vinayskadam
11-29 08:18 PM
Thanks for the Reply and I had called up the USCIS and they had asked me to send a letter for correcting the information. I have sent the letter now along with the supporting documents. Hope evverything goes fine.
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logiclife
12-01 03:33 PM
The job description is the key. Titles dont matter. My official title at my company is "programmer level 3".( I am an Oracle programmer)
That doesnt mean anything to anyone OUTSIDE of my company. Does it mean that I am top-level programmer? or does it mean that I am 3rd level junior programmer?
But the JOB DESCRIPTION must be accurate.(As much as possible, there is a limit to how much 10 lines can do in describing your job).
As far as resume is concerned, didnt your lawyer look at your resume before filing labor? I remember my lawyer consulting my HR, my boss and my resume before writing the job description on my labor so that its accurate. Anyways, resume is something that is subject to change all the time and I dont think USCIS expects you to have your resume in line with your job desc on labor. Resume is about your qualifications and abilities - which may or may not be the same thing that your actually perform at your work.
That doesnt mean anything to anyone OUTSIDE of my company. Does it mean that I am top-level programmer? or does it mean that I am 3rd level junior programmer?
But the JOB DESCRIPTION must be accurate.(As much as possible, there is a limit to how much 10 lines can do in describing your job).
As far as resume is concerned, didnt your lawyer look at your resume before filing labor? I remember my lawyer consulting my HR, my boss and my resume before writing the job description on my labor so that its accurate. Anyways, resume is something that is subject to change all the time and I dont think USCIS expects you to have your resume in line with your job desc on labor. Resume is about your qualifications and abilities - which may or may not be the same thing that your actually perform at your work.
kminkeller
03-09 02:49 PM
Completely valid question ivgclive. Yes it has been more than 3 years that I had EAD. Only fear that I have right now is for EAD you need to have a job at all times in case I get an RFE or any kind of notice to prove that I am working on similar job. In this economy you never know what is going to happen. You have a job now and you may not have it later. That is what concerns me a lot coz I have a family here and bought a house and other responsibilities. So I was hoping porting to EB2 was not that long process from Labor, I140 then I485. and that is why I needed to know if I need H1 to apply for Labor on EB2.
BTW is there a chance USCIS can reject my application in case I don't have my job? If they cannot reject my application then I am fine with just EAD until i get my GC.
Thanks.
BTW is there a chance USCIS can reject my application in case I don't have my job? If they cannot reject my application then I am fine with just EAD until i get my GC.
Thanks.
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gccovet
05-08 02:31 PM
:confused:
I am changing job and moving to EAD from h1b. My 140 is approved and 485 has been pending more than 180 days. I am in EB2 category.
Question 1 - New employer wants to inform USCIS about job change and I dont want to do so as it just might delay AOS process? suggestions/thoughsts?
Question 2 - New employer wants to apply for EAD and AP via corporate attorney and I prefer that my attorney do that but if i will have no choice I will have to give up BUT can corporate lawyers apply for my EAD and AP without me changing my legal rep with USCIS?
Question 3 - The job title was "Sr Systems Analyst" and now it would be "System Quality Analyst 5" 5 is the highest level in this company after which it goes to Tech. Manager. I dont see issue with the title...do you see any issue? (job description are similar-I would say about 70%)
Question 4 - Salary at the time of filing 140 was 60k offered for the Sr. System Analyst position and now with the new job is 100k. Can that be a problem?
Hi, I am not an expert, quoting from things I have read in the past.
Ans 1: Notifying or not notifying about job change should not delay AOS process. It might help that you might not get a RFE. People on IV and RK forum have mixed views on this. Some choose to notify some do not. In case you do not notify, you might get an RFE asking for pay stub and current company. I know Shila Murthy and some other lawyers prefer to notify.
Ans 2: Your corporate lawyer can apply, they will have to get a G28 filled out and signed from you.
Ans 3: As of now, using AC21, job title is not a problem at all. What matters is, job description, should be same or similar (definition on same/similar not clear yet- may be very soon). If the job description is very similar then it should not be a problem.
Ans 4: If salary is more then it is not a problem, should not be less then specified in I-140/LC.
Again, I don't consider myself an expert. so take this with a pinch of salt.
Good luck.
GCCovet
I am changing job and moving to EAD from h1b. My 140 is approved and 485 has been pending more than 180 days. I am in EB2 category.
