saimrathi
08-10 05:42 AM
Isnt this already in place in the form of US Visit (http://www.dhs.gov/xtrvlsec/programs/editorial_0525.shtm)
Para. 4
http://www.comcast.net/news/index.jsp?cat=GENERAL&fn=/2007/08/09/735635.html
An outline of the announcement, obtained by The Associated Press from a congressional source, said the administration plans to expand the list of international gangs whose members are automatically denied admission to the U.S., reduce processing times for immigrant background checks, and install by the end of the year an exit system so the departure of foreigners from the country can be recorded at airports and seaports.
Para. 4
http://www.comcast.net/news/index.jsp?cat=GENERAL&fn=/2007/08/09/735635.html
An outline of the announcement, obtained by The Associated Press from a congressional source, said the administration plans to expand the list of international gangs whose members are automatically denied admission to the U.S., reduce processing times for immigrant background checks, and install by the end of the year an exit system so the departure of foreigners from the country can be recorded at airports and seaports.
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viper673
06-08 01:27 PM
I did think about doing it this way, but it didn't feel the "right thing to do"...
I spoke to my lawyer on what to do , but I'm not getting a straight answer.
Do you guys recommend a lawyer that would be able to help?
I checked Murthy.com and she asks for $250/20min of consultation... Is she that good? Should I consider calling her?
I spoke to my lawyer on what to do , but I'm not getting a straight answer.
Do you guys recommend a lawyer that would be able to help?
I checked Murthy.com and she asks for $250/20min of consultation... Is she that good? Should I consider calling her?
camarasa
07-09 01:45 PM
Buddy,
Why you are so angry??. I know more than you about immigration and all the rules. you try to understand the English properly and the meaning. I hope you are from a very remote place in India. So for you to understand better, Here is the meanign fo my message.
GUYS, YOUR PRIORITY DATE IS 2006 and why you are asking for the premium processing when many of your friends are still waiting to file their I 140 or I 485.
Don't try to put harsh words in public forums. You will get them back as a Boomerang...... Understand?:mad:
Dude - that doesn't make any sense. Just because there are people who have been waiting since 1998 (for whatever reason) doesn't mean that others should make their process as slow as possible so they can also wait 9 years with their "friends". Why would anyone want to do that?
Why you are so angry??. I know more than you about immigration and all the rules. you try to understand the English properly and the meaning. I hope you are from a very remote place in India. So for you to understand better, Here is the meanign fo my message.
GUYS, YOUR PRIORITY DATE IS 2006 and why you are asking for the premium processing when many of your friends are still waiting to file their I 140 or I 485.
Don't try to put harsh words in public forums. You will get them back as a Boomerang...... Understand?:mad:
Dude - that doesn't make any sense. Just because there are people who have been waiting since 1998 (for whatever reason) doesn't mean that others should make their process as slow as possible so they can also wait 9 years with their "friends". Why would anyone want to do that?
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glen
05-17 09:43 AM
With approved I-140 H1-B extension can certainly be done .
For 365-day period one can take out the days he/she has been away from US for work, vacation,etc. Check immigration-law.com for this.
My question to my valuable friends is that if I've filed PERM well before 365 days (i.e. the last year) but it was denied and then i refiled another PERM after the 365-day period was started, then would I still be able to renew my H1 based upon filed PERM or approved I-140 or what? :confused:
For 365-day period one can take out the days he/she has been away from US for work, vacation,etc. Check immigration-law.com for this.
My question to my valuable friends is that if I've filed PERM well before 365 days (i.e. the last year) but it was denied and then i refiled another PERM after the 365-day period was started, then would I still be able to renew my H1 based upon filed PERM or approved I-140 or what? :confused:
more...
Hassan11
09-07 11:44 AM
I posted this question almost a month agao with no response. can anybody help?? I am stuck........
Hi
I have a question regarding an appeal I did a year ago for a rejected LC.
