cinqsit
01-14 01:51 PM
V true.
Folks, the memo clearly empowers USCIS to crack down on consulting firms which don't have any in-house infrastructure (other than contractors) to execute projects.
H1B is misused for a long time now by these firms and it was high time they put the screws on these "job shops" as they call it. Unfortunately some talented workers will get impacted.
But if they are talented they will find opportunities elsewhere. Trust me on that. And better opportunities.
Nathan is exactly right. These firms have created a mess by bending rules everywhere.
Don't start speculating that USCIS is trying to throw out all immigrants from this country. I'm surprised that folks don't take a proper view of the situation (yeah..bring the reds on and call me an anti-immigrant).
I agree with a1b2c3.
USCIS is going after these "job-shops" nowhere do they have a blanket policy written down to stop all H1-B's or greencards.
Please dont get riled up and think that its going to affect your greencards etc too.
Actually if you have been following these forums, last two years have been tough for small consulting companies to get renewals/new H1's approved anyways. They were asking for client letter and denying renewals left and right. Some
were getting H1's denied saying the company office space is too small to fit 100 employees, your product/business plan seems to have been copy-pasted from online sources and what not. Please browse through H1 denied threads on this forums.
I know its harsh on the employees but they will have to find employment with direct vendors.
Contracting is a way-of-life for some big financial/insurance companies (if you are from NYC area you will know) its not going away nor is need for H1B's going away.
USCIS is simply laying down the rules on paper (or in this memo) for what it has already been practicing for more than 2 years now with respect to H1B processing.
I know its harsh on some employees who will be affected but you will soon realize that
you will find better paying jobs/contracts. If there is a need and you are good at what ou do you are going to land up a job/contract no matter what even when you are on H1.
These "job-shop" companies will be going away (good riddance) not you.
You will still find work you will still find contracts with better pay
If you are working on a contract directly for direct vendor isnt that much better than being 3-4 "layers" of these middleman "job-shop" companies who each take
a significant cut out of your share?
cinqsit
Folks, the memo clearly empowers USCIS to crack down on consulting firms which don't have any in-house infrastructure (other than contractors) to execute projects.
H1B is misused for a long time now by these firms and it was high time they put the screws on these "job shops" as they call it. Unfortunately some talented workers will get impacted.
But if they are talented they will find opportunities elsewhere. Trust me on that. And better opportunities.
Nathan is exactly right. These firms have created a mess by bending rules everywhere.
Don't start speculating that USCIS is trying to throw out all immigrants from this country. I'm surprised that folks don't take a proper view of the situation (yeah..bring the reds on and call me an anti-immigrant).
I agree with a1b2c3.
USCIS is going after these "job-shops" nowhere do they have a blanket policy written down to stop all H1-B's or greencards.
Please dont get riled up and think that its going to affect your greencards etc too.
Actually if you have been following these forums, last two years have been tough for small consulting companies to get renewals/new H1's approved anyways. They were asking for client letter and denying renewals left and right. Some
were getting H1's denied saying the company office space is too small to fit 100 employees, your product/business plan seems to have been copy-pasted from online sources and what not. Please browse through H1 denied threads on this forums.
I know its harsh on the employees but they will have to find employment with direct vendors.
Contracting is a way-of-life for some big financial/insurance companies (if you are from NYC area you will know) its not going away nor is need for H1B's going away.
USCIS is simply laying down the rules on paper (or in this memo) for what it has already been practicing for more than 2 years now with respect to H1B processing.
I know its harsh on some employees who will be affected but you will soon realize that
you will find better paying jobs/contracts. If there is a need and you are good at what ou do you are going to land up a job/contract no matter what even when you are on H1.
These "job-shop" companies will be going away (good riddance) not you.
You will still find work you will still find contracts with better pay
If you are working on a contract directly for direct vendor isnt that much better than being 3-4 "layers" of these middleman "job-shop" companies who each take
a significant cut out of your share?
cinqsit
wallpaper %IMG_DESC_1%
rahulpaper
06-26 08:33 PM
Ok, if the Fragomen page is the source of this rumor: can someone who is a Fragomen client ask their attorney about what's going on here. That might help clarify things a bit. (Given that they are the largest immigration law firm, there's bound to be many IV members for whom Fragomen is preparing documents.)
Please Please Please ask the lawyer you are working with.....
Please Please Please ask the lawyer you are working with.....
arunmohan
10-09 04:07 PM
Group:
Please send this letter, It is just 5 minutes job. We should add US Secretary of the Treasury, Mr Henry Paulson.
I think we should send a hard copy too, If you send a hard copy of the letter, you receive the response for sure.
They should give us a condtional GC that if you buy a house in a year then your conditional GC would be a permanent otherwise it will be rejected after one year.
Please send this letter, It is just 5 minutes job. We should add US Secretary of the Treasury, Mr Henry Paulson.
I think we should send a hard copy too, If you send a hard copy of the letter, you receive the response for sure.
They should give us a condtional GC that if you buy a house in a year then your conditional GC would be a permanent otherwise it will be rejected after one year.
2011 %IMG_DESC_2%
gc28262
09-26 11:13 AM
I sent the email to my local congress man who has an anti-immigrant stance.
Here is the response I got from him( It is probably a standard response for financial crisis)
---message starts------
Thank you for contacting me regarding our country's financial crisis and the administration's bailout proposal. It is good to hear your thoughts on this very important situation facing our country and I share in your concerns.
