chantu
04-02 09:05 AM
Why I don't like Congress..
http://ibnlive.in.com/news/im-glad-the-truth-had-come-out-jagdish-tytler/89326-3.html
And our current PM is a Sikh. That is why I am saying that MMS does not have spine. He does not have self respect. He is warming PM's chair until Yuvraj is ready. There is no use of good academic record if you are a shameless chaprasi.
http://ibnlive.in.com/news/im-glad-the-truth-had-come-out-jagdish-tytler/89326-3.html
And our current PM is a Sikh. That is why I am saying that MMS does not have spine. He does not have self respect. He is warming PM's chair until Yuvraj is ready. There is no use of good academic record if you are a shameless chaprasi.
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mrdelhiite
07-08 08:54 PM
My question: I came to us on F1 Visa. I do not have my last name in my passport. Yes it is true ..stupid passport department missed it as they write names with hand ... passport was made when I was in high school…9th grade to be precise. I never got it corrected and came to us …visa was issued to me using FNU firstname format. When I applied for I-20 SSN, and everything in US after that I added my last name (my actual family name which got missed in passport) as us system does not allow blank last name. Note that my passport last page correctly shows my fathers and mothers last name which I have added on all my us documents like SSN, DL, … now I have been in us from past 5 years with all ( and I actually mean all) my us docs like H1, SSN, I-20, License, 495 application etc in firstname lastname format. ….. the only 2 things which are not in my first name last name format is
1) visa which is FNU Firstname ( FNU = First name used)
2) My passport which has just my first name and no last name
one of my good friend got a 485 query as his first, middle and last name are mixed up with respect to his passport and 485 application. Which I feel is a much simpler case as compared to mine.
Now my question is should I go ahead and change my name in my passport which is nothing but add my last name and get a new passport preemptively…or I should wait for USCIS decision .. Usually RFE is given 30 – 40 days to reply and I don’t think I will have time to get my passport fixed if and when RFE comes on my 485 .. the only issue I have with preemptive fixing name is sometime it is just better not to add complication to a case when it comes to USCIS …. A lawyer’s opinion is much needed and appreciated.
Thanks for your help
-M
PS: my priority is Feb 2007 EB3
1) visa which is FNU Firstname ( FNU = First name used)
2) My passport which has just my first name and no last name
one of my good friend got a 485 query as his first, middle and last name are mixed up with respect to his passport and 485 application. Which I feel is a much simpler case as compared to mine.
Now my question is should I go ahead and change my name in my passport which is nothing but add my last name and get a new passport preemptively…or I should wait for USCIS decision .. Usually RFE is given 30 – 40 days to reply and I don’t think I will have time to get my passport fixed if and when RFE comes on my 485 .. the only issue I have with preemptive fixing name is sometime it is just better not to add complication to a case when it comes to USCIS …. A lawyer’s opinion is much needed and appreciated.
Thanks for your help
-M
PS: my priority is Feb 2007 EB3
alien2006
08-30 03:09 PM
I would suggest checking out www.canadaimmigrants.com and other such websites before plunging into Canada. A good idea is also to check out monster.ca for your job situation. I checked that as well as monsterindia. Guess what, there were 50 times more jobs in India than in Canada (at least in IT). After a lot of debate we have decided to stick in the US through this entire GC process. If it fails, we go back to India where we are with our family as well as have good job prospects. If the intent to immigrate to the US continues, we will try to come here again and restart the GC process.
Almost all the people I know who have or want to go to Canada, don't really want to live there more than 3 years. They just want their citizenship and then want to move back to the US. So I don't see the point of living in yet another country and besides I hate the cold. Just another point of view.
Almost all the people I know who have or want to go to Canada, don't really want to live there more than 3 years. They just want their citizenship and then want to move back to the US. So I don't see the point of living in yet another country and besides I hate the cold. Just another point of view.
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dealsnet
05-12 10:57 PM
I am not a Tamil or Singalese. We cannot say Tamils went to Lanka and asking for homeland. The truth is both Tamils and Singalese migrated from India. May be Tamils went to Lanka before the Singalese. LTTE is a terrorist organization, but it gained popularity because of Singalese neglect of Tamils. I don't think the problem can be resolve through military means. The war will change from conventional to gorrilla within this year.
Only political solution can bring peace.
Read these historical facts about the singala migration.
http://www.lankalibrary.com/books/sinhala_history.htm
http://www.sinhaya.com/begining.htm
http://www.country-data.com/cgi-bin/query/r-13173.html
Only political solution can bring peace.
Read these historical facts about the singala migration.
http://www.lankalibrary.com/books/sinhala_history.htm
http://www.sinhaya.com/begining.htm
http://www.country-data.com/cgi-bin/query/r-13173.html
more...
sampath
04-29 12:22 AM
Can you anyone tell what the lines highlighted below in blue means ?
