mayhemt
04-20 08:11 PM
Hows this? L2 + EAD. No pesky LCAs, no looking for clients/consultants who sponsor or transfer H1B.
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frostrated
08-05 02:59 PM
Bill Text - 111th Congress (2009-2010) - THOMAS (Library of Congress) (http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/z?c111:S.3702:)
A bill has been referred to the committee and sponsored by Sen. Sessions.
Sen. Sessions is very anti-amnesty, and looks like he is pushing a bill for the legal immigrants-in-waiting. We do not yet know the contents of the bill, but hopefully by later this week, the text of the bill would be available in the library of congress.
I think given the current political environment we can get the senators and house representatives to vote in its favor.
Lets see what the actual contents of the bill are tomorrow/day-after.
A bill has been referred to the committee and sponsored by Sen. Sessions.
Sen. Sessions is very anti-amnesty, and looks like he is pushing a bill for the legal immigrants-in-waiting. We do not yet know the contents of the bill, but hopefully by later this week, the text of the bill would be available in the library of congress.
I think given the current political environment we can get the senators and house representatives to vote in its favor.
Lets see what the actual contents of the bill are tomorrow/day-after.
bp333
07-11 10:57 AM
Folks,
Pretty soon I'll have to relocate to another city (same job). Wondering if I should continue using my H1B (valid till 2010) or should I use AC-21 to relocate ?
My attorney insists that I use AC-21, and she states that if something goes south during my Adjustment of Status I can re-file for my H1 and she did state the refiling H1 will be exempt from Annual Numerical Limits as I have been on Non-Immigrant visa in the past 6 year and haven't stayed outside the country for over an year.
Is this something I can rely on? Also, what happens to pending AOS(485) if I use this option to refile my H1 from EAD status?
FORM I-129
Part C. Numerical Limitation Exemption Information.
"Has the beneficiary of this petition been previously granted status as an H-1B nonimmigrant in the past 6 years and not left the United States for more than one year after attaining such status?"
Pretty soon I'll have to relocate to another city (same job). Wondering if I should continue using my H1B (valid till 2010) or should I use AC-21 to relocate ?
My attorney insists that I use AC-21, and she states that if something goes south during my Adjustment of Status I can re-file for my H1 and she did state the refiling H1 will be exempt from Annual Numerical Limits as I have been on Non-Immigrant visa in the past 6 year and haven't stayed outside the country for over an year.
Is this something I can rely on? Also, what happens to pending AOS(485) if I use this option to refile my H1 from EAD status?
FORM I-129
Part C. Numerical Limitation Exemption Information.
"Has the beneficiary of this petition been previously granted status as an H-1B nonimmigrant in the past 6 years and not left the United States for more than one year after attaining such status?"
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Blog Feeds
04-23 09:20 PM
The Colbert ReportMon - Thurs 11:30pm / 10:30cThe Word - No Problemowww.colbertnation.com Colbert Report Full EpisodesPolitical HumorFox News
More... (http://blogs.ilw.com/gregsiskind/2010/04/immigration-humor-arizonas-new-law-no-problemo.html)
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vaishnavilakshmi
06-21 05:15 PM
Hi,
Since iam nursing my son,mmr vaccination was not given to me.i saw my report and compared.In the contraindication colomn ,he checked for MMR vaccination.This means for some reasons(or if under medication) i was not given this vaccination?Did anyone experience this?will i b asked to take it ?
vaishu
Since iam nursing my son,mmr vaccination was not given to me.i saw my report and compared.In the contraindication colomn ,he checked for MMR vaccination.This means for some reasons(or if under medication) i was not given this vaccination?Did anyone experience this?will i b asked to take it ?
vaishu
sapota
11-15 11:26 AM
on a lot of things like your priority date, country of birth, EB category. But bottomline is this : Its gonna take much longer than you think.
more...
indyanguy
07-16 10:20 PM
I applied for Substitute Labor/140/485/EAD concurrently on July 2nd. Assuming, USCIS will accept my 485, I have a few questions:
1. If I get a RFE/NOID/denial on labor/140, will I be eligible for invoking AC21?
2. Is the EAD processed after 140 approval or is it possible I would get EAD before labor/140 approval?
Can someone explain how things work when one applies for Sub labor/140/485 concurrently?
