bmoni
08-21 01:35 PM
Thank you all.
Thanks for bringing up the I-94 validity based on the validity of PP. I will definitely get PP renewed while I'm in India with Takkal scheme.
@bushman06: Did the immigration officer gave you I-94 validity till PP expiry date or Visa expiry date.
Again thanks for all your thoughtful responses. I really appreciate it.
Thanks for bringing up the I-94 validity based on the validity of PP. I will definitely get PP renewed while I'm in India with Takkal scheme.
@bushman06: Did the immigration officer gave you I-94 validity till PP expiry date or Visa expiry date.
Again thanks for all your thoughtful responses. I really appreciate it.
regacct
11-23 01:27 PM
Why the Anti-immigrant Dog Did Not Bark in Illinois (http://www.huffingtonpost.com/robert-creamer/why-the-anti-immigrant-do_b_787368.html)
In the Sherlock Holmes short story "Silver Blaze" the famous detective focuses his analytic prowess on the "curious incident" of the dog that did not bark in the nighttime.
In the recent mid-term elections there was a similar "curious incident" in Illinois that is important nationally. No major candidate in Illinois from either the Republican or Democratic Party demagogued the immigration issue. Neither the ultra-conservative Republican candidate for Governor, Bill Brady, nor the supposedly "moderate" candidate for Senate, Mark Kirk, ran ads, did mailers, or used talking points about the supposed scourge of illegal immigrants taking jobs or sponging up our tax money. Nor did any major candidate for Congress.
It is definitely true that a number of the Republican candidates that were elected to Congressional seats hold anti-immigrant positions. But they did not choose to use those positions as wedge issues in the recent election. Why not?
A possible explanation is that Republicans in Illinois are a kinder, more reasonable group than Republicans elsewhere. That, I'm afraid, does not pass the laugh test.
You could argue that it's because Illinois has a large immigrant population in general and a large Latino population in particular. But so do Colorado, Nevada, Arizona and California where Republican Party candidates tried to use "illegal immigration" and "amnesty" as wedge issues to galvanize their base.
It is true that Illinois has a more immigrant-friendly tradition than some of the states in the Southwest. Much of the Caucasian population in Illinois comes from recent immigrant stock themselves - from Ireland, Poland, Lithuania, Italy, Germany, Croatia and Serbia.
But there is also a more old-fashioned reason. Demagogues and bullies tend to prey upon those whom they consider too weak to strike back. It turned out that in Nevada, California, and Colorado they made the wrong call, since their demagoguery galvanized turnout among Latino voters that defeated right-wing candidates for the Senate.
In fact, the Latino vote saved the Senate for the Democrats.
But in Illinois the right didn't even try their demagogic tactics. That's largely because the immigrant communities in Illinois have worked hard over five election cycles to build a muscular political organizing vehicle that gets out the immigrant vote -- and can bite back fiercely at anti-immigrant demagogues.
In 2008, Jim Oberweis ran for Congress against Democrat Bill Foster on a heavily anti-immigrant platform and was flattened by the Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights. That experience sent a lesson through Illinois' right-wing political class. Nothing like watching one of their own get scalded to teach others not to touch the stove.
The Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights (ICIRR) no leads The New Americans' Democracy Project . This year, 13 electoral organizers worked for months in both the City of Chicago and the Suburbs. They targeted 133,128 infrequent immigrant voters for a multi-contact phone and door operation, and before the election was done the volunteers they recruited did a total of 549,000 live phone calls to their universe of Latino, Asian and Muslim voters.
This work has been growing in scale and bite since 2002 when it began with no funding and in only nine precincts. At this point the immigrant vote can no longer be ignored by either party. Here are several key lessons from the Illinois immigrant organizing experience:
1) Consistency Counts: ICIRR has had between 10 and 20 full-time immigrant election campaign organizers every election since 2004. They begin their work in July and work through November, building a "recent immigrant" field operation. In every single cycle they add new skills to their electoral organizing.
2) Numbers Count: The immigrant voter program has registered over 90,000 new immigrant voters. They door-knock between 35,000 and 60,000 doors every election cycle.
3) Diversity is Strength: The Democracy Project works with leaders and organizations in Latino community, but also the Asian, Arab, and Polish immigrant communities.
4) Mine the "Base" and work the "Swings": The electoral work is done in the immigrant "base" Chicago port of entry neighborhoods to generate numbers, but also in swing suburban political districts where multi-ethnic immigrant organizing multiplies the voting power of Latinos. The activation of new immigrant voters in suburban "swing" communities forces Republican attention to immigrant issues.
