Legal immigrants to U.S. face green card logjam

[GaryC 7]

Legal immigrants to U.S. face green card logjam By Tim Gaynor

Wed Nov 29, 9:01 AM ET

PHOENIX (Reuters) - Following all the rules, Indian national Sanjay Mehta came to the United States on a temporary work visa in 1997, hoping to build a glittering career in the fast-moving information technology sector.

But nine years later his application for a green card remains snarled up in a bureaucratic logjam, and he looks with frustration at the strides made by illegal immigrants who he says simply jumped the fence from Mexico.

"Washington has taken notice of them ... But what about the plight of legal immigrants to this country? We seem to have been forgotten," said Mehta, who settled in Arizona with his wife and raised two children.

Many of the estimated 10 million to 12 million illegal immigrants in the United States are hopeful of gains from a new Democrat-led Congress next year, after massive street protests in U.S. cities pushed their cause to the top of the political agenda earlier in the year.

But more than a million legal immigrants like Mehta from as far afield as Europe, India and China complain that their lives have been placed on hold as they battle red tape to become permanent residents in the United States.

Many are highly skilled, with science, electrical engineering and medical degrees, and are hired by U.S. companies, universities and research laboratories under a strict visa system with an annual cap of 65,000.

Those that get through into the United States then face a wait of up to 12 years for an employment-based green card, in a process that damages their professional lives and may even jeopardize U.S. competitiveness, immigrants, employers and analysts say.

LIVES LEFT IN LIMBO

All high-skilled immigrants seeking U.S. residency in 2004 had a college degree or better, and many would ordinarily be on a fast track career in research departments, hospitals and technology firms where they work across the United States.

But under the terms of the residency application they are tied to the job that they came into the country on, and face the prospect of watching colleagues advance while their lives remain on hold, advocates say.

"The long wait throws high-skilled professional immigrants' lives in limbo," said Aman Kapoor, the founder and president of Immigration Voice, a national grassroots organization representing skilled immigrants across the United States.

"They are not able to move to better job opportunities in the prime period of their career, which is very professionally frustrating for them," said Kapoor, an Indian national who works as a programmer analyst at Florida State University.

Others complain they face additional problems generated by the uncertain outcome of their residency application, including difficulty obtaining mortgage credit and even car loans.

"My wife has a masters in child psychology and has taught for more than 20 years in schools in Nigeria, but here she isn't allowed to work," said Kola Akinwande, a Nigerian database administrator based in Phoenix who has been waiting two years for a green card.

"I also have to pay out-of-state tuition fees for my son to study at university here, which puts an additional financial burden on the family," he added.

JOBS LEFT UNFILLED

The process has been slowed down yet further since the September 11 2001 attacks, as lengthy background checks by the FBI can add two to three years to the already drawn-out process.

The immigration logjam is not just a headache for the foreign-born professionals and their families, who face repeated knock-backs in the long and uncertain path to residency.

Some U.S. employers, especially in the technology sector, where global competition is fierce, are also concerned that they are prevented from hiring the best and the brightest, who they need to keep ahead of the curve.

Microsoft says it currently has 4,000 to 5,000 technical posts it cannot fill at its research facilities in the Puget Sound area, while Texas Instruments has more than 200 vacancies for specialists to design, develop and test integrated circuits and semiconductors.

"The problem is that the U.S. education system is not producing enough people with a math, science or engineering background to fill these vacancies, so we are having to look outside," said Jack Krumholtz, Microsoft's chief lobbyist in Washington.

For employers and immigrant advocates, the solution includes raising the annual cap on H1B non-immigrant work visas to allow more skilled immigrants into the country, and speeding up the residency process to break the logjam.

Analysts warn that failure to do so could lead immigrants with sought-after skills to head for other countries like Australia, Canada and Britain, where the process is more streamlined.

"Unless this problem is corrected, the U.S. will be viewed by the best professionals as an unreliable place to build a career and have a family," said Stewart Anderson, the director of the National Foundation Policy think-tank.

But for Sanjay Mehta, any overhaul would come too late. Weary of delays and knockbacks, he packed up his life in Arizona, and took his wife and two U.S.-born children to start again in Britain.

"I feel like I wasted nine years of my life," he said.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20061129/us_nm/usa_greencard_dc

[Hilarious Clinton 452]

The illegals make it hard on everyone.... hospitals, workers and legal immigrants all pay the price for the illegals. What a shame.

[Peikko 1,575]

"The problem is that the U.S. education system is not producing enough people with a math, science or engineering background to fill these vacancies, so we are having to look outside,"

Is it just me, but wouldn't it be a good idea to encourage/facilitate/educate the native US citizen to take on these high tech jobs.

Edited November 29, 2006 by Purple_Hibiscus

[Anna C. 4]

WOuld be a good idea, but I guess expensive college tuition is a problem!!!