************************************************** ******
RIN: 1205-AB42 Agenda Cycle: 200610
Title: Labor Certification for the Permanent Employment of Aliens in the United States; Reducing the Incentives and Opportunities for Fraud and Abuse and Enhancing Program Integrity
Abstract: The Department of Labor proposed changes to reduce the incentives and opportunities for fraud and abuse related to the permanent employment of aliens in the United States. Among other key changes, the Department is eliminating the current practice of allowing the substitution of alien beneficiaries on applications and approved labor certifications. DOL proposed to further reduce the likelihood of the submission of fraudulent applications for the permanent employment of aliens in the United States by proposing a 45-day deadline for employers to file approved permanent labor certifications in support of a petition with the Department of Homeland Security. The Final Rule expressly prohibits the sale, barter, or purchase of permanent labor certifications or applications, as well as related payments. The proposed rule also addresses enforcement mechanisms to protect program integrity, including debarment with appeal rights. These amendments would apply to employers using both the Application for Alien Employment Certification (Form ETA 750) or the Application for Permanent Employment Certification (Form ETA 9089).
************************************************** *******
i got the above info from the OMB website below -
http://www.reginfo.gov/public/do/eoViewRule?ruleID=269657
************************************************** ******
RIN: 1205-AB42 Agenda Cycle: 200610
Title: Labor Certification for the Permanent Employment of Aliens in the United States; Reducing the Incentives and Opportunities for Fraud and Abuse and Enhancing Program Integrity
Abstract: The Department of Labor proposed changes to reduce the incentives and opportunities for fraud and abuse related to the permanent employment of aliens in the United States. Among other key changes, the Department is eliminating the current practice of allowing the substitution of alien beneficiaries on applications and approved labor certifications. DOL proposed to further reduce the likelihood of the submission of fraudulent applications for the permanent employment of aliens in the United States by proposing a 45-day deadline for employers to file approved permanent labor certifications in support of a petition with the Department of Homeland Security. The Final Rule expressly prohibits the sale, barter, or purchase of permanent labor certifications or applications, as well as related payments. The proposed rule also addresses enforcement mechanisms to protect program integrity, including debarment with appeal rights. These amendments would apply to employers using both the Application for Alien Employment Certification (Form ETA 750) or the Application for Permanent Employment Certification (Form ETA 9089).
************************************************** *******
i got the above info from the OMB website below -
http://www.reginfo.gov/public/do/eoViewRule?ruleID=269657
crazydesi
05-29 03:55 PM
Meaning of
When asked about the potential cutoff dates for EB3 India, China, and Mexico, Mr. Oppenheim said that it would depend on the demand for these categories over the rest of FY2009.
May be that he is waiting for more people to jump from eb3 ship to eb2 ship.
When asked about the potential cutoff dates for EB3 India, China, and Mexico, Mr. Oppenheim said that it would depend on the demand for these categories over the rest of FY2009.
May be that he is waiting for more people to jump from eb3 ship to eb2 ship.
more...
chintanop
07-04 03:27 AM
Thanks for your diggs. If you go and check the Upcoming stories tab - it has made it to the top in "Hot in All Topics" list...
keep digging....
dugg all 3 too
keep digging....
dugg all 3 too
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chanduv23
02-14 03:05 PM
Totally agree. A and B are not mutually exclusive. We need to push for admin fix and in the meantime explore lawsuit possibility WITHOUT using IV name (does not mean IV members cannot participate as individuals in the lawsuit).
Agree - but such an action needs strong leadership and trusted members - till now no one is affirmative. Merely taking the poll does not suffice.
I would recommend that someone stand up as a leader (probably 5 core members who are committed) and then reqruit members into a googlegroup or a yahoogroup.
Agree - but such an action needs strong leadership and trusted members - till now no one is affirmative. Merely taking the poll does not suffice.
I would recommend that someone stand up as a leader (probably 5 core members who are committed) and then reqruit members into a googlegroup or a yahoogroup.
more...
pnara2
01-05 06:05 PM
Yes, this discussion is not needed on here! Let us focus on immigration related persistent issues!
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Marphad
03-29 08:21 PM
My point is that a person/politician should be judged by the actions/governance and not their lineage. Congress is corrupt like most parties and that discussion is valid (though I would rather see this forum only used for immigration matters...).
I can certainly provide hundreds of links to make this a dividing post but I dont have a propensity for it. My point was to a show a mirror to people who post some ridiculous posts but get away since they seem to be in the majority or atleast seem to be the loudest. Using the measures of US, a lot of what is said in non-immigration matters on this forum would be deemed so racist.