5) Reward Friends, Punish Enemies: ICIRR keeps track of who engages in immigrant bashing -- and stikes back. When Republican anti-immigrant candidate Jim Oberweis polarized voters against "illegal immigrants", ICIRR released to the media a film of undocumented immigrants cleaning his business while being paid only $3.23 an hour. When old-school Democratic Mayor of Waukegan, IL attacked "illegals" with local law enforcement of immigration laws, he went down to defeat in the next election because Latinos in Waukegan mobilized to support his opponent.
6) Naturalize, Naturalize, Naturalize: ICIRR has one of the most aggressive citizenship programs in the nation. All told, an additional 170,000 immigrants were naturalized in Illinois over the last five years. The coalition itself directly assisted over 48,000 of those legal immigrants to become citizens, and thus voters.
ICIRR is not a partisan organization. In fact, their most recent fundraiser was headlined by the popular former Republican Governor Jim Edgar. But because of the track record of Republicans across the country, its organizing definitely benefits Democrats. In fact, Democratic Governor Pat Quinn - who won by fewer than 20,000 votes -- would not likely have been re-elected had it not been for their work.
On the policy side, ICIRR works for immigrant-friendly policies, and by any definition they have succeeded in winning some of the most immigrant-friendly policies in the nation at the state level in Illinois.
The state of Illinois leans Blue, but it has wide swatches of Red. In the recent elections the Democrats barely lost the Senate race and took some terrible losses in the Congressional delegation. But in addition to electing a Democratic Governor, both the State House and Senate remained in Democratic hands. The immigrant vote was critical to these Democratic victories, but it is also a force that Republicans ignore or abuse at their peril. In this election, at least, Illinois Republicans generally had the good sense not to bait the immigrant community.
In the current environment of racialized fear and polarization against immigrants across the U.S., the hard work of immigrant advocates in Illinois provides two key lessons:
* Demagogues go after the weak, not the strong. You don't stop anti-immigrant demagoguery through accommodation, you stop it with strength.
* Nuts and Bolts Organizing works.
In the Sherlock Holmes short story "Silver Blaze" the famous detective focuses his analytic prowess on the "curious incident" of the dog that did not bark in the nighttime.
In the recent mid-term elections there was a similar "curious incident" in Illinois that is important nationally. No major candidate in Illinois from either the Republican or Democratic Party demagogued the immigration issue. Neither the ultra-conservative Republican candidate for Governor, Bill Brady, nor the supposedly "moderate" candidate for Senate, Mark Kirk, ran ads, did mailers, or used talking points about the supposed scourge of illegal immigrants taking jobs or sponging up our tax money. Nor did any major candidate for Congress.
It is definitely true that a number of the Republican candidates that were elected to Congressional seats hold anti-immigrant positions. But they did not choose to use those positions as wedge issues in the recent election. Why not?
A possible explanation is that Republicans in Illinois are a kinder, more reasonable group than Republicans elsewhere. That, I'm afraid, does not pass the laugh test.
You could argue that it's because Illinois has a large immigrant population in general and a large Latino population in particular. But so do Colorado, Nevada, Arizona and California where Republican Party candidates tried to use "illegal immigration" and "amnesty" as wedge issues to galvanize their base.
It is true that Illinois has a more immigrant-friendly tradition than some of the states in the Southwest. Much of the Caucasian population in Illinois comes from recent immigrant stock themselves - from Ireland, Poland, Lithuania, Italy, Germany, Croatia and Serbia.
But there is also a more old-fashioned reason. Demagogues and bullies tend to prey upon those whom they consider too weak to strike back. It turned out that in Nevada, California, and Colorado they made the wrong call, since their demagoguery galvanized turnout among Latino voters that defeated right-wing candidates for the Senate.
In fact, the Latino vote saved the Senate for the Democrats.
But in Illinois the right didn't even try their demagogic tactics. That's largely because the immigrant communities in Illinois have worked hard over five election cycles to build a muscular political organizing vehicle that gets out the immigrant vote -- and can bite back fiercely at anti-immigrant demagogues.
In 2008, Jim Oberweis ran for Congress against Democrat Bill Foster on a heavily anti-immigrant platform and was flattened by the Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights. That experience sent a lesson through Illinois' right-wing political class. Nothing like watching one of their own get scalded to teach others not to touch the stove.
The Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights (ICIRR) no leads The New Americans' Democracy Project . This year, 13 electoral organizers worked for months in both the City of Chicago and the Suburbs. They targeted 133,128 infrequent immigrant voters for a multi-contact phone and door operation, and before the election was done the volunteers they recruited did a total of 549,000 live phone calls to their universe of Latino, Asian and Muslim voters.