[Irisheyes 0]

"The problem is that the U.S. education system is not producing enough people with a math, science or engineering background to fill these vacancies, so we are having to look outside,"

Is it just me, but wouldn't it be a good idea to encourage/facilitate/educate the native US citizen to take on these high tech jobs.

It would be a better start for them to focus on getting them out of school with the ability to read!

[pedroh 21]

"The problem is that the U.S. education system is not producing enough people with a math, science or engineering background to fill these vacancies, so we are having to look outside,"

Is it just me, but wouldn't it be a good idea to encourage/facilitate/educate the native US citizen to take on these high tech jobs.

It would be a better start for them to focus on getting them out of school with the ability to read!

yea.. i help my wife to grade either spanish and english tests.. zomg.. i can't believe how easy they fail english.. they don't wanna read, they don't wanna write, they just want to be arseholes

[Peikko 1,575]

Crikey, if that's true, bring in as many immigrants as possible!

[Girona40 0]

yea.. i help my wife to grade either spanish and english tests.. zomg.. i can't believe how easy they fail english.. they don't wanna read, they don't wanna write, they just want to be arseholes

My daughter is attending university at the moment, to gain her degree in Education. She is currently in a local school, observing, as part of her studies. The kids were failing basic grammar tests!! Then she realised why - the teachers test these kids, not having taught them the basics first! When she asked the teacher "You are testing these kids on things they have never been taught? How do you expect them to pass the tests?" The teacher replied "You think you can do better? You teach the class yourself next week!" She did. Every kid in that class passed the test that week - some had not passed one test in that class up to that day.

It isn't always because the kids don't want to learn.

[peejay 327]

H1B visas are not supposed to be free tickets to permanent residency. The intent of the H-1B system, which is not to encourage people to come here permanently, but to bring them here as quasi-indentured workers beholden to their US employers. Not to mention...the 65,000 cap is put on these visas to protect American workers. Unfortunately many of our elected leaders are more interested in paying back the favors garnished on them by big corporations rather than protecting their constituents (the American worker). There are several pieces of legislation floating around to eliminate foreign worker caps (that protect Americans from artificially cheap foreign labor).

[AnaAndDaniel 0]

H1B visas are not supposed to be free tickets to permanent residency. The intent of the H-1B system, which is not to encourage people to come here permanently, but to bring them here as quasi-indentured workers beholden to their US employers. Not to mention...the 65,000 cap is put on these visas to protect American workers. Unfortunately many of our elected leaders are more interested in paying back the favors garnished on them by big corporations rather than protecting their constituents (the American worker). There are several pieces of legislation floating around to eliminate foreign worker caps (that protect Americans from artificially cheap foreign labor).

dayum, hell must be getting chilly. this is the second post that I agree with you peejay!

I remeber reading about a BofA IT worker in the bay area whose fellow coworkers were laid off, and replaced by h1b folks who he had to train and was eventually replaced by one of his trainees. and the h1b folks don't have it easy either. not a pretty situation.

Daniel

:energetic:

Edited November 29, 2006 by AnaAndDaniel

[rebeccajo 14]

Gary, I'm not sure what the purpose was of this post, but I'd like to point you to this section of the article:

The process has been slowed down yet further since the September 11 2001 attacks, as lengthy background checks by the FBI can add two to three years to the already drawn-out process.

This is the part of AOS that we discussed once before and you indicated to me that if Luz got caught in this, you wouldn't be worried because you know she has done no wrong....

Not picking a fight. Just wondering if your position has changed.

Edited November 30, 2006 by rebeccajo

[GaryC 7]

Gary, I'm not sure what the purpose was of this post, but I'd like to point you to this section of the article:

The process has been slowed down yet further since the September 11 2001 attacks, as lengthy background checks by the FBI can add two to three years to the already drawn-out process.

This is the part of AOS that we discussed once before and you indicated to me that if Luz got caught in this, you wouldn't be worried because you know she has done no wrong....

Not picking a fight. Just wondering if your position has changed.

I was mostly posting it to point out the inequity of how the illegal vs legal immigrants were treated.

As long as Luz is waiting here with me during the AOS backround checks it still does not matter to me. I don't see them deporting your husband or Luz because of the wait. Her green card isn't the focus for me. Her being here with me is.

[rebeccajo 14]

Gary, I'm not sure what the purpose was of this post, but I'd like to point you to this section of the article:

The process has been slowed down yet further since the September 11 2001 attacks, as lengthy background checks by the FBI can add two to three years to the already drawn-out process.

This is the part of AOS that we discussed once before and you indicated to me that if Luz got caught in this, you wouldn't be worried because you know she has done no wrong....

Not picking a fight. Just wondering if your position has changed.

I was mostly posting it to point out the inequity of how the illegal vs legal immigrants were treated.