As you know, Treasury Secretary Paulson and Federal Reserve Chairman Bernanke testified recently before Congress about their proposal to spend $700 billion to purchase the debt of financial institutions, improve our credit situation, and stabilize our economy. I reviewed the proposal carefully and, like you, I had serious concerns about this proposal such as the blanket authority removing Congressional or legal oversight, the implied reward for unwise financial behaviors at the expense of honest Americans, and the long-term expense to tax payers without a mechanism to press criminal charges upon those who are responsible for this situation.
As a consequence, I offered an alternative measure. According to the Department of Treasury, there are two problems that need to be addressed: the short term liquidity emergency, and the long-term toxic mortgage asset holdings. To address the liquidity emergency, my plan would reduce all personal and corporate capital gains taxes to zero percent for one year, reduce the Federal Funds Rate (FFR) to zero percent for one month with a reoccurring month to month option, and allow the Department of Treasury to loan current funds to lending institutions at the rate of inflation plus three percent or LIBOR plus three percent. This plan would get the markets moving and allow Congress adequate time to address the mortgage assets situation while we investigate those corporations or government regulators who may be criminally negligent.
One of my most important roles as your Congressman is to be a responsible steward of tax payer funds and, while my proposal remains an option, there are many proposals still being debated and it is unclear what the final product will look like. I will be sure to keep you informed of what happens as we move forward.
---message ends------
Here is the response I got from him( It is probably a standard response for financial crisis)
---message starts------
Thank you for contacting me regarding our country's financial crisis and the administration's bailout proposal. It is good to hear your thoughts on this very important situation facing our country and I share in your concerns.
As you know, Treasury Secretary Paulson and Federal Reserve Chairman Bernanke testified recently before Congress about their proposal to spend $700 billion to purchase the debt of financial institutions, improve our credit situation, and stabilize our economy. I reviewed the proposal carefully and, like you, I had serious concerns about this proposal such as the blanket authority removing Congressional or legal oversight, the implied reward for unwise financial behaviors at the expense of honest Americans, and the long-term expense to tax payers without a mechanism to press criminal charges upon those who are responsible for this situation.
As a consequence, I offered an alternative measure. According to the Department of Treasury, there are two problems that need to be addressed: the short term liquidity emergency, and the long-term toxic mortgage asset holdings. To address the liquidity emergency, my plan would reduce all personal and corporate capital gains taxes to zero percent for one year, reduce the Federal Funds Rate (FFR) to zero percent for one month with a reoccurring month to month option, and allow the Department of Treasury to loan current funds to lending institutions at the rate of inflation plus three percent or LIBOR plus three percent. This plan would get the markets moving and allow Congress adequate time to address the mortgage assets situation while we investigate those corporations or government regulators who may be criminally negligent.
One of my most important roles as your Congressman is to be a responsible steward of tax payer funds and, while my proposal remains an option, there are many proposals still being debated and it is unclear what the final product will look like. I will be sure to keep you informed of what happens as we move forward.
---message ends------
more...
abhijitp
07-04 11:24 AM
I have more emial addresses if you want them.....
someone pls tell me how to upload , i have now an .xls file of media contacts, about 931k in size.
someone pls tell me how to upload , i have now an .xls file of media contacts, about 931k in size.
satyasaich
12-13 02:10 PM
Well, interesting topic and here are my 2 cents.
i just googled for a minute, for the definition of "Equal Employment Opportunity" by Federal Government and the result is as below
Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) :A term used by the federal government to refer to employment practices that ensure nondiscrimination on the basis of race, sex, religion, color, national origin, physical or mental ability, medical condition, ancestry, or age.
The principle behind EEO is that everyone should have the same access to opportunities
AND Ethnic References are American Indians, Asians (Pakistani/East Indian: Persons having origins in any of the original
peoples of the Indian sub-continent), Black, Hispanic, Caucasian
The above definition itself speaks very loudly about access to opportunities, which if restricted due to another federal law or provision, then it is clearly a conflict within Constitution.
Consider a person with some skill set and born in Bangladesh or Pakistan working for Employer A
&
another person with exact skill set born in India working for same employer in the same capacity.
Assume that both have started the GC Process on the same day, but person from India is still waiting even after 5 or 7 years.
Where as the other person got the GC and no restrictions to accept a promotion and an increase in salary,based on the same skill set and experience.
Isn't that scenario defers the principle behind EEO which is everyone should have the same access to opportunities
and hence voilation of law?
There are thousands of glaring examples like these, and i'm wondering how this can not be considered as a good ground for challenging
(I do undersand the cost aspects of challenging and legal fees etc; and the hefty amount of funds needed)
by the way, i tried to find a federal government rationale for per country limit in current system (only from the EB Category perspective), but couldn't get a good answer
Satya
India / EB3/Nov2003/
--Any country's immigration policy has to have some control measures built into it. I cannot imagine any country opening its gates wide open for the entire world to migrate into her without any limitations. So the question is, whom to "restrict" and whom to allow? This leads to the same argument, do you see this "restriction" as discrimination? There are others who see as fair "reservation" for them.
there is no "reservation", the nature of the clause is a cap, it does not give another country a minimum quota, it is written as a restrictive provision. and again- just because it benefits someone else does not make discrimination "right", in the strictest sense. right and wrong when it comes to discrimination are not relative. and if you believe they are, it's mighty slippery slope my friend because it does not take time to find yourself on the other side.
--Good question. If we look at what qualifies a country to be included in the lottery program (oversubscription etc?), it would again lead to the "balancing" intent with regards to immigration.
so why the double dipping? if the balancing is done, why the country quota? the result is that as i said more bangladeshis come in than indians...so what does over subscription mean in the end? again...why the need for the diversity lottery? the country quota already balances things....or not?
