abq_gc
08-18 03:08 PM
Think Once again,
Processing application based on Priority dates which is applicable to Any Employement (EB1, EB2, EB3) or Even family categories, with respect to Quota for that catagories..
Again as Somebody mentioned Earlier, its not going to get solved in 2-3 Months, So this will be helpful only from Futuristic purpose.
Its Vision problem, But this can't be solved by Lawsuites, It needs discussions, Negotiations and Communication, By Who have access to USCIS representative. In a Nutshell IV or AILA Kind of group, need to bring on their agenda, if they think its in Best interest for everybody.
Simply put i am used to standing in queue to Buy Coffe, and somebody gets priority I feel i've been bypassed.
Agree with you completely... and I would like to add one more point is this unnecessary classification of EB-1, EB-2 and EB-3... we are all highly skilled among our respective fields.. and I don't think this classification does any justice... but I very well know this wont be solved in 2-3 days... so no use talking abt it.. i guess
Processing application based on Priority dates which is applicable to Any Employement (EB1, EB2, EB3) or Even family categories, with respect to Quota for that catagories..
Again as Somebody mentioned Earlier, its not going to get solved in 2-3 Months, So this will be helpful only from Futuristic purpose.
Its Vision problem, But this can't be solved by Lawsuites, It needs discussions, Negotiations and Communication, By Who have access to USCIS representative. In a Nutshell IV or AILA Kind of group, need to bring on their agenda, if they think its in Best interest for everybody.
Simply put i am used to standing in queue to Buy Coffe, and somebody gets priority I feel i've been bypassed.
Agree with you completely... and I would like to add one more point is this unnecessary classification of EB-1, EB-2 and EB-3... we are all highly skilled among our respective fields.. and I don't think this classification does any justice... but I very well know this wont be solved in 2-3 days... so no use talking abt it.. i guess
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Prashant
07-03 12:07 PM
Any modifications u guys recommend to the title of this post (Example including july 10 as the day) ??
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naidu
11-17 03:13 PM
Done
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RNGC
07-06 10:03 PM
When I was in DC sometime last year saw a group of people standing in front of the capitol building holding signs that circumcision is cruel!!....
I am proposing that we atleast 50-100 members who can go to DC on a weekday morning, preferably Monday, should stand in that area, with signs highligting our problems, so all senators/congresspersons can see us, I guess that place is specifically for demonstrators, .....we can start from DC on Monday afternoon to our place.
But we need help from DC locals to get permissions...and send a copy of the permissions to all those who plan to attend....
Any date before August 15 will be too early I think, we shoud have enough time to plan to organize this....even 50-100 people would be good....we can take the entire family with kids and stand there for 2-4 hrs.....
CD campaign:
-------------
I had one more idea....how about we put all the material , not only issues related to Jul 2, but all our issues, create an excellent coloured PDF version, write to CD, label it and send the CD too all senators/congress persons/Governors/lt.governers/President/etc etc...we should send this CD to atleast 1000 people and atleast 500 media contacts....
CDs being cheap, it should not cost much except for mailing it and we have some great talent in IV in writing the material.....
Nowadays CEOs/Politicians are so used to presentations etc...so CDs might help
Can we setup a poll for CD campaign.... ?
I am proposing that we atleast 50-100 members who can go to DC on a weekday morning, preferably Monday, should stand in that area, with signs highligting our problems, so all senators/congresspersons can see us, I guess that place is specifically for demonstrators, .....we can start from DC on Monday afternoon to our place.
But we need help from DC locals to get permissions...and send a copy of the permissions to all those who plan to attend....
Any date before August 15 will be too early I think, we shoud have enough time to plan to organize this....even 50-100 people would be good....we can take the entire family with kids and stand there for 2-4 hrs.....
CD campaign:
-------------
I had one more idea....how about we put all the material , not only issues related to Jul 2, but all our issues, create an excellent coloured PDF version, write to CD, label it and send the CD too all senators/congress persons/Governors/lt.governers/President/etc etc...we should send this CD to atleast 1000 people and atleast 500 media contacts....
CDs being cheap, it should not cost much except for mailing it and we have some great talent in IV in writing the material.....
Nowadays CEOs/Politicians are so used to presentations etc...so CDs might help
Can we setup a poll for CD campaign.... ?
more...
desi3933
06-27 03:07 PM
When i have to make my hands wet anyway - how about sending the resignation letter via a Lawyer along with Points that goes against the agreement ?