I have an approved LC and I-140 on an entry level position (EB3) with my company. after I got a promotion to a senior position that requires a masters degree but with a smilar job description but more senior and supervisory responsabilities with the same company. after promotion, I filed for a new LC (EB2) but it got rejected because DOL thinks it is the same position as the already approved LC. my company and I wrote a letter as an appeal on Sep 2006 within 30 days from rejection of LC to BALCA explaining that new position requires a masters degree and it is a senior position with more supervisory duties. as of today, almost a year later, we haven't heard anything regarding DOL (BALCA) decision on my appeal. is anybody in the same situation?? what should I do next?? also I read somewhere that DOl might revoke the already approved LC EB3 after I filed a second LC for EB2 with the same employer. can DOL revoke the first LC EB3 after I have an approved I-140?? please help. Thanks
Hi
I have a question regarding an appeal I did a year ago for a rejected LC.
I have an approved LC and I-140 on an entry level position (EB3) with my company. after I got a promotion to a senior position that requires a masters degree but with a smilar job description but more senior and supervisory responsabilities with the same company. after promotion, I filed for a new LC (EB2) but it got rejected because DOL thinks it is the same position as the already approved LC. my company and I wrote a letter as an appeal on Sep 2006 within 30 days from rejection of LC to BALCA explaining that new position requires a masters degree and it is a senior position with more supervisory duties. as of today, almost a year later, we haven't heard anything regarding DOL (BALCA) decision on my appeal. is anybody in the same situation?? what should I do next?? also I read somewhere that DOl might revoke the already approved LC EB3 after I filed a second LC for EB2 with the same employer. can DOL revoke the first LC EB3 after I have an approved I-140?? please help. Thanks
nb_des
04-15 02:59 PM
Yes, if my LC will get approved in the iterim, I might be safe, but with no time left on the H1-B, and with the reduction of salary that will be applied very soon, I don''t think this is going to happen. Unless, as you said, I won't be lucky enough to get approved really soon.
Again your LC approval has no direct connection with what you are being paid currently. LC is for future job so I find it unlikely that DOL will factor your current salary in any way. They may consider your employer's ability to pay the stated salary on LC based on their finacial situation but your current pay stub should not matter.
Does that answer your question?
Again your LC approval has no direct connection with what you are being paid currently. LC is for future job so I find it unlikely that DOL will factor your current salary in any way. They may consider your employer's ability to pay the stated salary on LC based on their finacial situation but your current pay stub should not matter.
Does that answer your question?
more...
eb3_nepa
01-25 04:57 PM
I would not read anything that Times of India says too seriously. TOI has a history of changing the context or blowing up minor issues. This explains why, even though the recession (post 2000) lasted for a good 3 years, people back in India thought the US economy was booming!
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for_gc
09-26 11:00 AM
ohhhh wow !! .. Man ...It not so easy as it looks on paper ...U will find tons of ppl in the stage of limbo after doing all this ... (including me though :(
My sincere advice, DO not even think about it ..
Hi pd_recapturing,
Can you please elaborate on your experience. This is an issue very close to my heart as well and possibly benefit lots of other folks on this forum.
I personally know a fried who in fact benefited from PD porting and got his GC sometime in 2007 beginning. He had a EB3 PD of 2001 which he used for his EB2 application with another employer.
My sincere advice, DO not even think about it ..
Hi pd_recapturing,
Can you please elaborate on your experience. This is an issue very close to my heart as well and possibly benefit lots of other folks on this forum.
I personally know a fried who in fact benefited from PD porting and got his GC sometime in 2007 beginning. He had a EB3 PD of 2001 which he used for his EB2 application with another employer.
more...
jungalee43
06-29 09:05 PM
I have used AC21 replied to all the RFEs about it. Laast year my attorney delayed renewal of my EAD and immediately 485 petition started moving and landed in National benefits Center for scheduling an interview.
In 60 days after receiving the case the NBC has scheduled this initial interview, only for me.
Additionally what is worrying me is that they are vague on what documents they want.
They say if this is marriage based GC your spouse should attend. Or of parent-child based GC the petitioning parents or child should attend.
They have specifially mentioned medicals if not already submitted, birth certificate, returns, employers letter, EADs, travel documents, I-94 and then they say all supporting documents submitted with the application. What do they mean? Is this because they don't know what they are looking for? on top of this the words "initial interview" have confused me.
I guess the cases that are pre-adjucated are called for interview.
In 60 days after receiving the case the NBC has scheduled this initial interview, only for me.
Additionally what is worrying me is that they are vague on what documents they want.
They say if this is marriage based GC your spouse should attend. Or of parent-child based GC the petitioning parents or child should attend.
