiscing etc...
Glad that this person will call US Senators etc., lets thank him for that and keep moving... instead of grilling him on things that matter to you! He owes you all no explanations or apologies.
Peace!
tattoo Taylor Swift Tops 20 Million
ujjvalkoul
01-30 04:39 PM
its Ques 10..now....
VOTE
VOTE
more...
pictures Opening night of the Speak Now
coolest_me
05-08 06:40 PM
One more thing, I couldn't find any visitor insurance comp that covers the Pre Existing condition for visitors.
dresses taylor swift speak now.
RandyK
11-06 11:50 AM
Senator Grassley sponsored H-1B Supplemental Fee legislation which the Senate passed but collapsed at the conference a few days ago. Yesterday, in the "unrelated" "Farm" Bill session, the Senator requested a ten-minute time and made the following statement on the Senate floor. Abstract of the statement -"It Ain't Over T'll It is Over."
Mr. President, earlier this year, the Senate tried to solve the very complex and emotional issue of immigration reform. The immigration bill we considered included border security, interior enforcement, and amnesty. It also included many needed reforms to our legal immigration process. I said throughout the debate that Congress needs a long-term solution to the immigration issue. We cannot pass a bandaid approach that includes a path to citizenship for law breakers; rather, Congress needs to improve our legal immigration channels. I firmly believe companies want to hire legal workers, and people want to enter the United States legally. If we fix our visa policies, we can restore integrity to our immigration system, and all parties can benefit. But if we cannot pass a comprehensive bill--and I think as time goes on it is going to look more difficult as we go into an election year--if we cannot pass such a comprehensive bill, I think that we should consider passing legislation we can agree on. I am taking the floor at this time to talk about the H-1B visa provisions that were included in the immigration bill and ask my colleagues to take a second look at these needed reforms. Many companies use H-1B programs. It has served a valuable purpose. But we need to reevaluate how this program operates and work to make it more effective. The H-1B program was officially created in 1990, although we have brought foreign workers legally into our country for over 30 years. It was brought into existence to serve American employers that needed high-tech workers. It was created to file a void in the U.S. labor force. The visa holders were intended to file jobs for a temporary amount of time, while the country invested in American workers to pick up the skills our economy needed. We attached fees to the visas that now bring in millions of dollars. These fees and the dollars that come with it are invested in training grants to educate our own workforce. We use the funds to put kids through school for science, technology, engineering, and math skills. We provide students with scholarships with the hope that they will replace imported foreign workers. Unfortunately, the H-1B program is so popular, it is now replacing the U.S. labor force rather than supplementing it. The high-tech and business community is begging Congress to raise or eliminate the annual cap that currently stands at 85,000 visas each year. These numbers do not include and account for those who are exempt from the cap. For instance, we don't count employees at institutions of higher education or nonprofit research organizations. We don't count those who change jobs or renew their H-1B visa. My point is, we have many more than 85,000 H-1B visas distributed each year. I am here to tell my colleagues that increasing the visa supply is not the only solution to the so-called shortage of high-tech workers. Since March of this year, the Senator from Illinois, Mr. Durbin, and I have taken a good look at the H-1B visa program. We have raised issues with the Citizenship and Immigration Service as well as the Department of Labor. We have asked questions of companies that use the H-1B visa, and I have raised issues with attorneys who advise their clients on how to get around the permanent employment regulations. I would like to share what I have learned. I want to give some fraud and abuse examples. Unfortunately, there are some bad apples in the H-1B visa program. In 2005, a man was charged with fraud and misuse of visas, money laundering, and mail fraud for his participation in a multistate scam to smuggle Indian and Pakistani nationals into the United States with fraudulently obtained H-1B visas. The man created fictitious companies, often renting only a cubicle simply to have a mailing address. He fabricated tax returns and submitted over 1,000 false visa petitions. Another man pled guilty last August to charges of fraud and conspiracy. This man and an attorney charged foreign nationals thousands of dollars to fraudulently obtain H-1B visas. He provided false documents to substantiate their H-1B petitions. The Programmer's Guild, a group representing U.S. worker interests, filed