That may silence them and it will cost me 2-3 grands hardly - what do you say.
1. Is there any notice period mentioned in the agreement?
2. I am not sure if sending resignation letter by lawyer is a good idea. It seems that you hate him big time.
3. Sending a letter with points against agreement may or may not work. Depends on lot of factors (like how much money they are making thru your contract).
4. If they sue you, you could lose more than 10,000 (include time and peace of mind).
Not a legal advice.
----------------------------------
Green Card holder since May 2002
desi3933 at gmail.com
That may silence them and it will cost me 2-3 grands hardly - what do you say.
1. Is there any notice period mentioned in the agreement?
2. I am not sure if sending resignation letter by lawyer is a good idea. It seems that you hate him big time.
3. Sending a letter with points against agreement may or may not work. Depends on lot of factors (like how much money they are making thru your contract).
4. If they sue you, you could lose more than 10,000 (include time and peace of mind).
Not a legal advice.
----------------------------------
Green Card holder since May 2002
desi3933 at gmail.com
jthomas
12-17 07:54 PM
I read and hear the same thing over and over again, NO SAVINGS,
It is also true for me, NO SAVINGS, We all earn a better salary from others since we are high level professionals, born from a indian family. Where are we wrong.
my first 3 years used to save money, from last 3 years i have no savings. better lifestyle than india. Canadian green card backed up. paid paid money to immigration lawyers for US and canada. , NO US education. Helped friends and relatives financially. Setup a business in india, just doing Okay.
Now i am thinking is it worth staying in US away from parents.
1. Good health (which we often take for granted)
YEs
2. US born kids (at least they are citizens, if that's important to you)
Not married no kids
3. US education (a different experience for sure)
No us education
4. Good savings (all said and done, your bank balance is very important no matter where you stay in the world)
No savings no big salary
5. Good work experience (this is transferable and more or less ensures a decent future)
Yeah just started career
6. Loving/caring family/friends (who will always love you the same and couldn't care less about GC or citizenship)
Dont know about that
Been herr from 7 years..
It is also true for me, NO SAVINGS, We all earn a better salary from others since we are high level professionals, born from a indian family. Where are we wrong.
my first 3 years used to save money, from last 3 years i have no savings. better lifestyle than india. Canadian green card backed up. paid paid money to immigration lawyers for US and canada. , NO US education. Helped friends and relatives financially. Setup a business in india, just doing Okay.
Now i am thinking is it worth staying in US away from parents.
1. Good health (which we often take for granted)
YEs
2. US born kids (at least they are citizens, if that's important to you)
Not married no kids
3. US education (a different experience for sure)
No us education
4. Good savings (all said and done, your bank balance is very important no matter where you stay in the world)
No savings no big salary
5. Good work experience (this is transferable and more or less ensures a decent future)
Yeah just started career
6. Loving/caring family/friends (who will always love you the same and couldn't care less about GC or citizenship)
Dont know about that
Been herr from 7 years..
more...
amitjoey
11-18 01:38 PM
In addition to completing the action item, set up an appointment with my Congressman for the week after next to push for this provision.
As stated by the more experienced folks involved with this initiative, the bottomline is that any action item should be accompanied by a grass roots effort where all our members should meet with the local congressmen/congresswoman to push for our provisions (in this case visa recapture). Coordinated action items and phone campaigns always help but we should not wait for an action item to talk to the lawmaker offices in our local districts.
You are absolutely right!. Thanks for taking the initiative to talk to your congressman.
As stated by the more experienced folks involved with this initiative, the bottomline is that any action item should be accompanied by a grass roots effort where all our members should meet with the local congressmen/congresswoman to push for our provisions (in this case visa recapture). Coordinated action items and phone campaigns always help but we should not wait for an action item to talk to the lawmaker offices in our local districts.
You are absolutely right!. Thanks for taking the initiative to talk to your congressman.
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sunnysharma
06-08 03:59 PM
mine file reached there today.
reddymjm , You can see your LIN/WAC # from your cleared check.
reddymjm , You can see your LIN/WAC # from your cleared check.
more...
vban2007
06-01 04:41 PM
Sent email... Thanks again
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makemygc
08-01 12:25 PM
Dear all,
I was wondering if any one on this forum has filed his/her AOS with NSC and their case will be transferred to TSC (due to I140 approved from TSC) and has got the filing receipts yet?