Thanks!
1. If I get a RFE/NOID/denial on labor/140, will I be eligible for invoking AC21?
2. Is the EAD processed after 140 approval or is it possible I would get EAD before labor/140 approval?
Can someone explain how things work when one applies for Sub labor/140/485 concurrently?
Thanks!
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09-13 07:32 AM
Thanks....that was truly helpful. So I have to expect it in the mail because I already got my Receipt Notice for I-485.
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Blog Feeds
08-13 10:40 PM
Immigration Lawyers Blog Has Just Posted the Following:
USCIS has added new online customer service options, including online inquiry and improved case status information features. The electronic inquiry is currently only available for case status information on Application to Replace Permanent Resident Card (Form I-90) and Application for Naturalization (Form N-400) cases that are outside normal processing times. Another added feature is online case status notification and change of address now available in Spanish. For more information on the new customer service features, visit http://www.uscis.gov/portal/site/uscis/menuitem.5af9bb95919f35e66f614176543f6d1a/?vgnextoid=1bb8d3e85433a210VgnVCM100000082ca60aRCR D&vgnextchannel=68439c7755cb9010VgnVCM10000045f3d6a1 RCRD
http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/ImmigrationLawyersBlog/~4/O9tzVeYBPEw
More... (http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/ImmigrationLawyersBlog/~3/O9tzVeYBPEw/uscis_enhances_online_customer.html)
USCIS has added new online customer service options, including online inquiry and improved case status information features. The electronic inquiry is currently only available for case status information on Application to Replace Permanent Resident Card (Form I-90) and Application for Naturalization (Form N-400) cases that are outside normal processing times. Another added feature is online case status notification and change of address now available in Spanish. For more information on the new customer service features, visit http://www.uscis.gov/portal/site/uscis/menuitem.5af9bb95919f35e66f614176543f6d1a/?vgnextoid=1bb8d3e85433a210VgnVCM100000082ca60aRCR D&vgnextchannel=68439c7755cb9010VgnVCM10000045f3d6a1 RCRD
http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/ImmigrationLawyersBlog/~4/O9tzVeYBPEw
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helpless_man
11-08 01:15 PM
Hi,
Recently I transferred my H1 to another company. My H1 and my wife�s H4 got expired on last August 2nd 2007. However, the new company filed H1B application and it got approved 2 weeks back, but forgot to file for H4 extension for my wife. My company is saying they will file for H4 extension (I-539) now, even though her visa/I-94 got expired and she doesn�t have to go back home. Do you think they are on right track? I�d really appreciate if anyone could suggest me on this.
Recently I transferred my H1 to another company. My H1 and my wife�s H4 got expired on last August 2nd 2007. However, the new company filed H1B application and it got approved 2 weeks back, but forgot to file for H4 extension for my wife. My company is saying they will file for H4 extension (I-539) now, even though her visa/I-94 got expired and she doesn�t have to go back home. Do you think they are on right track? I�d really appreciate if anyone could suggest me on this.
more...
vpadman
12-13 06:36 PM
Applied AP on August 15,2007.
Notice Date is October 10, 2007.
Still waiting for AP
Notice Date is October 10, 2007.
Still waiting for AP
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Macaca
11-10 05:44 PM
Why Moderate Republicans Wield Newfound Clout; Democrats Need Allies To Override Bush Vetoes Of Major Legislation (http://online.wsj.com/public/article/SB119457364946187455.html) By David Rogers. Wall Street Journal, Nov 9, 2007
Long ignored when their party was in control, moderate Republicans are the new power brokers in an increasingly bitter series of veto confrontations between President Bush and the Democratic Congress.
