permfiling
10-20 11:56 PM
Thank you Prashanthi for your reply.
I have a letter (it's in email format) that shows my lay-off is because of "lack of work". However, this letter is for the time before my GC was approved. I suppose that I need to get a letter from the company dated sometime after my GC approval date in order to present that in the time my citizenship process to justify that the job offer was not speculative; right?
That might also possible to get a letter from the company that shows they are willing to hire me in case there's a new project; thanks for your comment on this.
I think as Attorney Prashanthi mentioned, uscis might consider the current economic situation as well but b/w now and 5 yrs uscis might have updated laws too.
I have a letter (it's in email format) that shows my lay-off is because of "lack of work". However, this letter is for the time before my GC was approved. I suppose that I need to get a letter from the company dated sometime after my GC approval date in order to present that in the time my citizenship process to justify that the job offer was not speculative; right?
That might also possible to get a letter from the company that shows they are willing to hire me in case there's a new project; thanks for your comment on this.
I think as Attorney Prashanthi mentioned, uscis might consider the current economic situation as well but b/w now and 5 yrs uscis might have updated laws too.
wallpaper #39;Letters to Juliet#39; Los
hi_mkg
05-08 03:18 AM
]i am thinking that this is a liar's post.[/B].. i am very surprised that USCIS went to extent of finding H4 inconsistencies and denying a dependent GC... that would take the cake... it makes it sound like USCIS is out to catch people with the smallest slightest mistakes... i do not think that is the case...
What do you mean? I'm asking a genuine question which happened to my brother. If you can not understand someone's pain and can not offer any help then what are you doing here? Bashing people with such kind of remarks and playing with their sentimence...
I'm going to report this post to Moderator..
What do you mean? I'm asking a genuine question which happened to my brother. If you can not understand someone's pain and can not offer any help then what are you doing here? Bashing people with such kind of remarks and playing with their sentimence...
I'm going to report this post to Moderator..
Hinglish
03-05 03:04 PM
No worries ... this bill aint going no where .... it is just a political ploy to corner Dems and force them to take a harder stance on immigration
2011 lorena orozco
varakur
08-10 07:24 PM
Hello everybody,
I just got my Labor done few days back. I am in India now, but looks like I have to file I140/485 before Aug 17th. For this, MUST I fly back immediately, or can I file from India (by couriering the required documents).
How will this work for my wife (who is on H4 now)?
If I only travel back to US, can I file for my wife too. Or I file it for myself, and file for my wife after Aug17th when she is back.
Or MUST my wife also be present in US to file the I140/485?
Pls advice.
thanks,
-Prasad
I just got my Labor done few days back. I am in India now, but looks like I have to file I140/485 before Aug 17th. For this, MUST I fly back immediately, or can I file from India (by couriering the required documents).
How will this work for my wife (who is on H4 now)?
If I only travel back to US, can I file for my wife too. Or I file it for myself, and file for my wife after Aug17th when she is back.
Or MUST my wife also be present in US to file the I140/485?
Pls advice.
thanks,
-Prasad
more...
martinvisalaw
07-22 06:01 PM
Hello,
My wife is out of the country right now and planning to return in 3 weeks. She left the country with both copies (we only received 2 copies) of AP that is valid until Sept 10th 2009. Unfortunately we don't have a photocopy of the AP document and she has misplaced the two copies she took along with her. How do we approach this situation. The doc's we do have handy are:
1- Original 485 Receipt Notice
2- Original AP filing Receipt Notice
3- Copy of AP approved screen from uscic. gov
4- Original previous AP
5- AP was issued by MSC
Any advice?
Your wife may be able to get a transportation letter/returning resident visa from her US consulate. These are usually given to people who have lost their green cards while overseas, but I have heard of consulates giving them to people with lost APs. It's worth asking. Good luck.
My wife is out of the country right now and planning to return in 3 weeks. She left the country with both copies (we only received 2 copies) of AP that is valid until Sept 10th 2009. Unfortunately we don't have a photocopy of the AP document and she has misplaced the two copies she took along with her. How do we approach this situation. The doc's we do have handy are:
1- Original 485 Receipt Notice
2- Original AP filing Receipt Notice
3- Copy of AP approved screen from uscic. gov
4- Original previous AP
5- AP was issued by MSC
Any advice?
Your wife may be able to get a transportation letter/returning resident visa from her US consulate. These are usually given to people who have lost their green cards while overseas, but I have heard of consulates giving them to people with lost APs. It's worth asking. Good luck.
dravid88
10-17 06:29 AM
Tax Credits (http://www.extramortgages.com/first-time-buyers Tax Credits)
more...
prem_goel
08-29 01:05 PM
Thanks Guys! I knew IV won't disappoint me!
