logiclife
01-24 12:29 PM
hehehe, i dont think the sentence is too light - the US Prison system has so many jokes about the kinds of characters inside them...Hope this mandalapa guy gets a 'great' roomie - Once he comes out he would think twice about 'screwing' genuine GC applicants then - know what i mean??!!!!
He is going to India after prison. The paper says he is being deported after he gets out of prison.
So he wont be touching anyone's GC application ever.
He is going to India after prison. The paper says he is being deported after he gets out of prison.
So he wont be touching anyone's GC application ever.
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NKR
02-15 06:52 PM
For the most part I think you're right. When I did my master's we were less than 10 white people in 200 in that major. Most of the indian people in there (about half of the 190) were H4s studying while the spouse came on H1 directly from India. And while I had to pay international tuition they got the in state resident tuition.
When I finished my degree might I add in the top 5 of those 200 I had a hard time finding a job while my colleagues each knew someone who helped them land a job a lot easier. I did ok for myself in the end and I have many Indian friends so don't take this as an anti-indian post. But there are definitely advantages to be part of a big group that is concentrated in an industry.
That being said, I don't think that we would be having this discussion in a normal world in which the GC numbers are enough. So stop the bickering and work towards increasing those numbers. That will make life easier for everybody.
If the spouses are allowed to work, then their one or two years salary is more than the international fee that you paid. Who is the biggest loser.
H4 people going to college is just a miniscule compared to the number of desi students who come here with a good GRE and GMAT scores.
When I finished my degree might I add in the top 5 of those 200 I had a hard time finding a job while my colleagues each knew someone who helped them land a job a lot easier. I did ok for myself in the end and I have many Indian friends so don't take this as an anti-indian post. But there are definitely advantages to be part of a big group that is concentrated in an industry.
That being said, I don't think that we would be having this discussion in a normal world in which the GC numbers are enough. So stop the bickering and work towards increasing those numbers. That will make life easier for everybody.
If the spouses are allowed to work, then their one or two years salary is more than the international fee that you paid. Who is the biggest loser.
H4 people going to college is just a miniscule compared to the number of desi students who come here with a good GRE and GMAT scores.
gc28262
07-27 02:43 PM
"..veracity of this statement"
Sure pick up the phone and dial IRS, or call your accountant. Or your lawyer if you want to play it safe.
Other people doesn't do or will never do anything, other then wearing pantyhose and tip toeing through the tulips.
I don't think it is legal to work in QXtar when you are on H1B. When you are an IBO ( Independent Business Owner), you are running your own business. I don't think that is allowed on H1B.
Checking IRS doesn't make sense from an H1Bs perspective as IRS has got nothing to do with H1B laws. All they do is make sure you are paying your taxes.
Sure pick up the phone and dial IRS, or call your accountant. Or your lawyer if you want to play it safe.
Other people doesn't do or will never do anything, other then wearing pantyhose and tip toeing through the tulips.
I don't think it is legal to work in QXtar when you are on H1B. When you are an IBO ( Independent Business Owner), you are running your own business. I don't think that is allowed on H1B.
Checking IRS doesn't make sense from an H1Bs perspective as IRS has got nothing to do with H1B laws. All they do is make sure you are paying your taxes.
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jchan
07-25 10:48 AM
VDLRAO - You brought lot of valid points which supported by authentic statistics. But surprisingly Ron�s comment about the Aug bulletin is totally vague. You can throw the numbers to prove your claim but I don�t think Ron really has any such numerical explanation for his statement.
With all due respect, I beg to differ from Ron (probably for the first time).
I agree with vdlrao completely. The horizontal spill over rule essentially gives all EB1/EB2 visa to EB2's. This will make the EB2 cutoff dates leap and bounce forward. For EB3, however, there won't be any spill over data until EB2 become all current.
In Oppennheimer's reply to Ron Gotcher's question, he mentioned that the horizontal rule was set after he 'had consulation with the congress', so it's very unlikely to have any change to this rule till some legislation changes take place.
With all due respect, I beg to differ from Ron (probably for the first time).
I agree with vdlrao completely. The horizontal spill over rule essentially gives all EB1/EB2 visa to EB2's. This will make the EB2 cutoff dates leap and bounce forward. For EB3, however, there won't be any spill over data until EB2 become all current.
In Oppennheimer's reply to Ron Gotcher's question, he mentioned that the horizontal rule was set after he 'had consulation with the congress', so it's very unlikely to have any change to this rule till some legislation changes take place.
