hpandey
03-02 11:36 AM
Looks like your PD is current. You might get your GC anytime. That is another factor I would consider if your GC gets approved before you get married.
Filing six months in advance seems to be a better idea.
Filing six months in advance seems to be a better idea.
wallpaper stock vector : Vector of hands
nareshg
10-12 01:59 AM
they responded today to USCIS, nothing much here I guess...
one of the forms had my birth date wrong, so USCIS was asking for the actual birth date.
Strange...my 140 was filed on Nov 2006....and then got a REF on August 29th 2007, my pawyer responsed last week...and I thought that as soon as USCIS gets the evidence they will hopefully approve my case....(the evidence was a minor (atleast I thought it was minor) issue about birth date...
and now USCIS has revieved the evidence they asked for...guess what they say...
On October 10, 2007, we received your response to our request for evidence. We will notify you by mail when we make a decision or if we need something from you. If you move while this case is pending, call customer service. You should expect to receive a written decision or written update within 60 days of the date we received your response unless fingerprint processing or an interview are standard parts of case processing and have not yet been completed, in which case you can use our processing dates to estimate when this case will be done. This case is at our NEBRASKA SERVICE CENTER location. Follow the link below to check processing dates. You can also receive automatic e-mail updates as we process your case. Just follow the link below to register.
60 more days...come on....
one of the forms had my birth date wrong, so USCIS was asking for the actual birth date.
Strange...my 140 was filed on Nov 2006....and then got a REF on August 29th 2007, my pawyer responsed last week...and I thought that as soon as USCIS gets the evidence they will hopefully approve my case....(the evidence was a minor (atleast I thought it was minor) issue about birth date...
and now USCIS has revieved the evidence they asked for...guess what they say...
On October 10, 2007, we received your response to our request for evidence. We will notify you by mail when we make a decision or if we need something from you. If you move while this case is pending, call customer service. You should expect to receive a written decision or written update within 60 days of the date we received your response unless fingerprint processing or an interview are standard parts of case processing and have not yet been completed, in which case you can use our processing dates to estimate when this case will be done. This case is at our NEBRASKA SERVICE CENTER location. Follow the link below to check processing dates. You can also receive automatic e-mail updates as we process your case. Just follow the link below to register.
60 more days...come on....
gxr
10-12 09:50 AM
Naresh/Libra,
What was the LUD on your I-140 before you got the RFE ?
In my case, the RD is 10/06 and LUD is 10/26/2006. But, no updates after that.
gxr
What was the LUD on your I-140 before you got the RFE ?
In my case, the RD is 10/06 and LUD is 10/26/2006. But, no updates after that.
gxr
2011 drawing of hands holding
gc_chahiye
10-29 11:11 PM
Hi,
I got my EAD one day before my H1 expiration. What do I need to do if I want to work on EAD and what form do I need to fill and provide to my employer. As currently my Attorney messed up my H1 status. He sent my H extension to a wrong service center i.e. California and they sent the application back saying they no more process H extensions and we need to apply to a different service center i.e. Vermont. My H expired on 10/11/07 and my Attorney received the H documents back from California Service Center on 10/26/07.
As I asked my Attorney to send the H extension to the right service center with a proof of that he applied on time but was sent to the wrong Service Center. As I don't want to abonden my H status.
My only worries are what if H extension is not approved in that case what will happen to my 485 and EAD i.e. valid from 10/10/2007-10/09/2008. What will be my options then. As I don't want to take any chances specially at this stage. Please advice what to do in this case as my Attorney looks like is not that smart.
Need some advice as to should I just start working on EAD and not wait for the H extension response or should I wait for the response.
Any feedbacks are appreciated.
Thanks
first of all, your EAD and 485 are not impacted by any of these H1 mix-ups from your lawyer. So relax.
You can start working on EAD now and wait for the H1 approval to come through. Whne it does come through, youll need ot leave the US, get a visa stamp and come back in to activate the H1 (if you need H1 status for some reason like you are unmarried and will need to bring spouse on H4).
If you are really paranoid, stop working right now and do the H1 in premium processing. If USCIS grants the extension of status (you get new I-94) continue working on that, you are all set. Otherwise at that point you can start on EAD or leave-get_stamped-return, whatever you want.
