maddipati1
01-12 11:13 AM
nice combo, SS and jealous of others who grow, if ur not WLPOS urself u wud've grown too :) if u have any clue abt jul07 fiasco and aftermath u wudnt be believin 'all izz well' like an ostrich :) 'all izz well' only makes Amir a few mil$s. u still have no clue why i have to even bother to respond to u, do u?
wallpaper Jamie-Lynn Sigler :: Kevin
goel_ar
12-20 10:28 AM
Everyone knows about Illegal immigration - no one knows about legal immigration.
We need to have a working group to generate awareness @ grassroot levels about legal EB immigrations - common voters, media, people working around you.
Working with lawmakers is ok but they don't get asked by their voters to support legal EB immigration first before illegal immigration. Hence lawmakers never feel pressure to support legal EB immigration.
We need to try to go to wider audience instead of targetted audience (lawmakers) - which has been IVs approach for long time.
People need to know us more than indian 'software' techies. They need to understand how we got there, how we contribute to society, maintain status & maintain job without years.
We need to look for support among all people who values skilled workforce...
(I hope IV admins won't kill this thread as they don't like their criticism - like $2 thread- )...
We need to have a working group to generate awareness @ grassroot levels about legal EB immigrations - common voters, media, people working around you.
Working with lawmakers is ok but they don't get asked by their voters to support legal EB immigration first before illegal immigration. Hence lawmakers never feel pressure to support legal EB immigration.
We need to try to go to wider audience instead of targetted audience (lawmakers) - which has been IVs approach for long time.
People need to know us more than indian 'software' techies. They need to understand how we got there, how we contribute to society, maintain status & maintain job without years.
We need to look for support among all people who values skilled workforce...
(I hope IV admins won't kill this thread as they don't like their criticism - like $2 thread- )...
vmetla
07-31 12:37 AM
Thank you very much for your response.
2011 Jamie Lynn Sigler
anilsal
12-19 02:17 PM
IV core has a lot of things on their plate IMO. Calling lawmakers should be just an initiative from the members.
When the need comes, I am sure IV core will guide us with an aggressive calling plan.
For now, we should concentrate on stregthening our state chapters as well as increasing membership while taking a look at contributions.
But do call Sen.Cornyn's office regularly such that SKIL bill has a chance soon.
When the need comes, I am sure IV core will guide us with an aggressive calling plan.
For now, we should concentrate on stregthening our state chapters as well as increasing membership while taking a look at contributions.
But do call Sen.Cornyn's office regularly such that SKIL bill has a chance soon.
more...
looneytunezez
02-04 11:00 AM
States accumulate spill over from Q1 to Q3 but doesnot apply. Those extra visas will not be given to any one .. Once gone from quarter then it cannot be given to any one. In last quarter it will go to Eb2 India.
i dont think spill over rules state that it can be applied to any specific country of chargeability.
It is applied on PD basis, so if PD for EB2-China is before EB2-India applicants, they will get the spillover. But the fact that # of applicants in EB2-C are lower than Eb2-I, EB2-I should get more beneficial spill as long as its done horizontally and not vertically.
Based on my understanding, i agree that they will apply spillover in Q4 (in theory).
i dont think spill over rules state that it can be applied to any specific country of chargeability.
It is applied on PD basis, so if PD for EB2-China is before EB2-India applicants, they will get the spillover. But the fact that # of applicants in EB2-C are lower than Eb2-I, EB2-I should get more beneficial spill as long as its done horizontally and not vertically.
Based on my understanding, i agree that they will apply spillover in Q4 (in theory).
krishnam70
07-04 10:29 AM
http://s202395528.onlinehome.us/2007/07/03/the-cis-has-really-outdone-itself-this-time/
CIS has really outdone itself this time
The CIS has a long and dishonorable history. They have done many unconscionable things in their past, as individuals and as an institution. They are rife with corruption and incompetence. They willfully refuse to follow the law. Their latest stunt, however, tops anything they have done before.
According to the CIS Ombudsman, the CIS has wasted more than half a million employment based immigrant visas in the last decade. A few years ago, they reserved a huge block of EB immigrant visa numbers with the excuse that they were going to use them to close out a large number of backlogged adjustment of status applications. The result was that the Visa Office had to suddenly retrogress Visa Bulletin cutoff dates. The CIS, of course, didn�t close out even a small fraction of the cases they said they were going to close and tens of thousands of visa numbers were irretrievably lost. Cynical minds believe that they did this deliberately to force a retrogression and stop the filing of additional applications.