"either it's wrong or right. the caste system is wrong, from every side of the fence. it may benefit some and hurt others. but it's wrong, wrong and wrong.
same for this country quota. sure it helps some, and looks good from "their side of the fence". that does not change the fact that it is wrong."
--You are opining that it is wrong. You cannot state that it is a fact
you sound suspiciously supportive of the caste system. i will say it again. such a system is wrong. i do not care which side of the fence you are on. was depriving blacks from voting wrong? or was it ok from the white side of the fence? please think before you post.
there is a difference between "something benefiting me so i justify it and fight to keep it" and being right or fair. everyone fights to keep what they have. sorry, still not right. and if you still feel the caste system can be justified as right from your (or any) side of the fence then let's stop here, we have no common ground. and i speak as someone with sufficiently "high caste" to have not suffered from it (so you know my side of the fence).
one last thing, i find it hard to believe you are terming as "right" the idea that I as an individual should be held back 10 years longer than my colleague because of where i was born. any way i look at it...sorry...just not right.
i just googled for a minute, for the definition of "Equal Employment Opportunity" by Federal Government and the result is as below
Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) :A term used by the federal government to refer to employment practices that ensure nondiscrimination on the basis of race, sex, religion, color, national origin, physical or mental ability, medical condition, ancestry, or age.
The principle behind EEO is that everyone should have the same access to opportunities
AND Ethnic References are American Indians, Asians (Pakistani/East Indian: Persons having origins in any of the original
peoples of the Indian sub-continent), Black, Hispanic, Caucasian
The above definition itself speaks very loudly about access to opportunities, which if restricted due to another federal law or provision, then it is clearly a conflict within Constitution.
Consider a person with some skill set and born in Bangladesh or Pakistan working for Employer A
&
another person with exact skill set born in India working for same employer in the same capacity.
Assume that both have started the GC Process on the same day, but person from India is still waiting even after 5 or 7 years.
Where as the other person got the GC and no restrictions to accept a promotion and an increase in salary,based on the same skill set and experience.
Isn't that scenario defers the principle behind EEO which is everyone should have the same access to opportunities
and hence voilation of law?
There are thousands of glaring examples like these, and i'm wondering how this can not be considered as a good ground for challenging
(I do undersand the cost aspects of challenging and legal fees etc; and the hefty amount of funds needed)
by the way, i tried to find a federal government rationale for per country limit in current system (only from the EB Category perspective), but couldn't get a good answer
Satya
India / EB3/Nov2003/
--Any country's immigration policy has to have some control measures built into it. I cannot imagine any country opening its gates wide open for the entire world to migrate into her without any limitations. So the question is, whom to "restrict" and whom to allow? This leads to the same argument, do you see this "restriction" as discrimination? There are others who see as fair "reservation" for them.
there is no "reservation", the nature of the clause is a cap, it does not give another country a minimum quota, it is written as a restrictive provision. and again- just because it benefits someone else does not make discrimination "right", in the strictest sense. right and wrong when it comes to discrimination are not relative. and if you believe they are, it's mighty slippery slope my friend because it does not take time to find yourself on the other side.
--Good question. If we look at what qualifies a country to be included in the lottery program (oversubscription etc?), it would again lead to the "balancing" intent with regards to immigration.
so why the double dipping? if the balancing is done, why the country quota? the result is that as i said more bangladeshis come in than indians...so what does over subscription mean in the end? again...why the need for the diversity lottery? the country quota already balances things....or not?
"either it's wrong or right. the caste system is wrong, from every side of the fence. it may benefit some and hurt others. but it's wrong, wrong and wrong.
same for this country quota. sure it helps some, and looks good from "their side of the fence". that does not change the fact that it is wrong."
--You are opining that it is wrong. You cannot state that it is a fact
you sound suspiciously supportive of the caste system. i will say it again. such a system is wrong. i do not care which side of the fence you are on. was depriving blacks from voting wrong? or was it ok from the white side of the fence? please think before you post.
there is a difference between "something benefiting me so i justify it and fight to keep it" and being right or fair. everyone fights to keep what they have. sorry, still not right. and if you still feel the caste system can be justified as right from your (or any) side of the fence then let's stop here, we have no common ground. and i speak as someone with sufficiently "high caste" to have not suffered from it (so you know my side of the fence).
one last thing, i find it hard to believe you are terming as "right" the idea that I as an individual should be held back 10 years longer than my colleague because of where i was born. any way i look at it...sorry...just not right.
more...
same_old_guy
09-23 08:19 PM
Well, here�s some more stat : Base on GC allocation of FY 2008 (http://www.travel.state.gov/pdf/FY08-AR-TableV(Part2).pdf ),
EB1 India got 5,327 visas , EB2 India got 14,818 and EB3 India got 3,576 even though the quota was 2,803 for each preference.
As an example, I-485 pending for EB2 and EB3 India before 2006 are 17,835 and 46,334 respectively. Everything else being equal, you can take a guess how long it would take based how old the report was. Even if the report is from yesterday to be pessimistic and there are nuances, it gives some approximation unless the interpretation is totally wrong.
EB1 India got 5,327 visas , EB2 India got 14,818 and EB3 India got 3,576 even though the quota was 2,803 for each preference.
As an example, I-485 pending for EB2 and EB3 India before 2006 are 17,835 and 46,334 respectively. Everything else being equal, you can take a guess how long it would take based how old the report was. Even if the report is from yesterday to be pessimistic and there are nuances, it gives some approximation unless the interpretation is totally wrong.