This work has been growing in scale and bite since 2002 when it began with no funding and in only nine precincts. At this point the immigrant vote can no longer be ignored by either party. Here are several key lessons from the Illinois immigrant organizing experience:
1) Consistency Counts: ICIRR has had between 10 and 20 full-time immigrant election campaign organizers every election since 2004. They begin their work in July and work through November, building a "recent immigrant" field operation. In every single cycle they add new skills to their electoral organizing.
2) Numbers Count: The immigrant voter program has registered over 90,000 new immigrant voters. They door-knock between 35,000 and 60,000 doors every election cycle.
3) Diversity is Strength: The Democracy Project works with leaders and organizations in Latino community, but also the Asian, Arab, and Polish immigrant communities.
4) Mine the "Base" and work the "Swings": The electoral work is done in the immigrant "base" Chicago port of entry neighborhoods to generate numbers, but also in swing suburban political districts where multi-ethnic immigrant organizing multiplies the voting power of Latinos. The activation of new immigrant voters in suburban "swing" communities forces Republican attention to immigrant issues.
5) Reward Friends, Punish Enemies: ICIRR keeps track of who engages in immigrant bashing -- and stikes back. When Republican anti-immigrant candidate Jim Oberweis polarized voters against "illegal immigrants", ICIRR released to the media a film of undocumented immigrants cleaning his business while being paid only $3.23 an hour. When old-school Democratic Mayor of Waukegan, IL attacked "illegals" with local law enforcement of immigration laws, he went down to defeat in the next election because Latinos in Waukegan mobilized to support his opponent.
6) Naturalize, Naturalize, Naturalize: ICIRR has one of the most aggressive citizenship programs in the nation. All told, an additional 170,000 immigrants were naturalized in Illinois over the last five years. The coalition itself directly assisted over 48,000 of those legal immigrants to become citizens, and thus voters.
ICIRR is not a partisan organization. In fact, their most recent fundraiser was headlined by the popular former Republican Governor Jim Edgar. But because of the track record of Republicans across the country, its organizing definitely benefits Democrats. In fact, Democratic Governor Pat Quinn - who won by fewer than 20,000 votes -- would not likely have been re-elected had it not been for their work.
On the policy side, ICIRR works for immigrant-friendly policies, and by any definition they have succeeded in winning some of the most immigrant-friendly policies in the nation at the state level in Illinois.
The state of Illinois leans Blue, but it has wide swatches of Red. In the recent elections the Democrats barely lost the Senate race and took some terrible losses in the Congressional delegation. But in addition to electing a Democratic Governor, both the State House and Senate remained in Democratic hands. The immigrant vote was critical to these Democratic victories, but it is also a force that Republicans ignore or abuse at their peril. In this election, at least, Illinois Republicans generally had the good sense not to bait the immigrant community.
In the current environment of racialized fear and polarization against immigrants across the U.S., the hard work of immigrant advocates in Illinois provides two key lessons:
* Demagogues go after the weak, not the strong. You don't stop anti-immigrant demagoguery through accommodation, you stop it with strength.
* Nuts and Bolts Organizing works.
yabadaba
01-26 10:59 AM
If you want to track how fast are they processing - you have to go by "Notice Date" because that's the day they first saw your Application. If you want to charge AC21 or calculate iVisa Bulletion's Retrogression do by "Receipt Date" for calculating "180 days Portability" etc....
In the "Pre-July 2nd world" those 2 dates used to vary by 1 or 2 days so no one used to care.
Well - so NSC is doing I-140 for Apr 23rd and Texas is July 21st... I would have got my freedom by now if i had filed I-140 at Texas :) Another good thing in this Bulletin Vermont H1b extension processing have moved a lot - from Apr 23rd to Oct 1st 2007 - wow !!!
Good Luck folks!!
TSC is june 21st for I-140
In the "Pre-July 2nd world" those 2 dates used to vary by 1 or 2 days so no one used to care.
Well - so NSC is doing I-140 for Apr 23rd and Texas is July 21st... I would have got my freedom by now if i had filed I-140 at Texas :) Another good thing in this Bulletin Vermont H1b extension processing have moved a lot - from Apr 23rd to Oct 1st 2007 - wow !!!
Good Luck folks!!
TSC is june 21st for I-140
lazycis
12-21 06:53 PM
I applied I-140 with a substitution labor in May'07. Then I applied I-485 on July2nd,2007. Got EAD on Aug20th. Two months back my I-140 was approved. Now I am on EAD. I am working with a very good financial corporation which they are asking me to join as full-time from Jan1st2008. I told my manager that I can join as a full-time from Feb20th 2008. Can any one throw some light on these doubts?
1. What happens if I move before 180 days of EAD to this new company and send AC21 to USCIS after finishing 180 days on EAD?