To move to EAD you need to file a new I-9 with the employer.
I got my EAD one day before my H1 expiration. What do I need to do if I want to work on EAD and what form do I need to fill and provide to my employer. As currently my Attorney messed up my H1 status. He sent my H extension to a wrong service center i.e. California and they sent the application back saying they no more process H extensions and we need to apply to a different service center i.e. Vermont. My H expired on 10/11/07 and my Attorney received the H documents back from California Service Center on 10/26/07.
As I asked my Attorney to send the H extension to the right service center with a proof of that he applied on time but was sent to the wrong Service Center. As I don't want to abonden my H status.
My only worries are what if H extension is not approved in that case what will happen to my 485 and EAD i.e. valid from 10/10/2007-10/09/2008. What will be my options then. As I don't want to take any chances specially at this stage. Please advice what to do in this case as my Attorney looks like is not that smart.
Need some advice as to should I just start working on EAD and not wait for the H extension response or should I wait for the response.
Any feedbacks are appreciated.
Thanks
first of all, your EAD and 485 are not impacted by any of these H1 mix-ups from your lawyer. So relax.
You can start working on EAD now and wait for the H1 approval to come through. Whne it does come through, youll need ot leave the US, get a visa stamp and come back in to activate the H1 (if you need H1 status for some reason like you are unmarried and will need to bring spouse on H4).
If you are really paranoid, stop working right now and do the H1 in premium processing. If USCIS grants the extension of status (you get new I-94) continue working on that, you are all set. Otherwise at that point you can start on EAD or leave-get_stamped-return, whatever you want.
To move to EAD you need to file a new I-9 with the employer.
more...
jthomas
06-10 12:30 PM
we should fax/email letters to lawmakers/senators from every angle. One way of doing this would be drafting a letter with the calculation and a quote " Just for Indians, and chinese nationality for rest of the world = 1year"
We should be attacking in each and every angle so they get used to reading our issues and would come with a solution.
MAKE A NOISE
We should be attacking in each and every angle so they get used to reading our issues and would come with a solution.
MAKE A NOISE
GCwaitforever
07-14 06:37 AM
This is great news. :) This increases the chances of letting the bill fly through all the obstacles the House.
more...
quizzer
02-23 04:54 PM
Thats true, When my I-140 was approved, as per the site my date was atleast 2 months away, but i received the approval notice. :)
Shirish,
Can you give more details about your I140?
EB2 or EB3?
NSC or TSC?
RD and AD???
Thanks
Shirish,
Can you give more details about your I140?
EB2 or EB3?
NSC or TSC?
RD and AD???
Thanks
2010 isnt Hands+holding+hands
485Mbe4001
01-25 04:27 PM
:D he also wants his approval rating to cross 50%, bring world peace... State of the Union is something you should watch with a bag of popcorn or chips.
TOI has a history of copy and paste jobs, they will make it sound like Bush is sending his own plane to get educated desis to US
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Bush_wants_more_young_Indian_minds_in_United_State s/articleshow/1461553.cms
This is very promising and can help our IV team to press on for relief provisions for Skilled workers already here.
Good luck to us all.
TOI has a history of copy and paste jobs, they will make it sound like Bush is sending his own plane to get educated desis to US
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Bush_wants_more_young_Indian_minds_in_United_State s/articleshow/1461553.cms
This is very promising and can help our IV team to press on for relief provisions for Skilled workers already here.
Good luck to us all.
more...
pointlesswait
03-16 11:07 AM
Dont use turbotax for ur taxes..?
use 1040-nr-ez...paper file it and get more...
if i am not mistaken.. you can claim rental expenses as deductions if u are on ur first year of H1(only the 1st year)...also since u moved from chi to cin.. you can also claim..job related relocation expense..blah blah..do if u do itemized decuations..u shoudl be able to get truckload of money..... so seek a desi tax guy..
just ask around..
Hi,
How do I file my taxes when I was on an OPT for 9 months and 3 months on H1B?
Also,
8 Months of the OPT was in Cincinnati and 1 Month in Chicago.
3 Months of the H1B was in Chicago.
Can I use Turbo Tax to file my taxes or should I go to an accountant?