They have specifially mentioned medicals if not already submitted, birth certificate, returns, employers letter, EADs, travel documents, I-94 and then they say all supporting documents submitted with the application. What do they mean? Is this because they don't know what they are looking for? on top of this the words "initial interview" have confused me.
I guess the cases that are pre-adjucated are called for interview.
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Dakota Newfie
03-27 09:18 AM
My immigration attorney said it was OK for my wife to "volunteer" as long as the work was "volunteer", i.e. something a US citizen could "volunteer" to do.
She volunteered to work at a local library and it was a good diversion until they set a schedule for her and removed a job posting in the same library - then it became both a question of her being exploited and taking a job away from a US citizen, so she had to give it up. So, the lessen is, if it is truly volunteer work, then your spouse should be able to set his/her own schedule; if the schedule is set for him/her, then it becomes a problem.
She volunteered to work at a local library and it was a good diversion until they set a schedule for her and removed a job posting in the same library - then it became both a question of her being exploited and taking a job away from a US citizen, so she had to give it up. So, the lessen is, if it is truly volunteer work, then your spouse should be able to set his/her own schedule; if the schedule is set for him/her, then it becomes a problem.
more...
ksircar
05-11 10:20 AM
Guys,
I found this site where in we can send letters to our senate members or house representatives regarding the issues we face.
http://capwiz.com/aila2/issues/alert/?alertid=9589591
Letter content pre-exists if needed you can change.
Let's inundate senate & other members with what we are facing..
-IV2007
EB2 Labor Pending
But, its main focus is on increasing H1B visa numbers ... should we involve ourselves into that?
I found this site where in we can send letters to our senate members or house representatives regarding the issues we face.
http://capwiz.com/aila2/issues/alert/?alertid=9589591
Letter content pre-exists if needed you can change.
Let's inundate senate & other members with what we are facing..
-IV2007
EB2 Labor Pending
But, its main focus is on increasing H1B visa numbers ... should we involve ourselves into that?
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xgoogle
08-21 10:09 AM
Any updates from people in this situation ?
more...
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nhfirefighter13
October 22nd, 2005, 08:00 PM
I like the second shot a lot. Nicely done.
I think the third shot needs to be closer. There's a little too much negative space around the arrangement. Just my 2 cents.
The first shot....I'm not too sure about that one. Technically, it looks fine but it's not holding my attention.
One thing I've noticed about studio product shots is that the most difficult part is finding the props to support the atmoshere of the photo...and then arranging them in a pleasant fashion. I've still got a lot to learn in that department.
I think the third shot needs to be closer. There's a little too much negative space around the arrangement. Just my 2 cents.
The first shot....I'm not too sure about that one. Technically, it looks fine but it's not holding my attention.
One thing I've noticed about studio product shots is that the most difficult part is finding the props to support the atmoshere of the photo...and then arranging them in a pleasant fashion. I've still got a lot to learn in that department.
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funny
09-16 04:01 PM
we can't stop calling.....
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villamonte6100
10-05 10:47 AM
hi, Do you know: How recent, which nationality, when was his/her aos filed
My friend got his green card two weeks ago on EB3 Philippines. I guess not everything here is correct, but who knows.
My friend got his green card two weeks ago on EB3 Philippines. I guess not everything here is correct, but who knows.
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pcs
06-01 01:53 PM
Core guys,
what do you say ????
what do you say ????
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gcformeornot
01-11 04:26 PM
I was laid off this week. I have been trying to find job and i feel its not going to be easy to find a job. If thing wont work by April, I m thinking to move back India.
PD : EB2 I - OCT 2004
I140 approved, I 485 pending > 180 days. On EAD
50 Dollars monthy contribution to IV.
about your situation. I have a friend, his company has said if they don't find project in a week, they will have to move him back. And its not a small company. Its like no 3 Indian software comapny
PD : EB2 I - OCT 2004
I140 approved, I 485 pending > 180 days. On EAD
50 Dollars monthy contribution to IV.
about your situation. I have a friend, his company has said if they don't find project in a week, they will have to move him back. And its not a small company. Its like no 3 Indian software comapny
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seba
09-24 03:29 PM
GreenTech, that's a good question. I am considering to transfer to offices in Asia or Europe next year and then attend B-school in the US after 2 years. That way, once I graduate, I will also at least have the option to get another 6-year H1 in the US.
thepaew, thanks for the advice. I have been thinking about this for a while, and my options are:
1) Start the GC process now and wait until I get the GC. Then think about B-school after I get the GC (I am not interested in part-time programs).