This year, determined to prevent the further waste of visa numbers, the Visa Office advanced cutoff dates so that as many EB immigrant visas as possible could be issued before the end of the fiscal year. A few months earlier, the CIS Ombudsman warned that CIS incompetence and inability to reduce adjustment of status backlogs would likely result in the irrevocable loss of at least 40,000 EB immigrant visa numbers.
The CIS was said to be very upset by the Visa Office action. They fumed and stomped and finally came up with a plan. This past weekend, they brought in the entire staff of the NSC and TSC and had them pull files. They pulled more than 60,000 pending adjustment of status files and then ordered visa numbers for all of them. Understand, many (most) of these files were missing background security check results and can not be closed. It didn�t matter, the CIS has no intention of closing them, they just wanted to find enough files to order all of the remaining visa numbers and force a retrogression of cutoff dates. This is why the Visa Office had to issue the update yesterday, announcing that there were no more EB visa numbers available for the remainder of the fiscal year.
By law, the CIS must return all visa numbers they have not used within seven days. Don�t hold your breath waiting for that to happen.
Consider the effort the CIS put into their scheme to frustrate the plans of thousands of intending applicants. How much overtime pay will the taxpayers have to fork over for this? Worse, I very seriously doubt that we will see more than a few cases actually closed. They will have gone through this entire expensive effort for no reason other than to show that they are capable of throwing an institutional tempter tantrum. At the end of the day, they will again have irrevocably wasted tens of thousands of EB immigrant visa numbers and pushed visa cutoff days back even further.
And people wonder why we have an immigration problem.
This entry was posted on July 3, 2007 at 10:22 am and is filed under General. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response or trackback from your own site.
http://s202395528.onlinehome.us/2007/07/03/more-evidence-of-illegality-in-the-update/
CIS has really outdone itself this time
The CIS has a long and dishonorable history. They have done many unconscionable things in their past, as individuals and as an institution. They are rife with corruption and incompetence. They willfully refuse to follow the law. Their latest stunt, however, tops anything they have done before.
According to the CIS Ombudsman, the CIS has wasted more than half a million employment based immigrant visas in the last decade. A few years ago, they reserved a huge block of EB immigrant visa numbers with the excuse that they were going to use them to close out a large number of backlogged adjustment of status applications. The result was that the Visa Office had to suddenly retrogress Visa Bulletin cutoff dates. The CIS, of course, didn�t close out even a small fraction of the cases they said they were going to close and tens of thousands of visa numbers were irretrievably lost. Cynical minds believe that they did this deliberately to force a retrogression and stop the filing of additional applications.
This year, determined to prevent the further waste of visa numbers, the Visa Office advanced cutoff dates so that as many EB immigrant visas as possible could be issued before the end of the fiscal year. A few months earlier, the CIS Ombudsman warned that CIS incompetence and inability to reduce adjustment of status backlogs would likely result in the irrevocable loss of at least 40,000 EB immigrant visa numbers.
The CIS was said to be very upset by the Visa Office action. They fumed and stomped and finally came up with a plan. This past weekend, they brought in the entire staff of the NSC and TSC and had them pull files. They pulled more than 60,000 pending adjustment of status files and then ordered visa numbers for all of them. Understand, many (most) of these files were missing background security check results and can not be closed. It didn�t matter, the CIS has no intention of closing them, they just wanted to find enough files to order all of the remaining visa numbers and force a retrogression of cutoff dates. This is why the Visa Office had to issue the update yesterday, announcing that there were no more EB visa numbers available for the remainder of the fiscal year.
By law, the CIS must return all visa numbers they have not used within seven days. Don�t hold your breath waiting for that to happen.
Consider the effort the CIS put into their scheme to frustrate the plans of thousands of intending applicants. How much overtime pay will the taxpayers have to fork over for this? Worse, I very seriously doubt that we will see more than a few cases actually closed. They will have gone through this entire expensive effort for no reason other than to show that they are capable of throwing an institutional tempter tantrum. At the end of the day, they will again have irrevocably wasted tens of thousands of EB immigrant visa numbers and pushed visa cutoff days back even further.
And people wonder why we have an immigration problem.