2. If I moved after 180 days what kind of queries we get from USCIS on AC21?
3. Do we need to make sure my employer also agrees what we are doing? What kind of documents we need from the existing employer?
4. Does my new company has to give same exact responsibilities as my labor certificate?
I would appreciate if any one replies to these posts. Thanks in advance.
1. Technically you can start working for a new employer from January 2nd (180 days after I-485 received date). It does not matter when you've got EAD.
2. If you do not notify the USCIS and you current employer won't withdraw I-140, the USCIS will never know about the job change.
3. See #2. You have to make sure they will not withdraw I-140. AC21 or not, it's in your best interest to leave on good terms.
4. Not really. Make sure job title or responsibilities/duties are same or similar. It does not have to be 100% match.
1. What happens if I move before 180 days of EAD to this new company and send AC21 to USCIS after finishing 180 days on EAD?
2. If I moved after 180 days what kind of queries we get from USCIS on AC21?
3. Do we need to make sure my employer also agrees what we are doing? What kind of documents we need from the existing employer?
4. Does my new company has to give same exact responsibilities as my labor certificate?
I would appreciate if any one replies to these posts. Thanks in advance.
1. Technically you can start working for a new employer from January 2nd (180 days after I-485 received date). It does not matter when you've got EAD.
2. If you do not notify the USCIS and you current employer won't withdraw I-140, the USCIS will never know about the job change.
3. See #2. You have to make sure they will not withdraw I-140. AC21 or not, it's in your best interest to leave on good terms.
4. Not really. Make sure job title or responsibilities/duties are same or similar. It does not have to be 100% match.
more...
va_jan_03
06-07 10:57 AM
can't make it to DC, made a contribution.
Transaction ID: 94R50453J99520901
Good Luck !!!
Transaction ID: 94R50453J99520901
Good Luck !!!
kumar1305
03-30 05:48 PM
I am not really sure why this really makes a difference. My perm was approved in EB3 in about 7 months but if I have to wait 30 years to get a GC what difference does it make ?!?
It makes a difference to me as I'm already in the 6th year.
It makes a difference to me as I'm already in the 6th year.
more...
bindas74
05-15 05:04 PM
To Bindas74,
Did the e-file process ask you to pay the biometric fee? I ask because my attorney informed me this afternoon that I do not need to pay a biometric fee, or send in a G-325A form, when sending in my EAD/AP renewal. Do please let me know if this is not the case.
On the Advance Parole justification, I would put in a note stating that I maintain close ties with my family in <country here> and travel frequently to see them. Additionally, state that you wish to travel abroad on vacation on multiple occasions through the year, and request them to grant you an Advance Parole for these reasons. This document request seems to be in lieu of the covering letter that's usually sent with an AP request. I'm sure they don't need you to send them ticket receipts.
Thanks,
Hi X-Wing,
Thanks for the response.
I dont think it asked me for the $80 biometric fee during the E-filing process. Someone else had answered to my quesiton on a different thread as well that I dont have to pay it.
I will make sure I put in the reasons you suggested for the AP in my documentation. Thanks again.
Another questions is that since I files EAD and AP concurrently, can I send both the documents in the same packet? ( I am guessing it's ok since the attorneys usually send everything in a single packet , right? )
-Thanks
Did the e-file process ask you to pay the biometric fee? I ask because my attorney informed me this afternoon that I do not need to pay a biometric fee, or send in a G-325A form, when sending in my EAD/AP renewal. Do please let me know if this is not the case.
On the Advance Parole justification, I would put in a note stating that I maintain close ties with my family in <country here> and travel frequently to see them. Additionally, state that you wish to travel abroad on vacation on multiple occasions through the year, and request them to grant you an Advance Parole for these reasons. This document request seems to be in lieu of the covering letter that's usually sent with an AP request. I'm sure they don't need you to send them ticket receipts.
Thanks,
Hi X-Wing,
Thanks for the response.
I dont think it asked me for the $80 biometric fee during the E-filing process. Someone else had answered to my quesiton on a different thread as well that I dont have to pay it.
I will make sure I put in the reasons you suggested for the AP in my documentation. Thanks again.
Another questions is that since I files EAD and AP concurrently, can I send both the documents in the same packet? ( I am guessing it's ok since the attorneys usually send everything in a single packet , right? )
-Thanks
WaitingForMyGC
04-30 10:40 AM
You are there for a long wait..mine was filed in dec and still pending.
more...
asiehouston
09-05 09:19 PM
I finally got my AP, 15 days after my EAD (100 days total) . I was happy to open the packet, until this......
THEY SENT ME MY AP WITH SOMEONE ELSE'S PICTURE!!!!!!!
Everything else is Correct (address, DOB, A# etc...)