2010 Lorena Mora, owner and cook at
Canadianindian
07-14 09:24 AM
It will update on a daily basis..So please keep posting your signatures
Signed and emailed to 10 friends
Signed and emailed to 10 friends
more...
LostInGCProcess
06-12 06:02 PM
No need of new H1 if company 'B's' HR has agreed to continue with 'A''s employees.
1. Get a EVL letter from company 'B'. (This is assuming name of 'A' will change to 'B' or new name.
2. You need to get a "Letter of Acquirement" from HR of new company (I am assuming that the name of the company is changing as well). If name does not change then you should be fine. If you have to travel out of US, you need to carry latest copy of EVL(of new company) and "Letter of Acquirement" along with you. (I went thru these few years back, PwCC bought over by IBM, immediately after the takeover I travelled out of US and came back without any problems(on H1)) this was quite a while back though, you may want to check with your company attorney though.
Note:
"Letter of Acquirement’ would state that your 'A' company was bought over by 'B' company on Date and name has now changed to 'B'.
Good luck.
GCCovet
They have sent me a "Acquisition Notification" letter (pdf file). In which it says "NEW Company has acquired OLD company via 100% stock Purchase."
Also in the letter it says "NEW company succeeded to the interests and obligation of OLD Company . NEW Company has assumed the liabilities and obligations of the H1B employees of OLD company.
And its signed by both parties of NEW and OLD company.
Is this letter sufficient for me to hang on to?
Should I ask for EVL too?
I am worried because my last payroll was from the new company...My OLD employer told me otherwise that everything would be same....i mean no company name change etc...apparently he lied to me.
1. Get a EVL letter from company 'B'. (This is assuming name of 'A' will change to 'B' or new name.
2. You need to get a "Letter of Acquirement" from HR of new company (I am assuming that the name of the company is changing as well). If name does not change then you should be fine. If you have to travel out of US, you need to carry latest copy of EVL(of new company) and "Letter of Acquirement" along with you. (I went thru these few years back, PwCC bought over by IBM, immediately after the takeover I travelled out of US and came back without any problems(on H1)) this was quite a while back though, you may want to check with your company attorney though.
Note:
"Letter of Acquirement’ would state that your 'A' company was bought over by 'B' company on Date and name has now changed to 'B'.
Good luck.
GCCovet
They have sent me a "Acquisition Notification" letter (pdf file). In which it says "NEW Company has acquired OLD company via 100% stock Purchase."
Also in the letter it says "NEW company succeeded to the interests and obligation of OLD Company . NEW Company has assumed the liabilities and obligations of the H1B employees of OLD company.
And its signed by both parties of NEW and OLD company.
Is this letter sufficient for me to hang on to?
Should I ask for EVL too?
I am worried because my last payroll was from the new company...My OLD employer told me otherwise that everything would be same....i mean no company name change etc...apparently he lied to me.
hair lorena rojas
Googler
02-20 08:15 PM
Just food for thought. At this time there are 28600 EB1 visas. Most in the EB1 category are current or pretty close to it.
As a matter of fact, EB-1 annual limit = 28.6% of 140K = 40,040 and it has been current for a while.
As a matter of fact, EB-1 annual limit = 28.6% of 140K = 40,040 and it has been current for a while.
more...
minimalist
09-16 04:34 PM
about so much uproar and fighting about not letting illegal immigrants have healthcare.
Dems even explicitly stated in the bill that no illegals will be eligible for the benefit.
They must be laughing inside because after the CIR, there will be not many illegals left.
Anyway just an observation.
Immigration Reform will follow 'Health Care' Bill. But the real hurdle for 'Health Care reform' is inclusion of Illegal Immigrants in the bill. No one can dare say that loud that they want to 'include' illegal immigrants because that will hurt any chances of passing the Health Care bill.
So, if they start the CIR discussions out in the public, the 'illegal immigrants' turning into 'legal' and hence eligible for 'health care' issue will be the highlight of ALL NEWS channels. That will do damage to health care. I'm sure unless & until health care reform is through, they can't get any details of CIR out to public.( I'm sure CIR includes Amnesty at the least )
That said, 'Donkeys' are bound to loose in next year mid-term if Obama does not live up to their pre-poll promises. Remember, Hispanics & other minorities are the edge for 'Donkeys' while some independents can weigh in either ways.