over 300 discrimination complaints in the first half of 2006 against companies that posted ``H-1B visa holder only'' ads on job boards. Anyone can go on the Internet and find jobs that target H-1B visa holders. There are more than just national anecdotes, however. Everyday Americans are affected. Since looking into the H-1B visa program, some of my constituents have come to me and spoken out against abuses they see. One of my constituents has shared copies of e-mails showing how he is often bombarded with requests by companies that want to lease their H-1B workers to that Iowan. There are companies with H-1B workers who are so-called ``on the bench,'' meaning they are ready to be deployed to a project. Hundreds of foreign workers are standing by waiting for work. Some call these H-1B ``factory firms.'' This Iowan even said one company went so far as to require him to sign a memorandum of understanding that helps the H-1B factory firm justify to the Federal Government that they have adequate business opportunity that requires additional visa holders. It is a complete falsification of the market justification for additional H-1B workers. These firms are making a commodity out of H-1B workers. They have visa holders but are looking for work. It is supposed to be the other way around. There should be a shortage or a need, first and foremost. Then and only then do we allow foreign workers to fill these jobs temporarily. Another constituent sent me a letter saying that he saw firsthand how foreign workers were brought in while Iowans with similar qualifications were let go. He tells me he is a computer professional with over 20 years experience. He was laid off and has yet to find a job. He states: I believe [my employer] has a history of hiring H-1B computer personnel at the expense of qualified American citizens. Another Iowan from Cedar Falls wrote in support of our review of the H-1B program. He is a computer programmer with a master's degree and over 20 years of work experience in that field. He says: Despite all of my qualifications, in the last four years I have applied to over 3,700 positions and have received no job offers. He believes he is in constant competition with H-1B visa holders. I received a letter from a man in Arizona who works for a company that employs dozens of H-1B workers. When he asked his supervisor why so many foreign nationals were being hired, the head of human resources said: If the company has an American and a person from India, both with the same skill set, the company will hire the person from India because they can pay them less. These are firsthand stories from U.S. workers. I ask those begging for an increase in foreign workers to explain these cases to me. Why are Americans struggling to get jobs as software developers, data processors, and program analysts? Senator Durbin and I inquired with several foreign-based companies that use the H-1B program. Rather than sending a letter to all companies that use the program, which would be over 200 companies, we decided to start our investigation with foreign-based entities. Our intention was to learn how foreign companies are using our visas. We learned that the top nine foreign-based companies used 20,000 visas in 2006. Think of what a high percentage that is of the 85,000, just nine foreign-based companies, 20,000 visas in the year 2006. I say that twice for emphasis. It just so happens that Indian companies are using one-third of the available visas we allocate each year, but there is more to learn. We are not done asking questions. We, meaning Senator Durbin and I, continue to talk to U.S.-based companies and companies in our own States that use the program. The Citizenship and Immigration Service also has concerns. Our review has prompted discussion among the executive branch, businesses, labor unions, and workers, and workers are the ones we are concerned about. So we are not the only ones asking questions. The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Service is also worried about fraud in the program. This agency's investigative arm, that subdivision called the Fraud Detection and National Security unit, is doing a fraud assessment of the H-1B and L visa programs. I asked the unit to brief my staff on their work, and they reported they are not finished with analyzing the data. Senator Collins of Maine and I put the agency on notice that we are anxiously awaiting this report so we may continue our quest to reform the program appropriately. In the meantime, the bill Senator Durbin and I introduced includes measures to rein in the abuse. It goes a long ways to close some loopholes to protect American workers. It is our hope that these measures will bring the program back to its original mission; that is, to help U.S.-based companies find highly skilled workers to fill the shortage for a temporary period of time. That is what the H-1B visa program is all about. Under current law, companies can bring in foreign workers on an H-1B visa without first attempting to hire an American.