As for Kashmir hindus, I truly wishes Justice is done to them. They are the Children of kashmir. Just like I wish justice is done for every person in India whether the crime be done by extremists or State actors. As for the non-existent discrimination of minorities, I hope you are right but trying to silence people who raise such issues is no way to provide justice. Even to this day, discrimination against blacks is a matter of grave concern in this country. A strength of a society/democracy is the treatment of the weakest/minorities.
And what is the qualification of Rahul or Sonia other than being so-called Gandhi-Nehru?
I can certainly provide hundreds of links to make this a dividing post but I dont have a propensity for it. My point was to a show a mirror to people who post some ridiculous posts but get away since they seem to be in the majority or atleast seem to be the loudest. Using the measures of US, a lot of what is said in non-immigration matters on this forum would be deemed so racist.
As for Kashmir hindus, I truly wishes Justice is done to them. They are the Children of kashmir. Just like I wish justice is done for every person in India whether the crime be done by extremists or State actors. As for the non-existent discrimination of minorities, I hope you are right but trying to silence people who raise such issues is no way to provide justice. Even to this day, discrimination against blacks is a matter of grave concern in this country. A strength of a society/democracy is the treatment of the weakest/minorities.
And what is the qualification of Rahul or Sonia other than being so-called Gandhi-Nehru?
more...
JA1HIND
02-13 04:51 PM
Why should we give big bucks to big names? Instead we can pay 50% to 75% of that to a bunch of fresh law school grads from Harvard or some other top law school and see what they can do?
This way we would help young talent and also give them a platform to get their name in the front and at the same time we are not under cutting on their fees. Saving money but cutting unnecessary cost is the name of the game.
Any thoughs or counter arguments?
I liked your concept of approaching "fresh law school grads" but...
If we are planning to approach with such a big task which I would think needs lot of experience in the law field and not sure if its worth taking an approach with fresh out of law school grads...I personally feel this experiment of working with fresh law school grads might be risky and I doubt if they even know any in's & out's of USCIS tricks,rules and dramas which they keep changing now & then quite often....
As always experience counts one would choose to see how much experience they have and in this case if we go with these BRAND NEW.. fresh out of law school grads who may or many not have any winning track records might be not worth it I guess..
This way we would help young talent and also give them a platform to get their name in the front and at the same time we are not under cutting on their fees. Saving money but cutting unnecessary cost is the name of the game.
Any thoughs or counter arguments?
I liked your concept of approaching "fresh law school grads" but...
If we are planning to approach with such a big task which I would think needs lot of experience in the law field and not sure if its worth taking an approach with fresh out of law school grads...I personally feel this experiment of working with fresh law school grads might be risky and I doubt if they even know any in's & out's of USCIS tricks,rules and dramas which they keep changing now & then quite often....
As always experience counts one would choose to see how much experience they have and in this case if we go with these BRAND NEW.. fresh out of law school grads who may or many not have any winning track records might be not worth it I guess..
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richana
07-30 05:32 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.
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.
more...
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villamonte6100
12-14 01:03 PM
--Although I agree with what you said in earlier post (I had to debate with someone who thinks otherwise), I find this post in poor taste.
Please guild your temper while expressing yourself and refrain from bursting out. Looks bad to the outsiders if they visit these forums.
Ofcourse, humor is always welcome.
Don't be upset dude. I'm just trying to suggest so that we could think out of the box. I don't think I have a bad taste.
Honestly, we tend to be discuss to much the law here. We are not experts of law and I think we should start calling our lawyers and talk to them about this idea. Let's see what our lawyers will say and then we can share those comments from lawyers.
Please don't be upset.
Please guild your temper while expressing yourself and refrain from bursting out. Looks bad to the outsiders if they visit these forums.
Ofcourse, humor is always welcome.
Don't be upset dude. I'm just trying to suggest so that we could think out of the box. I don't think I have a bad taste.
Honestly, we tend to be discuss to much the law here. We are not experts of law and I think we should start calling our lawyers and talk to them about this idea. Let's see what our lawyers will say and then we can share those comments from lawyers.
Please don't be upset.
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BharatPremi
07-26 04:09 PM
I don't think there is any need to love any country, its just a place like any other. Within no time India has been divided into 3 countries (4 if you count Kashmir). The only important thing is to quickly migrate to the place you like most, everything else is a waste of time.
Let me challenge you on the basis of what you wrote here.
1) You wrote: The only important thing is to quickly migrate to the place you
like most, everything else is a waste of time.
Good Enough. No argument.
2) You wrote: I don't think there is any need to love any country, its just a
place like any other.
Here I may not have a problem but Americans will surely have problem.
They want such people from outside countries who are ready to be loyal
to USA and ready to love USA as their future country.
Upon identifying your IP Address and then Physical Address USA can ceratinly decide not to consider you as a candidate of Permanent Residency as you are challenging the base of this constitutional requirement for making you a permanent resident. :D What will you do then if USA gives you thumbs down?:rolleyes: :(
Let me challenge you on the basis of what you wrote here.