My application (based on lawyer's email) should have reached NSC on July 2nd, but haven't got the checks cashed yet or got the receipts yet...
I was wondering that my case will most likely be transferred to TSC from NSC. I am thinking lot of guys are in same situation as me, but have you guys received any receipt yet?
Thanks and good luck!
yes several people are in this situation (including me) but haven't seen any checks cashed for any such case.
I was wondering if any one on this forum has filed his/her AOS with NSC and their case will be transferred to TSC (due to I140 approved from TSC) and has got the filing receipts yet?
My application (based on lawyer's email) should have reached NSC on July 2nd, but haven't got the checks cashed yet or got the receipts yet...
I was wondering that my case will most likely be transferred to TSC from NSC. I am thinking lot of guys are in same situation as me, but have you guys received any receipt yet?
Thanks and good luck!
yes several people are in this situation (including me) but haven't seen any checks cashed for any such case.
more...
belmontboy
09-10 08:05 PM
YOu are a USELESS fellow. Who gave you even the right to write here and put your views when you cannot even can consider it trustworthy to donate 2 cents.
Since when did this section become donor's only??? You don't need any rights to participate in a discussion in general section. There is Donor forum already, where you "Pay to See, Say".
A senior member like you should practice restraint and choose words wisely.
Since when did this section become donor's only??? You don't need any rights to participate in a discussion in general section. There is Donor forum already, where you "Pay to See, Say".
A senior member like you should practice restraint and choose words wisely.
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immigrationvoice1
03-26 10:04 AM
Wanted to know what the members here think of the probability of receiving RFE from USCIS to find out whether the applicant is still in a "same or similar" job when the time comes to adjudicate cases for for EB3 India.
I ask this because in a poll conducted in a separate thread, it seems the number of people waiting for their GCs are more with PDs before Dec 2004 than after that date.
When the dates become current again for these people, do you think USCIS will be sending RFEs to get the employment information for every single of them ? Is there is a percentage from the pending applications that they pick for RFE, assuming all applicants who changed employers DID NOT notify USCIS when they changed jobs OR is it completely up to the whims of the adjudicating officer to send an RFE ?
There are several people I know who changed employers with EAD, never notified USCIS and got their GCs without any RFE. Trying to understand whether USCIS will think twice before sending RFEs for everyone as the number of applicants waiting with PDs of 2004 and earlier are huge now than ever before. Won't it be too overwhelming for them to issue RFEs to all and manage their responses?
I ask this because in a poll conducted in a separate thread, it seems the number of people waiting for their GCs are more with PDs before Dec 2004 than after that date.
When the dates become current again for these people, do you think USCIS will be sending RFEs to get the employment information for every single of them ? Is there is a percentage from the pending applications that they pick for RFE, assuming all applicants who changed employers DID NOT notify USCIS when they changed jobs OR is it completely up to the whims of the adjudicating officer to send an RFE ?
There are several people I know who changed employers with EAD, never notified USCIS and got their GCs without any RFE. Trying to understand whether USCIS will think twice before sending RFEs for everyone as the number of applicants waiting with PDs of 2004 and earlier are huge now than ever before. Won't it be too overwhelming for them to issue RFEs to all and manage their responses?
more...
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desiguy22042
09-22 10:38 PM
I am happy to announce that I have received the EAD cards today (just like rc0878 had suggested). I should not have doubted the encouragement and estimation of the experience here.
So, I received the EAD cards dated Sept 18th, expiry is one year from the issue date i.e. Sept 17th, 2008 (unlike someone else's cards which were valid for only 3 months).
Let me know if someone wants to ask any other information.
thanks again. :D
Hi,
I received my (and my family's) transfer notice (and hence the WAC### nos.) for 485 application yesterday at my residence. The cases were filed in CA by my lawyer (filing from MD). The cases have been transferred to TX.
I am yet to receive any notice/tracking no. for EAD and AP applications. The checks were made by the lawyer so that is not an option.
Questions::confused:
1) Does transfer mean delay in processing ?
2) Is EAD tracking no. different from the 485 no. ? If so, where can I get that from ?
3) Are they still issuing EADs in about a couple of months ? If so, that is great. If not, when does the 90-day clock start for INFOPASS ? (if it is an option in this incresed activity)
Any answers or discussions or links to the solutions are welcome.