2010 %IMG_DESC_3%
snthampi
07-28 08:19 PM
Wait a min , how much had you?? Your status is Member and Kaushal's is a Donor.. wait a min let me think who is donating and who is a FREELOADER here.
The guy is doing something to make his life better, atleast making an attempt to do something better, why do you losers are trying to demotivate and shoot him down.
No work is small or big , good or bad , work is work.. you wanna do it , just do it , else walk to out. Do not exhibit the desi attitude "I won't do it as what someone will say and also do not let any one else do it." Grow up.
No one is telling him or you what to do or not with your life. People are just saying that don't bother us with your trash. Do you get it?
The guy is doing something to make his life better, atleast making an attempt to do something better, why do you losers are trying to demotivate and shoot him down.
No work is small or big , good or bad , work is work.. you wanna do it , just do it , else walk to out. Do not exhibit the desi attitude "I won't do it as what someone will say and also do not let any one else do it." Grow up.
No one is telling him or you what to do or not with your life. People are just saying that don't bother us with your trash. Do you get it?
more...
hiralal
05-29 12:03 AM
if your gc in pending ..don't get tempted to buy a house. here is a good report.
------------
MONDAY, MAY 25, 2009
OTHER VOICES
The Housing Hurricane Will Howl Again
WE'RE OUT OF THE EYE OF THE HURRICANE, but here comes the back half of the storm. A lot of people think that we've seen the worst of the housing crisis. They're talking about green shoots and glimmers of hope, when they should be back in the storm shelter, preparing for a flood of inventory that will overwhelm the markets and produce another round of falling prices
For the past few months there has been a semi-moratorium on foreclosures. Most institutions with delinquent mortgages didn't foreclose. The signs that blanket many neighborhoods have been posted by a fraction of the lenders. Now the rest of the banks are rushing to get their properties on the market.
[ov]
Christoph Hitz for Barron's
We're still supporting misguided programs that only add to inventory woes. They encourage builders to put up more homes and penalize anyone else trying to sell a home.
As a Florida real-estate broker who works with bank asset managers to dispose of foreclosed properties, I get a good view of this market. From December 2008 through mid-March 2009, the number of asset managers calling to discuss REO (real estate owned) properties on their client banks' books dropped by more than 80% from the level at which it previously had been running. In the past two months, however, asset managers have been busy, with most interested in how many properties we could handle at once.
Law firms for banks are once again lining up to file foreclosures and to process evictions. The asset managers we work with have warned us to expect a flood of properties, beginning in early June. This will hit as the number of potential buyers continues to dwindle. Builders, traditional sellers and investors who entered too early are already loaded with REO properties.
ALL OF THE OBAMA administration's attempts to revive, resuscitate and shock the housing markets into recovery have failed. Potential buyers can't purchase homes when they are losing their jobs, regardless of how attractive the credits and mortgages are. The price of homes will continue to fall until the properties are affordable for potential buyers.
If an investor could purchase a home and rent it out for close to breakeven, we might be getting close to a bottom. But we are nowhere close to that level in most critical markets. Until it is approached, prices will continue to fall. In fact, the negative cash flow now evident, along with the flood of properties coming into the inventory pool, warn of lower prices.
There's no light at the end of the tunnel yet. We're still supporting builders through misguided programs that are only adding to the inventory woes. California decided to offer a $10,000 credit to buyers of new homes, on top of the $8,000 federal credit. But California made the $10,000 available only for new homes purchased directly from builders. That shows the power of the builders' lobby, but it only adds to California's housing-industry problem. It encourages builders to construct dwellings we don't need, and it penalizes anyone else trying to sell a home.
Housing inventory soon will flood a market in which more than 500,000 homes are being built each year, even though the annual sales pace for new homes is closer to 300,000. We must also deal with a system clogged with impossible short sales, a surge of second and vacation homes being dumped, and third-wave flippers realizing that they entered the market too soon.
FOR THE BANKS, the back half of the hurricane will destroy balance sheets, unless the Obama administration comes up with another plan to mythically mark these assets on the books. Or we might see some chimerical plan to write down mortgage payments, or move toxic mortgages into a dark pool, or create some new illusion that glosses over the problem.
Our experience with banks' selling REOs is they realize about 50%-75% of what they initially think they will get. Moreover, their expenses to bring these properties to market and manage them are growing. Court systems bogged down with foreclosures are raising fees so that they can hire additional staff. More and more homeowners being evicted are stripping homes to the bone, removing appliances, fixtures, carpet, cabinets, air handlers, motorized garage-door openers and anything else that they can carry off or sell.
Unemployment presents a two-pronged problem. If homeowners lose their jobs, they have difficulty meeting mortgage payments. And a high jobless rate forces more people to put their homes on the market.
During the housing bubble, many second homes were purchased with the mythical equity from primary residences. These second homes are coming onto the market at an alarming rate, as many middle- and upper-class sellers need to raise cash. In some very exclusive private communities in Florida, where home prices are in the seven figures, more than 50% of the homes are on the market. (For more on the vacation-home market, see Cover Story.)
Unfortunately, there are no signs of recovery, despite the hype and the twisting of numbers in many media reports. The end of the unofficial moratorium on foreclosures, combined with rising unemployment, signals that the back half of this housing hurricane is only just beginning.