GURUS, please advise what should I do...... I am so pissed!!!!! Thankfully my EAD has the correct pic.... I had done an E-file....June 7th and my previous AP expires Sept 20
THEY SENT ME MY AP WITH SOMEONE ELSE'S PICTURE!!!!!!!
Everything else is Correct (address, DOB, A# etc...)
GURUS, please advise what should I do...... I am so pissed!!!!! Thankfully my EAD has the correct pic.... I had done an E-file....June 7th and my previous AP expires Sept 20
krishna.ahd
02-08 10:48 AM
Hi
I am trying to book ticket for my summer travel to India and frusteted with knowledge of travel agents and airline peoples. My story is like this:
I have EXPIRED F-1 VISA STAMP, VALID H-1 APPROVAL , NO H-1 STAMPING IN PASSPORT, HAVE ADVANCE PAROL FOR REENTRY ( My family is also traverling with me with H-4 approval and AP)
I want your guidance : For going to India ( and coming back also !!)
(1) Which CITIES I can TRAVEL Through WIthout requiring TRANSIT VISA?
(2) Which AIR LINE OPERATES flights through these cities?
(3) what are the non-stop flight options available between US and India?
(4) Non-stop flights are cheap or costly compare to other one stop flights?
( I dont want to apply for TRANSIT VISA, I had already sent too much money on H-1 and GC process and traveling with my family so if I go for Transit visa it will cost me atleast 1000 $ extra !!!)
I want to go to AMD ( Direct or through BOMBAY if possible)
Also let me know any good knowledgable travel agents who knows rule and give good deal for India.
thanks for your help.
I was checking LAX (Los angeles) to AMD (Ahmedabad) via SIN (singapore) , you are taliking about 30 to 36 hours of travel time, top of GSP/ATL to LAX.
I suggest , if you dont have any time constraint ( like unpaid vacation/timeoff) , that is the best what i searched so far.
I am trying to book ticket for my summer travel to India and frusteted with knowledge of travel agents and airline peoples. My story is like this:
I have EXPIRED F-1 VISA STAMP, VALID H-1 APPROVAL , NO H-1 STAMPING IN PASSPORT, HAVE ADVANCE PAROL FOR REENTRY ( My family is also traverling with me with H-4 approval and AP)
I want your guidance : For going to India ( and coming back also !!)
(1) Which CITIES I can TRAVEL Through WIthout requiring TRANSIT VISA?
(2) Which AIR LINE OPERATES flights through these cities?
(3) what are the non-stop flight options available between US and India?
(4) Non-stop flights are cheap or costly compare to other one stop flights?
( I dont want to apply for TRANSIT VISA, I had already sent too much money on H-1 and GC process and traveling with my family so if I go for Transit visa it will cost me atleast 1000 $ extra !!!)
I want to go to AMD ( Direct or through BOMBAY if possible)
Also let me know any good knowledgable travel agents who knows rule and give good deal for India.
thanks for your help.
I was checking LAX (Los angeles) to AMD (Ahmedabad) via SIN (singapore) , you are taliking about 30 to 36 hours of travel time, top of GSP/ATL to LAX.
I suggest , if you dont have any time constraint ( like unpaid vacation/timeoff) , that is the best what i searched so far.
more...
rbalaji5
02-09 03:48 PM
Hi,
I have gone to India last Nov (2008) and got the H1B stamping upto Aug 2010. while entering the U.S due to the expiry of passport, I got the I-94 upto July 2009. Now I need extend my I-94.
I am planning to go out of country to get the I-94. Shall I go to Mexico to get the new I-94 ?. Note I have the stamping.
Shall I fly or drive ?. Which is the preferred way to get the new I-94. ? Any one did like this before ?. Your help is appreciated.
Thanks.
I have gone to India last Nov (2008) and got the H1B stamping upto Aug 2010. while entering the U.S due to the expiry of passport, I got the I-94 upto July 2009. Now I need extend my I-94.
I am planning to go out of country to get the I-94. Shall I go to Mexico to get the new I-94 ?. Note I have the stamping.
Shall I fly or drive ?. Which is the preferred way to get the new I-94. ? Any one did like this before ?. Your help is appreciated.
Thanks.
k3GC
07-11 07:25 PM
I can make some calls..
more...
ram_ram
02-11 09:00 PM
My situation would answer your questions.
My passport expiry date is Apr 14, 2007. I came back from India after a vacation on Jan 21 2007. My H1-B extension is valid until sep 1 2007.