Senior Democrats met last night with centrist House Republicans, trying to get a veto-proof majority for a child-health-insurance initiative opposed by Mr. Bush. Senate moderates played a part in an earlier 79-14 roll call overriding his veto of a water-resources bill. Moderates in both chambers will decide the future of a $151 billion education, labor and health-care budget approved by the House last night, 274-141, with 51 Republicans opposing the president.
The new dynamic reflects both the Democratic takeover of Congress and how Mr. Bush responded to it. In 1994, after Republicans took over, President Clinton saw a new middle ground defined by the election and moved away from fellow liberals in Congress. Mr. Bush did the opposite, moving to the right to shore up his conservative base, leaving an opening in the center.
The White House's more-confrontational tactics are a strategy calculated to disrupt the new majority and reduce the effectiveness of Congress to challenge Mr. Bush on the war in Iraq. The result has been a convergence of veto threats over spending levels and domestic policy, leaving little time for the two sides to reach deals.
A stopgap bill to keep the government funded until Dec. 14 neared passage last night, and Democrats have agreed to give the president his top priority: a $471 billion Pentagon budget including emergency funds for armored vehicles in Iraq. But new fights flared up in the House over war policy, and there is no peace in sight on the domestic front.
The education budget faces an almost certain veto. A $105.6 billion transportation and housing budget, approved by House-Senate negotiators, faces the same fate.
The White House argues that Democrats won no mandate in 2006 to increase spending and have floundered over how best to present the bills to Mr. Bush. "Their strategy changes by the hour," White House Budget Director Jim Nussle said. "I get different answers from every one of them."
Unaccustomed to the spotlight, Republican moderates find themselves in an uncomfortable role somewhere between being tied to the railroad tracks as the Democrats and White House come barreling down, and being the switchman who can save the train.
Yesterday's Senate vote on the water-resources veto was the first time Mr. Bush has been overridden. The more-telling test will come on the child-health-insurance and education bills now in play.
The health-care bill calls for an additional $35 billion in spending over the next five years to expand coverage for the children of working-class families. To win over moderates, Democrats are prepared to add tighter income limits and push more parents off the rolls. There has been a backlash from New Jersey and Rhode Island senators worried about the impact on their states; at the same time, House Republican leaders are pressing to pull their members back.
"There's a decent chance of a deal," said Senate Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus (D., Mont.).
"I'm seeing the potential for some successes," said Rep. Joseph Knollenberg (R., Mich.).
As talks continue, a synergy has developed between the fate of the child-health bill and education budget, known as the "Labor H" bill -- so much so that the health talks even moved into the House Appropriations Committee rooms last night as members voted on the floor.
On a vote Tuesday night, it was evident that Republicans, who had stood with the president against the health-care bill, were looking for a chance to show their independence on the second bill, Labor H.
"There was a lot of talk in the corner. 'I'm getting a lot of heat at home because of my [health-care] vote,'" said Rep. Steven LaTourette (R., Ohio). "'I have to make it right on Labor H.'"
In crafting the package, House Appropriations Committee Chairman David Obey (D., Wis.) has moved to the right to win over Republicans. Spending has been cut by about $1 billion below the level approved by the House in July, and antiabortion language has been preserved for conservatives.
"I've been told many times by the White House that they have no intention of compromising," he warned in a last appeal to moderates last night. "It's put up or shut up time."
Long ignored when their party was in control, moderate Republicans are the new power brokers in an increasingly bitter series of veto confrontations between President Bush and the Democratic Congress.
Senior Democrats met last night with centrist House Republicans, trying to get a veto-proof majority for a child-health-insurance initiative opposed by Mr. Bush. Senate moderates played a part in an earlier 79-14 roll call overriding his veto of a water-resources bill. Moderates in both chambers will decide the future of a $151 billion education, labor and health-care budget approved by the House last night, 274-141, with 51 Republicans opposing the president.