------------
MONDAY, MAY 25, 2009
OTHER VOICES
The Housing Hurricane Will Howl Again
WE'RE OUT OF THE EYE OF THE HURRICANE, but here comes the back half of the storm. A lot of people think that we've seen the worst of the housing crisis. They're talking about green shoots and glimmers of hope, when they should be back in the storm shelter, preparing for a flood of inventory that will overwhelm the markets and produce another round of falling prices
For the past few months there has been a semi-moratorium on foreclosures. Most institutions with delinquent mortgages didn't foreclose. The signs that blanket many neighborhoods have been posted by a fraction of the lenders. Now the rest of the banks are rushing to get their properties on the market.
[ov]
Christoph Hitz for Barron's
We're still supporting misguided programs that only add to inventory woes. They encourage builders to put up more homes and penalize anyone else trying to sell a home.
As a Florida real-estate broker who works with bank asset managers to dispose of foreclosed properties, I get a good view of this market. From December 2008 through mid-March 2009, the number of asset managers calling to discuss REO (real estate owned) properties on their client banks' books dropped by more than 80% from the level at which it previously had been running. In the past two months, however, asset managers have been busy, with most interested in how many properties we could handle at once.
Law firms for banks are once again lining up to file foreclosures and to process evictions. The asset managers we work with have warned us to expect a flood of properties, beginning in early June. This will hit as the number of potential buyers continues to dwindle. Builders, traditional sellers and investors who entered too early are already loaded with REO properties.
ALL OF THE OBAMA administration's attempts to revive, resuscitate and shock the housing markets into recovery have failed. Potential buyers can't purchase homes when they are losing their jobs, regardless of how attractive the credits and mortgages are. The price of homes will continue to fall until the properties are affordable for potential buyers.
If an investor could purchase a home and rent it out for close to breakeven, we might be getting close to a bottom. But we are nowhere close to that level in most critical markets. Until it is approached, prices will continue to fall. In fact, the negative cash flow now evident, along with the flood of properties coming into the inventory pool, warn of lower prices.
There's no light at the end of the tunnel yet. We're still supporting builders through misguided programs that are only adding to the inventory woes. California decided to offer a $10,000 credit to buyers of new homes, on top of the $8,000 federal credit. But California made the $10,000 available only for new homes purchased directly from builders. That shows the power of the builders' lobby, but it only adds to California's housing-industry problem. It encourages builders to construct dwellings we don't need, and it penalizes anyone else trying to sell a home.
Housing inventory soon will flood a market in which more than 500,000 homes are being built each year, even though the annual sales pace for new homes is closer to 300,000. We must also deal with a system clogged with impossible short sales, a surge of second and vacation homes being dumped, and third-wave flippers realizing that they entered the market too soon.
FOR THE BANKS, the back half of the hurricane will destroy balance sheets, unless the Obama administration comes up with another plan to mythically mark these assets on the books. Or we might see some chimerical plan to write down mortgage payments, or move toxic mortgages into a dark pool, or create some new illusion that glosses over the problem.
Our experience with banks' selling REOs is they realize about 50%-75% of what they initially think they will get. Moreover, their expenses to bring these properties to market and manage them are growing. Court systems bogged down with foreclosures are raising fees so that they can hire additional staff. More and more homeowners being evicted are stripping homes to the bone, removing appliances, fixtures, carpet, cabinets, air handlers, motorized garage-door openers and anything else that they can carry off or sell.
Unemployment presents a two-pronged problem. If homeowners lose their jobs, they have difficulty meeting mortgage payments. And a high jobless rate forces more people to put their homes on the market.
During the housing bubble, many second homes were purchased with the mythical equity from primary residences. These second homes are coming onto the market at an alarming rate, as many middle- and upper-class sellers need to raise cash. In some very exclusive private communities in Florida, where home prices are in the seven figures, more than 50% of the homes are on the market. (For more on the vacation-home market, see Cover Story.)
Unfortunately, there are no signs of recovery, despite the hype and the twisting of numbers in many media reports. The end of the unofficial moratorium on foreclosures, combined with rising unemployment, signals that the back half of this housing hurricane is only just beginning.
hair %IMG_DESC_4%
freakin_gc
02-12 01:03 PM
Whether unused visa in EB-3 Row will go to EB3 India?
http://blogs.ilw.com/gregsiskind/2008/02/house-dems-to-p.html
Good strategy. Need to make sure all EB provisions are still intact in these reforms targetted for spring & Summer of this year.
http://blogs.ilw.com/gregsiskind/2008/02/house-dems-to-p.html
Good strategy. Need to make sure all EB provisions are still intact in these reforms targetted for spring & Summer of this year.
more...
tikka
07-04 09:11 AM
Originally Posted by Macaca ( add ons from forum in red)
I am trying an outline for sending to media + lawmakers + ...
The following is a very rough draft without reading some of the letters posted in the thread. I will read the posts tomorrow and polish it by tomorrow evening. I will need everyone's input since I don't know all the issues.
Introduction
Retrogression in GC process.
What happened
� USCIS announced at the time the forms were due.
� Applicants started filling forms 2-3 weeks before July 2.
� Applicants changed their schedules to submit forms.
Advantages of EAD + AP
Don't know all!
� Travel without visa -> saves Embassy overhead.
� Spouse can work.
� Can switch job.
Why does it hurt
� Medical will not be valid after 1 year.
� Rejected June filers can not file.
� June filers did not file because they thought they will file in July.
� Fees more then doubling
� Name checking (which can take 1+ year) done in parallel with waiting for GC #.
� Load balancing for USCIS.
� USCIS which is supported 90% by application fee needs to care for applicants.
� Very little chance of legislative relief for a looong time.