This entry was posted on July 3, 2007 at 10:22 am and is filed under General. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response or trackback from your own site.
http://s202395528.onlinehome.us/2007/07/03/more-evidence-of-illegality-in-the-update/
more...
jatinr
09-23 04:15 PM
i too remember reading postmark doesnt matter it should be received by 17th
I agree,it was clarified in immigration-law that the application should be received by Aug 17th and does not matter when it was sent.
.
I agree,it was clarified in immigration-law that the application should be received by Aug 17th and does not matter when it was sent.
.
2010 Jamie-Lynn Sigler
chris
10-18 08:22 AM
Hi Kitiara,
Ive had a look at your animation, and Ive got the size down roughly another 2k.
What I did was I opened up the animation in fireworks and exported/optimised each layer, then I reopened each image and put them back on the canvas which I then trimmed to match your layers.
What you could try is to only use photoshop for the image work and apply the text from fireworks, I'm not sure if this would make much of a difference but it might reduce it a further couple of k.:bandit:
Ive had a look at your animation, and Ive got the size down roughly another 2k.
What I did was I opened up the animation in fireworks and exported/optimised each layer, then I reopened each image and put them back on the canvas which I then trimmed to match your layers.
What you could try is to only use photoshop for the image work and apply the text from fireworks, I'm not sure if this would make much of a difference but it might reduce it a further couple of k.:bandit:
more...
alterego
07-12 07:25 PM
Consult with you lawyer about this one.
However I think that you can substitute the underlying 140 to the EB2 petition with the earlier priority date and hence make your 485 approvable. You are entitled to the better PD and category. You do however need to work with the petitioning employer, which based on your approval could end up being the Eb2 petition employer.
The suggestion to file AOS for the other one is also a good idea, since your EB2 140 PD is almost certain to stay current for some time, You might very well be able to get your green card through CP within a few months.
This would be a good question to post on the lawyer thread on the home page.
However I think that you can substitute the underlying 140 to the EB2 petition with the earlier priority date and hence make your 485 approvable. You are entitled to the better PD and category. You do however need to work with the petitioning employer, which based on your approval could end up being the Eb2 petition employer.
The suggestion to file AOS for the other one is also a good idea, since your EB2 140 PD is almost certain to stay current for some time, You might very well be able to get your green card through CP within a few months.
This would be a good question to post on the lawyer thread on the home page.
hair Jamie Lynn Sigler picture
crystal
07-11 12:07 PM
^^^^
more...
rockstart
05-28 10:11 AM
field 11 (have you previously applied for EAD ) there is a column called
"Which USCIS Office" "Date(s)" can some tell me what needs to be filled there? mine was texas center filing.
Also section 16 Eligiblity code is it (c) (9) for both primary applicant as well as spouse (derivative) or different.
Does some one have a mockup sample they can share with others?
"Which USCIS Office" "Date(s)" can some tell me what needs to be filled there? mine was texas center filing.
Also section 16 Eligiblity code is it (c) (9) for both primary applicant as well as spouse (derivative) or different.
Does some one have a mockup sample they can share with others?
hot Sigler Jamie Lynn - Photo XXL
WillIBLucky
06-19 02:09 PM
Is there are rule governing how far in advance( before the current EAD expires) we can apply for EAD renewal? Is it ok to apply 7 months in advance?
The usual thumb rule for USCIS is 6 months in advance for any renewal or extensions.
The usual thumb rule for USCIS is 6 months in advance for any renewal or extensions.
more...
house Jamie Lynn Sigler
diptam
04-11 11:16 PM
I've a terrible situation now:
My current H1 is probably going to be cancelled by Apr 30th , I'm looking for a Job on my EAD and will hopefully get one soon by Apr 30th.
However H1 cancellation means H4 will get auto-cancelled - Is that true ? If yes, then my spouse will lose her status ?? She couldn't apply for her "derivative 485" when I filed mine in July 2007 due to wrong DOB on Birth Certificate. Pricipal Applicant's priority Date is Mar 2005 and EB3-I and there is no signs for it to be current within next 3-4 years.
What are my spouse's options without falling out of status or leaving the country and remain separated for 3-4 yrs or more years till the PD gets current ? We have a Kid who is US citizen.
Thanks much!
My current H1 is probably going to be cancelled by Apr 30th , I'm looking for a Job on my EAD and will hopefully get one soon by Apr 30th.
However H1 cancellation means H4 will get auto-cancelled - Is that true ? If yes, then my spouse will lose her status ?? She couldn't apply for her "derivative 485" when I filed mine in July 2007 due to wrong DOB on Birth Certificate. Pricipal Applicant's priority Date is Mar 2005 and EB3-I and there is no signs for it to be current within next 3-4 years.