So, bottom line is CIR will pass after health care. But, I'll not bet too much on provisions for 'legal immigrants'. Since we are the only dog bone that 'Donkeys' have got to gain any required support for CIR. We need to work hard to get our provisions on the first draft and do everything possible to be included in the final version of the bill.
My ramblings anyways....
Dems even explicitly stated in the bill that no illegals will be eligible for the benefit.
They must be laughing inside because after the CIR, there will be not many illegals left.
Anyway just an observation.
Immigration Reform will follow 'Health Care' Bill. But the real hurdle for 'Health Care reform' is inclusion of Illegal Immigrants in the bill. No one can dare say that loud that they want to 'include' illegal immigrants because that will hurt any chances of passing the Health Care bill.
So, if they start the CIR discussions out in the public, the 'illegal immigrants' turning into 'legal' and hence eligible for 'health care' issue will be the highlight of ALL NEWS channels. That will do damage to health care. I'm sure unless & until health care reform is through, they can't get any details of CIR out to public.( I'm sure CIR includes Amnesty at the least )
That said, 'Donkeys' are bound to loose in next year mid-term if Obama does not live up to their pre-poll promises. Remember, Hispanics & other minorities are the edge for 'Donkeys' while some independents can weigh in either ways.
So, bottom line is CIR will pass after health care. But, I'll not bet too much on provisions for 'legal immigrants'. Since we are the only dog bone that 'Donkeys' have got to gain any required support for CIR. We need to work hard to get our provisions on the first draft and do everything possible to be included in the final version of the bill.
My ramblings anyways....
hot Andrea Rincon
krishmunn
02-14 09:53 PM
Big 5 has their own internal queue. What they mean by 6 months is after 6 months they will put you in the queue.
For Desi consulting corp-corp, there are some tips by various attorneys including Attorney Khanna (immigration.com). Attorneys are suggesting how to maintain reporting relationship with employer. Follow those practices and consult a good attorney for more suggestions and I believe you should be fine
For Desi consulting corp-corp, there are some tips by various attorneys including Attorney Khanna (immigration.com). Attorneys are suggesting how to maintain reporting relationship with employer. Follow those practices and consult a good attorney for more suggestions and I believe you should be fine
more...
house ANDREA RINCON - Publipaginas!
chi_shark
05-07 11:14 PM
Hi Friends,
Recently, my brother's wife got GC-rejection. Though, my brother has already received his GC. The reason is : her status was invalid for a month in US. She got different I-94 expiration date than him during her first visit in 1999, though they landed here together. But, her I-94 expired earlier than my brother and he extended her Visa based on his I-94 expiration date. My brother did not realize it until now.
What are her option now? The attorney is applying for re-consideration based on husband & kids status (US born), but, they said chances of the acceptance are very slim. They are well settled here. Now, they need to go back to India just because of her GC-rejection. And of course she can not come back here again unless she applies for H1-B. This is very devastating for them after living here for more than 10 yrs.
Has anyone faced similar situation earlier. I guess it is a very common mistake and there must be some solution. Please share your thoughts/experience.
Thanks,
hi_mkg
what? no help from 245k? isnt that supposed to be your savior for out of status under 180 days?
Recently, my brother's wife got GC-rejection. Though, my brother has already received his GC. The reason is : her status was invalid for a month in US. She got different I-94 expiration date than him during her first visit in 1999, though they landed here together. But, her I-94 expired earlier than my brother and he extended her Visa based on his I-94 expiration date. My brother did not realize it until now.
What are her option now? The attorney is applying for re-consideration based on husband & kids status (US born), but, they said chances of the acceptance are very slim. They are well settled here. Now, they need to go back to India just because of her GC-rejection. And of course she can not come back here again unless she applies for H1-B. This is very devastating for them after living here for more than 10 yrs.
Has anyone faced similar situation earlier. I guess it is a very common mistake and there must be some solution. Please share your thoughts/experience.
Thanks,
hi_mkg
what? no help from 245k? isnt that supposed to be your savior for out of status under 180 days?
tattoo Lorena Rojas
myvoice23
07-31 01:05 PM
1. When to be there
not less than 15 min. of your appointment. If go and stand in line, they will send you out.
2. What documentation to carry.
Your EAD Receipt, 485 Receipt, Photo ID(TX Licence)
3. How about parking
It is open parting and free. you have plenty of parking space.
4. Any questions (so that I can compile and ask)
ask for name check status. If not cleared ask for when it was initiated.
not less than 15 min. of your appointment. If go and stand in line, they will send you out.
2. What documentation to carry.
Your EAD Receipt, 485 Receipt, Photo ID(TX Licence)
3. How about parking
It is open parting and free. you have plenty of parking space.