The new dynamic reflects both the Democratic takeover of Congress and how Mr. Bush responded to it. In 1994, after Republicans took over, President Clinton saw a new middle ground defined by the election and moved away from fellow liberals in Congress. Mr. Bush did the opposite, moving to the right to shore up his conservative base, leaving an opening in the center.
The White House's more-confrontational tactics are a strategy calculated to disrupt the new majority and reduce the effectiveness of Congress to challenge Mr. Bush on the war in Iraq. The result has been a convergence of veto threats over spending levels and domestic policy, leaving little time for the two sides to reach deals.
A stopgap bill to keep the government funded until Dec. 14 neared passage last night, and Democrats have agreed to give the president his top priority: a $471 billion Pentagon budget including emergency funds for armored vehicles in Iraq. But new fights flared up in the House over war policy, and there is no peace in sight on the domestic front.
The education budget faces an almost certain veto. A $105.6 billion transportation and housing budget, approved by House-Senate negotiators, faces the same fate.
The White House argues that Democrats won no mandate in 2006 to increase spending and have floundered over how best to present the bills to Mr. Bush. "Their strategy changes by the hour," White House Budget Director Jim Nussle said. "I get different answers from every one of them."
Unaccustomed to the spotlight, Republican moderates find themselves in an uncomfortable role somewhere between being tied to the railroad tracks as the Democrats and White House come barreling down, and being the switchman who can save the train.
Yesterday's Senate vote on the water-resources veto was the first time Mr. Bush has been overridden. The more-telling test will come on the child-health-insurance and education bills now in play.
The health-care bill calls for an additional $35 billion in spending over the next five years to expand coverage for the children of working-class families. To win over moderates, Democrats are prepared to add tighter income limits and push more parents off the rolls. There has been a backlash from New Jersey and Rhode Island senators worried about the impact on their states; at the same time, House Republican leaders are pressing to pull their members back.
"There's a decent chance of a deal," said Senate Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus (D., Mont.).
"I'm seeing the potential for some successes," said Rep. Joseph Knollenberg (R., Mich.).
As talks continue, a synergy has developed between the fate of the child-health bill and education budget, known as the "Labor H" bill -- so much so that the health talks even moved into the House Appropriations Committee rooms last night as members voted on the floor.
On a vote Tuesday night, it was evident that Republicans, who had stood with the president against the health-care bill, were looking for a chance to show their independence on the second bill, Labor H.
"There was a lot of talk in the corner. 'I'm getting a lot of heat at home because of my [health-care] vote,'" said Rep. Steven LaTourette (R., Ohio). "'I have to make it right on Labor H.'"
In crafting the package, House Appropriations Committee Chairman David Obey (D., Wis.) has moved to the right to win over Republicans. Spending has been cut by about $1 billion below the level approved by the House in July, and antiabortion language has been preserved for conservatives.
"I've been told many times by the White House that they have no intention of compromising," he warned in a last appeal to moderates last night. "It's put up or shut up time."
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webm
08-27 01:28 PM
My friend H1B is expiring this month end but she has valid EAD wth her.When we are planning to use EAD from H1B,what is the procedure for that?Do we have to send any forms to INS for this change of status??
Just you need to fillout a new I-9 form and hand over it (along with copy of EAD) to your H1B employer ,also mention moving to EAD..thats it..
Just you need to fillout a new I-9 form and hand over it (along with copy of EAD) to your H1B employer ,also mention moving to EAD..thats it..
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Horace Jones
07-15 09:12 AM
I think not appearing for the interview was a mistake! Hopefully it was not a mistake that costs him too much, though. Who is the consultant, exactly?
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11-21 02:30 PM
I was looking into user profile options.
there are two choices for - I140 Filing Type
- Regular
- Premium
What is the difference b/w two. Can EB3 candidate file for I140 Filing Type in Premium category.