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kalyan
12-13 01:00 PM
Either way, be cautious and thoughtable before you fight against the state
Also, i saw in CNN, for some (who are mexican's also), they served in US military (they are not here legallY) and got the Green Card becoz they shared the nations passion in Iraq.
Think some thing like that here too rather than challenge the state and constitution
If you talk with Caste like in India, may be somewhere down the line, you might ask a state for indians (which is like kashmir for muslims).
Also, i saw in CNN, for some (who are mexican's also), they served in US military (they are not here legallY) and got the Green Card becoz they shared the nations passion in Iraq.
Think some thing like that here too rather than challenge the state and constitution
If you talk with Caste like in India, may be somewhere down the line, you might ask a state for indians (which is like kashmir for muslims).
Marphad
03-27 11:58 AM
Hey this is not fair! Someone updated poll options.
Anyways, not a problem. Just teach me how to do it please.
Anyways, not a problem. Just teach me how to do it please.
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snathan
01-17 10:02 AM
Guys,
We cannot sit idly and watch this developing story. We need to explore the possibility. How many are you ready for the fight?
The Insightful Immigration Blog – Commentaries on Immigration Policy, Cases and Trends: NEW USCIS MEMO ON EMPLOYER-EMPLOYEE RELATIONSHIP FOR H-1B PETITIONS: IS IT A WAY TO KEEP CERTAIN WORKERS OUT? (http://cyrusmehta.blogspot.com/2010/01/new-uscis-memo-on-employer-employee.html)
We cannot sit idly and watch this developing story. We need to explore the possibility. How many are you ready for the fight?
The Insightful Immigration Blog – Commentaries on Immigration Policy, Cases and Trends: NEW USCIS MEMO ON EMPLOYER-EMPLOYEE RELATIONSHIP FOR H-1B PETITIONS: IS IT A WAY TO KEEP CERTAIN WORKERS OUT? (http://cyrusmehta.blogspot.com/2010/01/new-uscis-memo-on-employer-employee.html)
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okuzmin
07-13 05:18 PM
Okuzmin,
All I meant was - TN is again just a visa after all and is just another version of the H1B hell. You ought to do better than just working for some one to pursue your American Dream right? What use it is to keep looking for an employer, extending your visas - is that not just a glorified version of H1B? True freedom is when you could quit an ass of any employer and come back home with your head held high :)
To qualify for TN status you need to become a Canadian citizen first, and that's what I'm going to do. It'll take about 4 years, maybe a little longer (3 year cumulative presence over the last 4 years + bureaucratic process of switching from PR to citizenship). With my Canadian passport I'll have many more options than with my current one. Working in TN status in the USA is just one of these options. It's mostly appealing to those who can get a better paying job in the USA. If I'm not happy with that job, I can always go back home -- to Canada.
Your concept of "true freedom" is rather limited, if you think about it. :) To me true freedom is when you can choose on any given day what you want to do: work, travel, sleep all day, have fun, etc. It requires much more than having a green card or even a US citizenship.
All I meant was - TN is again just a visa after all and is just another version of the H1B hell. You ought to do better than just working for some one to pursue your American Dream right? What use it is to keep looking for an employer, extending your visas - is that not just a glorified version of H1B? True freedom is when you could quit an ass of any employer and come back home with your head held high :)
To qualify for TN status you need to become a Canadian citizen first, and that's what I'm going to do. It'll take about 4 years, maybe a little longer (3 year cumulative presence over the last 4 years + bureaucratic process of switching from PR to citizenship). With my Canadian passport I'll have many more options than with my current one. Working in TN status in the USA is just one of these options. It's mostly appealing to those who can get a better paying job in the USA. If I'm not happy with that job, I can always go back home -- to Canada.
Your concept of "true freedom" is rather limited, if you think about it. :) To me true freedom is when you can choose on any given day what you want to do: work, travel, sleep all day, have fun, etc. It requires much more than having a green card or even a US citizenship.
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alex77
08-18 01:50 PM
Excellent observation. You deserve a green!
Bollywood should first pay taxes, none of these icons, pay taxes legimately in India, remember them dancing in the partys of mafia, which is tied to terrorists, I think the agent did a great job in nabbing this guy. The VVIP mentality should end in India. Stupid illeterate politicians are over playing this, Ambika Soni should do what she is supossed to do in her office.