� Many had to take MMR vaccine and hence postpone their plans to have kids by 3-6 months as recommended by NIH.
� Lawyers who charged upwards of $2000 for filing will not refund the service fee, so candidates have to pay again when dates become current in future.
The biggest loss is the trust, coz, next time people will not believe these mid month bulletins at all as they can come around anytime and revise the dates. So, applicants will always have to live in fear untill they receive the receipt
Age out situations with children
Once a child turns 21 he/she can no longer be filed with the primary applicant. However, once the I485 is filed with USCIS the child is regarded as "safe" regardless of how long the USCIS takes to adjudicate the I485.
I have that very situation. My son turn 21 in mid-January 2008. The original July brought great relief from years of worrying about whether our PD would become "current" in time. We scrambled to get ready to file 2nd July, only to have everything collapse around us again
Hope the info clarifies the "age out" situation!
For "Spouse can work" we might want to word it such that it just does not look like one job less for Americans. Something like spouse can exercise the freedom to get out of the house and contribute to the American economy.
I am trying an outline for sending to media + lawmakers + ...
The following is a very rough draft without reading some of the letters posted in the thread. I will read the posts tomorrow and polish it by tomorrow evening. I will need everyone's input since I don't know all the issues.
Introduction
Retrogression in GC process.
What happened
� USCIS announced at the time the forms were due.
� Applicants started filling forms 2-3 weeks before July 2.
� Applicants changed their schedules to submit forms.
Advantages of EAD + AP
Don't know all!
� Travel without visa -> saves Embassy overhead.
� Spouse can work.
� Can switch job.
Why does it hurt
� Medical will not be valid after 1 year.
� Rejected June filers can not file.
� June filers did not file because they thought they will file in July.
� Fees more then doubling
� Name checking (which can take 1+ year) done in parallel with waiting for GC #.
� Load balancing for USCIS.
� USCIS which is supported 90% by application fee needs to care for applicants.
� Very little chance of legislative relief for a looong time.
� Many had to take MMR vaccine and hence postpone their plans to have kids by 3-6 months as recommended by NIH.
� Lawyers who charged upwards of $2000 for filing will not refund the service fee, so candidates have to pay again when dates become current in future.
The biggest loss is the trust, coz, next time people will not believe these mid month bulletins at all as they can come around anytime and revise the dates. So, applicants will always have to live in fear untill they receive the receipt
Age out situations with children
Once a child turns 21 he/she can no longer be filed with the primary applicant. However, once the I485 is filed with USCIS the child is regarded as "safe" regardless of how long the USCIS takes to adjudicate the I485.
I have that very situation. My son turn 21 in mid-January 2008. The original July brought great relief from years of worrying about whether our PD would become "current" in time. We scrambled to get ready to file 2nd July, only to have everything collapse around us again
Hope the info clarifies the "age out" situation!
For "Spouse can work" we might want to word it such that it just does not look like one job less for Americans. Something like spouse can exercise the freedom to get out of the house and contribute to the American economy.
hot %IMG_DESC_5%
kuhelica2000
02-13 10:06 AM
I couldn't agree more with you. The limited number of GC is definitely a critical factor. But we have contributed to this mess ourselves. Look what happened with EB2 India. Did India started producing EB2 talents overnight? No; rather we started polishing our resumes with inflated years of experience and job description so that we can apply to EB2. The system is too liberal and based on trust. If employers start scrutinizing resumes and certificates a lot of applicants will simply drop off from the GC queue.
Before the Y2K problem, the most common route for Indians to migrate to the US (EB category) was this -->
TOEFL
GRE
Admission into US university (most likely for masters)
Scholarship or loan
MS/Phd in US
Internship using OPT
Job/ H1
Since this involved multiple non trivial steps; the barrier for entry was pretty high that prevented mass migration.
There were procedural delays (in some states with a lot of Indian population ( oh yeah; labor certs used to take 3-5 years esp in California, Texas & Northeast; but you could get labor cert faster in south dakota or such less densely populated places; but once you hit the 485 stage, you were certain of a GC within a few months )
And then along with Y2K came TCS, Wipro, Infosys, & infinite other bodyshops that suddenly changed the equation. No need for TOEFL, GRE. No need to fight for scholarship; no need for TA. no need for RA; no need for MS; in a lot of cases, no need for even UG degree in computers/engg. The requirements ranged from having all 10 fingers in place to knowing the right people in the bodyshop company to land an assignment in the US. Once placed at a client site, it was just a matter of finding the right opportunity to get the client to sponsor your H1. I am sure there were a lot other ways the H1 & L1 visas were abused.
So the situation changed from just procedural delays to procedural delays + extra influx of Indians due to H1/L1 visa misuse.
Ofcourse, we can only blame the inefficiencies of the USCIS/INS/DOL system & silently turn the other way when malpractices & visa abuse were rampant (I guess still is) in the IT bodyshop industry.
I am sure this rant will seem extremely prejudicial. But just for a slight moment; think about why all this happened.
Before the Y2K problem, the most common route for Indians to migrate to the US (EB category) was this -->
TOEFL
GRE
Admission into US university (most likely for masters)
Scholarship or loan
MS/Phd in US
Internship using OPT
Job/ H1
Since this involved multiple non trivial steps; the barrier for entry was pretty high that prevented mass migration.