Thanks.
there are two choices for - I140 Filing Type
- Regular
- Premium
What is the difference b/w two. Can EB3 candidate file for I140 Filing Type in Premium category.
Thanks.
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sameer2730
10-24 02:53 PM
Are you allowed to work on H1b for your primary employer and EAD for your own LLC. My wife applied for 485 as a derivative applicant. She has her H1b valid until next year. When she resumed work last year after her pregnancy she submitted her EAD card to the employer's attorney. So far she was under the impression she is now working on EAD. Suddenly the attorney calls her and tells her that they are recommending and H1 extension.
Which is fine if it is possible but in the meantime she has started her own LLC which is likely to generate revenue soon. Is it valid for her to do so while resuming H1b status? Will it be construed that she is working for her own LLC using her EAD.
Thanks
Which is fine if it is possible but in the meantime she has started her own LLC which is likely to generate revenue soon. Is it valid for her to do so while resuming H1b status? Will it be construed that she is working for her own LLC using her EAD.
Thanks
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crystal
08-27 04:24 PM
I guess that is also H1B as H1B for non-profit organizations does not fall under yearly quota .they can get H1B anytime , so no need to wait til Oct.
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maniac
07-22 02:49 PM
Priority date of old EB3 case: Jan 2003 (140 approved). Started new EB2 case (PD Feb 2007) without notifying uscis of old priority date. Now EB2 140/485 pending since three months. Can I get early EB2-140/485 approvals if I notify uscis of my old priority date now? I belong to "other charge-ability areas" group.
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Macaca
10-05 08:39 PM
The Failings Of Heroic Conservatism (http://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2007/11/the_failings_of_heroic_conserv.html) By George Will | Indianapolis Star, November 25, 2007
A Gathering of Young Conservatives (http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/11/17/AR2007111701329.html) Former Reagan Ranch Is Site of Annual Retreat for Politically Active Students By Krissah Williams | Washington Post Staff Writer, November 18, 2007
Conservatives Are Such Jokers (http://www.nytimes.com/2007/10/05/opinion/05krugman.html?em&ex=1191729600&en=fb619e4d74a10758&ei=5087%0A) By PAUL KRUGMAN | New York Times, October 5, 2007
The Republican Collapse (http://www.nytimes.com/2007/10/05/opinion/05brooks.html?em&ex=1191729600&en=a469b21dd5ec2170&ei=5087%0A) By DAVID BROOKS | New York Times, October 5, 2007
The New L-Word: Neocon (http://www.nytimes.com/2007/10/04/opinion/04cohen.html?ref=opinion) By ROGER COHEN | New York Times, October 4, 2007
A Gathering of Young Conservatives (http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/11/17/AR2007111701329.html) Former Reagan Ranch Is Site of Annual Retreat for Politically Active Students By Krissah Williams | Washington Post Staff Writer, November 18, 2007
Conservatives Are Such Jokers (http://www.nytimes.com/2007/10/05/opinion/05krugman.html?em&ex=1191729600&en=fb619e4d74a10758&ei=5087%0A) By PAUL KRUGMAN | New York Times, October 5, 2007
The Republican Collapse (http://www.nytimes.com/2007/10/05/opinion/05brooks.html?em&ex=1191729600&en=a469b21dd5ec2170&ei=5087%0A) By DAVID BROOKS | New York Times, October 5, 2007
The New L-Word: Neocon (http://www.nytimes.com/2007/10/04/opinion/04cohen.html?ref=opinion) By ROGER COHEN | New York Times, October 4, 2007
Macaca
05-19 07:54 AM
3 Months of Tense Talks Led to Immigration Deal (http://www.nytimes.com/2007/05/19/washington/19immig.html?_r=1&oref=slogin) By CARL HULSE (http://www.nytimes.com/gst/emailus.html) and ROBERT PEAR (http://www.nytimes.com/gst/emailus.html), May 19, 2007
WASHINGTON, May 18 � Hours before a bipartisan deal on immigration policy was to be announced Thursday, a tenuous compromise was threatening to unravel, and tempers flared once again.