I got 2 w2 forms from my employer. 1 for the time I worked in Cincinnati and 1 for Chicago. I am not sure if they are 2 different w2 forms or just 1, because on 1 of the w2 forms it says "1 of 2 w2 form" and on the other it says "2 of 2 w2 form".
I am pretty confused, so if anyone was in a similar situation can please let me know what they did, that would be great.
Thanks,
Deejay
use 1040-nr-ez...paper file it and get more...
if i am not mistaken.. you can claim rental expenses as deductions if u are on ur first year of H1(only the 1st year)...also since u moved from chi to cin.. you can also claim..job related relocation expense..blah blah..do if u do itemized decuations..u shoudl be able to get truckload of money..... so seek a desi tax guy..
just ask around..
Hi,
How do I file my taxes when I was on an OPT for 9 months and 3 months on H1B?
Also,
8 Months of the OPT was in Cincinnati and 1 Month in Chicago.
3 Months of the H1B was in Chicago.
Can I use Turbo Tax to file my taxes or should I go to an accountant?
I got 2 w2 forms from my employer. 1 for the time I worked in Cincinnati and 1 for Chicago. I am not sure if they are 2 different w2 forms or just 1, because on 1 of the w2 forms it says "1 of 2 w2 form" and on the other it says "2 of 2 w2 form".
I am pretty confused, so if anyone was in a similar situation can please let me know what they did, that would be great.
Thanks,
Deejay
hair Close-up of hands holding
txh1b
05-06 11:51 PM
No one can enter your property without your permission or consent unless they have a warrant. The officer has to ask you if they can come in and you might have said yes and hence the result. You could very well say no and walk outside the door to talk to them.
Some PDs have educational videos to the police officers. A good example and a must watch link below.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PkaMUp_JqIE
Some PDs have educational videos to the police officers. A good example and a must watch link below.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PkaMUp_JqIE
more...
miguy
03-16 08:43 AM
hopein07........do you know if one has to pass the evaluating exam first to get a Statement of Need from Canada for j1?...
hot hands holding global
mbartosik
08-20 06:35 PM
I'm a UK citizen (waiting for GC), and one obversation that I have is:
If you are very good in your profession odds are that you'll suceed in either country. But if you are average (and by definition most are) then you'll be at a disadvantage with respect to the locals when you go somewhere new, especially if you don't have good contacts.
So I'd recommend thinking dispassionately about how good you are at your profession, and just as importantly how well that comes across in resume or interview. Do you have good contacts in UK?
I'm not sure if "indefinite leave to stay" gives you access to the whole EU, but it's a path to UK citizenship which does give you access to the whole EU job market (language barriers permitting). It does suck that UK gov effectively retrospectively changed the rules for "indefinite leave to stay", but at least in UK there is an end date (unless they push it out each year). Here for some there is no obvious end date for the waiting.
I also think that "indefinite leave to stay" may have a few strings (like GC six month in country requirement).
If you are very good in your profession odds are that you'll suceed in either country. But if you are average (and by definition most are) then you'll be at a disadvantage with respect to the locals when you go somewhere new, especially if you don't have good contacts.
So I'd recommend thinking dispassionately about how good you are at your profession, and just as importantly how well that comes across in resume or interview. Do you have good contacts in UK?
I'm not sure if "indefinite leave to stay" gives you access to the whole EU, but it's a path to UK citizenship which does give you access to the whole EU job market (language barriers permitting). It does suck that UK gov effectively retrospectively changed the rules for "indefinite leave to stay", but at least in UK there is an end date (unless they push it out each year). Here for some there is no obvious end date for the waiting.
I also think that "indefinite leave to stay" may have a few strings (like GC six month in country requirement).
more...
house Drawings+of+hands+holding
trump_gc
03-26 01:32 PM
May be its a stupid question? But let me ask anyway:-
Does STEM considers BS + 5 yrs as Advanced degree? I have 140 EB2 approved with BS +9 years of experince, even though EB2 is for advanced degree but I think I may not qualify for STEM since I do not have master,,is this true?