Good luck to everyone for the speedy processing.:D
So, I received the EAD cards dated Sept 18th, expiry is one year from the issue date i.e. Sept 17th, 2008 (unlike someone else's cards which were valid for only 3 months).
Let me know if someone wants to ask any other information.
thanks again. :D
Hi,
I received my (and my family's) transfer notice (and hence the WAC### nos.) for 485 application yesterday at my residence. The cases were filed in CA by my lawyer (filing from MD). The cases have been transferred to TX.
I am yet to receive any notice/tracking no. for EAD and AP applications. The checks were made by the lawyer so that is not an option.
Questions::confused:
1) Does transfer mean delay in processing ?
2) Is EAD tracking no. different from the 485 no. ? If so, where can I get that from ?
3) Are they still issuing EADs in about a couple of months ? If so, that is great. If not, when does the 90-day clock start for INFOPASS ? (if it is an option in this incresed activity)
Any answers or discussions or links to the solutions are welcome.
Good luck to everyone for the speedy processing.:D
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pooja_34
08-31 11:46 AM
USCIS should seperate North Indians and South Indians - We are soooo very different anyways ..... Different language - different look - different food ..... That way all of us North Indians will get our GC sooner :D
Received CPO email 31Aug10:)
Received CPO email 31Aug10:)
more...
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Jimi_Hendrix
10-27 02:00 PM
is going to be very short. Therefore we should not have high hopes of getting things through in this session. This is a long fight so keep persevering and keep up the hopes.
On a separate note, there is no point in engaging in any conversation with these gentlemen who continue to post nonsensical statements. I have reported them to the moderator.
On a separate note, there is no point in engaging in any conversation with these gentlemen who continue to post nonsensical statements. I have reported them to the moderator.
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sanhari
07-19 04:08 PM
how to use the spillover is purely an USCIS decision. Only to use the spillover to avoid wastage is a law, which is already in place. Infact USCIS was not doing this top down approach on spill over few years ago, this is a new practice they are following since last Fiscal Year, so I strongly believe if Congressmen/women puts pressure/more request it can be changed to a fair application of visa spillover to benefit all that are in the queue for a long wait.
Let's please not start EB2 and EB3 fight again.
What I understand (and I am not a lawyer), is to change the current situation, law must be changed. Congressman can be helpful here, but only if there is going to be a change in law. A congressman can not simply call USCIS to change the way they do things. They must come up with legislative change that can then be followed by USCIS.
Now for any legislative change, there is resistance from CHC to let it pass as a small piece, rather they want more comprehensive approach. This issue is so complex and no political party or politicians are interested in opeing the can of worms.
Did you see O'Riely interview Sarah Palin?? She could not answer the question that was "yes or no" (I am not much impressed with her IQ any way...but that was one example).
Under current circumstances, the only two hopes for EB3 India are:
1. Port over to EB2.
2. Legislative change which effectively will mean immigration reform with good provisions for EB immigration.
What can we relay to our congressmen? (and we all should do it):
- Employment based immigration is good for the economic health of this country: it creates jobs, EB immigrants pay taxes, buy houses, they are educated etc.
- EB immigration is only a small fraction of immigration currently (I forgot the exact %, I believe it is 12%). And it carries "country cap" in the name of "diversity". However no such control exist for the majority of rest of immigration (88%) and so there is no diversity clause there....why is it only on EB immigration.
- EB immigrants pay a major portion of income to USCIS. While data is not availabe from USCIS, if we do the math (based on filing fees), it pays for > 50% of income of USCIS while it constitutes only 12% of their workload.
Bottom line:
- Increasing EB immigration can only bring prosperity to this country. If at all immigration needs to be curbed, it should be other areas where rest of 88% of immigration is occuring which may not be good for the country's economy.
- Increase the annual quota of EB immigration, remove the country cap, make it simple to attract more talent from the rest of the world.
- In fact anyone who completes masters of higher degree in STEM, should be oferred immigration benefit automatically.
Let's please not start EB2 and EB3 fight again.
What I understand (and I am not a lawyer), is to change the current situation, law must be changed. Congressman can be helpful here, but only if there is going to be a change in law. A congressman can not simply call USCIS to change the way they do things. They must come up with legislative change that can then be followed by USCIS.