2) Forget the GC process and transfer to Europe or Asia next year and then attend B-school in the US after a few years.
Personally for me, having an MBA in 5 years is more valuable than having a GC in 5 years, so I am leaning towards option 2 above. However, if I don't get into B-school, then that's another story... I would probably transfer back to the US on L1 and start the GC process. At that point, I would apply under EB2 anyway with my Bachelor's and 5+ years experience.
Thanks again everyone for the replies and advice. And yes, of course you are not lawyers, but your help is still very useful. During my H1 renewal process, I got more useful info from here than from my company's lawyer!
thepaew, thanks for the advice. I have been thinking about this for a while, and my options are:
1) Start the GC process now and wait until I get the GC. Then think about B-school after I get the GC (I am not interested in part-time programs).
2) Forget the GC process and transfer to Europe or Asia next year and then attend B-school in the US after a few years.
Personally for me, having an MBA in 5 years is more valuable than having a GC in 5 years, so I am leaning towards option 2 above. However, if I don't get into B-school, then that's another story... I would probably transfer back to the US on L1 and start the GC process. At that point, I would apply under EB2 anyway with my Bachelor's and 5+ years experience.
Thanks again everyone for the replies and advice. And yes, of course you are not lawyers, but your help is still very useful. During my H1 renewal process, I got more useful info from here than from my company's lawyer!
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whoever
01-31 02:46 PM
how can one get copy of i140? does it not belong to the company?
perm2gc
09-14 12:35 AM
I have an emergency to go to India to take care of my sickly mom and I need to return back to work on July first. I am also trying to get emergency appointment. I couldnt. Could you please suggest the way I can get emergency appointment in any of the consulate. You can get appointment in any consulate in india for VISA revalidation.You can call them and collect more information.
https://www.vfs-usa.co.in/Home.aspx
https://www.vfs-usa.co.in/Home.aspx
jasonalbany
07-04 12:28 PM
Access to Job Market in U.S. a Matter of Degrees
Foreign workers with high-tech skills are in demand, but visa quotas snarl the hiring process.
By Anna Gorman, Times Staff Writer
July 3, 2006
This spring, a U.S. high-tech company recruited British citizen Gareth Lloyd for a possible engineering job.
But before the Irvine office made its hiring decision, the number of available visas for skilled workers ran out, in a record time of less than two months.
Lloyd, who has degrees in applied physics and electrical and electronics engineering, found another job in Germany.
"I was a little bit incredulous," Lloyd, 34, said in a phone interview. "It seems arbitrary to put some kind of quota on this."
Much of the national debate on immigration has centered on undocumented workers who fill agriculture, construction and service jobs. But highly skilled foreign scientists, engineers and computer programmers recruited by U.S. companies to work here legally also have a lot at stake in the outcome. "The major focus for all the laws and all the bills has mainly been for illegal immigrants," said Swati Srivastava, an Indian software engineer who lives in Playa del Rey and is waiting for her green card. "We kind of get pushed to the sidelines."
The Senate's sweeping immigration bill that passed in May calls for increasing the number of H-1B visas, which are available for professional foreign workers, from 65,000 to 115,000 annually. Foreigners with certain advanced degrees would be exempt from the cap.
Despite President Bush's urging to increase such quotas, however, the House bill that passed late last year does not include any provisions for skilled-worker visas. And a conference committee, which would negotiate a compromise, has yet to be selected. U.S. companies complain that they are losing prospective employees to other countries because of a shortage of highly skilled and educated foreign workers. As a result, companies are either outsourcing science and engineering jobs or making do with fewer employees.
"There aren't enough U.S. citizens pursuing those types of degrees," said Jennifer Greeson, spokeswoman for Intel Corp. in Santa Clara, Calif., where about 5% of the company's U.S.-based employees are on H-1B visas. "U.S. companies being able to have access to talent, no matter where it originates, is key to our continued competitiveness."