Does STEM considers BS + 5 yrs as Advanced degree? I have 140 EB2 approved with BS +9 years of experince, even though EB2 is for advanced degree but I think I may not qualify for STEM since I do not have master,,is this true?
tattoo Drawings+of+hands+holding
suresh_la
11-30 12:10 PM
I have Labor (PERM) and I140 approved from my current employer.
can I apply trasfer and extension with new employer.
Advice is highly appreciated.
can I apply trasfer and extension with new employer.
Advice is highly appreciated.
more...
pictures Illustration of hands holding
meridiani.planum
06-02 02:12 PM
I am just wondering if kaiserrose can get his wife an EAD as well - doesn't that make both on AOS-pending status?
that requires his wife to first file a I-485 for herself, and she can only do that once his PD is current (EB3 INdia is at 2001, he is at 2003 so thats not possible right now)
that requires his wife to first file a I-485 for herself, and she can only do that once his PD is current (EB3 INdia is at 2001, he is at 2003 so thats not possible right now)
dresses Close-Up of Hands Holding
new_horizon
02-17 07:16 AM
I have a couple of questions:
1. In the AP application form, there is a question on when you intend to travel. What should I enter there when I am only applying for some future travel and am not sure about the dates?
2. I had worked on OPT after my graduation before switching to H1 visa. So when I apply for EAD now, should I apply as a renewal applicant or a new applicant? Is OPT the same as EAD?
thanks.
1. In the AP application form, there is a question on when you intend to travel. What should I enter there when I am only applying for some future travel and am not sure about the dates?
2. I had worked on OPT after my graduation before switching to H1 visa. So when I apply for EAD now, should I apply as a renewal applicant or a new applicant? Is OPT the same as EAD?
thanks.
more...
makeup a couple of hands holding
mps
05-13 01:09 AM
Well I was just thinking about it -
1) Can we form a labor union?
I think H1 worker has equal rights as any other native worker
2) Other idea is to form a Credit union with multiple goals -
a) Immigration reforms (funded by the Credit Union)
b) Providing financial services such as - credit cards, mortgage, car and home insurance, other personal loans etc.
c) Credit union will provide us financial strength at the same time attract others to join as they stand to gain all financial benefits from day 1, after landing in US of A.
just my thoughts ...
1) Can we form a labor union?
I think H1 worker has equal rights as any other native worker
2) Other idea is to form a Credit union with multiple goals -
a) Immigration reforms (funded by the Credit Union)
b) Providing financial services such as - credit cards, mortgage, car and home insurance, other personal loans etc.
c) Credit union will provide us financial strength at the same time attract others to join as they stand to gain all financial benefits from day 1, after landing in US of A.
just my thoughts ...
girlfriend holding standing Drawings
keerthi
05-14 01:20 AM
Thank you very much for all the answers. I will post here when my employer takes a decision on the L1-A/L1-B/H1-B.
hairstyles hands holding a sleeping
santb1975
03-24 12:49 PM
I wish I did one of these in So.Cal
GC_1000Watt
01-24 09:05 PM
Thank you very much and I sincerely appreaciate advices from all of you. Can some one please claify some other question i have on this topic. Any inputs means a lot to me.
USCIS gave RFE before denying the petition. in RFE they asked for Client letter and I submitted client letter. I don't have denial notice with me and don't know the reason of denial.
1. If my employer is filing new H1 application why i should go with premium processing? why not regular.
2. Am i out of status now?.
3. Can i do H1 transfer now if someone offers fulltime. Should i tell them that my previous H1 application denied if they are willing to transfer.
Thanks in advance.
Your employer can file a new H1B extension petition with the documents covering the problems that caused the first denial. Now the lawyer should attach a letter notifying USCIS about the the first denial and than asking them for adjustment of status.
There is no annual cap. (or may be 300,00) on H1b extension cases. Hence in your case irrespective of your denial, you can file fresh extension one more time & making sure that you are not missing anything and a letter to USCIS mentioning your previous denial case.
I am telling you this on my own experience. And mind you this is not a time for you to be cheap. Please consult with a good lawyer.
USCIS gave RFE before denying the petition. in RFE they asked for Client letter and I submitted client letter. I don't have denial notice with me and don't know the reason of denial.