Now for any legislative change, there is resistance from CHC to let it pass as a small piece, rather they want more comprehensive approach. This issue is so complex and no political party or politicians are interested in opeing the can of worms.
Did you see O'Riely interview Sarah Palin?? She could not answer the question that was "yes or no" (I am not much impressed with her IQ any way...but that was one example).
Under current circumstances, the only two hopes for EB3 India are:
1. Port over to EB2.
2. Legislative change which effectively will mean immigration reform with good provisions for EB immigration.
What can we relay to our congressmen? (and we all should do it):
- Employment based immigration is good for the economic health of this country: it creates jobs, EB immigrants pay taxes, buy houses, they are educated etc.
- EB immigration is only a small fraction of immigration currently (I forgot the exact %, I believe it is 12%). And it carries "country cap" in the name of "diversity". However no such control exist for the majority of rest of immigration (88%) and so there is no diversity clause there....why is it only on EB immigration.
- EB immigrants pay a major portion of income to USCIS. While data is not availabe from USCIS, if we do the math (based on filing fees), it pays for > 50% of income of USCIS while it constitutes only 12% of their workload.
Bottom line:
- Increasing EB immigration can only bring prosperity to this country. If at all immigration needs to be curbed, it should be other areas where rest of 88% of immigration is occuring which may not be good for the country's economy.
- Increase the annual quota of EB immigration, remove the country cap, make it simple to attract more talent from the rest of the world.
- In fact anyone who completes masters of higher degree in STEM, should be oferred immigration benefit automatically.
more...
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eb3_nepa
08-13 05:01 PM
I got my I485 receipt notice today. Our applications are delivered on July 2nd.
Receipt Date: 07/02/07
Notice Date: 08/06/07
Did you get this notice or did your lawyer? Do you have an I-140 LUD update?
Receipt Date: 07/02/07
Notice Date: 08/06/07
Did you get this notice or did your lawyer? Do you have an I-140 LUD update?
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a2006
05-02 01:20 PM
non retrogressed countries: The delay will be none (normally) / fewmonths (worst case ) as both their eb and fb volumes are minimal.
Let us not forget we are talking about FB2A cat, with large quota of 114,200. plus it gets unused FB1.
Plus it is fair to interpret the law as it is.
I think the FB2A category has a cutoff date of 08OCT04 according to the current bulletin.
http://travel.state.gov/visa/frvi/bulletin/bulletin_4454.html
Let us not forget we are talking about FB2A cat, with large quota of 114,200. plus it gets unused FB1.
Plus it is fair to interpret the law as it is.
I think the FB2A category has a cutoff date of 08OCT04 according to the current bulletin.
http://travel.state.gov/visa/frvi/bulletin/bulletin_4454.html
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anzerraja
07-20 09:52 AM
The thread is growing at an amazing speed.
With the least advertisement there are people joining the thread to do their fair share.
Very impressed !!!
TOGETHER WE CAN GET THIS DONE TODAY
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Very impressed !!!
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dish
12-10 12:21 PM
Kennedy, McCain, 2 congressmen meet
By Jerry Kammer
COPLEY NEWS SERVICE
December 9, 2006
WASHINGTON � Two of the most liberal members of Congress met with two of their most conservative colleagues this week to revive immigration legislation that passed the Senate but was throttled by House Republican leaders who resisted its attempt to grant citizenship to illegal immigrants.
Sen. Edward Kennedy
�The plan is to bring the bill up in late winter,� said Rep. Jeff Flake, R-Ariz., a conservative stalwart who attended the meeting in the office of Sen. Edward Kennedy, D-Mass. The other participants were Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., and Rep. Luis Gutierrez, D-Ill.
The strategy session Wednesday came amid speculation about how the dynamics of the immigration debate might change, if at all, when Democrats take control of the House and Senate next month.
Flake said that Kennedy, who will be chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee's immigration subcommittee, wants to let the new Congress deal first with issues such as the war in Iraq and proposals to raise the minimum wage.
�Then he'll be ready to go� with a new version of the bill that the Senate approved in April.
Sen. John McCain
Republicans ran the show in both houses of Congress then, and passionate divisions in their ranks over immigration policy became a dominant feature of the debate. Democrats, particularly in the House, were mostly content to sit back and enjoy the stalemate, even as they campaigned against the �do-nothing Republican Congress.�
Now Democrats face the hazards of immigration politics.