Question 1 - New employer wants to inform USCIS about job change and I dont want to do so as it just might delay AOS process? suggestions/thoughsts?
Question 2 - New employer wants to apply for EAD and AP via corporate attorney and I prefer that my attorney do that but if i will have no choice I will have to give up BUT can corporate lawyers apply for my EAD and AP without me changing my legal rep with USCIS?
Question 3 - The job title was "Sr Systems Analyst" and now it would be "System Quality Analyst 5" 5 is the highest level in this company after which it goes to Tech. Manager. I dont see issue with the title...do you see any issue? (job description are similar-I would say about 70%)
Question 4 - Salary at the time of filing 140 was 60k offered for the Sr. System Analyst position and now with the new job is 100k. Can that be a problem?
Hi, I am not an expert, quoting from things I have read in the past.
Ans 1: Notifying or not notifying about job change should not delay AOS process. It might help that you might not get a RFE. People on IV and RK forum have mixed views on this. Some choose to notify some do not. In case you do not notify, you might get an RFE asking for pay stub and current company. I know Shila Murthy and some other lawyers prefer to notify.
Ans 2: Your corporate lawyer can apply, they will have to get a G28 filled out and signed from you.
Ans 3: As of now, using AC21, job title is not a problem at all. What matters is, job description, should be same or similar (definition on same/similar not clear yet- may be very soon). If the job description is very similar then it should not be a problem.
Ans 4: If salary is more then it is not a problem, should not be less then specified in I-140/LC.
Again, I don't consider myself an expert. so take this with a pinch of salt.
Good luck.
GCCovet
more...
Sakthisagar
01-25 09:02 AM
Please file a new H1B extension petition with a copy of contract between the client and your company.. the actual contract, if the client/vendor do not want to share that with your attorney then ask the client/vendor to directly send that to USCIS fax number and ask your attorney to mention in a seperate letter that client contract/letter (copy of original) will be sent by their attorney in so and so time.
I had the RFE on Sept 2009 on premium processing, I have done tha above and got approved for an year even though my I-140 is approved on 2005 and 10 years in the USA.
Please do needful and be on status.
I had the RFE on Sept 2009 on premium processing, I have done tha above and got approved for an year even though my I-140 is approved on 2005 and 10 years in the USA.
Please do needful and be on status.
agc2005
11-04 09:38 AM
munnashi:
Actually you don't get copy of I140, the employer and lawyer who gets the Approval notices. There is no rule that they have to give you copy.
Actually you don't get copy of I140, the employer and lawyer who gets the Approval notices. There is no rule that they have to give you copy.
more...
ARUNRAMANATHAN
06-12 07:24 AM
immigration1111
Please confirm this .... couple of things USCIS grants for professional with this situvation
1) He can file a petition saying that his skill sets are still needed here and are in demand and request to grant him X no of months of stay (I belive that it is 3 Months )
2) Even if he is out of status for less 180 Days it is ignored by USCIS during the process of GC9I know this not relavant to your question, but just in case if you are not aware
3) USCIS looks for just the pervious month pay slip .... Say he is OO job June 1st week .... He can file for the H1B Transfer untill end of July ....
Ofcourse he would be safe if the pervious H1B is not canceled .... As he reigned he should be in OK terms with his employee
Hope this helps and Good Luck to him !
Arun
Please confirm this .... couple of things USCIS grants for professional with this situvation
1) He can file a petition saying that his skill sets are still needed here and are in demand and request to grant him X no of months of stay (I belive that it is 3 Months )
2) Even if he is out of status for less 180 Days it is ignored by USCIS during the process of GC9I know this not relavant to your question, but just in case if you are not aware
3) USCIS looks for just the pervious month pay slip .... Say he is OO job June 1st week .... He can file for the H1B Transfer untill end of July ....
Ofcourse he would be safe if the pervious H1B is not canceled .... As he reigned he should be in OK terms with his employee
Hope this helps and Good Luck to him !
Arun
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zCool
02-25 10:38 PM
Do not move to IT!
Are you crazy?? IT is indentured servitude for some desi consultant!
stay away.. there are already plenty of slaves..
Are you crazy?? IT is indentured servitude for some desi consultant!
stay away.. there are already plenty of slaves..
more...
palnati
07-20 01:48 PM
It doesn't matter. You can file G-325 or G-325A.
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fromnaija
07-20 04:43 PM
If your friend maintains H status, she could bring her baby back on H4 visa.