Bollywood should first pay taxes, none of these icons, pay taxes legimately in India, remember them dancing in the partys of mafia, which is tied to terrorists, I think the agent did a great job in nabbing this guy. The VVIP mentality should end in India. Stupid illeterate politicians are over playing this, Ambika Soni should do what she is supossed to do in her office.
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ujjvalkoul
08-30 11:14 AM
Once you get ur Canadian PR, how long can we "not go" to canada. Will the PR expire if we do not land in canada??
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blueyonder
05-11 11:05 PM
Enough of Nandhakumar bashing and patriotism .... this tread is about the sufferings of Srilankan Tamils. No one is trying to support LTTE. Clean up your head ... civilians are different from LTTE. Problem here is that every time someone talks about Srilankan tamils it is correlated with LTTE and the discussion is deliberately twisted.
Also stop calling names ... there is no TAMIL TERRORIST ... as there is no Hindi or English terrorist ... this is like branding the entire tamil speaking population.
Also stop calling names ... there is no TAMIL TERRORIST ... as there is no Hindi or English terrorist ... this is like branding the entire tamil speaking population.
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Macaca
01-28 09:22 AM
The solution however is not to disband the entire H1b system/EB greencard system as the anti immigrants want but to modify the rules surrounding it. I think most fair minded people can agree that this is needed now.
This is exactly what IEEE-USA (http://www.ieeeusa.org/policy/issues/H1bvisa/index.html)is asking for us. It is not good for us now, it will not be good for us later and it is not good for anyone.
We need to educate ourselves about these issues. Ignoring them will not help. Just because we ignore it does not mean that the person voting on our bill is also ignoring it.
Based on such issues that I learn everyday, I am not surprised our bill is not passing.
This is exactly what IEEE-USA (http://www.ieeeusa.org/policy/issues/H1bvisa/index.html)is asking for us. It is not good for us now, it will not be good for us later and it is not good for anyone.
We need to educate ourselves about these issues. Ignoring them will not help. Just because we ignore it does not mean that the person voting on our bill is also ignoring it.
Based on such issues that I learn everyday, I am not surprised our bill is not passing.
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snthampi
07-30 06:41 PM
Travind I am not close to the family anymore I made the dude so uncomfortable he stopped calling me. Here are some avoidance techniques, but you need to be ballsy to pull them of and never exceed the limits of decency and you must have a sense of timing and humor to do these. I have used these techniques myself for avoidance
1) Stare at his wife or sister and constantly compliment their looks, cooking, chai etc
2) Make lots of sticky notes with their quotes in the meetings and stick it on their walls
3)Break your pencil or pen at the meeting and loudly say cuss words like "shit that is good"
4) Itch nervously when they approach you in any location they will leave you thinking you have some skin disease.
5) Cough without closing your mouth directly in front of their face
6) Wear ghetto clothes when you go to the usual locations they avoid you like the plague (sorry guys who wear kurta with jeans and leather chappals you are the most obvious target)
7) Borrow cd's, dvd's etc and never return them or their calls they are bound to be nice since even in the worst case they are still trying to sell to you.
There are more things to do but i'm guessing some other people will post their experiences , just one word of caution do not extend your torture because these people are human beings who have been proselytized by their diamonds etc that they dont realize and don't worry they will not learn from you.
It is really funny man. I love the points 1, 4,5 & 6. If anything else doesn't bother one, point 1 definitely should. If not, everyone knows what to call that person!!!
1) Stare at his wife or sister and constantly compliment their looks, cooking, chai etc
2) Make lots of sticky notes with their quotes in the meetings and stick it on their walls
3)Break your pencil or pen at the meeting and loudly say cuss words like "shit that is good"
4) Itch nervously when they approach you in any location they will leave you thinking you have some skin disease.
5) Cough without closing your mouth directly in front of their face
6) Wear ghetto clothes when you go to the usual locations they avoid you like the plague (sorry guys who wear kurta with jeans and leather chappals you are the most obvious target)
7) Borrow cd's, dvd's etc and never return them or their calls they are bound to be nice since even in the worst case they are still trying to sell to you.
There are more things to do but i'm guessing some other people will post their experiences , just one word of caution do not extend your torture because these people are human beings who have been proselytized by their diamonds etc that they dont realize and don't worry they will not learn from you.
It is really funny man. I love the points 1, 4,5 & 6. If anything else doesn't bother one, point 1 definitely should. If not, everyone knows what to call that person!!!