Immigration-law changes are conspicuously absent from the legislative agenda laid out by incoming House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. Observers here say it will be difficult for Pelosi, D-San Francisco, to honor her campaign-season pledge to work for a new comprehensive immigration law without splitting a caucus that includes freshly elected Democrats who vowed to secure the border and crack down on illegal immigration.
The November midterm elections seemed to send mixed messages.
Rep. Luis Gutierrez
In a cliffhanger contest, Arizona Rep. J.D. Hayworth, a conservative Republican and strident foe of illegal immigration, was defeated by Democrat Harry Mitchell.
Immigration advocates such as Ben Johnson of the Immigration Policy Center say Hayworth's defeat showed that immigration �did not turn out to be the firebrand issue that some people thought it could be.�
But immigration restrictionists point out that Mitchell made getting tough on immigration the centerpiece of his campaign. They also say Mitchell cleverly used the issue against Hayworth, saying his Republican opponent was part of a political regime that wasn't competent enough to stop the hundreds of thousands of immigrants that sweep across Arizona's southern border each year.
While Mitchell said he favored legal status for long-established immigrants, he insisted that immigration policy can be fixed only by �members of Congress who are willing to enforce the law, produce real immigration reform and stop playing politics with the issue.�
Rep. Jeff Flake
That enforcement-heavy approach is fine with immigration advocates as long as it is part of a package that provides permanent legal status to those who are beckoned across the border by agriculture, restaurant, construction, landscaping and janitorial jobs. The number of illegal immigrants in the United States is estimated to be at least 11 million.
Immigrant-rights advocates, along with their allies at the National Chamber of Commerce and other business organizations, also support a proposal to provide hundreds of thousands of low-wage workers every year for employers who demonstrate that they are unable to find Americans to fill the slots.
While McCain and Kennedy describe this as a �temporary-worker program,� the legislation they sponsored would put the workers on a path to citizenship.
At a time of anxiety about the loss of good-paying manufacturing jobs, the McCain-Kennedy bill's efforts to import low-wage labor has drawn the anger of critics across the political spectrum. That is why Mark Krikorian of the Center for Immigration Studies, which advocates immigration restrictions, predicts Pelosi will be reluctant to get behind a proposal that could endanger the new Democratic majority.
�Nancy Pelosi knows the Democrats are on probation for the next two years,� Krikorian said.
He predicted that Pelosi would back less ambitious immigration change, such as a plan to provide legal status to undocumented students, rather than take on the explosive issue of mass legalization, which critics condemn as an amnesty that would spawn more illegal immigration.
But Frank Sharry, executive director of the National Immigration Forum, which advocates for immigrant rights, argues that next year will be pivotal because of the presidential race that follows.
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�I think that once we hit primary (election) season, controversial issues get a lot harder to do,� Sharry said. �Everybody I talk to says 2007 is the window of opportunity.�
Pelosi was noncommittal this week on whether the House would take up immigration legislation. She sought to deflect some of the responsibility to the White House, suggesting that she expects President Bush to offer more specifics than his call to �match willing worker with willing employer.�
�That's up to the president,� Pelosi said. �We want to work closely with him because it has to be comprehensive and bipartisan.�
President Bush's political advisers, meanwhile, have acknowledged that revamping immigration law may be necessary to shore up sagging support for Republicans among Hispanics, the nation's fastest-growing ethnic group. Republicans received just 30 percent of the Hispanic vote this year, down from 44 percent in 2004.
By Jerry Kammer
COPLEY NEWS SERVICE
December 9, 2006
WASHINGTON � Two of the most liberal members of Congress met with two of their most conservative colleagues this week to revive immigration legislation that passed the Senate but was throttled by House Republican leaders who resisted its attempt to grant citizenship to illegal immigrants.
Sen. Edward Kennedy
�The plan is to bring the bill up in late winter,� said Rep. Jeff Flake, R-Ariz., a conservative stalwart who attended the meeting in the office of Sen. Edward Kennedy, D-Mass. The other participants were Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., and Rep. Luis Gutierrez, D-Ill.
The strategy session Wednesday came amid speculation about how the dynamics of the immigration debate might change, if at all, when Democrats take control of the House and Senate next month.
Flake said that Kennedy, who will be chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee's immigration subcommittee, wants to let the new Congress deal first with issues such as the war in Iraq and proposals to raise the minimum wage.