1. If my employer is filing new H1 application why i should go with premium processing? why not regular.
2. Am i out of status now?.
3. Can i do H1 transfer now if someone offers fulltime. Should i tell them that my previous H1 application denied if they are willing to transfer.
Thanks in advance.
Your employer can file a new H1B extension petition with the documents covering the problems that caused the first denial. Now the lawyer should attach a letter notifying USCIS about the the first denial and than asking them for adjustment of status.
There is no annual cap. (or may be 300,00) on H1b extension cases. Hence in your case irrespective of your denial, you can file fresh extension one more time & making sure that you are not missing anything and a letter to USCIS mentioning your previous denial case.
I am telling you this on my own experience. And mind you this is not a time for you to be cheap. Please consult with a good lawyer.
buddhaas
02-02 03:57 PM
Why Is H-1B A Dirty Word?
By Eleanor Pelta, AILA First Vice President
H-1B workers certainly seem to be under fire these days on many fronts. A new memo issued by USCIS on the employer-employee relationship imposes new extra-regulatory regulations on the types of activities in which H-1B workers can engage as well as the types of enterprises that can petition for H-1B workers. The memo targets the consulting industry directly, deftly slips in a new concept that seems to prohibit H-1B petitions for employer-owners of businesses, and will surely constitute an open invitation to the Service Centers to hit H-1B petitioners with a new slew of kitchen-sink RFE's. On another front, USCIS continues to make unannounced H-1B site visits, often repeatedly to the same employer. Apart from the "in-terrorem" impact of such visits, I personally cannot see the utility of three different visits to the same employer, particularly after the first one or two visits show that the employer is fully compliant.
But USCIS isn't the only agency that is rigorously targeting H-1B's. An AILA member recently reported that CBP pulled newly-arrived Indian nationals holding H-1B visas out of an immigration inspection line and reportedly placed them in Expedited Removal. The legal basis of those actions is still unclear. However, the tactic is too close to racial profiling for my own comfort.
Finally, recent H-1B "skirmishes" include various U.S. consular posts in India issuing "pink letters" that are, simply put, consular "RFE's" appearing to question the bona fides of the H-1B and requesting information on a host of truly repetitive and/or irrelevant topics. Much of the information that is routinely requested on a pink letter is already in the copy of the H-1B visa petition. Some of the letters request payroll information for all employees of the sponsoring company, a ridiculous request in most instances, particularly for major multi-national companies. One of the most frustrating actions we are seeing from consular officers in this context is the checking off or highlighting of every single category of additional information on the form letter, whether directly applicable or not, in effect a "paper wall" that must be overcome before an applicant can have the H-1B visa issued. Very discouraging to both employer and employee.
How have we come to a point in time where the H-1B category in and of itself is so disdained and mistrusted? Of course I'm aware that instances of fraud have cast this category in a bad light. But I think that vehemence of the administrative attack on the H-1B category is so disproportionate to the actual statistics about fraud. And interestingly, the disproportionate heavy-handed administrative reaction comes not from the agency specifically tasked with H-1B enforcement—the Department of Labor—but from CIS, CBP and State. Sometimes I just have to shake my head and ask myself what makes people so darn angry about a visa category that, at bottom, is designed to bring in relatively tiny number of really smart people to work in U.S. businesses of any size. It has to be a reaction against something else.
Yes, a great number of IT consultants come to the US on H-1B's. It is important to remember that so many of these individuals are extremely well-educated, capable people, working in an industry in which there are a large number of high profile players. And arguably, the high profile consulting companies have the most at stake if they do not focus on compliance, as they are the easiest enforcement target and they need their business model to work in the U.S. in order to survive. Some people may not like the business model, although arguably IT consulting companies provide needed services that allow US businesses, such as banks and insurance companies to focus on their own core strengths. Like it or not, though, this business model is perfectly legal under current law, and the agencies that enforce our immigration laws have no business trying to eviscerate it by policy or a pattern of discretionary actions.