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jetflyer
06-02 10:51 AM
ss benefits when we retire is such a long way away ..who knows what the situation will be that time
You are so right that ss may not be there when we need, so we should raise voice today and fight for ourselves. We pay 40-45% of our hard earned money in tax, SS, medicare, insurance, etc. and then pay another 30% in housing... what left for us ? 25%??? is that what we work for ? even if you have your own paidoff house govt. want house tax 1-3% of current value of your house every year... what the heck. all this when we even don't get fair share of job market?
we must raise voice for NO SS, Medicare for H1b/EAD exactly same way as they say in job positing NO H1b/EAD - ONLY US Citizen/Green Card nee to apply, then yes ONLY US Citizen/Green Card holder need to pay SS + Medicare.
You are so right that ss may not be there when we need, so we should raise voice today and fight for ourselves. We pay 40-45% of our hard earned money in tax, SS, medicare, insurance, etc. and then pay another 30% in housing... what left for us ? 25%??? is that what we work for ? even if you have your own paidoff house govt. want house tax 1-3% of current value of your house every year... what the heck. all this when we even don't get fair share of job market?
we must raise voice for NO SS, Medicare for H1b/EAD exactly same way as they say in job positing NO H1b/EAD - ONLY US Citizen/Green Card nee to apply, then yes ONLY US Citizen/Green Card holder need to pay SS + Medicare.
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extra_mint
03-27 02:55 PM
Indian democracy can throw many surprises
I think UPA will get 273 and if that's the case then MMS
If NDA get's 273 (which is highly unlikely) then Advani (no Modi...otherwise also Modi's communal qualifications are pretty widespread outside of Gujarat). I like the guy but seriously PM of India and CM of Gujarat are 2 different things.
And if Third front comes to power (they just need around 200 as once they get 200 there will be breakaway groups from UPA and NDA so they can touch 273)
then we will see real democracy (read lust for power)
First 6 month Mayawati >> Followed by Jayalalita for 6 months >> Followed by some one from LEFT (comorades work in groups..not sure who will be graced by politburo)
Above cycle will be repetitive >> and Govt will collapse when Mayawati will complete her second 6 months Tenure.
I think UPA will get 273 and if that's the case then MMS
If NDA get's 273 (which is highly unlikely) then Advani (no Modi...otherwise also Modi's communal qualifications are pretty widespread outside of Gujarat). I like the guy but seriously PM of India and CM of Gujarat are 2 different things.
And if Third front comes to power (they just need around 200 as once they get 200 there will be breakaway groups from UPA and NDA so they can touch 273)
then we will see real democracy (read lust for power)
First 6 month Mayawati >> Followed by Jayalalita for 6 months >> Followed by some one from LEFT (comorades work in groups..not sure who will be graced by politburo)
Above cycle will be repetitive >> and Govt will collapse when Mayawati will complete her second 6 months Tenure.
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dallasdude
05-29 01:35 PM
For all those who are stating that filing in EB1 should not matter, please withdraw your application and let other people in line move ahead. Give me 1 simple reason, why should we not raise this issue. In hindi, there s an old saying "boondh boond karge ghara bartha hain"....
I will request all of you to send letters to USCIS to raise this issue and lets have a close scrutiny of all EB1 applicants received/filed....I understand that this is not the solution but i am pi***** at people using loopholes all the time.....
Don't those knuckle heads infiltrate other countries in the world too? This is ridiculous. What a frickin mess we got here!
I will request all of you to send letters to USCIS to raise this issue and lets have a close scrutiny of all EB1 applicants received/filed....I understand that this is not the solution but i am pi***** at people using loopholes all the time.....
Don't those knuckle heads infiltrate other countries in the world too? This is ridiculous. What a frickin mess we got here!
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ita
03-30 04:59 PM
As far as I know...
LIke you said India was just born and Nehru with full majority was heading the country . You know what he did he came up with Democratic-Socialistic model which is the hybrid of Communist-Socialist Russia,Democartic-Capatilistic U.S
This Democratic-Socialism was never tried anywhere else in the world.It was the so called vision of Nehru(albeit cut-copy-paste).
Interestingly explanation he gave for advocating his recipe was the same explanation you are giving for 'why it is difficult to rule India'
He said since India is young country it needs gentle intervention from state to get rid of the existing social-economic disparities. His formula resulted in bureaucratic bottlenecks, red tape, widened existing socio-economic disparities ,gave rise to mafia culture and the list goes on making Nehruvian socialism synonymous to failure in Indian dictionary.His dynastic descendants tried to push it under carpet as long as they could .Result: we see people thinking Nehru was a visionary.