But critics of the H-1B program argue that there are enough Americans qualified for the jobs. Companies just prefer to hire younger, less expensive workers from other countries, such as India and China, instead of more experienced American workers at higher salaries.
"The bottom line is cheap labor," said UC Davis computer-science professor Norman Matloff, who has studied the H-1B program.
The six-year visas are available to foreigners with at least a bachelor's degree. Firms must pay foreign workers the prevailing wage.
The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services agency begins accepting H-1B visa applications on April 1 each year. The agency received enough visas to hit the congressionally mandated cap of 65,000 at the end of May this year, compared with August in 2005 and October in 2004. Those who receive the visas can begin work Oct. 1, the start of the fiscal year.
There are also 20,000 additional visas available for foreign workers who earned a master's or higher-level degree in the U.S. The Citizenship and Immigration Services is still accepting applications for those visas.
Because the H-1B cap is reached more quickly each year, many companies prepare their paperwork ahead of time so they can be at the front of the line. But they say it's often difficult to make hiring decisions six months before the start date.
Orange County immigration attorney Mitchell Wexler has a courier ready on the first day to take his clients' completed applications to Citizenship and Immigration Services.
"The whole white-collar business community is kind of crossing our fingers" that the number of visas is raised, Wexler said. Highly skilled foreign workers, he said, are "the best and brightest" and should be invited into the economy.
"If we can't get them," Wexler added, "they will go to a country that will accept them, and they will get jobs in Canada, Australia and England and will compete against us."
One of Wexler's clients, Massachusetts-based Skyworks Solutions, develops and manufactures integrated circuits for cellphones. Connie Williams, senior human resources specialist at the company's Irvine office, said her firm was effectively cut off from a foreign labor pool that included Lloyd of Britain when the government stopped accepting H-1B applications.
Williams said she worries that if Congress fails to pass reform legislation, the door will slam shut even earlier next year. The company has just over 2,000 U.S.-based employees, roughly 100 of whom have H-1B visas.
"We need these highly skilled, highly educated, highly qualified engineers," said Williams. "These people are a needle in a haystack."
Once foreigners have H-1B visas, they face another hurdle � becoming permanent legal residents. Applicants are often forced to wait years because there are only 140,000 employment-based green cards available annually. A backlog at Citizenship and Immigration Services adds to the delays.
Swati and Aradhana Srivastava, 34, both Indian software engineers working in the U.S. on H-1B visas, began the green card process with their employer in November 2001. Since then, the sisters said they have not been able to change jobs, positions or salaries.
They have taken film classes and are eager to pursue second careers in filmmaking but cannot do so until after they get their green cards. They also are reluctant to buy property or start a business. If they don't get their green cards by the time they finish film school, the sisters may return home.
"It's like living in a holding pattern continuously," said Swati Srivastava, 28, a member of Immigration Voice, a new grass-roots organization of skilled foreign workers pushing for immigration reform. The Internet-based group formed late last year and has about 5,000 members scattered around the country.
"We work in [the] U.S. legally in high-skilled jobs, but we still get penalized for playing by the rules," Immigration Voice co-founder Aman Kapoor said in an e-mail. "Since no one was working on our issues, we decided to organize."
Sandy Boyd, vice president of the National Assn. of Manufacturers, said there is an urgency to fixing the problems facing highly skilled foreign workers, whether they're seeking temporary or permanent legal status. The Senate's proposed immigration bill would increase the number of available employment-based green cards.
If compromise legislation cannot be reached on the broader issues, Boyd said, Congress should pass a separate, more narrow reform bill.
"This is not an issue that can be put off until comprehensive immigration reform is passed," Boyd said, "because once we lose these jobs, it's very difficult for them to come back."
But industry lobbyists arguing against increases in H-1B visas say the program hurts U.S. citizens by lowering wages and increasing job competition. They cite a recent report by the Government Accountability Office that says the program lacks sufficient oversight from the Department of Labor.
"We feel for the most part there are not shortages of U.S. engineers and computer scientists that have the skills these companies are looking for," said Chris McManes, spokesman for the U.S. sector of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers. "If the cap is increased, that will further hamper the ability of a U.S. engineer to find a job."