Mr. President, earlier this year, the Senate tried to solve the very complex and emotional issue of immigration reform. The immigration bill we considered included border security, interior enforcement, and amnesty. It also included many needed reforms to our legal immigration process. I said throughout the debate that Congress needs a long-term solution to the immigration issue. We cannot pass a bandaid approach that includes a path to citizenship for law breakers; rather, Congress needs to improve our legal immigration channels. I firmly believe companies want to hire legal workers, and people want to enter the United States legally. If we fix our visa policies, we can restore integrity to our immigration system, and all parties can benefit. But if we cannot pass a comprehensive bill--and I think as time goes on it is going to look more difficult as we go into an election year--if we cannot pass such a comprehensive bill, I think that we should consider passing legislation we can agree on. I am taking the floor at this time to talk about the H-1B visa provisions that were included in the immigration bill and ask my colleagues to take a second look at these needed reforms. Many companies use H-1B programs. It has served a valuable purpose. But we need to reevaluate how this program operates and work to make it more effective. The H-1B program was officially created in 1990, although we have brought foreign workers legally into our country for over 30 years. It was brought into existence to serve American employers that needed high-tech workers. It was created to file a void in the U.S. labor force. The visa holders were intended to file jobs for a temporary amount of time, while the country invested in American workers to pick up the skills our economy needed. We attached fees to the visas that now bring in millions of dollars. These fees and the dollars that come with it are invested in training grants to educate our own workforce. We use the funds to put kids through school for science, technology, engineering, and math skills. We provide students with scholarships with the hope that they will replace imported foreign workers. Unfortunately, the H-1B program is so popular, it is now replacing the U.S. labor force rather than supplementing it. The high-tech and business community is begging Congress to raise or eliminate the annual cap that currently stands at 85,000 visas each year. These numbers do not include and account for those who are exempt from the cap. For instance, we don't count employees at institutions of higher education or nonprofit research organizations. We don't count those who change jobs or renew their H-1B visa. My point is, we have many more than 85,000 H-1B visas distributed each year. I am here to tell my colleagues that increasing the visa supply is not the only solution to the so-called shortage of high-tech workers. Since March of this year, the Senator from Illinois, Mr. Durbin, and I have taken a good look at the H-1B visa program. We have raised issues with the Citizenship and Immigration Service as well as the Department of Labor. We have asked questions of companies that use the H-1B visa, and I have raised issues with attorneys who advise their clients on how to get around the permanent employment regulations. I would like to share what I have learned. I want to give some fraud and abuse examples. Unfortunately, there are some bad apples in the H-1B visa program. In 2005, a man was charged with fraud and misuse of visas, money laundering, and mail fraud for his participation in a multistate scam to smuggle Indian and Pakistani nationals into the United States with fraudulently obtained H-1B visas. The man created fictitious companies, often renting only a cubicle simply to have a mailing address. He fabricated tax returns and submitted over 1,000 false visa petitions. Another man pled guilty last August to charges of fraud and conspiracy. This man and an attorney charged foreign nationals thousands of dollars to fraudulently obtain H-1B visas. He provided false documents to substantiate their H-1B petitions. The Programmer's Guild, a group representing U.S. worker interests, filed over 300 discrimination complaints in the first half of 2006 against companies that posted ``H-1B visa holder only'' ads on job boards. Anyone can go on the Internet and find jobs that target H-1B visa holders. There are more than just national anecdotes, however. Everyday Americans are affected. Since looking into the H-1B visa program, some of my constituents have come to me and spoken out against abuses they see. One of my constituents has shared copies of e-mails showing how he is often bombarded with requests by companies that want to lease their H-1B workers to that Iowan. There are companies with H-1B workers who are so-called ``on the bench,'' meaning they are ready to be deployed to a project. Hundreds of foreign workers are standing by waiting for work. Some call these H-1B ``factory firms.'' This Iowan even said one company went so far as to require him to sign a memorandum of understanding that helps the H-1B factory firm justify to the Federal Government that they have adequate business opportunity that requires additional visa holders. It is a complete falsification of the market justification for additional H-1B workers. These firms are making a commodity out of H-1B workers. They have visa holders but are looking for work. It is supposed to be the other way around. There should be a shortage or a need, first and foremost. Then and only then do we allow foreign workers to fill these jobs temporarily. Another constituent sent me a letter saying that he saw firsthand how foreign workers were brought in while Iowans with similar qualifications were let go. He tells me he is a computer professional with over 20 years experience. He was laid off and has yet to find a job. He states: I believe [my employer] has a history of hiring H-1B computer personnel at the expense of qualified American citizens. Another Iowan from Cedar Falls wrote in support of our review of the H-1B program. He is a computer programmer with a master's degree