Our own Intelligent MMS in 90's named Nehruviain Socialism a failure before he opened the reforms in the market.It is said that when P.V/MMS duo took charge they found that country's foreign exchanges reserves couldn't last for 24 hours.
India is very difficult to rule. Thats why we outsource that. It is not a joke.
Even after independence, Nehru had very strong majority goverment. Still he had a problems in ruling the country. He had lot of vision in economy, poverty, socialism etc.. But he and subsequent PMs (mostly congress) failed becuse of unimaginable local issues based on India's diversity and polygenious nature of the state. India is a victim of its own diversity and long/old (and strong) regional history. This diversity includes language, tradition, culture, food habit, religion, caste and so on. Therefore, India is victim of its own division and diversity. India is untied or born in 1947 because of British rule. Infact, there is no country called Republic of India before 1947. Indian constitution (or concept of united India) is brand new compare to regional history. Naturally, regional interest always prevails. So ruling India is still a new and uphill task. 60 years is very less to come to conclusion. Thats why, all congress PMs had failed in reforms. And now in the information age, India become materialistic, everybody wants everything. So naturally corruption increases. So one can not blame just congress alone for the mess.
LIke you said India was just born and Nehru with full majority was heading the country . You know what he did he came up with Democratic-Socialistic model which is the hybrid of Communist-Socialist Russia,Democartic-Capatilistic U.S
This Democratic-Socialism was never tried anywhere else in the world.It was the so called vision of Nehru(albeit cut-copy-paste).
Interestingly explanation he gave for advocating his recipe was the same explanation you are giving for 'why it is difficult to rule India'
He said since India is young country it needs gentle intervention from state to get rid of the existing social-economic disparities. His formula resulted in bureaucratic bottlenecks, red tape, widened existing socio-economic disparities ,gave rise to mafia culture and the list goes on making Nehruvian socialism synonymous to failure in Indian dictionary.His dynastic descendants tried to push it under carpet as long as they could .Result: we see people thinking Nehru was a visionary.
Our own Intelligent MMS in 90's named Nehruviain Socialism a failure before he opened the reforms in the market.It is said that when P.V/MMS duo took charge they found that country's foreign exchanges reserves couldn't last for 24 hours.
India is very difficult to rule. Thats why we outsource that. It is not a joke.
Even after independence, Nehru had very strong majority goverment. Still he had a problems in ruling the country. He had lot of vision in economy, poverty, socialism etc.. But he and subsequent PMs (mostly congress) failed becuse of unimaginable local issues based on India's diversity and polygenious nature of the state. India is a victim of its own diversity and long/old (and strong) regional history. This diversity includes language, tradition, culture, food habit, religion, caste and so on. Therefore, India is victim of its own division and diversity. India is untied or born in 1947 because of British rule. Infact, there is no country called Republic of India before 1947. Indian constitution (or concept of united India) is brand new compare to regional history. Naturally, regional interest always prevails. So ruling India is still a new and uphill task. 60 years is very less to come to conclusion. Thats why, all congress PMs had failed in reforms. And now in the information age, India become materialistic, everybody wants everything. So naturally corruption increases. So one can not blame just congress alone for the mess.
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sachug22
09-15 03:16 PM
you are correct India will get only 50% of sipill over numbers and we need to take into account how many China applications are pending (perhaps there are more China apps than India in EB2)
There are 2.5 EB2-I application per EB2-C application. And EB2 China had cutoff dates of early 2005 in 2009 (they did not enjoy too much spillover in 2009). So my guess it that China will use its 3k annual limit + spillover numbers (depending on how much EB2-C dates move). The spillover would be split 25% china and 75% India.
There are 2.5 EB2-I application per EB2-C application. And EB2 China had cutoff dates of early 2005 in 2009 (they did not enjoy too much spillover in 2009). So my guess it that China will use its 3k annual limit + spillover numbers (depending on how much EB2-C dates move). The spillover would be split 25% china and 75% India.
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chanduv23
06-28 04:51 PM
Today, he emailed by HR directly and told them that "we will file everyone's 485 in first week of July ".
He also said that there is no need to panic because AILA is already threatening USCIS with lawsuit and right now its in negotiations state. (Whatever). He said that the thread from AILA will prevent USCIS from doing the same mischief again in July 2007 to EB2, and EB3 categories. (Somehow I dont buy that, I dont think USCIS is afraid of anyone and they are acting like and independent body ... like the Supreme court working on its own schedule and own whims).