It is true that some IT consulting companies' practices have been the focus of fraud investigations. But DOL has stringent rules in place to deal with the bad guys. Benching H-1B workers without pay, paying below the prevailing wage, sending H-1B workers on long-term assignments to a site not covered by an LCA—these are the practices we most often hear about, and every single one of these is a violation of an existing regulation that could be enforced by the Department of Labor. When an employer violates wage and hour rules, DOL investigates the practices and enforces the regulations against that employer. But no one shuts down an entire industry as a result.
And the IT consulting industry is not the only user of the H-1B visa. Let's not forget how many other critical fields use H-1B workers. In my own career alone, I have seen H-1B petitions for nanoscientists, ornithologists, CEO's of significant not for profit organizations, teachers, applied mathematicians, risk analysts, professionals involved in pharmaceutical research and development, automotive designers, international legal experts, film editors, microimaging engineers. H-1B's are valuable to small and large businesses alike, arguably even more to that emerging business that needs one key expert to develop a new product or service and get the business off the ground.
The assault on H-1B's is not only offensive, it's dangerous. Here's why:
* H-1B's create jobs—statistics show that 5 jobs are created in the U.S. for every H-1B worker hired. An administrative clamp-down in the program will hinder this job creation. And think about the valuable sharing of skills and expertise between H-1B workers and U.S. workers—this is lost when companies are discouraged from using the program.
* The anti-H-1B assault dissuades large businesses from conducting research and development in the US, and encourages the relocation of those facilities in jurisdictions that are friendlier to foreign professionals.
* The anti-H-1B assault chills the formation of small businesses in the US, particularly in emerging technologies. This will most certainly be one of the long-term results of USCIS' most recent memo.
* The attack on H-1B's offends our friends and allies in the world. An example: Earlier this year India –one of the U.S.'s closest allies --announced new visa restrictions on foreign nationals working there. Surely the treatment of Indian national H-1B workers at the hands of our agencies involved in the immigration process would not have escaped the attention of the Indian government as they issued their own restrictions.
* The increasing challenges in the H-1B program may have the effect of encouraging foreign students who were educated in the U.S. to seek permanent positions elsewhere.
Whatever the cause of the visceral reaction against H-1B workers might be—whether it stems from a fear that fraud will become more widespread or whether it is simply a broader reaction against foreign workers that often raises its head during any down economy –I sincerely hope that the agencies are able to gain some perspective on the program that allows them to treat legitimate H-1B employers and employees with the respect they deserve and to effectively enforce against those who are non-compliant, rather than casting a wide net and treating all H-1B users as abusers.
source link : http://ailaleadership.blogspot.com/2010/02/why-is-h-1b-dirty-word.html#comment-form
By Eleanor Pelta, AILA First Vice President
H-1B workers certainly seem to be under fire these days on many fronts. A new memo issued by USCIS on the employer-employee relationship imposes new extra-regulatory regulations on the types of activities in which H-1B workers can engage as well as the types of enterprises that can petition for H-1B workers. The memo targets the consulting industry directly, deftly slips in a new concept that seems to prohibit H-1B petitions for employer-owners of businesses, and will surely constitute an open invitation to the Service Centers to hit H-1B petitioners with a new slew of kitchen-sink RFE's. On another front, USCIS continues to make unannounced H-1B site visits, often repeatedly to the same employer. Apart from the "in-terrorem" impact of such visits, I personally cannot see the utility of three different visits to the same employer, particularly after the first one or two visits show that the employer is fully compliant.
But USCIS isn't the only agency that is rigorously targeting H-1B's. An AILA member recently reported that CBP pulled newly-arrived Indian nationals holding H-1B visas out of an immigration inspection line and reportedly placed them in Expedited Removal. The legal basis of those actions is still unclear. However, the tactic is too close to racial profiling for my own comfort.
Finally, recent H-1B "skirmishes" include various U.S. consular posts in India issuing "pink letters" that are, simply put, consular "RFE's" appearing to question the bona fides of the H-1B and requesting information on a host of truly repetitive and/or irrelevant topics. Much of the information that is routinely requested on a pink letter is already in the copy of the H-1B visa petition. Some of the letters request payroll information for all employees of the sponsoring company, a ridiculous request in most instances, particularly for major multi-national companies. One of the most frustrating actions we are seeing from consular officers in this context is the checking off or highlighting of every single category of additional information on the form letter, whether directly applicable or not, in effect a "paper wall" that must be overcome before an applicant can have the H-1B visa issued. Very discouraging to both employer and employee.