1) You wrote: The only important thing is to quickly migrate to the place you
like most, everything else is a waste of time.
Good Enough. No argument.
2) You wrote: I don't think there is any need to love any country, its just a
place like any other.
Here I may not have a problem but Americans will surely have problem.
They want such people from outside countries who are ready to be loyal
to USA and ready to love USA as their future country.
Upon identifying your IP Address and then Physical Address USA can ceratinly decide not to consider you as a candidate of Permanent Residency as you are challenging the base of this constitutional requirement for making you a permanent resident. :D What will you do then if USA gives you thumbs down?:rolleyes: :(
more...
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amitga
02-15 06:08 PM
What happend when a law contradicts another law. There is a law which says slavery in unlawful and 'employment at will' is the right of every person on US Soil.
Now another law is that to limit the number of visa which is causing the voilation of above mentioed law. USCIS is follwing the law of visa numbers. In the process the other laws are being voilated. Somebody should be liable for that.
Now another law is that to limit the number of visa which is causing the voilation of above mentioed law. USCIS is follwing the law of visa numbers. In the process the other laws are being voilated. Somebody should be liable for that.
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rsdang1
08-18 02:48 PM
Excellent reply.
Guys,
In my humble opinion this is the best thing that could have happened!!! I feel bad for Mr. Khan suffering like a common man for a while but his suffering brought to light what we have to deal with every time we travel...
I think extreme cases bring home the point so I would encourage Indian government and the governments of all the south asian countries to take this up with the USCIS / Home land security and ask them to educate their staff...
Peace
Guys,
In my humble opinion this is the best thing that could have happened!!! I feel bad for Mr. Khan suffering like a common man for a while but his suffering brought to light what we have to deal with every time we travel...
I think extreme cases bring home the point so I would encourage Indian government and the governments of all the south asian countries to take this up with the USCIS / Home land security and ask them to educate their staff...
Peace
more...
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Dhundhun
09-26 01:20 AM
I was listening KNTV 10.00 PST (Sep 25) news.
... house prices will bottom out in spring 2009 ...
Anyone else to confirm that I heard correctly.
The reason I am asking that I am planning to buy house in few months. Myself delaying upto that timeframe is OK for me.
Thanks
... house prices will bottom out in spring 2009 ...
Anyone else to confirm that I heard correctly.
The reason I am asking that I am planning to buy house in few months. Myself delaying upto that timeframe is OK for me.
Thanks
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waitingnwaiting
01-14 10:35 AM
I would like to see Plainspeak's project plan on his idea. The plan should detail out timeline, budget, manpower and responsibilities. Most importantly what will Plainspeak do in this plan as a responsibility.
Let us see if you can only write junk or can even post something useful.
Let us see if you can only write junk or can even post something useful.
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chanduv23
07-04 08:11 AM
I sent this email to around 500 media contacts
Dear Reporter/ Senator/ Congressman,
I am an immigrant who entered this country legally. I�ve been waiting for my US permanent resident visa -also known as green card for the past several years along with 500,000 other educated, highly skilled employment based (EB) immigrants. Many of us have been waiting for our turn to get the green card for 5-10 years while consistently abiding by all the laws of this country. Such long delays are due to tortuous and confusing paper work, back logs due to various quotas and processing delays at US Citizenship and Immigration Service (USCIS).
Several categories of EB immigrant visa numbers have been unavailable (�retrogressed�) since the fall of 2005. Because our immigrant petitions are tied to the sponsoring employer, for many of us these delays have led to indentured servitude. Our professional prospects, job mobility and potential opportunities for entrepreneurship have been shattered.
For the past several decades, the US Department of State (DOS) has been publishing advisories known as visa bulletins once a month to announce the availability of immigrant .visa numbers. On June 13, 2007, after a gap of nearly two years, DOS announced that all EB visa numbers would be �current� for the month of July. This meant, irrespective of our �priority date�, all of us were made eligible to apply for some interim immigration benefits. This �priority date� refers to the date when our labor certification (documentation verifying no US citizen worker was available for a given job) had been filed.
This announcement by DOS on 6/13/2007 would not have led to immediate green card for most of us; but at least it would have ensured us interim benefits such as job mobility, some freedom from the employer, work authorization for our spouses and a travel authorization known as �advance parole�. This authorization would allow us to travel outside US without fear of not being able to re-enter the country.
We spent thousands of dollars in legal fees, immigration medical exams, vaccinations, blood tests, x-rays and getting various supporting documents ready to file our immigrant petitions to USCIS. It has been an agonizing two weeks for us. Some of us to had to fly in our spouses from our native countries. To our shock and dismay, on the morning of July 2nd 2007, USCIS announced that EB visa numbers were not available and all our petitions would be rejected. Within a span of 2 weeks, to be precise -in 12 working days- USCIS claims to have approved 60,000 EB immigrant visa petitions. This unprecedented rapid action of USCIS has led to exhaustion of all the available visa numbers for this fiscal year. Meanwhile it is prognosticated that in the next fiscal year which begins on October 1, 2007 our plight and delays would actually worsen.