The immigration officer at the POE stopped me and said he would not allow me in since my passport is not even valid for 6 months. I argued with him saying I can renew it at the embassy in 1 day, if i go in person and am planning to do that. He disagreed and called his supervisor. Somehow his supervisor referred some rule book and said India is in some Club and so I should be allowed inside with a I-94 marked as VOPP. So the officer issued me a I-94 until Apr 4+10 days which is my passport expiry date. Now I applied for my passport renewal and then I should apply for a H1-B extension.
Thanks.
Thank you tdasara, I hope mine works out the same way as yours. Could you tell me when this took place, and also how much gap there was between your passport expiry and H1 visa expiry dates?
One of my best friends had something similar happen to her, but her passport is set to expire just two months ahead of her I-94/H1 expiration date. I wonder if the fact that it was just two months apart made a difference to the officer when he decided on her I-94 date. As you know, in my case, my current passport will expire two years before my H-1.
msp1976, I found out that it would take at least a month to get a new passport (is this right?), and I did not have time for it. I'll be sure to post my experience here.
Thank you!
My passport expiry date is Apr 14, 2007. I came back from India after a vacation on Jan 21 2007. My H1-B extension is valid until sep 1 2007.
The immigration officer at the POE stopped me and said he would not allow me in since my passport is not even valid for 6 months. I argued with him saying I can renew it at the embassy in 1 day, if i go in person and am planning to do that. He disagreed and called his supervisor. Somehow his supervisor referred some rule book and said India is in some Club and so I should be allowed inside with a I-94 marked as VOPP. So the officer issued me a I-94 until Apr 4+10 days which is my passport expiry date. Now I applied for my passport renewal and then I should apply for a H1-B extension.
Thanks.
Thank you tdasara, I hope mine works out the same way as yours. Could you tell me when this took place, and also how much gap there was between your passport expiry and H1 visa expiry dates?
One of my best friends had something similar happen to her, but her passport is set to expire just two months ahead of her I-94/H1 expiration date. I wonder if the fact that it was just two months apart made a difference to the officer when he decided on her I-94 date. As you know, in my case, my current passport will expire two years before my H-1.
msp1976, I found out that it would take at least a month to get a new passport (is this right?), and I did not have time for it. I'll be sure to post my experience here.
Thank you!
GCNirvana007
10-05 11:11 PM
that was hilarious GCN007...BTW my wife got approved to finally....
Years ago or should I say ages ago not even in the US of A but at Heathrow at the American Airlines counter (that time I was a student for MS) the lady was going thru my I-20 and was asking for additional documents et al...so I had this bunch of documents in my folder...and her eyes landed on my degree certificate...she asked me you have a degree from IIT and you couldn't get a job still ? that's why you are going for your MS....i was like well I wanted to do research....why not in India? I was like this is not even USA and this is my 2nd visit to USA (after the Christmas break in the 2nd year)....why are they asking so many questions and this is pre-9/11.....
I was like why is she harassing me....Do you have intentions of staying back in the USA after you finish your MS....I said no I plan to do my PhD in the UK...She gave me a ugly look and stamped my passport and let me go....
SoP
Thanks and great news on your wife's approval bud.
Years ago or should I say ages ago not even in the US of A but at Heathrow at the American Airlines counter (that time I was a student for MS) the lady was going thru my I-20 and was asking for additional documents et al...so I had this bunch of documents in my folder...and her eyes landed on my degree certificate...she asked me you have a degree from IIT and you couldn't get a job still ? that's why you are going for your MS....i was like well I wanted to do research....why not in India? I was like this is not even USA and this is my 2nd visit to USA (after the Christmas break in the 2nd year)....why are they asking so many questions and this is pre-9/11.....
I was like why is she harassing me....Do you have intentions of staying back in the USA after you finish your MS....I said no I plan to do my PhD in the UK...She gave me a ugly look and stamped my passport and let me go....
SoP
Thanks and great news on your wife's approval bud.
more...
gopinathan
03-29 02:33 PM
so much for FIFO ... they say that they are approving PERM applied in June/July 09 and anyone I know is getting their approvals by above rate only.. your friend's PERM must be an outlier in terms of approvals. mine is Feb 2010.. need to wait another few months before PERM approval :)
My friend's PERM got approved in 5 days in Dec '09. His I-140 got approved in 3 weeks in March '10. This could be an exceptional case as I have not seen any other such approvals..
My friend's PERM got approved in 5 days in Dec '09. His I-140 got approved in 3 weeks in March '10. This could be an exceptional case as I have not seen any other such approvals..
martinvisalaw
06-04 05:37 PM
You don't need to be working in the US while the AOS is pending. You just need to have the job when permanent residence is approved, or to have a job in the "same or similar occupational classification."
more...
indiancitizen77
09-27 09:00 PM
My lawyer had also said the same thing. You can get an extension of H based on your husbands approved I140.