What are my spouse's options without falling out of status or leaving the country and remain separated for 3-4 yrs or more years till the PD gets current ? We have a Kid who is US citizen.
Thanks much!
tattoo Browse all: Jamie Lynn Sigler
IVLageRaho
09-23 04:40 PM
Hello,
We were current in the July bulletin (PD Dec 04, EB3 India) but did not apply for AP along with 485. I sent the AP application on Aug 16, after over-the-phone assurances from USCIS that I can apply with old fees as long as the application is post marked before Aug 17.
The application was not delivered for some reason on the 17, although I sent next-day express, but on the 20th. The application was returned citing incorrect fees.
I read in a thread on IV that such cases can be addressed to a specific officer, with clear instructions to the mailroom that they should not open/process the application. But inspite of a long search, I could not find that thread again.
Could someone please point me to the correct thread, or to any information about this exceptional process ? Can I speak directly to this officer ?
Thanks for your help.
I also my filed my 765 and 131(AP) on 15th August and they received it on 16th August. My 485 filed by attorny on 12 th July. I my slef applied EAD & 131.
on 12th Sep uscis refused my file 765 & 131 and sent it to me to my home address as I filed it.
on the same day I type a covering letter in think blue color paper - mentioning .
ATTN: CRU Supervisor - Case Improperly Rejected for Fees.
And I explained in the covering letter the amount of the fees paid and the date the case was received.
When you recieve your file back there should be fedex receipt with the file . don't tocuh any thing just add the cover letter - put the refused papers in one envelop and after you sealed the envlop - attach the covering letter on the envolop put them together in fedex cover and send it again.
I have sent my package on 12th evening it self on the same day when I received it. with over night option that has been received by the uscis on 13th Sep and - I got the receipt notices on 21st - the receipt date they mentioned on the receipt is 13th July, which is actuly receipt date for 485.
Best of luck
See the question number three answer by murthy -
http://www.murthy.com/news/n_faqrec.html
We were current in the July bulletin (PD Dec 04, EB3 India) but did not apply for AP along with 485. I sent the AP application on Aug 16, after over-the-phone assurances from USCIS that I can apply with old fees as long as the application is post marked before Aug 17.
The application was not delivered for some reason on the 17, although I sent next-day express, but on the 20th. The application was returned citing incorrect fees.
I read in a thread on IV that such cases can be addressed to a specific officer, with clear instructions to the mailroom that they should not open/process the application. But inspite of a long search, I could not find that thread again.
Could someone please point me to the correct thread, or to any information about this exceptional process ? Can I speak directly to this officer ?
Thanks for your help.
I also my filed my 765 and 131(AP) on 15th August and they received it on 16th August. My 485 filed by attorny on 12 th July. I my slef applied EAD & 131.
on 12th Sep uscis refused my file 765 & 131 and sent it to me to my home address as I filed it.
on the same day I type a covering letter in think blue color paper - mentioning .
ATTN: CRU Supervisor - Case Improperly Rejected for Fees.
And I explained in the covering letter the amount of the fees paid and the date the case was received.
When you recieve your file back there should be fedex receipt with the file . don't tocuh any thing just add the cover letter - put the refused papers in one envelop and after you sealed the envlop - attach the covering letter on the envolop put them together in fedex cover and send it again.
I have sent my package on 12th evening it self on the same day when I received it. with over night option that has been received by the uscis on 13th Sep and - I got the receipt notices on 21st - the receipt date they mentioned on the receipt is 13th July, which is actuly receipt date for 485.
Best of luck
See the question number three answer by murthy -
http://www.murthy.com/news/n_faqrec.html
more...
pictures #46 : Jamie Lynn Sigler
gcjourney04
09-04 04:53 PM
hi
all, we received our approval notice email on sep 1 for me and my wife.no cpo or welcoming email yet.
all, we received our approval notice email on sep 1 for me and my wife.no cpo or welcoming email yet.
dresses Jamie-lynn-sigler-
arnet
09-13 02:28 PM
Started this thread just to encourage us after oct bulletin:
We know that unless a bill is passed (SKIL), retrogression issue cant be solved. It is not an easier task to accomplish but a task that needs more courage and efforts. Each time when we see the visa bulletin with no movement in dates, we feel more depressed but we should always remember this, no matter how many times we fall or pushed back, our goal is to get up and move with more strength. Now everyone is going through tough phases of life in one way or the other. This is not new for us, we have dealt this type of problems before.