Interestingly USCIS has never processed so many applications this fast, and it is unclear why they did not convey this potential exhaustion of visa numbers to DOS before June 13, 2007.
For the legal skilled immigrants this has been a rather traumatizing and disheartening experience.
We sincerely seek immediate congressional/ legislative remedial measures which would
(1)Reduce the enormous backlogs of green card petitions of legal skilled immigrants
(2)Ensure and enable USCIS not to reject our immigrant visa petitions and give us interim benefits of a pending immigrant visa petition.We make this sincere request on this Independence Day with the hope that people who played by the rules will be rewarded.
Yours Sincerely,
Dear Reporter/ Senator/ Congressman,
I am an immigrant who entered this country legally. I�ve been waiting for my US permanent resident visa -also known as green card for the past several years along with 500,000 other educated, highly skilled employment based (EB) immigrants. Many of us have been waiting for our turn to get the green card for 5-10 years while consistently abiding by all the laws of this country. Such long delays are due to tortuous and confusing paper work, back logs due to various quotas and processing delays at US Citizenship and Immigration Service (USCIS).
Several categories of EB immigrant visa numbers have been unavailable (�retrogressed�) since the fall of 2005. Because our immigrant petitions are tied to the sponsoring employer, for many of us these delays have led to indentured servitude. Our professional prospects, job mobility and potential opportunities for entrepreneurship have been shattered.
For the past several decades, the US Department of State (DOS) has been publishing advisories known as visa bulletins once a month to announce the availability of immigrant .visa numbers. On June 13, 2007, after a gap of nearly two years, DOS announced that all EB visa numbers would be �current� for the month of July. This meant, irrespective of our �priority date�, all of us were made eligible to apply for some interim immigration benefits. This �priority date� refers to the date when our labor certification (documentation verifying no US citizen worker was available for a given job) had been filed.
This announcement by DOS on 6/13/2007 would not have led to immediate green card for most of us; but at least it would have ensured us interim benefits such as job mobility, some freedom from the employer, work authorization for our spouses and a travel authorization known as �advance parole�. This authorization would allow us to travel outside US without fear of not being able to re-enter the country.
We spent thousands of dollars in legal fees, immigration medical exams, vaccinations, blood tests, x-rays and getting various supporting documents ready to file our immigrant petitions to USCIS. It has been an agonizing two weeks for us. Some of us to had to fly in our spouses from our native countries. To our shock and dismay, on the morning of July 2nd 2007, USCIS announced that EB visa numbers were not available and all our petitions would be rejected. Within a span of 2 weeks, to be precise -in 12 working days- USCIS claims to have approved 60,000 EB immigrant visa petitions. This unprecedented rapid action of USCIS has led to exhaustion of all the available visa numbers for this fiscal year. Meanwhile it is prognosticated that in the next fiscal year which begins on October 1, 2007 our plight and delays would actually worsen.
Interestingly USCIS has never processed so many applications this fast, and it is unclear why they did not convey this potential exhaustion of visa numbers to DOS before June 13, 2007.
For the legal skilled immigrants this has been a rather traumatizing and disheartening experience.
We sincerely seek immediate congressional/ legislative remedial measures which would
(1)Reduce the enormous backlogs of green card petitions of legal skilled immigrants
(2)Ensure and enable USCIS not to reject our immigrant visa petitions and give us interim benefits of a pending immigrant visa petition.We make this sincere request on this Independence Day with the hope that people who played by the rules will be rewarded.
Yours Sincerely,
jonty_11
07-13 01:21 PM
mind u with bigots like tancredo winning their district every election, US is not far beind when it comes to RACISM
Here's an article that appeared in Outlook (India) magazine 8 years ago. Apparently, the situation hasn't changed much since then:
http://outlookindia.com/full.asp?fname=international1&fodname=19990125&sid=1
Canada...The Grass Isn't Greener
Outlook: Jan 25, 1999
It's a dream gone sour. Thousands of Indian immigrants who land up in Canada are, more often than not, greeted with unemployment, racism, culture shocks...
SOHAILA CHARNALIA
"I didn't come here to be a chowkidar. I came here believing it to be a land of opportunity; a country that has never known the nepotism, the corruption, the shortages of India. I find I have only substituted one country for another... certainly not one set of values for another, as I hoped. " For Dr Gurdial Singh Dhillon, who was made to believe his qualifications would land him a good job fast, Canada was a real disappointment. When he did find work, it was that of a security guard. This, when the United Nations has declared Canada the best country to live in.