Njdude26, Was the H extension your attorney mentioned for H4 or H1. Did the attorney elaborate any precedents for H1 extensions based on an approved I-140? Thanks
Njdude26, Was the H extension your attorney mentioned for H4 or H1. Did the attorney elaborate any precedents for H1 extensions based on an approved I-140? Thanks
GC_1000Watt
05-25 01:41 AM
Don't think you can do anything about PIMS its a hit or miss. i got my visa renewed 7th year in Feb a few weeks before DS 160 came in to play. It was fairly smooth infact I felt they were much more organized this time then in the past years. If I recall my appointment was for 9:15 am I reached outside the consulate at 9.00am. They had us and the groups that I can't recall the term but indian co's that had groups of their peeps attending visa interviews in separate lines. Have your passport, original 797 and fee receipt together while waiting and from then on the usual. I have never seen or used the Strips Lounge but then I am a local too so comfort level with that. Good Luck.
Thanks much!
Thanks much!
crystal
07-04 10:09 PM
Are sure about whether you can go for stammping to canada when you are going for first time stamping? I think you need to go to india where they can check your education credentials. If you have done masters/bachelors in u.s then only you can go to canada i guess . I am not very sure about it though. I read it somewhere.
When i changed from F-1 to H-1B, my employer filed my I-129 as if i had a Masters, then i changed employers , my second employer filed my I-129 under my Bachelors only. There was also a gap of my H-1 Activation and F-1.
For the semester starting august i did not pay the fee, since my H-1 was approved an H-1 was Active from October.
i think my approval will depend on my Visa officer nad i will try my luck in dec and i am planning to go to canada for my stamping and in any case i get it or not get it i will fly to india from canada.
i will also talk to a lawyer before leaving to stamping regarding what will happen if cant come back to US in 4 months, regaring what happens to my credit and loans if my stamping gets rejected.
When i changed from F-1 to H-1B, my employer filed my I-129 as if i had a Masters, then i changed employers , my second employer filed my I-129 under my Bachelors only. There was also a gap of my H-1 Activation and F-1.
For the semester starting august i did not pay the fee, since my H-1 was approved an H-1 was Active from October.
i think my approval will depend on my Visa officer nad i will try my luck in dec and i am planning to go to canada for my stamping and in any case i get it or not get it i will fly to india from canada.
i will also talk to a lawyer before leaving to stamping regarding what will happen if cant come back to US in 4 months, regaring what happens to my credit and loans if my stamping gets rejected.
tiinap
02-01 06:33 PM
I've been trying to research this out of my own curiosity. All candidates speak in rather vague terms at this point in the campaing, but based on the candidates' own websites and media, here's what I've found:
Let's start with Obama:
(quotes from his campaign website):
"Obama believes we must fix the dysfunctional immigration bureaucracy and increase the number of legal immigrants to keep families together and meet the demand for jobs that employers cannot fill. (:))
Obama supports a system that allows undocumented immigrants who are in good standing to pay a fine, learn English, and go to the back of the line for the opportunity to become citizens. (presumably, that would include us, if we're lucky, can maybe even get in line before the illegals)
o Fix the Bureaucracy: Obama joined Rep. Luis Gutierrez (D-IL) to introduce the Citizenship Promotion Act to ensure that immigration application fees are both reasonable and fair. Obama also introduced legislation that passed the Senate to improve the speed and accuracy of FBI background checks. (:))
"Respect Families: Obama introduced amendments to put greater emphasis on keeping immigrant families together." (Does this include keeping temporary worker families together? :confused:
"In the most recent immigration debate on the U.S. Senate floor, Obama fought to improve and pass a comprehensive bill. Obama introduced amendments to put greater emphasis on keeping immigrant families together and to revisit a controversial new points system that never received a proper public hearing. Obama will continue to work for a comprehensive bill that fixes our broken immigration system." ( :))
BUT... Here is what Obama said on the Senate floor in June 2007 when the subject of points-based immigration system came up:
"�For decades, American citizens and legal permanent residents have been able to sponsor their family members for entry into our country. For decades, American businesses have been able to sponsor valued employees. The bill before us changes a policy that, while imperfect, has worked well and will replace it with a new, untested, unexamined system to provide visas to immigrants who look good on paper, but who may not have any familial or economic ties to our country.�
"..they support the amendment because the new points system shifts us too far away from the value we place on family ties and moves us toward a class-based immigration system.."