David Huber, a network engineer in Chicago and U.S. citizen by birth, said he twice lost out on jobs to foreign workers. He was passed over for one job and replaced at another, he said. Huber, who testified before the House in March, said he could not find work for nearly three years, despite his education and experience. "Too many of us cannot find jobs because companies are turning to H-1B workers as a first choice," Huber said in written testimony to the House.
Swadha Sharma, who lives in Arcadia, said she is not trying to replace U.S. workers. Sharma earned an electronics engineering degree in India but has long dreamed of becoming a math teacher. So while her husband worked here on an H-1B visa, she earned her teaching credential at Cal Poly Pomona.
Sharma, 30, started applying for teaching jobs early this year, but she said only one of three interested districts was willing to sponsor her for an H-1B visa. And that offer, from a Los Angeles charter school, came after the visa cap had been reached. Sharma now plans to pursue a master's degree but said the U.S. is "missing out on a catch."
"I am really qualified," she said. "Hopefully, I will be able to teach soon."
As for Lloyd, his plans to come to the United States are now on indefinite hold. He started his job in Germany but still laments the U.S. immigration system for limiting workers like himself from coming here.
"The H-1B scheme seems a little bit ridiculous," he said. "I would certainly be an asset to the American economy."
Foreign workers with high-tech skills are in demand, but visa quotas snarl the hiring process.
By Anna Gorman, Times Staff Writer
July 3, 2006
This spring, a U.S. high-tech company recruited British citizen Gareth Lloyd for a possible engineering job.
But before the Irvine office made its hiring decision, the number of available visas for skilled workers ran out, in a record time of less than two months.
Lloyd, who has degrees in applied physics and electrical and electronics engineering, found another job in Germany.
"I was a little bit incredulous," Lloyd, 34, said in a phone interview. "It seems arbitrary to put some kind of quota on this."
Much of the national debate on immigration has centered on undocumented workers who fill agriculture, construction and service jobs. But highly skilled foreign scientists, engineers and computer programmers recruited by U.S. companies to work here legally also have a lot at stake in the outcome. "The major focus for all the laws and all the bills has mainly been for illegal immigrants," said Swati Srivastava, an Indian software engineer who lives in Playa del Rey and is waiting for her green card. "We kind of get pushed to the sidelines."
The Senate's sweeping immigration bill that passed in May calls for increasing the number of H-1B visas, which are available for professional foreign workers, from 65,000 to 115,000 annually. Foreigners with certain advanced degrees would be exempt from the cap.
Despite President Bush's urging to increase such quotas, however, the House bill that passed late last year does not include any provisions for skilled-worker visas. And a conference committee, which would negotiate a compromise, has yet to be selected. U.S. companies complain that they are losing prospective employees to other countries because of a shortage of highly skilled and educated foreign workers. As a result, companies are either outsourcing science and engineering jobs or making do with fewer employees.
"There aren't enough U.S. citizens pursuing those types of degrees," said Jennifer Greeson, spokeswoman for Intel Corp. in Santa Clara, Calif., where about 5% of the company's U.S.-based employees are on H-1B visas. "U.S. companies being able to have access to talent, no matter where it originates, is key to our continued competitiveness."
But critics of the H-1B program argue that there are enough Americans qualified for the jobs. Companies just prefer to hire younger, less expensive workers from other countries, such as India and China, instead of more experienced American workers at higher salaries.
"The bottom line is cheap labor," said UC Davis computer-science professor Norman Matloff, who has studied the H-1B program.
The six-year visas are available to foreigners with at least a bachelor's degree. Firms must pay foreign workers the prevailing wage.
The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services agency begins accepting H-1B visa applications on April 1 each year. The agency received enough visas to hit the congressionally mandated cap of 65,000 at the end of May this year, compared with August in 2005 and October in 2004. Those who receive the visas can begin work Oct. 1, the start of the fiscal year.
There are also 20,000 additional visas available for foreign workers who earned a master's or higher-level degree in the U.S. The Citizenship and Immigration Services is still accepting applications for those visas.
Because the H-1B cap is reached more quickly each year, many companies prepare their paperwork ahead of time so they can be at the front of the line. But they say it's often difficult to make hiring decisions six months before the start date.
Orange County immigration attorney Mitchell Wexler has a courier ready on the first day to take his clients' completed applications to Citizenship and Immigration Services.