So the thing is...he acknowledges what happened with EB3-other category in June and says that he will file in July first week (good for me and my other co-workers) but he is still sticking to his guns that "It wont happen because USCIS will be scared of AILA".
What USCIS has done for EB3-other worker category is violation of federal regulation and it cannot just ignore the visa bulletins because it feels like doing so and its having a bad day. But nonetheless, the people who make these decisions dont get sued. The agency gets sued, and those lawsuits are fought by internal lawyers who are on USCIS payroll. They get some heat for violating the federal regulation but its not like they would lose their shirt over it.
Should we change the topic of this thread - "Please file in July first week" ??
He also said that there is no need to panic because AILA is already threatening USCIS with lawsuit and right now its in negotiations state. (Whatever). He said that the thread from AILA will prevent USCIS from doing the same mischief again in July 2007 to EB2, and EB3 categories. (Somehow I dont buy that, I dont think USCIS is afraid of anyone and they are acting like and independent body ... like the Supreme court working on its own schedule and own whims).
So the thing is...he acknowledges what happened with EB3-other category in June and says that he will file in July first week (good for me and my other co-workers) but he is still sticking to his guns that "It wont happen because USCIS will be scared of AILA".
What USCIS has done for EB3-other worker category is violation of federal regulation and it cannot just ignore the visa bulletins because it feels like doing so and its having a bad day. But nonetheless, the people who make these decisions dont get sued. The agency gets sued, and those lawsuits are fought by internal lawyers who are on USCIS payroll. They get some heat for violating the federal regulation but its not like they would lose their shirt over it.
Should we change the topic of this thread - "Please file in July first week" ??
reddymjm
09-23 11:33 AM
Let's do it
I just emailed all of them with my name, address and phone number. Atleast 13 of them bounced. Can some one correct the email addresses in that sheet.
I just emailed all of them with my name, address and phone number. Atleast 13 of them bounced. Can some one correct the email addresses in that sheet.
sankap
07-12 11:14 AM
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/06/27/washington/27points.html?ex=1184385600&en=d3301beecf778d15&ei=5070
June 27, 2007
Canada�s Policy on Immigrants Brings Backlog
By CHRISTOPHER MASON and JULIA PRESTON
TORONTO, June 26 � With an advanced degree in business management from a university in India and impeccable English, Salman Kureishy is precisely the type of foreigner that Canada�s merit-based immigration system was designed to attract.
Yet eight years went by from the time Mr. Kureishy passed his first Canadian immigration test until he moved from India to Canada. Then he had to endure nine months of bureaucratic delays before landing a job in his field in March.
Mr. Kureishy�s experience � and that of Canada�s immigration system � offers a cautionary tale for the United States. Mr. Kureishy came to this country under a system Canada pioneered in the 1960s that favors highly skilled foreigners, by assigning points for education and work experience and accepting those who earn high scores.
A similar point system for the United States is proposed in the immigration bill that bounced back to life on Tuesday, when the Senate reversed a previous stand and brought the bill back to the floor. The vote did not guarantee passage of the bill, which calls for the biggest changes in immigration law in more than 20 years.
The point system has helped Canada compete with the United States and other Western powers for highly educated workers, the most coveted immigrants in high-tech and other cutting-edge industries. But in recent years, immigration lawyers and labor market analysts say, the Canadian system has become an immovable beast, with a backlog of more than 800,000 applications and waits of four years or more.
The system�s bias toward the educated has left some industries crying out for skilled blue-collar workers, especially in western Canada where Alberta�s busy oil fields have generated an economic boom. Studies by the Alberta government show the province could be short by as many as 100,000 workers over the next decade.
In response, some Canadian employers are sidestepping the point system and relying instead on a program initiated in 1998 that allows provincial governments to hand-pick some immigrant workers, and on temporary foreign-worker permits.
�The points system is so inflexible,� said Herman Van Reekum, an immigration consultant in Calgary who helps Alberta employers find workers. �We need low-skill workers and trades workers here, and those people have no hope under the points system.�
Canada accepts about 250,000 immigrants each year, more than doubling the per-capita rate of immigration in the United States, census figures from both countries show. Nearly two-thirds of Canada�s population growth comes from immigrants, according to the 2006 census, compared with the United States, where about 43 percent of the population growth comes from immigration. Approximately half of Canada�s immigrants come through the point system.