�Our current immigration system delivers the lion�s share of green cards � about 63% -- to family members of Americans and legal permanent residents, while roughly 16% of visas are allocated to employment-based categories. The bill before us would reduce visas allocated to the family system in order to dramatically increase the proportion of visas distributed based on economic �points.� Once implemented, these new economic points visas would then account for about 40% of all visas, while family visas would account for less than half of all visas, with the remainder going for humanitarian purposes.�
First of all, believes the current system has worked "well"! :D
Wants to see a continuation of the system where family-based immigration is given priority :mad:
Seems to be glad that only 16% of GC go to EB :mad:
Laments the fact that 40% may go to educated immigrants under the points system. :mad: More educated immigrants, oh the horror!
Votes: Voted in favor of amendment to cut proposed guestworker program in half in 2007 :mad:
He's making some vague but good promises about fixing the system, and seems to be aware key issues like FBI namechecks. But the track record of what he has done in the Senate is pretty horrible. The points system would have given a huge advantage to anyone working in the US currently and Obama played a big role in taking that off the agenda.
Let's start with Obama:
(quotes from his campaign website):
"Obama believes we must fix the dysfunctional immigration bureaucracy and increase the number of legal immigrants to keep families together and meet the demand for jobs that employers cannot fill. (:))
Obama supports a system that allows undocumented immigrants who are in good standing to pay a fine, learn English, and go to the back of the line for the opportunity to become citizens. (presumably, that would include us, if we're lucky, can maybe even get in line before the illegals)
o Fix the Bureaucracy: Obama joined Rep. Luis Gutierrez (D-IL) to introduce the Citizenship Promotion Act to ensure that immigration application fees are both reasonable and fair. Obama also introduced legislation that passed the Senate to improve the speed and accuracy of FBI background checks. (:))
"Respect Families: Obama introduced amendments to put greater emphasis on keeping immigrant families together." (Does this include keeping temporary worker families together? :confused:
"In the most recent immigration debate on the U.S. Senate floor, Obama fought to improve and pass a comprehensive bill. Obama introduced amendments to put greater emphasis on keeping immigrant families together and to revisit a controversial new points system that never received a proper public hearing. Obama will continue to work for a comprehensive bill that fixes our broken immigration system." ( :))
BUT... Here is what Obama said on the Senate floor in June 2007 when the subject of points-based immigration system came up:
"�For decades, American citizens and legal permanent residents have been able to sponsor their family members for entry into our country. For decades, American businesses have been able to sponsor valued employees. The bill before us changes a policy that, while imperfect, has worked well and will replace it with a new, untested, unexamined system to provide visas to immigrants who look good on paper, but who may not have any familial or economic ties to our country.�
"..they support the amendment because the new points system shifts us too far away from the value we place on family ties and moves us toward a class-based immigration system.."
�Our current immigration system delivers the lion�s share of green cards � about 63% -- to family members of Americans and legal permanent residents, while roughly 16% of visas are allocated to employment-based categories. The bill before us would reduce visas allocated to the family system in order to dramatically increase the proportion of visas distributed based on economic �points.� Once implemented, these new economic points visas would then account for about 40% of all visas, while family visas would account for less than half of all visas, with the remainder going for humanitarian purposes.�
First of all, believes the current system has worked "well"! :D
Wants to see a continuation of the system where family-based immigration is given priority :mad:
Seems to be glad that only 16% of GC go to EB :mad:
Laments the fact that 40% may go to educated immigrants under the points system. :mad: More educated immigrants, oh the horror!
Votes: Voted in favor of amendment to cut proposed guestworker program in half in 2007 :mad:
He's making some vague but good promises about fixing the system, and seems to be aware key issues like FBI namechecks. But the track record of what he has done in the Senate is pretty horrible. The points system would have given a huge advantage to anyone working in the US currently and Obama played a big role in taking that off the agenda.
gc_check
07-16 10:29 AM
As core team migth be knowing the solution, Can you please provide us some information whether we should go ahead and file today.
I don't think, anyone other than the USCIS/DOS will know the solution or whatever, at this time, untill the information is published to public. Applying AOS or not should be decided by you and your attorney. Not the core, Guess if the core has the updates that you are looking they might have updated in the home page :) by now...
Well I'm also waiitng to see what would be the updates from USCIS, as my 485 papers are not yet submitted but ready to go and the attorney would make the decision based on how this truns out to be... WSJ article is the one that is updates in various website/blog. Have to wait and see...
I don't think, anyone other than the USCIS/DOS will know the solution or whatever, at this time, untill the information is published to public. Applying AOS or not should be decided by you and your attorney. Not the core, Guess if the core has the updates that you are looking they might have updated in the home page :) by now...
Well I'm also waiitng to see what would be the updates from USCIS, as my 485 papers are not yet submitted but ready to go and the attorney would make the decision based on how this truns out to be... WSJ article is the one that is updates in various website/blog. Have to wait and see...