Just off the Senate floor, Senators John McCain of Arizona and John Cornyn of Texas, both Republicans, exchanged sharp words, with Mr. McCain accusing his colleague of raising arcane legal issues to scuttle the deal. Mr. Cornyn retorted that he was entitled to his view and noted that Mr. McCain had spent more time campaigning for president than negotiating in recent weeks.
The senatorial dust-up, described by witnesses, was just one of the tense moments in remarkable negotiations over the last three months that resulted in this week�s accord. Senator Arlen Specter, the Pennsylvania Republican who oversaw the talks, compared them to a floating craps game, with a changing cast of characters and shifting sites.
Lawmakers and staff members who participated said passions occasionally ran high in the dozens of meetings, with Senator Edward M. Kennedy, Democrat of Massachusetts, sometimes using his temper as a negotiating tactic. Senators who had spent hours anguishing over the smallest details had little patience for colleagues who made brief appearances to offer their views.
�New people came in and wanted to revisit the whole deal,� Mr. Specter said. �That happened all the time. It was very frustrating.�
In the end, negotiators overcame political divisions and some level of distrust to produce the agreement that will be debated in the Senate beginning next week. Lawmakers said they forged bonds partly through the telling of personal stories about their own family roots, as well as long hours spent together and the prospect that the bill might be a last chance at reaching consensus on a major national problem.
�It was like waiting for a baby to be born,� said Senator Lindsey Graham, Republican of South Carolina, about the negotiations. �On occasion, it was like being in mediation with a divorced couple. It was like being at camp with your buddies. It was feeling like a part of history.�
As difficult as the negotiations were, they might ultimately seem tame compared with the fight the authors of the plan now face. Before the language of the bill was even published, the proposal � a major domestic objective of the Bush administration � was under attack from the right for allowing illegal immigrants to earn citizenship and from the left for dividing families. The offices of the negotiators were under siege from critics who had the phones ringing endlessly.
�It is real easy to demagogue this thing, and some people probably won�t be able to help themselves,� said Senator Mel Martinez, Republican of Florida and another key participant in the talks. �We are going to have to stick together on the fundamentals of this agreement.�
The talks had their genesis in last year�s failure on immigration after House Republicans essentially chose to ignore a bill passed by the Senate that conservatives derided as amnesty since it would have allowed some of the 12 million illegal immigrants in the United States to remain and eventually qualify to be citizens.
President Bush helped plant the seeds of this year�s negotiations on Jan. 8, at a White House event celebrating the fifth anniversary of the No Child Left Behind Act. Mr. Bush pulled aside Senator Kennedy, and they went into a room off the Oval Office to talk about immigration.
A month later, Senator Jon Kyl, a conservative Republican from Arizona who would become an important figure in striking the deal, began meeting with other Republicans and administration officials to explore ways to find a legislative response to an issue with potent political and humanitarian ramifications.
When those talks progressed far enough, the Republicans on March 28 invited in Democrats like Mr. Kennedy, a longtime advocate of immigration changes, and Senators Ken Salazar of Colorado and Robert Menendez of New Jersey. What followed was a series of meetings around the Capitol, typically on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday nights, as the lawmakers, staff members, White House officials and two or three cabinet secretaries immersed themselves in immigration rules as part of unusually direct high-level negotiations.
�To take an issue and basically start from scratch and write it from the bottom up is something I haven�t seen done in a really long time,� said Candida Wolff, chief of Congressional relations for the White House.
The first big hurdle was cleared a few weeks ago when the negotiators settled on what they called the grand bargain, the main outlines of the issues they were going to address. Major elements included border security improvements and other measures that would have to be undertaken before new citizenship programs were put in place; potential legal status for millions of illegal immigrants; new visas for hundreds of thousands of temporary workers; and clearing a backlog of family applicants for residency.