As people say: "good things will happen to those who wait". Our team efforts (in IV), our hard work and prayers will definitely move the mountains. All we need now is faith and patience so that we can put focussed efforts to pass this SKIL bill by end of this year. Soon we will find ways to achieve this.
We know that unless a bill is passed (SKIL), retrogression issue cant be solved. It is not an easier task to accomplish but a task that needs more courage and efforts. Each time when we see the visa bulletin with no movement in dates, we feel more depressed but we should always remember this, no matter how many times we fall or pushed back, our goal is to get up and move with more strength. Now everyone is going through tough phases of life in one way or the other. This is not new for us, we have dealt this type of problems before.
As people say: "good things will happen to those who wait". Our team efforts (in IV), our hard work and prayers will definitely move the mountains. All we need now is faith and patience so that we can put focussed efforts to pass this SKIL bill by end of this year. Soon we will find ways to achieve this.
more...
makeup Jamie-Lynn Sigler Hairstyles
lskreddy
08-14 12:05 PM
all the best to you! If you are serious about this, then you may want to go easy on visiting iv and start checking out: http://www.r2iclubforums.com/forums/
I spend a few good hours a week on that site. :-)
Some of the writings are pretty motivating...
I spend a few good hours a week on that site. :-)
Some of the writings are pretty motivating...
girlfriend Name: Jamie-Lynn Sigler
kartikiran
12-17 02:11 PM
My wife will be coming back in April 2nd week through Denver. CO POE. Her AP is valid until June 3rd week.
My question is that is 2 months of AP validity / cushion enough or safe to enter the US.
Any experiences from forum members about using their AP when there is 2 months or less left in the expiry of the AP document and they entered the US. Did anyone have any bad experience at POE due to near expiry of the AP. Members entered through Denver, CO POE with their experiences would be an added help.
Thanks in advance for all your time.
Used NY POE. Arrived on July 5th with expiring AP on Sept 9th. No problems.
My question is that is 2 months of AP validity / cushion enough or safe to enter the US.
Any experiences from forum members about using their AP when there is 2 months or less left in the expiry of the AP document and they entered the US. Did anyone have any bad experience at POE due to near expiry of the AP. Members entered through Denver, CO POE with their experiences would be an added help.
Thanks in advance for all your time.
Used NY POE. Arrived on July 5th with expiring AP on Sept 9th. No problems.
hairstyles Jamie-Lynn Sigler
waiting_4_gc
07-18 06:48 PM
Since on 2nd July they said they will reject the AOS application, what if they would have done some rejection during that time, and by the time July filers get their application back, it is after 17th of August. In that circumstance, can you send the AOS application back arguing USCIS's mistake and ask them to take it back after 08/17 and would they take it back politely or reject it again.
Its going to be another lawsuit :confused:
Its going to be another lawsuit :confused:
buehler
04-13 05:28 PM
Aliens who have advanced degree in science,technology,engineering or math and have been working in a related field in US under a non immigrant visa during the 3 year period preceding their application should be exempt from numerical limits.
Dependents are also exempted. So by itself it is a decent bill. Hope IV can add more amendments to it.
Dependents are also exempted. So by itself it is a decent bill. Hope IV can add more amendments to it.
imm_pro
05-15 11:15 PM
This is awsome..also on the newsdesk..:):):):):)
Feinstein, Lofgren use Iraq spending bill to push for guest-worker program
05-15) 19:18 PDT Washington - -- Two of California's most immigrant-dependent industries - agriculture and Silicon Valley - are pushing narrow measures through Congress in an effort to employ foreign workers at opposite ends of the labor market, people who pick vegetables and the postgraduate engineers and scientists of Silicon Valley.
Sen. Dianne Feinstein attached a farm guest-worker program to the giant Iraq spending bill today in a last-ditch effort to remedy a shortage of workers in California's produce fields as the federal government continues to crack down on illegal immigration and the political climate proves hostile to more sweeping measures.
Rep. Zoe Lofgren, D-San Jose, teaming with Republicans, is pushing several bills to give permanent residence to top engineering talent.
"It's an emergency," Feinstein said of the farm worker situation. "If you can't get people to prune, to plant, to pick, to pack, you can't run a farm."