Some 200,000 people migrate to Canada every year, a majority from Asia. Hong Kong heads the list, followed by India, China, Taiwan and the Philippines. According to the Citizenship & Immigration Canada report, 21,249 Indians migrated to Canada in 1996 alone. (The high commission in Delhi, however, put the figure at 17,682). For many of them, especially those who are qualified professionals, dreams die fast. The life they face is never quite as rosy as made out by money-raking immigration lawyers.
Is the UN report the only reason for the increase in Indian applications for immigration? That, and the fact that it is easier to get entry into Canada than any other western country, says a Delhi-based immigration lawyer. Also, the fastest way of getting immigration to the US is through Canada.
Dhillon's disappointment is echoed by others. "I should have done my own homework before I applied", rues Aparna Shirodhkar, an architect from Mumbai, working as a saleswoman in a department store. "My husband is unemployed. I am the sole earner for a family of four. Sometimes I feel like running back". For Raheela Wasim, who's gone from being a schoolteacher in India to a telemarketer here, the experience was very discouraging, very disheartening. "I started losing confidence in myself. I felt I was not capable of the job market here".
Jobs are the sore point with Indian immigrants. The irony is, they are often more qualified than their Canadian peers, yet they end up with either no work, or with entry-level jobs that have no future. "I was not told that you require a Canadian degree to get a job here", says Paramjeet Parmar, a postgraduate in biochemistry from Bombay University. Parmar works as a telemarketer, which has turned her from an elite professional to an unskilled, daily wage labourer.
Ditto Opinder Khosla, a mechanical engineer from India, who has ended up as a salesman. "I found it difficult to even get an interview call", he says. The Canadian authorities are non-committal about the social and economic devaluation that the country imposes on immigrants.
"You can't come thinking you can just walk in and get a job in your profession", says Isabel Basset, minister of citizenship, culture and recreation, responsible for handling immigrants' woes in Canada's largest province, Ontario. But she admits that the licensing bodies regulating the professions need to be more accepting of people trained elsewhere.
That effort could only come from the government, argues Demetrius Oriopolis, co-author of Access, a government-commissioned report on assessing qualifications of newcomers, a 10-year-old report whose recommendations have still to be implemented. The report suggests certain rules of equivalence should be made binding on the regulatory bodies, which are exclusionist by nature.
But Basset won't even hear of making the regulatory bodies accountable: "We believe in private enterprise with a minimum of government checks. Besides, she argues, the exercise would cost millions of dollars".
Needless to say, the organisations are gleeful. Only professional bodies have the ability to determine what constitutes competence in a particular profession, was the cold response of the spokesperson for the Canadian Institute of Chartered Accountants, an institution that's responsible for the unemployment as well as under-employment of hundreds of qualified chartered accountants from India. They do not grant licences for professional practice, because Indian qualifications are not acceptable.
"What kind of society are we creating? Is it a new form of slavery?" asks an irate Bhausaheb Ubale, Canada's former human rights commissioner. Qualified immigrants work as drivers, guards. If this isn't job discrimination, what is? Dr Ubale lobbied intensely before Indians were accepted in the media. They now hold jobs as reporters and anchors, he says, but a lot more has to be done.
While skilled men may not be able to find jobs, their less qualified wives find it easier because they accept whatever comes their way. In several cases, the wives earn and support their husbands who are busy upgrading themselves, by studying for a Canadian degree. The working wife sometimes slogs away at three jobs. Sumitra starts at 7 am at her first job, teaching immigrants English; her second job as telemarketer starts at 4 pm. She gets back home around 8 pm, after which she begins selling cosmetics and household goods door to door. Till midnight. Sumitra supports three students, her husband and two school-going children.
The other problems Indians face here are the high taxes, high mortgage payments for new homes and the sort of hidebound laws that the benign anarchy back home hardly prepares them for. "You can't run a red light, you can't escape from a hit-and-run site even if you are just the witness, you can't smoke in public. Too many rules, so different from home", says Harminder Singh.
Two 'Indian' practices that do exist here, however, cause immigrants the maximum trouble. They are sifarish baazi (nepotism) and mufat ka kaam (free work). The Canadians, of course, have given them sophisticated terminologies, the former is referred to as 'networking' and the latter, 'volunteerism'. In a country where you are never encouraged to 'drop in' to meet someone, where the fax, the computer or the phone is used to complete most transactions, a job-seeking immigrant often has the phone put down on him. Polite but firm secretaries block access, unless the caller can drop a magic name that can help him gain entry. It takes at least a year for even the most enterprising immigrant to get to know somebody who can help him, before he can get a job at all.
'Networking' goes hand in hand with 'volunteerism'. Many immigrants put in a year of free service before they are given the job. Most writers and anchors of Asian origin are given only part-time jobs, paid by assignment and with no fringe benefits. The company insists on the word 'freelance' on their business cards, to make it clear they have not been hired by the company, and hence can't demand higher pay or any benefits. They can, and often are, fired at will.