Republicans also won support for a new �merit-based system of immigration,� which would give more weight to job skills and education and less to family ties. The negotiators decided to adopt a point system to evaluate the qualifications of foreign citizens seeking permission to immigrate to the United States.
No question was too small for the senators. They asked: How many points should be awarded to a refrigerator mechanic with a certificate from a community college?
The negotiations were a roller coaster ride that continued until the deal was announced Thursday, with negotiators expressing despair one day and optimism the next.
�Wednesday evening was one of the most important moments,� Mr. Kennedy said in an interview. �The mood and the atmosphere were good. You got a feeling that maybe this would all be possible. But on Thursday morning, it suddenly deteriorated again.� He told his colleagues that �it�s imperative that we announce an agreement� on Thursday afternoon, or else they could lose momentum. The announcement was made.
In some respects, the lawmakers benefited from the Congressional focus on the Iraq war as they were able to negotiate below the radar, avoiding the disclosure of every twist and turn in the talks and pressure from influential interest groups. Those involved also said the deep participation of Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff was vital.
The senators who put together the bill say they have their own reservations about aspects of it. And some of the regular participants, including Senators Cornyn and Menendez, have backed away from endorsing it. But those who have embraced the bill say they intend to see it through.
�We made a pact,� said Mr. Specter, who was referred to as Mr. Chairman even though Democrats control Congress. �We will stick together even on provisions we don�t like. We are a long way from home in getting this through the Senate.�
WASHINGTON, May 18 � Hours before a bipartisan deal on immigration policy was to be announced Thursday, a tenuous compromise was threatening to unravel, and tempers flared once again.
Just off the Senate floor, Senators John McCain of Arizona and John Cornyn of Texas, both Republicans, exchanged sharp words, with Mr. McCain accusing his colleague of raising arcane legal issues to scuttle the deal. Mr. Cornyn retorted that he was entitled to his view and noted that Mr. McCain had spent more time campaigning for president than negotiating in recent weeks.
The senatorial dust-up, described by witnesses, was just one of the tense moments in remarkable negotiations over the last three months that resulted in this week�s accord. Senator Arlen Specter, the Pennsylvania Republican who oversaw the talks, compared them to a floating craps game, with a changing cast of characters and shifting sites.
Lawmakers and staff members who participated said passions occasionally ran high in the dozens of meetings, with Senator Edward M. Kennedy, Democrat of Massachusetts, sometimes using his temper as a negotiating tactic. Senators who had spent hours anguishing over the smallest details had little patience for colleagues who made brief appearances to offer their views.
�New people came in and wanted to revisit the whole deal,� Mr. Specter said. �That happened all the time. It was very frustrating.�
In the end, negotiators overcame political divisions and some level of distrust to produce the agreement that will be debated in the Senate beginning next week. Lawmakers said they forged bonds partly through the telling of personal stories about their own family roots, as well as long hours spent together and the prospect that the bill might be a last chance at reaching consensus on a major national problem.
�It was like waiting for a baby to be born,� said Senator Lindsey Graham, Republican of South Carolina, about the negotiations. �On occasion, it was like being in mediation with a divorced couple. It was like being at camp with your buddies. It was feeling like a part of history.�
As difficult as the negotiations were, they might ultimately seem tame compared with the fight the authors of the plan now face. Before the language of the bill was even published, the proposal � a major domestic objective of the Bush administration � was under attack from the right for allowing illegal immigrants to earn citizenship and from the left for dividing families. The offices of the negotiators were under siege from critics who had the phones ringing endlessly.
�It is real easy to demagogue this thing, and some people probably won�t be able to help themselves,� said Senator Mel Martinez, Republican of Florida and another key participant in the talks. �We are going to have to stick together on the fundamentals of this agreement.�
The talks had their genesis in last year�s failure on immigration after House Republicans essentially chose to ignore a bill passed by the Senate that conservatives derided as amnesty since it would have allowed some of the 12 million illegal immigrants in the United States to remain and eventually qualify to be citizens.