There were procedural delays (in some states with a lot of Indian population ( oh yeah; labor certs used to take 3-5 years esp in California, Texas & Northeast; but you could get labor cert faster in south dakota or such less densely populated places; but once you hit the 485 stage, you were certain of a GC within a few months )
And then along with Y2K came TCS, Wipro, Infosys, & infinite other bodyshops that suddenly changed the equation. No need for TOEFL, GRE. No need to fight for scholarship; no need for TA. no need for RA; no need for MS; in a lot of cases, no need for even UG degree in computers/engg. The requirements ranged from having all 10 fingers in place to knowing the right people in the bodyshop company to land an assignment in the US. Once placed at a client site, it was just a matter of finding the right opportunity to get the client to sponsor your H1. I am sure there were a lot other ways the H1 & L1 visas were abused.
So the situation changed from just procedural delays to procedural delays + extra influx of Indians due to H1/L1 visa misuse.
Ofcourse, we can only blame the inefficiencies of the USCIS/INS/DOL system & silently turn the other way when malpractices & visa abuse were rampant (I guess still is) in the IT bodyshop industry.
I am sure this rant will seem extremely prejudicial. But just for a slight moment; think about why all this happened.
more...
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dealsnet
09-04 12:47 PM
You moron coming from the slum region or any other place in Bihar.
You don't know about keralites.
100% Literacy.
Living standard is same like Europe. (no other state have the facilities such as health care and standard of living like Kerala).
It is God's own country.
Visit and see the details.
Even the guys working in Gulf countries knows better than you and making much more than you. Go and see their houses.(multi storied), You are still in an appartment.
Do you ????
You are _TrueFacts aka poorslumdog aka insider
You are also here Mr.dealsnet...again I am telling you, use your peanut size brain if you have one. I heard Keral people good only for tea shop or Gulf. what are you doing here. You started your tea shop here. Do you sell medu vada also?
You don't know about keralites.
100% Literacy.
Living standard is same like Europe. (no other state have the facilities such as health care and standard of living like Kerala).
It is God's own country.
Visit and see the details.
Even the guys working in Gulf countries knows better than you and making much more than you. Go and see their houses.(multi storied), You are still in an appartment.
Do you ????
You are _TrueFacts aka poorslumdog aka insider
You are also here Mr.dealsnet...again I am telling you, use your peanut size brain if you have one. I heard Keral people good only for tea shop or Gulf. what are you doing here. You started your tea shop here. Do you sell medu vada also?
tattoo %IMG_DESC_6%
villamonte6100
06-28 11:56 AM
This is what my very very high profile attorney wrote in her email to me today....
" We have heard that there will be a visa regression the first week of July "
And in immigration matters I trust her more than anybody in this whole country. So guys be ready and prepared. Do what u have to do. Be proactive.
My post is not to spread rumors or scare people but to help them to grab this golden opportunity.
I am ready to send papers for July 1st.
Does your attorney cost $400 to $800 an hour. I work with a law firm and our attorneys per hour rates are from $400 up. I don't understand your description of "very very high profile" attorney.
" We have heard that there will be a visa regression the first week of July "
And in immigration matters I trust her more than anybody in this whole country. So guys be ready and prepared. Do what u have to do. Be proactive.
My post is not to spread rumors or scare people but to help them to grab this golden opportunity.
I am ready to send papers for July 1st.
Does your attorney cost $400 to $800 an hour. I work with a law firm and our attorneys per hour rates are from $400 up. I don't understand your description of "very very high profile" attorney.
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eb3_nepa
10-23 11:34 AM
Hello everyone.
I was wondering if someone could point me to how exactly labor substitution works.
Before anyone starts jumping down my throat, i am JUST looking for documentation on the full process and I DID try looking on the google.
If someone has any article on labor substitution and how it works please post it on here.
I was wondering if someone could point me to how exactly labor substitution works.
Before anyone starts jumping down my throat, i am JUST looking for documentation on the full process and I DID try looking on the google.
If someone has any article on labor substitution and how it works please post it on here.
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gjoe
02-15 05:06 AM
[QUOTE=hopefulgc;223549]thats bull.... disclosure is not requored.... my dog is a member of six professional canine associations ... does he have to bark it all up.
Are you implying that we are treated like dogs here? If your answer is yes we have a credible case against USCIS. If your answer is no then my friend ( buddy as Indians and pakis say) you have to disclose your associations.
:cool:
Are you implying that we are treated like dogs here? If your answer is yes we have a credible case against USCIS. If your answer is no then my friend ( buddy as Indians and pakis say) you have to disclose your associations.
:cool:
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makeup %IMG_DESC_9%
gcisadawg
05-01 04:22 PM
Don't be too confident that you may never be in the situation like them. Who knows tomorrow ? History tells us that you would be never safe on foreign soil ! If its not you, it would be your next generation who might seek support from your home country
Well said! Being an Indian-Tamilian, it pains to see the whole SL Tamil community caught between the devil (LTTE) and deep sea (SL govt). The SL gov't has used this war cleverly to nurture the hatred between SL Tamil minority and Sinhala majority deep, very deep almost to the point of no return.
Thomas Jefferson, once said, "A democracy is nothing more than mob rule, where fifty-one percent of the people may take away the rights of the other forty-nine. "
I really believe Jefferson's worst fear is playing out in Sri Lanka.
Discalimer: I dont support LTTE. Also, I was pained and frustated equally when terrorists killed innocent Indian civilians. So, pls. don't jump on me on that account!
Well said! Being an Indian-Tamilian, it pains to see the whole SL Tamil community caught between the devil (LTTE) and deep sea (SL govt). The SL gov't has used this war cleverly to nurture the hatred between SL Tamil minority and Sinhala majority deep, very deep almost to the point of no return.