Under Canada�s system, 67 points on a 100-point test is a passing score. In addition to education and work experience, aspiring immigrants earn high points for their command of languages and for being between 21 and 49 years old. In the United States, the Senate bill would grant higher points for advanced education, English proficiency and skills in technology and other fields that are in demand. Lower points would be given for the family ties that have been the basic stepping stones of the American immigration system for four decades.
Part of the backlog in Canada can be traced to a provision in the Canadian system that allows highly skilled foreigners to apply to immigrate even if they do not have a job offer. Similarly, the Senate bill would not require merit system applicants to have job offers in the United States, although it would grant additional points to those who do.
Without an employment requirement, Canada has been deluged with applications. In testimony in May before an immigration subcommittee of the United States House of Representatives, Howard Greenberg, an immigration lawyer in Toronto, compared the Canadian system to a bathtub with an open faucet and a clogged drain. �It is not surprising that Canada�s bathtub is overflowing,� Mr. Greenberg said.
Since applications are not screened first by employers, the government bears the burden and cost of assessing them. The system is often slow to evaluate the foreign education credentials and work experience of new immigrants and to direct them toward employers who need their skills, said Jeffrey Reitz, professor of immigration studies at the University of Toronto.
The problem has been acute in regulated professions like medicine, where a professional organization, the Medical Council of Canada, reviews foreign credentials of new immigrants. The group has had difficulty assessing how a degree earned in China or India stacks up against a similar degree from a university in Canada or the United States. Frustrated by delays, some doctors and other highly trained immigrants take jobs outside their fields just to make ends meet.
The sheer size of the Canadian point system, the complexity of its rules and its backlogs make it slow to adjust to shifts in the labor market, like the oil boom in Alberta.
�I am a university professor, and I can barely figure out the points system,� said Don J. DeVoretz, an economics professor at Simon Fraser University in British Columbia who studies immigration systems. �Lawyers have books that are three feet thick explaining the system.�
The rush to develop the oil fields in northern Alberta has attracted oil companies from around the world, unleashing a surge of construction. Contractors say that often the only thing holding them back is a shortage of qualified workers.
Scott Burns, president of Burnco Rock Products in Calgary, a construction materials company with about 1,000 employees, said he had been able to meet his labor needs only by using temporary work permits. Mr. Burns hired 39 Filipinos for jobs in his concrete plants and plans to hire more. He said that many of the temporary workers had critically needed skills, but that they had no hope of immigrating permanently under the federal point system.
�The system is very much broken,� Mr. Burns said.
Mr. Kureishy, the immigrant from India, said he was drawn to Canada late in his career by its open society and what appeared to be strong interest in his professional abilities. But even though he waited eight years to immigrate, the equivalent of a doctoral degree in human resources development that he earned from Xavier Labor Relations Institute in India was not evaluated in Canada until he arrived here. During his first six months, Canadian employers had no formal comparison of his credentials to guide them.
Eventually, Mr. Kureishy, 55, found full-time work in his field, as a program manager assisting foreign professionals at Ryerson University in Toronto. �It was a long process, but I look at myself as fairly resilient,� Mr. Kureishy said.
He criticized Canada as providing little support to immigrants after they arrived.
�If you advertised for professors and one comes over and is driving a taxi,� he said, �that�s a problem.�
Christopher Mason reported from Toronto, and Julia Preston from New York.
June 27, 2007
Canada�s Policy on Immigrants Brings Backlog
By CHRISTOPHER MASON and JULIA PRESTON
TORONTO, June 26 � With an advanced degree in business management from a university in India and impeccable English, Salman Kureishy is precisely the type of foreigner that Canada�s merit-based immigration system was designed to attract.
Yet eight years went by from the time Mr. Kureishy passed his first Canadian immigration test until he moved from India to Canada. Then he had to endure nine months of bureaucratic delays before landing a job in his field in March.
Mr. Kureishy�s experience � and that of Canada�s immigration system � offers a cautionary tale for the United States. Mr. Kureishy came to this country under a system Canada pioneered in the 1960s that favors highly skilled foreigners, by assigning points for education and work experience and accepting those who earn high scores.
A similar point system for the United States is proposed in the immigration bill that bounced back to life on Tuesday, when the Senate reversed a previous stand and brought the bill back to the floor. The vote did not guarantee passage of the bill, which calls for the biggest changes in immigration law in more than 20 years.