"The whole white-collar business community is kind of crossing our fingers" that the number of visas is raised, Wexler said. Highly skilled foreign workers, he said, are "the best and brightest" and should be invited into the economy.
"If we can't get them," Wexler added, "they will go to a country that will accept them, and they will get jobs in Canada, Australia and England and will compete against us."
One of Wexler's clients, Massachusetts-based Skyworks Solutions, develops and manufactures integrated circuits for cellphones. Connie Williams, senior human resources specialist at the company's Irvine office, said her firm was effectively cut off from a foreign labor pool that included Lloyd of Britain when the government stopped accepting H-1B applications.
Williams said she worries that if Congress fails to pass reform legislation, the door will slam shut even earlier next year. The company has just over 2,000 U.S.-based employees, roughly 100 of whom have H-1B visas.
"We need these highly skilled, highly educated, highly qualified engineers," said Williams. "These people are a needle in a haystack."
Once foreigners have H-1B visas, they face another hurdle � becoming permanent legal residents. Applicants are often forced to wait years because there are only 140,000 employment-based green cards available annually. A backlog at Citizenship and Immigration Services adds to the delays.
Swati and Aradhana Srivastava, 34, both Indian software engineers working in the U.S. on H-1B visas, began the green card process with their employer in November 2001. Since then, the sisters said they have not been able to change jobs, positions or salaries.
They have taken film classes and are eager to pursue second careers in filmmaking but cannot do so until after they get their green cards. They also are reluctant to buy property or start a business. If they don't get their green cards by the time they finish film school, the sisters may return home.
"It's like living in a holding pattern continuously," said Swati Srivastava, 28, a member of Immigration Voice, a new grass-roots organization of skilled foreign workers pushing for immigration reform. The Internet-based group formed late last year and has about 5,000 members scattered around the country.
"We work in [the] U.S. legally in high-skilled jobs, but we still get penalized for playing by the rules," Immigration Voice co-founder Aman Kapoor said in an e-mail. "Since no one was working on our issues, we decided to organize."
Sandy Boyd, vice president of the National Assn. of Manufacturers, said there is an urgency to fixing the problems facing highly skilled foreign workers, whether they're seeking temporary or permanent legal status. The Senate's proposed immigration bill would increase the number of available employment-based green cards.
If compromise legislation cannot be reached on the broader issues, Boyd said, Congress should pass a separate, more narrow reform bill.
"This is not an issue that can be put off until comprehensive immigration reform is passed," Boyd said, "because once we lose these jobs, it's very difficult for them to come back."
But industry lobbyists arguing against increases in H-1B visas say the program hurts U.S. citizens by lowering wages and increasing job competition. They cite a recent report by the Government Accountability Office that says the program lacks sufficient oversight from the Department of Labor.
"We feel for the most part there are not shortages of U.S. engineers and computer scientists that have the skills these companies are looking for," said Chris McManes, spokesman for the U.S. sector of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers. "If the cap is increased, that will further hamper the ability of a U.S. engineer to find a job."
David Huber, a network engineer in Chicago and U.S. citizen by birth, said he twice lost out on jobs to foreign workers. He was passed over for one job and replaced at another, he said. Huber, who testified before the House in March, said he could not find work for nearly three years, despite his education and experience. "Too many of us cannot find jobs because companies are turning to H-1B workers as a first choice," Huber said in written testimony to the House.
Swadha Sharma, who lives in Arcadia, said she is not trying to replace U.S. workers. Sharma earned an electronics engineering degree in India but has long dreamed of becoming a math teacher. So while her husband worked here on an H-1B visa, she earned her teaching credential at Cal Poly Pomona.
Sharma, 30, started applying for teaching jobs early this year, but she said only one of three interested districts was willing to sponsor her for an H-1B visa. And that offer, from a Los Angeles charter school, came after the visa cap had been reached. Sharma now plans to pursue a master's degree but said the U.S. is "missing out on a catch."
"I am really qualified," she said. "Hopefully, I will be able to teach soon."
As for Lloyd, his plans to come to the United States are now on indefinite hold. He started his job in Germany but still laments the U.S. immigration system for limiting workers like himself from coming here.
"The H-1B scheme seems a little bit ridiculous," he said. "I would certainly be an asset to the American economy."
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