Her addition to the Iraq spending bill would give temporary legal status to 1.3 million farm workers over the next five years, but it would provide no path to citizenship or permanent residency. It passed the Senate Appropriations Committee 17 to 12 today.
Workers applying for the program would have to prove they had worked on U.S. farms for at least 150 days or 863 hours, or had earned at least $17,000, during the last four years. They would have to remain working in agriculture for the next five years, when the program would expire.
The move marks an end for now to efforts to give farm workers a path to citizenship after a sweeping immigration bill crashed in the Senate last June. Feinstein has been trying all year to attach a bill called AgJobs but has met nothing but dead-ends.
Western Growers, representing California farmers, and the United Farm Workers of American union joined in backing the bill. Western Growers President Tom Nassif said large growers are accelerating efforts to move their farming operations to Mexico. The 15 growers out of several hundred who responded to a survey and were willing to talk about their plans moved 84,000 acres worth of crop production to Mexico this year, twice as many acres as last year, Nassif said.
"Once the acreage moves to Mexico, it's there permanently," Nassif said. "Much of the remaining open space in California is agricultural land. If it's not farmed, we'd be growing condos or cementing it over with office buildings."
The tightening of the border has made it increasingly difficult, dangerous and expensive for laborers to return to the United States if they leave, disrupting the traditional circular flow of farm workers from Mexico to California's fields in the Salinas and Central valleys. Most farm workers arrive illegally, and farmers complain that an existing guest worker program called H2A is cumbersome and ineffective. Feinstein's bill would streamline that program's rules.
Growers are apprehensive about a new administration effort, temporarily stopped by a federal court, that would require employers to match workers with a valid Social Security number or be heavily fined. The Department of Homeland Security is refining the rule to get past court objections.
United Farmworkers President Arturo Rodriguez said farming is facing "a very real emergency" and applauded the bill as a "critical but temporary fix to a much larger problem."
Feinstein acknowledged that the chances of getting the bill all the way through Congress, even attached to war spending, is "uphill all the way."
On the other side of the Capitol, Rep. Zoe Lofgren, D-San Jose, is teaming with conservative Republicans to try to push similar discreetly targeted measures for Silicon Valley. She has dropped efforts for now to expand the controversial H-1B program for temporary high-skilled workers, which again this year ran out of its 85,000 visas on the first day they were released. Lofgren said the program needs changes, given its wide use by Indian offshoring companies.
Instead, Lofgren has introduced a passel of five small-bore immigration bills, among them one that would allow masters' and doctoral graduates from U.S. universities to apply immediately for permanent residence, skipping the H-1B program altogether.
"Most people would agree if you get your Ph.D in engineering from an American university, you've got something to offer this country," Lofgren said. "Right now, we have no ability to keep those people here ... we send them home to compete against Americans. It would make more sense to keep them here to help us compete."
Lofgren has even teamed up on one bill, to "recapture" unused permanent resident slots, with Rep. James Sensenbrenner, the Wisconsin Republican famous as the author of immigration crackdown legislation, never enacted, that was so harsh it led to the nation's first large-scale Latino protests in 2006.
"What's happened is that with the shortage of very high-level people, multinational companies are sending their project teams offshore," Lofgren said. "Not only the top hot-shot leading the team, but all the support jobs that go with that hot shot. Among the people I've met is a guy who spent four years at Harvard, seven at Stanford's engineering school, then did practical training and has been here six years on an H1B, and he's in limbo. He's an extremely talented person and has no idea what his future is going to be. He's being recruited in Australia and Europe, and he's ready to bail out. What he needs is not more temporary time."
Members of the Silicon Valley Leadership Group of business executives spent Thursday lobbying Congress on high-skilled immigration and tax breaks for solar energy and research and development.
"This is no time to say to high-skilled workers in a global economy that we don't want you," said Barry Cinnamon, chief executive of Akeena Solar in Los Gatos. "We're happy to have that argument with anyone."
E-mail Carolyn Lochhead at clochhead@sfchronicle.com
Feinstein, Lofgren use Iraq spending bill to push for guest-worker program
05-15) 19:18 PDT Washington - -- Two of California's most immigrant-dependent industries - agriculture and Silicon Valley - are pushing narrow measures through Congress in an effort to employ foreign workers at opposite ends of the labor market, people who pick vegetables and the postgraduate engineers and scientists of Silicon Valley.