Same question. My friend is pregnant and wants to deliver the baby in India. They have filed for AoS now. Howevr they are not sure how to bring ther baby in if they deliver in India.
Same question. My friend is pregnant and wants to deliver the baby in India. They have filed for AoS now. Howevr they are not sure how to bring ther baby in if they deliver in India.
more...
slowwin
06-11 08:36 AM
Hi,
vis-a-vis immigration, the burden of proof is on us not on the USCIS, reputed attorney like murthy always suggest to keep copies of I-94s at each stage to show proof of maintenance of status.
Try to collate as much info as possible. Since you have such a long history (H1-B etc) at each step of extension or transfer you must have submitted copies of original H1 documents valid at that time and also passport copies too, go back to those attorney/(s) and request copies form their files. As far as I-20's are concerned you need to talk to your school to get copies.
Thanks,
slowwin
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
DISCLAIMER: This not a legal advise. Please consult your attorney.
vis-a-vis immigration, the burden of proof is on us not on the USCIS, reputed attorney like murthy always suggest to keep copies of I-94s at each stage to show proof of maintenance of status.
Try to collate as much info as possible. Since you have such a long history (H1-B etc) at each step of extension or transfer you must have submitted copies of original H1 documents valid at that time and also passport copies too, go back to those attorney/(s) and request copies form their files. As far as I-20's are concerned you need to talk to your school to get copies.
Thanks,
slowwin
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
DISCLAIMER: This not a legal advise. Please consult your attorney.
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bekugc
03-18 12:41 PM
while we use Ead to chg to a different company during ac21, is it possible to first chg the company using ead and then later apply for h1 transfer ?
more...
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piyu7444
05-08 04:48 PM
Hi, I am not an expert, quoting from things I have read in the past.
Ans 1: Notifying or not notifying about job change should not delay AOS process. It might help that you might not get a RFE. People on IV and RK forum have mixed views on this. Some choose to notify some do not. In case you do not notify, you might get an RFE asking for pay stub and current company. I know Shila Murthy and some other lawyers prefer to notify.
Ans 2: Your corporate lawyer can apply, they will have to get a G28 filled out and signed from you.
Ans 3: As of now, using AC21, job title is not a problem at all. What matters is, job description, should be same or similar (definition on same/similar not clear yet- may be very soon). If the job description is very similar then it should not be a problem.
Ans 4: If salary is more then it is not a problem, should not be less then specified in I-140/LC.
Again, I don't consider myself an expert. so take this with a pinch of salt.
Good luck.
GCCovet
Ron Gotcher has some FAQ on his website and it clearly states that informing will delay the process. I do not know how far it is true but thought I should share this info with you. Here is the question and answer from that document....
Q: Do I have to notify the CIS that I have changed employers?
A: No, there is no legal requirement that you do so. Indeed, doing so will likely result in the processing of your case being delayed. If the CIS asks you if you have changed jobs, you must respond fully and truthfully, but you do not have to volunteer any information.
Ans 1: Notifying or not notifying about job change should not delay AOS process. It might help that you might not get a RFE. People on IV and RK forum have mixed views on this. Some choose to notify some do not. In case you do not notify, you might get an RFE asking for pay stub and current company. I know Shila Murthy and some other lawyers prefer to notify.
Ans 2: Your corporate lawyer can apply, they will have to get a G28 filled out and signed from you.
Ans 3: As of now, using AC21, job title is not a problem at all. What matters is, job description, should be same or similar (definition on same/similar not clear yet- may be very soon). If the job description is very similar then it should not be a problem.
Ans 4: If salary is more then it is not a problem, should not be less then specified in I-140/LC.
Again, I don't consider myself an expert. so take this with a pinch of salt.
Good luck.
GCCovet
Ron Gotcher has some FAQ on his website and it clearly states that informing will delay the process. I do not know how far it is true but thought I should share this info with you. Here is the question and answer from that document....
Q: Do I have to notify the CIS that I have changed employers?
A: No, there is no legal requirement that you do so. Indeed, doing so will likely result in the processing of your case being delayed. If the CIS asks you if you have changed jobs, you must respond fully and truthfully, but you do not have to volunteer any information.
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sanjay02
01-07 06:03 PM
You dont need to inform USCIS about new passport, but make sure you carry your old as well as new passport, dont discard the old passport as yet.
more...