Thomas Jefferson, once said, "A democracy is nothing more than mob rule, where fifty-one percent of the people may take away the rights of the other forty-nine. "
I really believe Jefferson's worst fear is playing out in Sri Lanka.
Discalimer: I dont support LTTE. Also, I was pained and frustated equally when terrorists killed innocent Indian civilians. So, pls. don't jump on me on that account!
girlfriend %IMG_DESC_14%
sledge_hammer
02-16 08:27 AM
Great find!
I guess all the talk about suing USCIS will go down the toilet based on this excerpt from the article -
"Assuming that under the plenary power doctrine noncitizens possess few, if any, constitutional protections with respect to entering the country, the implications of racial and national origin exclusions on citizens must be considered. Because the Constitution unquestionably protects the rights of citizens, citizens claiming injury have a better chance at successfully challenging the immigration laws than noncitizens directly affected by their operation. Courts have recognized that citizens in certain circumstances may challenge the lawfulness of immigration laws because of the impact on their rights."
oguinan,
Paragraph 1 of Article 1 establishes the definition of racial discrimination for the purpose of the document. Paragraphs 2 and 3 limit the operation of the convention. As to why paragraphs 2 & 3 were included, perhaps they were required to get countries to sign on to the convention.
Here's a better link. Read under Modern Racial Exclusion, excerpts of which I have posted below.
http://academic.udayton.edu/race/02rights/immigr09.htm
...similarly situated persons (e.g., siblings and children of U.S. citizens) may face radically different waits for immigration depending on their country of origin, with accompanying racial impacts.
The law created a new immigrant visa program that effectively represents affirmative action for white immigrants, a group that benefitted from preferential treatment under the national origins quota system until 1965. Congress, in an ironic twist of political jargon, established the "diversity" visa program, which though facially neutral prefers immigrants from nations populated primarily by white people.
The link to the CERD report is here. The convention does not address the country limit directly as the convention expressly does not apply in that area, but it does show that there is awareness about the discrimination faced by immigrants. http://www.unhchr.ch/tbs/doc.nsf/(Symbol)/6d8aee7e356e6498c1256d4e00557f3b?Opendocument
You can see that the UN panel is aware of the fact that racial discrimination manifests itself in disproportional representation (note the reference to the composition of the Supreme Court). It can be argued that the 7% country limit provides a pretext to discriminate against India/China/Mexico on the basis of ethnic or racial origin, and as such would run afoul of the convention.
I guess all the talk about suing USCIS will go down the toilet based on this excerpt from the article -
"Assuming that under the plenary power doctrine noncitizens possess few, if any, constitutional protections with respect to entering the country, the implications of racial and national origin exclusions on citizens must be considered. Because the Constitution unquestionably protects the rights of citizens, citizens claiming injury have a better chance at successfully challenging the immigration laws than noncitizens directly affected by their operation. Courts have recognized that citizens in certain circumstances may challenge the lawfulness of immigration laws because of the impact on their rights."
oguinan,
Paragraph 1 of Article 1 establishes the definition of racial discrimination for the purpose of the document. Paragraphs 2 and 3 limit the operation of the convention. As to why paragraphs 2 & 3 were included, perhaps they were required to get countries to sign on to the convention.
Here's a better link. Read under Modern Racial Exclusion, excerpts of which I have posted below.
http://academic.udayton.edu/race/02rights/immigr09.htm
...similarly situated persons (e.g., siblings and children of U.S. citizens) may face radically different waits for immigration depending on their country of origin, with accompanying racial impacts.
The law created a new immigrant visa program that effectively represents affirmative action for white immigrants, a group that benefitted from preferential treatment under the national origins quota system until 1965. Congress, in an ironic twist of political jargon, established the "diversity" visa program, which though facially neutral prefers immigrants from nations populated primarily by white people.
The link to the CERD report is here. The convention does not address the country limit directly as the convention expressly does not apply in that area, but it does show that there is awareness about the discrimination faced by immigrants. http://www.unhchr.ch/tbs/doc.nsf/(Symbol)/6d8aee7e356e6498c1256d4e00557f3b?Opendocument
You can see that the UN panel is aware of the fact that racial discrimination manifests itself in disproportional representation (note the reference to the composition of the Supreme Court). It can be argued that the 7% country limit provides a pretext to discriminate against India/China/Mexico on the basis of ethnic or racial origin, and as such would run afoul of the convention.
hairstyles %IMG_DESC_11%
langagadu
09-29 10:26 PM
$700 billion financial bailout plan was thrown out.Now can you guys think any one will buy this idea. (I am EB-3 and stuck in the queue but still think this idea will not fly).
ramus
07-03 10:25 PM
Mecaca,
Are you getting input on your template? Just want to make sure everybody is helping you...
Thanks a lot for your leadership..
Are you getting input on your template? Just want to make sure everybody is helping you...
Thanks a lot for your leadership..
gimmeacard
07-22 06:17 PM
lately i have been observing the # of folks is reducing for Amway/Q, maybe newbies are not coming to the country in chunks now.
offtopic ques :
i am surprised i havent said anything negative about anyone yet i see RED DOTS, whats the purpose of having a rating stated with, did u find the post useful?
maybe u didnt, but then why rate it negative? is this again few/limited desi behaviour or maybe some annoyed quiksters doing that
offtopic ques :
i am surprised i havent said anything negative about anyone yet i see RED DOTS, whats the purpose of having a rating stated with, did u find the post useful?
maybe u didnt, but then why rate it negative? is this again few/limited desi behaviour or maybe some annoyed quiksters doing that
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