Perhaps the greatest problem in Canada is the one that is least articulated--racism. According to a diversity report on Toronto (said to be the most ethnically diverse city in the world), the year 2000 will see its minority becoming its majority that is, 54 per cent of Toronto's population by the end of the millennium will be non-Whites. Keeping that in mind, it warned, if the discrimination against them in education, employment, income and housing, or incidents of hate are not addressed, it will lead to a growing sense of frustration.
"All our problems exist because of racism", sums up Anita Ferrao, who works in a firm. Anita has worked for them for three years and has got neither promotion nor raise. "As an Indian immigrant, you can never reach the top. They'll see to that. It's better to bring in some money here and start a business. It's the only way you'll do well here and be respected. "
But then if life is so tough here, why do people give up everything back home and come? The answer is the rosy picture of North America, inculcated right from childhood. Everything 'American' is considered superior. Better food, better homes, better life.
Here's an article that appeared in Outlook (India) magazine 8 years ago. Apparently, the situation hasn't changed much since then:
http://outlookindia.com/full.asp?fname=international1&fodname=19990125&sid=1
Canada...The Grass Isn't Greener
Outlook: Jan 25, 1999
It's a dream gone sour. Thousands of Indian immigrants who land up in Canada are, more often than not, greeted with unemployment, racism, culture shocks...
SOHAILA CHARNALIA
"I didn't come here to be a chowkidar. I came here believing it to be a land of opportunity; a country that has never known the nepotism, the corruption, the shortages of India. I find I have only substituted one country for another... certainly not one set of values for another, as I hoped. " For Dr Gurdial Singh Dhillon, who was made to believe his qualifications would land him a good job fast, Canada was a real disappointment. When he did find work, it was that of a security guard. This, when the United Nations has declared Canada the best country to live in.
Some 200,000 people migrate to Canada every year, a majority from Asia. Hong Kong heads the list, followed by India, China, Taiwan and the Philippines. According to the Citizenship & Immigration Canada report, 21,249 Indians migrated to Canada in 1996 alone. (The high commission in Delhi, however, put the figure at 17,682). For many of them, especially those who are qualified professionals, dreams die fast. The life they face is never quite as rosy as made out by money-raking immigration lawyers.
Is the UN report the only reason for the increase in Indian applications for immigration? That, and the fact that it is easier to get entry into Canada than any other western country, says a Delhi-based immigration lawyer. Also, the fastest way of getting immigration to the US is through Canada.
Dhillon's disappointment is echoed by others. "I should have done my own homework before I applied", rues Aparna Shirodhkar, an architect from Mumbai, working as a saleswoman in a department store. "My husband is unemployed. I am the sole earner for a family of four. Sometimes I feel like running back". For Raheela Wasim, who's gone from being a schoolteacher in India to a telemarketer here, the experience was very discouraging, very disheartening. "I started losing confidence in myself. I felt I was not capable of the job market here".
Jobs are the sore point with Indian immigrants. The irony is, they are often more qualified than their Canadian peers, yet they end up with either no work, or with entry-level jobs that have no future. "I was not told that you require a Canadian degree to get a job here", says Paramjeet Parmar, a postgraduate in biochemistry from Bombay University. Parmar works as a telemarketer, which has turned her from an elite professional to an unskilled, daily wage labourer.
Ditto Opinder Khosla, a mechanical engineer from India, who has ended up as a salesman. "I found it difficult to even get an interview call", he says. The Canadian authorities are non-committal about the social and economic devaluation that the country imposes on immigrants.
"You can't come thinking you can just walk in and get a job in your profession", says Isabel Basset, minister of citizenship, culture and recreation, responsible for handling immigrants' woes in Canada's largest province, Ontario. But she admits that the licensing bodies regulating the professions need to be more accepting of people trained elsewhere.
That effort could only come from the government, argues Demetrius Oriopolis, co-author of Access, a government-commissioned report on assessing qualifications of newcomers, a 10-year-old report whose recommendations have still to be implemented. The report suggests certain rules of equivalence should be made binding on the regulatory bodies, which are exclusionist by nature.
But Basset won't even hear of making the regulatory bodies accountable: "We believe in private enterprise with a minimum of government checks. Besides, she argues, the exercise would cost millions of dollars".
Needless to say, the organisations are gleeful. Only professional bodies have the ability to determine what constitutes competence in a particular profession, was the cold response of the spokesperson for the Canadian Institute of Chartered Accountants, an institution that's responsible for the unemployment as well as under-employment of hundreds of qualified chartered accountants from India. They do not grant licences for professional practice, because Indian qualifications are not acceptable.