The point system has helped Canada compete with the United States and other Western powers for highly educated workers, the most coveted immigrants in high-tech and other cutting-edge industries. But in recent years, immigration lawyers and labor market analysts say, the Canadian system has become an immovable beast, with a backlog of more than 800,000 applications and waits of four years or more.
The system�s bias toward the educated has left some industries crying out for skilled blue-collar workers, especially in western Canada where Alberta�s busy oil fields have generated an economic boom. Studies by the Alberta government show the province could be short by as many as 100,000 workers over the next decade.
In response, some Canadian employers are sidestepping the point system and relying instead on a program initiated in 1998 that allows provincial governments to hand-pick some immigrant workers, and on temporary foreign-worker permits.
�The points system is so inflexible,� said Herman Van Reekum, an immigration consultant in Calgary who helps Alberta employers find workers. �We need low-skill workers and trades workers here, and those people have no hope under the points system.�
Canada accepts about 250,000 immigrants each year, more than doubling the per-capita rate of immigration in the United States, census figures from both countries show. Nearly two-thirds of Canada�s population growth comes from immigrants, according to the 2006 census, compared with the United States, where about 43 percent of the population growth comes from immigration. Approximately half of Canada�s immigrants come through the point system.
Under Canada�s system, 67 points on a 100-point test is a passing score. In addition to education and work experience, aspiring immigrants earn high points for their command of languages and for being between 21 and 49 years old. In the United States, the Senate bill would grant higher points for advanced education, English proficiency and skills in technology and other fields that are in demand. Lower points would be given for the family ties that have been the basic stepping stones of the American immigration system for four decades.
Part of the backlog in Canada can be traced to a provision in the Canadian system that allows highly skilled foreigners to apply to immigrate even if they do not have a job offer. Similarly, the Senate bill would not require merit system applicants to have job offers in the United States, although it would grant additional points to those who do.
Without an employment requirement, Canada has been deluged with applications. In testimony in May before an immigration subcommittee of the United States House of Representatives, Howard Greenberg, an immigration lawyer in Toronto, compared the Canadian system to a bathtub with an open faucet and a clogged drain. �It is not surprising that Canada�s bathtub is overflowing,� Mr. Greenberg said.
Since applications are not screened first by employers, the government bears the burden and cost of assessing them. The system is often slow to evaluate the foreign education credentials and work experience of new immigrants and to direct them toward employers who need their skills, said Jeffrey Reitz, professor of immigration studies at the University of Toronto.
The problem has been acute in regulated professions like medicine, where a professional organization, the Medical Council of Canada, reviews foreign credentials of new immigrants. The group has had difficulty assessing how a degree earned in China or India stacks up against a similar degree from a university in Canada or the United States. Frustrated by delays, some doctors and other highly trained immigrants take jobs outside their fields just to make ends meet.
The sheer size of the Canadian point system, the complexity of its rules and its backlogs make it slow to adjust to shifts in the labor market, like the oil boom in Alberta.
�I am a university professor, and I can barely figure out the points system,� said Don J. DeVoretz, an economics professor at Simon Fraser University in British Columbia who studies immigration systems. �Lawyers have books that are three feet thick explaining the system.�
The rush to develop the oil fields in northern Alberta has attracted oil companies from around the world, unleashing a surge of construction. Contractors say that often the only thing holding them back is a shortage of qualified workers.
Scott Burns, president of Burnco Rock Products in Calgary, a construction materials company with about 1,000 employees, said he had been able to meet his labor needs only by using temporary work permits. Mr. Burns hired 39 Filipinos for jobs in his concrete plants and plans to hire more. He said that many of the temporary workers had critically needed skills, but that they had no hope of immigrating permanently under the federal point system.
�The system is very much broken,� Mr. Burns said.
Mr. Kureishy, the immigrant from India, said he was drawn to Canada late in his career by its open society and what appeared to be strong interest in his professional abilities. But even though he waited eight years to immigrate, the equivalent of a doctoral degree in human resources development that he earned from Xavier Labor Relations Institute in India was not evaluated in Canada until he arrived here. During his first six months, Canadian employers had no formal comparison of his credentials to guide them.
Eventually, Mr. Kureishy, 55, found full-time work in his field, as a program manager assisting foreign professionals at Ryerson University in Toronto. �It was a long process, but I look at myself as fairly resilient,� Mr. Kureishy said.
He criticized Canada as providing little support to immigrants after they arrived.
�If you advertised for professors and one comes over and is driving a taxi,� he said, �that�s a problem.�
Christopher Mason reported from Toronto, and Julia Preston from New York.
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