As long as Luz is waiting here with me during the AOS backround checks it still does not matter to me. I don't see them deporting your husband or Luz because of the wait. Her green card isn't the focus for me. Her being here with me is.

I've bolded part of your reply. I understand completely - really I do. I don't want you to think I'm diminishing that part of your and Luz's journey in any way.

*furrows brow*

I struggle so with this. I NEVER want to imply that being together is not the most important part. I do believe it is very difficult for those who are still separated to understand how things will be later on. Once the pain of being separated is over - real life has to happen. It just must. That doesn't mean romance is dead or that the love is diminished in anyway. It's just something that happens as you settle into being man and wife, forever for good.

I think the article illustrates some of the 'real life' difficulties that happen with immigration.

I guess I'm just wondering if any of this - well - makes sense to you?

I don't know - I don't want to sound sexist but maybe it's more important for a male immigrant - he's almost 'half a man' without the freedom his greencard will give him. Maybe that's why it's such a sticking point with me......

Edited November 30, 2006 by rebeccajo

[GaryC 7]

Gary, I'm not sure what the purpose was of this post, but I'd like to point you to this section of the article:

The process has been slowed down yet further since the September 11 2001 attacks, as lengthy background checks by the FBI can add two to three years to the already drawn-out process.

This is the part of AOS that we discussed once before and you indicated to me that if Luz got caught in this, you wouldn't be worried because you know she has done no wrong....

Not picking a fight. Just wondering if your position has changed.

I was mostly posting it to point out the inequity of how the illegal vs legal immigrants were treated.

As long as Luz is waiting here with me during the AOS backround checks it still does not matter to me. I don't see them deporting your husband or Luz because of the wait. Her green card isn't the focus for me. Her being here with me is.

I've bolded part of your reply. I understand completely - really I do. I don't want you to think I'm diminishing that part of your and Luz's journey in any way.

*furrows brow*

I struggle so with this. I NEVER want to imply that being together is not the most important part. I do believe it is very difficult for those who are still separated to understand how things will be later on. Once the pain of being separated is over - real life has to happen. It just must. That doesn't mean romance is dead or that the love is diminished in anyway. It's just something that happens as you settle into being man and wife, forever for good.

I think the article illustrates some of the 'real life' difficulties that happen with immigration.

I guess I'm just wondering if any of this - well - makes sense to you?

I don't know - I don't want to sound sexist but maybe it's more important for a male immigrant - he's almost 'half a man' without the freedom his greencard will give him. Maybe that's why it's such a sticking point with me......

I understand where your coming from also. You want the immigration process over so you can settle in with your lives. I can see how it is a problem that is causing you worry. Is your husband able to renew his work permit? I can really see how that would be a problem for you.

I know that the delays can cause an ongoing problem for those stuck in name check hell. I guess I am being selfish with it because it really does not matter to me as long as Luz in here while we wait. She isn't going to be working. As long as we are together that is really all that matters.

[Killer_Clown_2009 0]

Gary, I'm not sure what the purpose was of this post, but I'd like to point you to this section of the article:

The process has been slowed down yet further since the September 11 2001 attacks, as lengthy background checks by the FBI can add two to three years to the already drawn-out process.

This is the part of AOS that we discussed once before and you indicated to me that if Luz got caught in this, you wouldn't be worried because you know she has done no wrong....

Not picking a fight. Just wondering if your position has changed.

I was mostly posting it to point out the inequity of how the illegal vs legal immigrants were treated.

As long as Luz is waiting here with me during the AOS backround checks it still does not matter to me. I don't see them deporting your husband or Luz because of the wait. Her green card isn't the focus for me. Her being here with me is.

I've bolded part of your reply. I understand completely - really I do. I don't want you to think I'm diminishing that part of your and Luz's journey in any way.

*furrows brow*

I struggle so with this. I NEVER want to imply that being together is not the most important part. I do believe it is very difficult for those who are still separated to understand how things will be later on. Once the pain of being separated is over - real life has to happen. It just must. That doesn't mean romance is dead or that the love is diminished in anyway. It's just something that happens as you settle into being man and wife, forever for good.

I think the article illustrates some of the 'real life' difficulties that happen with immigration.

I guess I'm just wondering if any of this - well - makes sense to you?

I don't know - I don't want to sound sexist but maybe it's more important for a male immigrant - he's almost 'half a man' without the freedom his greencard will give him. Maybe that's why it's such a sticking point with me......

I can understand your frustration. For the past year, I've had no id in my married name, can't get a driver's license, can't work, can't register my own car and can't drive it...I can go on and on. Luckily the bank did allow me to open an account (I told them I hadn't applied for a SSN card yet so they let me use my TIN). I was tired of having to pay about $3.00 in cross border fees everytime I used my card anywhere but at the bank of america ATM. But it's been weird, like being in limbo. I am lucky though in that most places accept my passport as id.