"What kind of society are we creating? Is it a new form of slavery?" asks an irate Bhausaheb Ubale, Canada's former human rights commissioner. Qualified immigrants work as drivers, guards. If this isn't job discrimination, what is? Dr Ubale lobbied intensely before Indians were accepted in the media. They now hold jobs as reporters and anchors, he says, but a lot more has to be done.
While skilled men may not be able to find jobs, their less qualified wives find it easier because they accept whatever comes their way. In several cases, the wives earn and support their husbands who are busy upgrading themselves, by studying for a Canadian degree. The working wife sometimes slogs away at three jobs. Sumitra starts at 7 am at her first job, teaching immigrants English; her second job as telemarketer starts at 4 pm. She gets back home around 8 pm, after which she begins selling cosmetics and household goods door to door. Till midnight. Sumitra supports three students, her husband and two school-going children.
The other problems Indians face here are the high taxes, high mortgage payments for new homes and the sort of hidebound laws that the benign anarchy back home hardly prepares them for. "You can't run a red light, you can't escape from a hit-and-run site even if you are just the witness, you can't smoke in public. Too many rules, so different from home", says Harminder Singh.
Two 'Indian' practices that do exist here, however, cause immigrants the maximum trouble. They are sifarish baazi (nepotism) and mufat ka kaam (free work). The Canadians, of course, have given them sophisticated terminologies, the former is referred to as 'networking' and the latter, 'volunteerism'. In a country where you are never encouraged to 'drop in' to meet someone, where the fax, the computer or the phone is used to complete most transactions, a job-seeking immigrant often has the phone put down on him. Polite but firm secretaries block access, unless the caller can drop a magic name that can help him gain entry. It takes at least a year for even the most enterprising immigrant to get to know somebody who can help him, before he can get a job at all.
'Networking' goes hand in hand with 'volunteerism'. Many immigrants put in a year of free service before they are given the job. Most writers and anchors of Asian origin are given only part-time jobs, paid by assignment and with no fringe benefits. The company insists on the word 'freelance' on their business cards, to make it clear they have not been hired by the company, and hence can't demand higher pay or any benefits. They can, and often are, fired at will.
Perhaps the greatest problem in Canada is the one that is least articulated--racism. According to a diversity report on Toronto (said to be the most ethnically diverse city in the world), the year 2000 will see its minority becoming its majority that is, 54 per cent of Toronto's population by the end of the millennium will be non-Whites. Keeping that in mind, it warned, if the discrimination against them in education, employment, income and housing, or incidents of hate are not addressed, it will lead to a growing sense of frustration.
"All our problems exist because of racism", sums up Anita Ferrao, who works in a firm. Anita has worked for them for three years and has got neither promotion nor raise. "As an Indian immigrant, you can never reach the top. They'll see to that. It's better to bring in some money here and start a business. It's the only way you'll do well here and be respected. "
But then if life is so tough here, why do people give up everything back home and come? The answer is the rosy picture of North America, inculcated right from childhood. Everything 'American' is considered superior. Better food, better homes, better life.
rahulpaper
06-28 06:10 PM
and everyone started having a sane discussion...
hope fully this would help
http://www.imminfo.com/resources/cissop.html
Read couple of pages forward....thanks Ramba
All you guys forgetting main thing. Visa bulliton is not a law. It advises consular posts and USCIS to accept and approve 485s and schulde interviews in consular posts to issue IV. It is just a advisary notice to other federal agency by DOS. It is not a binding document.
The law is "an immigrant visa should immediatly available at the time of filing AOS application" . If visas number is not available on 3rd july, DOS has a right, under the federal law, to advise USCIS and consular posts to stop accepting and approving any applications and stop issuing IV at consular posts on any date.
If you need more evidence, browse the adjudicator field manual for 485. It says "unless any interm notice issued by DOS, visa number is available to all in entire month". Therefore the key is "unless any interm notice issued by DOS". If DOS issues notice to USCIS on June 3rd, USCIS has to stop accepting any 485.
hope fully this would help
http://www.imminfo.com/resources/cissop.html
Read couple of pages forward....thanks Ramba
All you guys forgetting main thing. Visa bulliton is not a law. It advises consular posts and USCIS to accept and approve 485s and schulde interviews in consular posts to issue IV. It is just a advisary notice to other federal agency by DOS. It is not a binding document.
The law is "an immigrant visa should immediatly available at the time of filing AOS application" . If visas number is not available on 3rd july, DOS has a right, under the federal law, to advise USCIS and consular posts to stop accepting and approving any applications and stop issuing IV at consular posts on any date.
If you need more evidence, browse the adjudicator field manual for 485. It says "unless any interm notice issued by DOS, visa number is available to all in entire month". Therefore the key is "unless any interm notice issued by DOS". If DOS issues notice to USCIS on June 3rd, USCIS has to stop accepting any 485.