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Rajganesh
11-13 11:14 AM
I concurrently filed 140/485 on July 1st. My case was moved to Texas and the receipt date was changed to August 28th on my 140/485. When can I can invoke the AC21? Is it 180 days from July 1st or 180 days from August 28.
Any response will be greatly appreciated.
Thanks,
Any response will be greatly appreciated.
Thanks,
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pmpforgc
02-26 12:05 PM
hi
Just wanted to know if some one like me who have masters or more (phD) in Engineering and have backgorund in bioprocessing or food processing as well as research and academics . What may be the best IT options.
Reason I am asking is with current PhD and Academic jobs it is lot less pay (say in around 50 K). So wanted to explore other option if some how get laid off or fired one day which may be comming soon in a year or so.
though I had not done any programmming any day, I did little bit in my bachelors and at that time I thought I can do it well. But than really never had chance to work on programming stuff, as worked more with applied engineering in bio and food area.
thanks for input.
Just wanted to know if some one like me who have masters or more (phD) in Engineering and have backgorund in bioprocessing or food processing as well as research and academics . What may be the best IT options.
Reason I am asking is with current PhD and Academic jobs it is lot less pay (say in around 50 K). So wanted to explore other option if some how get laid off or fired one day which may be comming soon in a year or so.
though I had not done any programmming any day, I did little bit in my bachelors and at that time I thought I can do it well. But than really never had chance to work on programming stuff, as worked more with applied engineering in bio and food area.
thanks for input.
more...
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STAmisha
11-15 12:42 PM
You dont need a new H1 to come back to USA from Canada.All you need it is a valid I-94 and I-797. Dont surrender the I-94 at the border. This rule is called automatic revalidation rule.
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gc03
12-08 08:58 AM
Senator Judd Gregg (R-NH) 3rd-term Republican from New Hampshire.
Contact Information
Web Site: gregg.senate.gov
Washington Office:
393 Russell Senate Office Building
Washington, D.C. 20510-2904
Phone: (202) 224-3324
Fax: (202) 224-4952
Main District Office:
125 N. Main St.
Concord, NH 03301
Phone: (603) 225-7115
*************************
Senator John E. Sununu (R-NH) 1st-term Republican from New Hampshire.
Contact Information
Web Site: sununu.senate.gov
E-mail: mailbox@sununu.senate.gov
Washington Office:
111 Russell Senate Office Building
Washington, D.C. 20510-2903
Phone: (202) 224-2841
Fax: (202) 228-4131
Main District Office:
1589 Elm St., Ste. 3
Manchester, NH 03101
Phone: (603) 647-7500
Fax: (603) 647-9352
*************************
Representative Charles Bass (R-NH 2nd) 6th-term Republican from New Hampshire.
Contact Information
Web Site: www.house.gov/bass
E-mail: cbass@mail.house.gov
Washington Office:
2421 Rayburn House Office Building
Washington, D.C. 20515-2902
Phone: (202) 225-5206
Fax: (202) 225-2946
Main District Office:
142 N. Main St.
Concord, NH 03301
Phone: (603) 226-0249
Fax: (603) 226-0476
=========================
Just called all 3 senators and asked to Support the High-Skilled Immigrant Interim Relief Act of 2006
Very EASY.
Contact Information
Web Site: gregg.senate.gov
Washington Office:
393 Russell Senate Office Building
Washington, D.C. 20510-2904
Phone: (202) 224-3324
Fax: (202) 224-4952
Main District Office:
125 N. Main St.
Concord, NH 03301
Phone: (603) 225-7115
*************************
Senator John E. Sununu (R-NH) 1st-term Republican from New Hampshire.
Contact Information
Web Site: sununu.senate.gov
E-mail: mailbox@sununu.senate.gov
Washington Office:
111 Russell Senate Office Building
Washington, D.C. 20510-2903
Phone: (202) 224-2841
Fax: (202) 228-4131
Main District Office:
1589 Elm St., Ste. 3
Manchester, NH 03101
Phone: (603) 647-7500
Fax: (603) 647-9352
*************************
Representative Charles Bass (R-NH 2nd) 6th-term Republican from New Hampshire.
Contact Information
Web Site: www.house.gov/bass
E-mail: cbass@mail.house.gov
Washington Office:
2421 Rayburn House Office Building
Washington, D.C. 20515-2902
Phone: (202) 225-5206
Fax: (202) 225-2946
Main District Office:
142 N. Main St.
Concord, NH 03301
Phone: (603) 226-0249
Fax: (603) 226-0476
=========================
Just called all 3 senators and asked to Support the High-Skilled Immigrant Interim Relief Act of 2006
Very EASY.