and over 20 years of work experience in that field. He says: Despite all of my qualifications, in the last four years I have applied to over 3,700 positions and have received no job offers. He believes he is in constant competition with H-1B visa holders. I received a letter from a man in Arizona who works for a company that employs dozens of H-1B workers. When he asked his supervisor why so many foreign nationals were being hired, the head of human resources said: If the company has an American and a person from India, both with the same skill set, the company will hire the person from India because they can pay them less. These are firsthand stories from U.S. workers. I ask those begging for an increase in foreign workers to explain these cases to me. Why are Americans struggling to get jobs as software developers, data processors, and program analysts? Senator Durbin and I inquired with several foreign-based companies that use the H-1B program. Rather than sending a letter to all companies that use the program, which would be over 200 companies, we decided to start our investigation with foreign-based entities. Our intention was to learn how foreign companies are using our visas. We learned that the top nine foreign-based companies used 20,000 visas in 2006. Think of what a high percentage that is of the 85,000, just nine foreign-based companies, 20,000 visas in the year 2006. I say that twice for emphasis. It just so happens that Indian companies are using one-third of the available visas we allocate each year, but there is more to learn. We are not done asking questions. We, meaning Senator Durbin and I, continue to talk to U.S.-based companies and companies in our own States that use the program. The Citizenship and Immigration Service also has concerns. Our review has prompted discussion among the executive branch, businesses, labor unions, and workers, and workers are the ones we are concerned about. So we are not the only ones asking questions. The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Service is also worried about fraud in the program. This agency's investigative arm, that subdivision called the Fraud Detection and National Security unit, is doing a fraud assessment of the H-1B and L visa programs. I asked the unit to brief my staff on their work, and they reported they are not finished with analyzing the data. Senator Collins of Maine and I put the agency on notice that we are anxiously awaiting this report so we may continue our quest to reform the program appropriately. In the meantime, the bill Senator Durbin and I introduced includes measures to rein in the abuse. It goes a long ways to close some loopholes to protect American workers. It is our hope that these measures will bring the program back to its original mission; that is, to help U.S.-based companies find highly skilled workers to fill the shortage for a temporary period of time. That is what the H-1B visa program is all about. Under current law, companies can bring in foreign workers on an H-1B visa without first attempting to hire an American.
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for_gc
06-07 08:32 AM
This is good!
girlfriend Taylor Swift Adds New Speak
humdesi
10-16 10:06 PM
Namechecks:
IV will be soon posting some updates on this. We have done some ground work on this issue in the recent past and have got positive response. Stronger support from our members, will definitely help us push this agenda item. IV feels that this issue is going to be a big roadblock for a lot of us now, after people have filed their I485s. It is possible to get a much wider bi-partisan support on this issue by us and we are already pursuing it.
Pls. stay tuned on this issue.
So what's the new development?
IV will be soon posting some updates on this. We have done some ground work on this issue in the recent past and have got positive response. Stronger support from our members, will definitely help us push this agenda item. IV feels that this issue is going to be a big roadblock for a lot of us now, after people have filed their I485s. It is possible to get a much wider bi-partisan support on this issue by us and we are already pursuing it.
Pls. stay tuned on this issue.
So what's the new development?
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javadeveloper
08-13 02:36 PM
Mail Sent...Thanks!
Do we have their fax numbers.Sending faxes is fast and easy.Correct me if I am wrong.
Do we have their fax numbers.Sending faxes is fast and easy.Correct me if I am wrong.
gctest
10-03 09:08 PM
Were you born in a dumpster? You are assuming so many things here.
Whatever Kumar1 may apply to some F-1 students, but not to the cream of the crop.
Nobody asked me if I have immigration intent... they saw that i had I-20 from Cornell, MIT & UMBC and simply asked "Why cornell?". And before i could say anything she smiled and said "welcome to united states"... hah..suck on that
i bet that "jangli maharaj university" you got your diploma from is making your entire family very proud :):):):)
Hey, you lied to the American Immigration that you will return to the home country after Ph.d. And now you are talking about who should port and who not. Relax and think.
Whatever Kumar1 may apply to some F-1 students, but not to the cream of the crop.
Nobody asked me if I have immigration intent... they saw that i had I-20 from Cornell, MIT & UMBC and simply asked "Why cornell?". And before i could say anything she smiled and said "welcome to united states"... hah..suck on that
i bet that "jangli maharaj university" you got your diploma from is making your entire family very proud :):):):)
Hey, you lied to the American Immigration that you will return to the home country after Ph.d. And now you are talking about who should port and who not. Relax and think.
aruny5
06-14 08:17 PM
I called all representative's office. Called all Hispanic causas Representative too. I called Alabama Congressman Jo Bonner's office...........Also called Alabama Senator Jeff Session's and Senator Richard Shelby's office. My wife will call them from different phone.
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