Sen. Dianne Feinstein attached a farm guest-worker program to the giant Iraq spending bill today in a last-ditch effort to remedy a shortage of workers in California's produce fields as the federal government continues to crack down on illegal immigration and the political climate proves hostile to more sweeping measures.
Rep. Zoe Lofgren, D-San Jose, teaming with Republicans, is pushing several bills to give permanent residence to top engineering talent.
"It's an emergency," Feinstein said of the farm worker situation. "If you can't get people to prune, to plant, to pick, to pack, you can't run a farm."
Her addition to the Iraq spending bill would give temporary legal status to 1.3 million farm workers over the next five years, but it would provide no path to citizenship or permanent residency. It passed the Senate Appropriations Committee 17 to 12 today.
Workers applying for the program would have to prove they had worked on U.S. farms for at least 150 days or 863 hours, or had earned at least $17,000, during the last four years. They would have to remain working in agriculture for the next five years, when the program would expire.
The move marks an end for now to efforts to give farm workers a path to citizenship after a sweeping immigration bill crashed in the Senate last June. Feinstein has been trying all year to attach a bill called AgJobs but has met nothing but dead-ends.
Western Growers, representing California farmers, and the United Farm Workers of American union joined in backing the bill. Western Growers President Tom Nassif said large growers are accelerating efforts to move their farming operations to Mexico. The 15 growers out of several hundred who responded to a survey and were willing to talk about their plans moved 84,000 acres worth of crop production to Mexico this year, twice as many acres as last year, Nassif said.
"Once the acreage moves to Mexico, it's there permanently," Nassif said. "Much of the remaining open space in California is agricultural land. If it's not farmed, we'd be growing condos or cementing it over with office buildings."
The tightening of the border has made it increasingly difficult, dangerous and expensive for laborers to return to the United States if they leave, disrupting the traditional circular flow of farm workers from Mexico to California's fields in the Salinas and Central valleys. Most farm workers arrive illegally, and farmers complain that an existing guest worker program called H2A is cumbersome and ineffective. Feinstein's bill would streamline that program's rules.
Growers are apprehensive about a new administration effort, temporarily stopped by a federal court, that would require employers to match workers with a valid Social Security number or be heavily fined. The Department of Homeland Security is refining the rule to get past court objections.
United Farmworkers President Arturo Rodriguez said farming is facing "a very real emergency" and applauded the bill as a "critical but temporary fix to a much larger problem."
Feinstein acknowledged that the chances of getting the bill all the way through Congress, even attached to war spending, is "uphill all the way."
On the other side of the Capitol, Rep. Zoe Lofgren, D-San Jose, is teaming with conservative Republicans to try to push similar discreetly targeted measures for Silicon Valley. She has dropped efforts for now to expand the controversial H-1B program for temporary high-skilled workers, which again this year ran out of its 85,000 visas on the first day they were released. Lofgren said the program needs changes, given its wide use by Indian offshoring companies.
Instead, Lofgren has introduced a passel of five small-bore immigration bills, among them one that would allow masters' and doctoral graduates from U.S. universities to apply immediately for permanent residence, skipping the H-1B program altogether.
"Most people would agree if you get your Ph.D in engineering from an American university, you've got something to offer this country," Lofgren said. "Right now, we have no ability to keep those people here ... we send them home to compete against Americans. It would make more sense to keep them here to help us compete."
Lofgren has even teamed up on one bill, to "recapture" unused permanent resident slots, with Rep. James Sensenbrenner, the Wisconsin Republican famous as the author of immigration crackdown legislation, never enacted, that was so harsh it led to the nation's first large-scale Latino protests in 2006.
"What's happened is that with the shortage of very high-level people, multinational companies are sending their project teams offshore," Lofgren said. "Not only the top hot-shot leading the team, but all the support jobs that go with that hot shot. Among the people I've met is a guy who spent four years at Harvard, seven at Stanford's engineering school, then did practical training and has been here six years on an H1B, and he's in limbo. He's an extremely talented person and has no idea what his future is going to be. He's being recruited in Australia and Europe, and he's ready to bail out. What he needs is not more temporary time."
Members of the Silicon Valley Leadership Group of business executives spent Thursday lobbying Congress on high-skilled immigration and tax breaks for solar energy and research and development.
"This is no time to say to high-skilled workers in a global economy that we don't want you," said Barry Cinnamon, chief executive of Akeena Solar in Los Gatos. "We're happy to have that argument with anyone."
E-mail Carolyn Lochhead at clochhead@sfchronicle.com
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