�Then he'll be ready to go� with a new version of the bill that the Senate approved in April.
Sen. John McCain
Republicans ran the show in both houses of Congress then, and passionate divisions in their ranks over immigration policy became a dominant feature of the debate. Democrats, particularly in the House, were mostly content to sit back and enjoy the stalemate, even as they campaigned against the �do-nothing Republican Congress.�
Now Democrats face the hazards of immigration politics.
Immigration-law changes are conspicuously absent from the legislative agenda laid out by incoming House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. Observers here say it will be difficult for Pelosi, D-San Francisco, to honor her campaign-season pledge to work for a new comprehensive immigration law without splitting a caucus that includes freshly elected Democrats who vowed to secure the border and crack down on illegal immigration.
The November midterm elections seemed to send mixed messages.
Rep. Luis Gutierrez
In a cliffhanger contest, Arizona Rep. J.D. Hayworth, a conservative Republican and strident foe of illegal immigration, was defeated by Democrat Harry Mitchell.
Immigration advocates such as Ben Johnson of the Immigration Policy Center say Hayworth's defeat showed that immigration �did not turn out to be the firebrand issue that some people thought it could be.�
But immigration restrictionists point out that Mitchell made getting tough on immigration the centerpiece of his campaign. They also say Mitchell cleverly used the issue against Hayworth, saying his Republican opponent was part of a political regime that wasn't competent enough to stop the hundreds of thousands of immigrants that sweep across Arizona's southern border each year.
While Mitchell said he favored legal status for long-established immigrants, he insisted that immigration policy can be fixed only by �members of Congress who are willing to enforce the law, produce real immigration reform and stop playing politics with the issue.�
Rep. Jeff Flake
That enforcement-heavy approach is fine with immigration advocates as long as it is part of a package that provides permanent legal status to those who are beckoned across the border by agriculture, restaurant, construction, landscaping and janitorial jobs. The number of illegal immigrants in the United States is estimated to be at least 11 million.
Immigrant-rights advocates, along with their allies at the National Chamber of Commerce and other business organizations, also support a proposal to provide hundreds of thousands of low-wage workers every year for employers who demonstrate that they are unable to find Americans to fill the slots.
While McCain and Kennedy describe this as a �temporary-worker program,� the legislation they sponsored would put the workers on a path to citizenship.
At a time of anxiety about the loss of good-paying manufacturing jobs, the McCain-Kennedy bill's efforts to import low-wage labor has drawn the anger of critics across the political spectrum. That is why Mark Krikorian of the Center for Immigration Studies, which advocates immigration restrictions, predicts Pelosi will be reluctant to get behind a proposal that could endanger the new Democratic majority.
�Nancy Pelosi knows the Democrats are on probation for the next two years,� Krikorian said.
He predicted that Pelosi would back less ambitious immigration change, such as a plan to provide legal status to undocumented students, rather than take on the explosive issue of mass legalization, which critics condemn as an amnesty that would spawn more illegal immigration.
But Frank Sharry, executive director of the National Immigration Forum, which advocates for immigrant rights, argues that next year will be pivotal because of the presidential race that follows.
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�I think that once we hit primary (election) season, controversial issues get a lot harder to do,� Sharry said. �Everybody I talk to says 2007 is the window of opportunity.�
Pelosi was noncommittal this week on whether the House would take up immigration legislation. She sought to deflect some of the responsibility to the White House, suggesting that she expects President Bush to offer more specifics than his call to �match willing worker with willing employer.�
�That's up to the president,� Pelosi said. �We want to work closely with him because it has to be comprehensive and bipartisan.�
President Bush's political advisers, meanwhile, have acknowledged that revamping immigration law may be necessary to shore up sagging support for Republicans among Hispanics, the nation's fastest-growing ethnic group. Republicans received just 30 percent of the Hispanic vote this year, down from 44 percent in 2004.
nixstor
07-03 11:25 PM
AAA members should get around 15% discount on FTD..
http://digg.com/politics/Rep_Lofgren_Issues_Statement_on_Updated_Visa_Bulle tin
http://digg.com/politics/No_July_4th_Celebrations_for_Highly_Skilled_Future _Americans/who
http://digg.com/politics/Rep_Lofgren_Issues_Statement_on_Updated_Visa_Bulle tin
http://digg.com/politics/No_July_4th_Celebrations_for_Highly_Skilled_Future _Americans/who
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