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inspectorfox
07-17 02:18 PM
Excerpt from Gregs blog and comments :(
"Things are going SOUTH . No agreement and No relief.
Class action is the only option. USCIS just wanted to test the waters and now they don't want to settle. Every thing else is just rumor mill. Every one who claimed to know the insider info was just taken for a ride. Welcome to beltway politics 101."
What's the point of starting a new thread to throw in your opinion?
Servers and all members are already very stressed.
"Things are going SOUTH . No agreement and No relief.
Class action is the only option. USCIS just wanted to test the waters and now they don't want to settle. Every thing else is just rumor mill. Every one who claimed to know the insider info was just taken for a ride. Welcome to beltway politics 101."
What's the point of starting a new thread to throw in your opinion?
Servers and all members are already very stressed.
buddhaas
02-02 03:57 PM
Why Is H-1B A Dirty Word?
By Eleanor Pelta, AILA First Vice President
H-1B workers certainly seem to be under fire these days on many fronts. A new memo issued by USCIS on the employer-employee relationship imposes new extra-regulatory regulations on the types of activities in which H-1B workers can engage as well as the types of enterprises that can petition for H-1B workers. The memo targets the consulting industry directly, deftly slips in a new concept that seems to prohibit H-1B petitions for employer-owners of businesses, and will surely constitute an open invitation to the Service Centers to hit H-1B petitioners with a new slew of kitchen-sink RFE's. On another front, USCIS continues to make unannounced H-1B site visits, often repeatedly to the same employer. Apart from the "in-terrorem" impact of such visits, I personally cannot see the utility of three different visits to the same employer, particularly after the first one or two visits show that the employer is fully compliant.
But USCIS isn't the only agency that is rigorously targeting H-1B's. An AILA member recently reported that CBP pulled newly-arrived Indian nationals holding H-1B visas out of an immigration inspection line and reportedly placed them in Expedited Removal. The legal basis of those actions is still unclear. However, the tactic is too close to racial profiling for my own comfort.
Finally, recent H-1B "skirmishes" include various U.S. consular posts in India issuing "pink letters" that are, simply put, consular "RFE's" appearing to question the bona fides of the H-1B and requesting information on a host of truly repetitive and/or irrelevant topics. Much of the information that is routinely requested on a pink letter is already in the copy of the H-1B visa petition. Some of the letters request payroll information for all employees of the sponsoring company, a ridiculous request in most instances, particularly for major multi-national companies. One of the most frustrating actions we are seeing from consular officers in this context is the checking off or highlighting of every single category of additional information on the form letter, whether directly applicable or not, in effect a "paper wall" that must be overcome before an applicant can have the H-1B visa issued. Very discouraging to both employer and employee.
How have we come to a point in time where the H-1B category in and of itself is so disdained and mistrusted? Of course I'm aware that instances of fraud have cast this category in a bad light. But I think that vehemence of the administrative attack on the H-1B category is so disproportionate to the actual statistics about fraud. And interestingly, the disproportionate heavy-handed administrative reaction comes not from the agency specifically tasked with H-1B enforcement—the Department of Labor—but from CIS, CBP and State. Sometimes I just have to shake my head and ask myself what makes people so darn angry about a visa category that, at bottom, is designed to bring in relatively tiny number of really smart people to work in U.S. businesses of any size. It has to be a reaction against something else.
Yes, a great number of IT consultants come to the US on H-1B's. It is important to remember that so many of these individuals are extremely well-educated, capable people, working in an industry in which there are a large number of high profile players. And arguably, the high profile consulting companies have the most at stake if they do not focus on compliance, as they are the easiest enforcement target and they need their business model to work in the U.S. in order to survive. Some people may not like the business model, although arguably IT consulting companies provide needed services that allow US businesses, such as banks and insurance companies to focus on their own core strengths. Like it or not, though, this business model is perfectly legal under current law, and the agencies that enforce our immigration laws have no business trying to eviscerate it by policy or a pattern of discretionary actions.