4. Any questions (so that I can compile and ask)
ask for name check status. If not cleared ask for when it was initiated.
more...
pictures Lorena Rojas González, es una
imh1b
11-25 12:01 PM
Wow..I am so proud of this inidan dude, he seems to be very close to Mr. President. Can you please ask this Indian guy to talk to President for our GC issue?
Thanks
MC
Why should he?
What are you going to give him in return/what is he going to get by helping us?
We need to first learn to help ourselves.
Thanks
MC
Why should he?
What are you going to give him in return/what is he going to get by helping us?
We need to first learn to help ourselves.
dresses ANDREA LORENA EN LA PLAYA
jungalee43
02-17 08:36 PM
Sent you a PM
more...
makeup con Andrea Rincon amp; Lorena
reachinus
07-14 11:59 AM
USICS has receipted 485 in July check this out - lin0720051244, lin0720551216, lin0720551217 & lin0720551219
girlfriend Lorena Contraluz 8 Lorena
kshitijnt
06-03 05:40 PM
Set up your own company LLC. and ask them to sign corp-corp or 1099 and you be the sole owner of this company.
This way even if you dont get full time offer you can defend self employment.
W2 Contract can be a problem because of USCIS's perception of permanent job.
This way even if you dont get full time offer you can defend self employment.
W2 Contract can be a problem because of USCIS's perception of permanent job.
hairstyles Chef Lorena Garcia was
.jpg "lorena orozco")
eb3retro
06-29 12:56 PM
i invoked ac21 twice..never asked even a single question to the employers, infact my current job title is not even close to the job title that my labor was filed long time ago, i am very confident, i will change my mind and go back to india for good, before my PD of jan 2003-India becomes current. just cant ruin my career and life thinking about things that are not in our control..just my opinion, not an advice. if u get struck with a sick job for years due to the GC mess, it justifies itself for all these decisions. even if they issue an RFE and my GC gets denied, i care a less about it, cos it lost its importance when it took this long..atleast i am doing some work right now which will help my career on a long term basis.
PlainSpeak
02-23 10:30 AM
sorry to ask this question as it may be asked previously still i need to know the latest info.
Having AP and EAD ( i am not primary ) and want to travel to india from atlanta for round trip. what are the documents i need to carry ? What are the things i need to follow ? For the infant baby who is USA citizen what documents i need to carry ?
please reply anybody who knows about these.
Thank you.
Primary carry the following
- Origional EAD and AP
- As many past W2 as you can
- Atleast last 6 paystubs
- All your previous Origional H1B which shows you were always in status
- Origional Current H1B if applicable
- Letter from HR of current company stating that you are a full time employee if applicable
- Copy of 485 receipt notice if available
- Copy of 140 receipt notice if available
- Copy of Labour if available
Dependent carry the following
- Origional EAD and AP
- All your previous Origional H4 which shows you were always in status
- All your spouses previous Origional H1 which shows he/she were always in status
- Copy of your 485 receipt notice and copy of spouse 485 notince if available
- Copy of spouse 140 receipt notice if available
- Copy of spouse Labour if available
Optional
- Last 3 paystubs if you are working
- Letter from HR of current company stating that you are a full time employee if applicable
Having AP and EAD ( i am not primary ) and want to travel to india from atlanta for round trip. what are the documents i need to carry ? What are the things i need to follow ? For the infant baby who is USA citizen what documents i need to carry ?
please reply anybody who knows about these.
Thank you.
Primary carry the following
- Origional EAD and AP
- As many past W2 as you can
- Atleast last 6 paystubs
- All your previous Origional H1B which shows you were always in status
- Origional Current H1B if applicable
- Letter from HR of current company stating that you are a full time employee if applicable
- Copy of 485 receipt notice if available
- Copy of 140 receipt notice if available
- Copy of Labour if available
Dependent carry the following
- Origional EAD and AP
- All your previous Origional H4 which shows you were always in status
- All your spouses previous Origional H1 which shows he/she were always in status
- Copy of your 485 receipt notice and copy of spouse 485 notince if available
- Copy of spouse 140 receipt notice if available
- Copy of spouse Labour if available
Optional
- Last 3 paystubs if you are working
- Letter from HR of current company stating that you are a full time employee if applicable
Blog Feeds
02-05 06:40 PM
AILA Leadership Has Just Posted the Following:
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.
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/186823568153827945-7575642888668204601?l=ailaleadership.blogspot.com
More... (http://ailaleadership.blogspot.com/2010/02/why-is-h-1b-dirty-word.html)
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.
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