How have we come to a point in time where the H-1B category in and of itself is so disdained and mistrusted? Of course I'm aware that instances of fraud have cast this category in a bad light. But I think that vehemence of the administrative attack on the H-1B category is so disproportionate to the actual statistics about fraud. And interestingly, the disproportionate heavy-handed administrative reaction comes not from the agency specifically tasked with H-1B enforcement—the Department of Labor—but from CIS, CBP and State. Sometimes I just have to shake my head and ask myself what makes people so darn angry about a visa category that, at bottom, is designed to bring in relatively tiny number of really smart people to work in U.S. businesses of any size. It has to be a reaction against something else.
Yes, a great number of IT consultants come to the US on H-1B's. It is important to remember that so many of these individuals are extremely well-educated, capable people, working in an industry in which there are a large number of high profile players. And arguably, the high profile consulting companies have the most at stake if they do not focus on compliance, as they are the easiest enforcement target and they need their business model to work in the U.S. in order to survive. Some people may not like the business model, although arguably IT consulting companies provide needed services that allow US businesses, such as banks and insurance companies to focus on their own core strengths. Like it or not, though, this business model is perfectly legal under current law, and the agencies that enforce our immigration laws have no business trying to eviscerate it by policy or a pattern of discretionary actions.
It is true that some IT consulting companies' practices have been the focus of fraud investigations. But DOL has stringent rules in place to deal with the bad guys. Benching H-1B workers without pay, paying below the prevailing wage, sending H-1B workers on long-term assignments to a site not covered by an LCA—these are the practices we most often hear about, and every single one of these is a violation of an existing regulation that could be enforced by the Department of Labor. When an employer violates wage and hour rules, DOL investigates the practices and enforces the regulations against that employer. But no one shuts down an entire industry as a result.
And the IT consulting industry is not the only user of the H-1B visa. Let's not forget how many other critical fields use H-1B workers. In my own career alone, I have seen H-1B petitions for nanoscientists, ornithologists, CEO's of significant not for profit organizations, teachers, applied mathematicians, risk analysts, professionals involved in pharmaceutical research and development, automotive designers, international legal experts, film editors, microimaging engineers. H-1B's are valuable to small and large businesses alike, arguably even more to that emerging business that needs one key expert to develop a new product or service and get the business off the ground.
The assault on H-1B's is not only offensive, it's dangerous. Here's why:
* H-1B's create jobs—statistics show that 5 jobs are created in the U.S. for every H-1B worker hired. An administrative clamp-down in the program will hinder this job creation. And think about the valuable sharing of skills and expertise between H-1B workers and U.S. workers—this is lost when companies are discouraged from using the program.
* The anti-H-1B assault dissuades large businesses from conducting research and development in the US, and encourages the relocation of those facilities in jurisdictions that are friendlier to foreign professionals.
* The anti-H-1B assault chills the formation of small businesses in the US, particularly in emerging technologies. This will most certainly be one of the long-term results of USCIS' most recent memo.
* The attack on H-1B's offends our friends and allies in the world. An example: Earlier this year India –one of the U.S.'s closest allies --announced new visa restrictions on foreign nationals working there. Surely the treatment of Indian national H-1B workers at the hands of our agencies involved in the immigration process would not have escaped the attention of the Indian government as they issued their own restrictions.
* The increasing challenges in the H-1B program may have the effect of encouraging foreign students who were educated in the U.S. to seek permanent positions elsewhere.
Whatever the cause of the visceral reaction against H-1B workers might be—whether it stems from a fear that fraud will become more widespread or whether it is simply a broader reaction against foreign workers that often raises its head during any down economy –I sincerely hope that the agencies are able to gain some perspective on the program that allows them to treat legitimate H-1B employers and employees with the respect they deserve and to effectively enforce against those who are non-compliant, rather than casting a wide net and treating all H-1B users as abusers.
source link : http://ailaleadership.blogspot.com/2010/02/why-is-h-1b-dirty-word.html#comment-form
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