It is true that some IT consulting companies' practices have been the focus of fraud investigations. But DOL has stringent rules in place to deal with the bad guys. Benching H-1B workers without pay, paying below the prevailing wage, sending H-1B workers on long-term assignments to a site not covered by an LCA—these are the practices we most often hear about, and every single one of these is a violation of an existing regulation that could be enforced by the Department of Labor. When an employer violates wage and hour rules, DOL investigates the practices and enforces the regulations against that employer. But no one shuts down an entire industry as a result.
And the IT consulting industry is not the only user of the H-1B visa. Let's not forget how many other critical fields use H-1B workers. In my own career alone, I have seen H-1B petitions for nanoscientists, ornithologists, CEO's of significant not for profit organizations, teachers, applied mathematicians, risk analysts, professionals involved in pharmaceutical research and development, automotive designers, international legal experts, film editors, microimaging engineers. H-1B's are valuable to small and large businesses alike, arguably even more to that emerging business that needs one key expert to develop a new product or service and get the business off the ground.
The assault on H-1B's is not only offensive, it's dangerous. Here's why:
* H-1B's create jobs—statistics show that 5 jobs are created in the U.S. for every H-1B worker hired. An administrative clamp-down in the program will hinder this job creation. And think about the valuable sharing of skills and expertise between H-1B workers and U.S. workers—this is lost when companies are discouraged from using the program.
* The anti-H-1B assault dissuades large businesses from conducting research and development in the US, and encourages the relocation of those facilities in jurisdictions that are friendlier to foreign professionals.
* The anti-H-1B assault chills the formation of small businesses in the US, particularly in emerging technologies. This will most certainly be one of the long-term results of USCIS' most recent memo.
* The attack on H-1B's offends our friends and allies in the world. An example: Earlier this year India –one of the U.S.'s closest allies --announced new visa restrictions on foreign nationals working there. Surely the treatment of Indian national H-1B workers at the hands of our agencies involved in the immigration process would not have escaped the attention of the Indian government as they issued their own restrictions.
* The increasing challenges in the H-1B program may have the effect of encouraging foreign students who were educated in the U.S. to seek permanent positions elsewhere.
Whatever the cause of the visceral reaction against H-1B workers might be—whether it stems from a fear that fraud will become more widespread or whether it is simply a broader reaction against foreign workers that often raises its head during any down economy –I sincerely hope that the agencies are able to gain some perspective on the program that allows them to treat legitimate H-1B employers and employees with the respect they deserve and to effectively enforce against those who are non-compliant, rather than casting a wide net and treating all H-1B users as abusers.
source link : http://ailaleadership.blogspot.com/2010/02/why-is-h-1b-dirty-word.html#comment-form
By Eleanor Pelta, AILA First Vice President
H-1B workers certainly seem to be under fire these days on many fronts. A new memo issued by USCIS on the employer-employee relationship imposes new extra-regulatory regulations on the types of activities in which H-1B workers can engage as well as the types of enterprises that can petition for H-1B workers. The memo targets the consulting industry directly, deftly slips in a new concept that seems to prohibit H-1B petitions for employer-owners of businesses, and will surely constitute an open invitation to the Service Centers to hit H-1B petitioners with a new slew of kitchen-sink RFE's. On another front, USCIS continues to make unannounced H-1B site visits, often repeatedly to the same employer. Apart from the "in-terrorem" impact of such visits, I personally cannot see the utility of three different visits to the same employer, particularly after the first one or two visits show that the employer is fully compliant.
But USCIS isn't the only agency that is rigorously targeting H-1B's. An AILA member recently reported that CBP pulled newly-arrived Indian nationals holding H-1B visas out of an immigration inspection line and reportedly placed them in Expedited Removal. The legal basis of those actions is still unclear. However, the tactic is too close to racial profiling for my own comfort.
Finally, recent H-1B "skirmishes" include various U.S. consular posts in India issuing "pink letters" that are, simply put, consular "RFE's" appearing to question the bona fides of the H-1B and requesting information on a host of truly repetitive and/or irrelevant topics. Much of the information that is routinely requested on a pink letter is already in the copy of the H-1B visa petition. Some of the letters request payroll information for all employees of the sponsoring company, a ridiculous request in most instances, particularly for major multi-national companies. One of the most frustrating actions we are seeing from consular officers in this context is the checking off or highlighting of every single category of additional information on the form letter, whether directly applicable or not, in effect a "paper wall" that must be overcome before an applicant can have the H-1B visa issued. Very discouraging to both employer and employee.