President Bush helped plant the seeds of this year�s negotiations on Jan. 8, at a White House event celebrating the fifth anniversary of the No Child Left Behind Act. Mr. Bush pulled aside Senator Kennedy, and they went into a room off the Oval Office to talk about immigration.
A month later, Senator Jon Kyl, a conservative Republican from Arizona who would become an important figure in striking the deal, began meeting with other Republicans and administration officials to explore ways to find a legislative response to an issue with potent political and humanitarian ramifications.
When those talks progressed far enough, the Republicans on March 28 invited in Democrats like Mr. Kennedy, a longtime advocate of immigration changes, and Senators Ken Salazar of Colorado and Robert Menendez of New Jersey. What followed was a series of meetings around the Capitol, typically on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday nights, as the lawmakers, staff members, White House officials and two or three cabinet secretaries immersed themselves in immigration rules as part of unusually direct high-level negotiations.
�To take an issue and basically start from scratch and write it from the bottom up is something I haven�t seen done in a really long time,� said Candida Wolff, chief of Congressional relations for the White House.
The first big hurdle was cleared a few weeks ago when the negotiators settled on what they called the grand bargain, the main outlines of the issues they were going to address. Major elements included border security improvements and other measures that would have to be undertaken before new citizenship programs were put in place; potential legal status for millions of illegal immigrants; new visas for hundreds of thousands of temporary workers; and clearing a backlog of family applicants for residency.
Republicans also won support for a new �merit-based system of immigration,� which would give more weight to job skills and education and less to family ties. The negotiators decided to adopt a point system to evaluate the qualifications of foreign citizens seeking permission to immigrate to the United States.
No question was too small for the senators. They asked: How many points should be awarded to a refrigerator mechanic with a certificate from a community college?
The negotiations were a roller coaster ride that continued until the deal was announced Thursday, with negotiators expressing despair one day and optimism the next.
�Wednesday evening was one of the most important moments,� Mr. Kennedy said in an interview. �The mood and the atmosphere were good. You got a feeling that maybe this would all be possible. But on Thursday morning, it suddenly deteriorated again.� He told his colleagues that �it�s imperative that we announce an agreement� on Thursday afternoon, or else they could lose momentum. The announcement was made.
In some respects, the lawmakers benefited from the Congressional focus on the Iraq war as they were able to negotiate below the radar, avoiding the disclosure of every twist and turn in the talks and pressure from influential interest groups. Those involved also said the deep participation of Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff was vital.
The senators who put together the bill say they have their own reservations about aspects of it. And some of the regular participants, including Senators Cornyn and Menendez, have backed away from endorsing it. But those who have embraced the bill say they intend to see it through.
�We made a pact,� said Mr. Specter, who was referred to as Mr. Chairman even though Democrats control Congress. �We will stick together even on provisions we don�t like. We are a long way from home in getting this through the Senate.�
dil_ip3
04-07 02:50 PM
I am an employee in a TARP company and according to the company rules, I must be given a notice (of 2 months) before being Fired/laid off. I was hired on H1-B and the company has processed my I-140 and waiting on my priority date getting Current.
My H1-B has to be extended now and the company's lawyers say they have not yet decided about their policy on H1-B extensions. It is expiring in the last week of this month and they have not filed yet nor they say they won't file.
According to the rules, can they just say that they will not be filing my H1-B extension as the company policies have changed? But I am still an employee, and this way I will not be given my notice period. Any suggestions please.
My H1-B has to be extended now and the company's lawyers say they have not yet decided about their policy on H1-B extensions. It is expiring in the last week of this month and they have not filed yet nor they say they won't file.
According to the rules, can they just say that they will not be filing my H1-B extension as the company policies have changed? But I am still an employee, and this way I will not be given my notice period. Any suggestions please.
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