How have we come to a point in time where the H-1B category in and of itself is so disdained and mistrusted? Of course I'm aware that instances of fraud have cast this category in a bad light. But I think that vehemence of the administrative attack on the H-1B category is so disproportionate to the actual statistics about fraud. And interestingly, the disproportionate heavy-handed administrative reaction comes not from the agency specifically tasked with H-1B enforcement—the Department of Labor—but from CIS, CBP and State. Sometimes I just have to shake my head and ask myself what makes people so darn angry about a visa category that, at bottom, is designed to bring in relatively tiny number of really smart people to work in U.S. businesses of any size. It has to be a reaction against something else.
Yes, a great number of IT consultants come to the US on H-1B's. It is important to remember that so many of these individuals are extremely well-educated, capable people, working in an industry in which there are a large number of high profile players. And arguably, the high profile consulting companies have the most at stake if they do not focus on compliance, as they are the easiest enforcement target and they need their business model to work in the U.S. in order to survive. Some people may not like the business model, although arguably IT consulting companies provide needed services that allow US businesses, such as banks and insurance companies to focus on their own core strengths. Like it or not, though, this business model is perfectly legal under current law, and the agencies that enforce our immigration laws have no business trying to eviscerate it by policy or a pattern of discretionary actions.
It is true that some IT consulting companies' practices have been the focus of fraud investigations. But DOL has stringent rules in place to deal with the bad guys. Benching H-1B workers without pay, paying below the prevailing wage, sending H-1B workers on long-term assignments to a site not covered by an LCA—these are the practices we most often hear about, and every single one of these is a violation of an existing regulation that could be enforced by the Department of Labor. When an employer violates wage and hour rules, DOL investigates the practices and enforces the regulations against that employer. But no one shuts down an entire industry as a result.
And the IT consulting industry is not the only user of the H-1B visa. Let's not forget how many other critical fields use H-1B workers. In my own career alone, I have seen H-1B petitions for nanoscientists, ornithologists, CEO's of significant not for profit organizations, teachers, applied mathematicians, risk analysts, professionals involved in pharmaceutical research and development, automotive designers, international legal experts, film editors, microimaging engineers. H-1B's are valuable to small and large businesses alike, arguably even more to that emerging business that needs one key expert to develop a new product or service and get the business off the ground.
The assault on H-1B's is not only offensive, it's dangerous. Here's why:
* H-1B's create jobs—statistics show that 5 jobs are created in the U.S. for every H-1B worker hired. An administrative clamp-down in the program will hinder this job creation. And think about the valuable sharing of skills and expertise between H-1B workers and U.S. workers—this is lost when companies are discouraged from using the program.
* The anti-H-1B assault dissuades large businesses from conducting research and development in the US, and encourages the relocation of those facilities in jurisdictions that are friendlier to foreign professionals.
* The anti-H-1B assault chills the formation of small businesses in the US, particularly in emerging technologies. This will most certainly be one of the long-term results of USCIS' most recent memo.
* The attack on H-1B's offends our friends and allies in the world. An example: Earlier this year India –one of the U.S.'s closest allies --announced new visa restrictions on foreign nationals working there. Surely the treatment of Indian national H-1B workers at the hands of our agencies involved in the immigration process would not have escaped the attention of the Indian government as they issued their own restrictions.
* The increasing challenges in the H-1B program may have the effect of encouraging foreign students who were educated in the U.S. to seek permanent positions elsewhere.
Whatever the cause of the visceral reaction against H-1B workers might be—whether it stems from a fear that fraud will become more widespread or whether it is simply a broader reaction against foreign workers that often raises its head during any down economy –I sincerely hope that the agencies are able to gain some perspective on the program that allows them to treat legitimate H-1B employers and employees with the respect they deserve and to effectively enforce against those who are non-compliant, rather than casting a wide net and treating all H-1B users as abusers.
source link : http://ailaleadership.blogspot.com/2010/02/why-is-h-1b-dirty-word.html#comment-form
deba
09-09 10:28 PM
Nothing surprising here. I have yet to hear about one desi employer who has not exploited H1b. The system is set up to favor the employer. Employees hardly have a choice. Those in favor of increasing the quota should also lobby for complete portability without any penalty to keep the system fair.
Deb
Contrib $600 so far + $300 for rally
EB2 India PD 03/05
I140 09/07
I485 07/07
Deb
Contrib $600 so far + $300 for rally
EB2 India PD 03/05
I140 09/07
I485 07/07
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