Beemar
11-04 09:08 PM
Situation - During the month of July, I filed my 485 when all categories were current. Got my receipt too. Missed wife's application because her papers were not ready. Now priority dates have retrogressed again.
Saving grace - Our H1/H4 are in order with many long years left on them.
Question - Can I file my wife 485 now as a dependent, even though "my" PD is not current yet. The core point is that, does the concept of PD applies to the dependent 485 applications too?
Saving grace - Our H1/H4 are in order with many long years left on them.
Question - Can I file my wife 485 now as a dependent, even though "my" PD is not current yet. The core point is that, does the concept of PD applies to the dependent 485 applications too?
Macaca
12-15 11:54 AM
Hammond Law Firm in Cincinatti is doing my paper work. I like them a lot.
I think I'll try to find a knowledgeable lawyer who's not too snooty. Someone better than my current company's lawyer who happens to think all information to me should be provided only on a need to know basis..I am in Cincinnati Ohio so please recommend if you know any good names..
I also have an approved I140 with my current company ....can it be used to get a 3 year term when the H1 is transferred ? I still have about 2 years left on my original 6 year term..Thankyou
I think I'll try to find a knowledgeable lawyer who's not too snooty. Someone better than my current company's lawyer who happens to think all information to me should be provided only on a need to know basis..I am in Cincinnati Ohio so please recommend if you know any good names..
I also have an approved I140 with my current company ....can it be used to get a 3 year term when the H1 is transferred ? I still have about 2 years left on my original 6 year term..Thankyou
bindas74
05-16 04:07 PM
All,
Did not want to create any sensational news, but this is what I gathered from speaking to an IO. I had applied for my EAD on Jan 25th and havent received any updates. So, I called the NSC customer service and an IO informed me that I need to check back with them in another 60 days if no decision is made by that time. When I said that it would be 6 months by that time, the IO said that "that's right. Each IO has about 500 applications on their desk and it will take some time to clear these off"
Just wanted to update everyone so that all the June/July filers can file appropriately.
Again, mine could be an isolated case. So, please dont panic::))
Did not want to create any sensational news, but this is what I gathered from speaking to an IO. I had applied for my EAD on Jan 25th and havent received any updates. So, I called the NSC customer service and an IO informed me that I need to check back with them in another 60 days if no decision is made by that time. When I said that it would be 6 months by that time, the IO said that "that's right. Each IO has about 500 applications on their desk and it will take some time to clear these off"
Just wanted to update everyone so that all the June/July filers can file appropriately.
Again, mine could be an isolated case. So, please dont panic::))
rajev_kk
07-14 08:49 PM
Mine is a substitution case and have filed for 140. After reading this post, was thinking if I can file for 485. Mine was filed last week and I have not received the receipt for 140 as-yet. Can I ask my attorney to go-ahead and file for 485 even though I don't have a receipt? Is there anything that I should wait for?
Thanks.
Thanks.
more...
ronhira
04-28 10:31 AM
we r coming to a full circle here..... over 90% americans also supported & practiced slavery back in 1786...... the declaration of independence was agreed by all americans and it said - "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal.... but over 90% americans supported slavery which wasthe biggest mockery of what everyone believed..... it just proves that just becoz majority of the people support something doesn't make it right or doesn't make it just.... in the end this nation had to go in for a civil war between the north & the south to end slavery.....
fast forward.... the current immigration debate is no different...... this country ought to have learned from the experience of the civil war..... for all the men, women and children who died in the civil war.... this country & this world provides for abundance of resources for everyone..... we can all cohabit this planet and live happily.... some people just don't want too..... the real question is...... will these facist forces stop with the undocumented or will they next try to squash another group who don't look like them..... my guess is that after they take care of the undocumented..... we r next.... its the generation old question that was asked during 2nd world war.... will the nazi forces of hitler stop within europe or will they next attack the US or soviet etc.... we all know the answer to that question.... and hence the 2nd world war.... the debate for the undocumented is of the same kind.... do we stop the negative fascist forces right here or will they be allowed to expand their wings.... i know the final outcome..... its just a matter of time.....
now u can throw out all the bull arguing that these are "illegal" people or they crossed the border etc.... these r the same sort of arguments presented for slavery or for mistreating women or immigrant groups, who were treated as slaves back then.... these negative fascist forces said the exact same things against abolishing slavery or giving equal rights to women, african americans and different immigrant groups..... u may think u are on the right side of this debate but u have no freaking clue that above human law there is another law... and that greater law supersedes every other human law.... every action in contradiction to the greater law will eventually lose.... wait & watch.... its just a matter of time....
60% of Americans support getting tough on illegals. Currently the US is the only country in the world, which puts the priorities of illegals above those of Citizens and legal people within its borders. Both Mexico and India (just to pick to countries) have very tough laws against visa over-stay, presence with out visa etc.
Nationally, 60% Favor Letting Local Police Stop and Verify Immigration Status - Rasmussen Reports� (http://www.rasmussenreports.com/public_content/politics/current_events/immigration/nationally_60_favor_letting_local_police_stop_and_ verify_immigration_status)
fast forward.... the current immigration debate is no different...... this country ought to have learned from the experience of the civil war..... for all the men, women and children who died in the civil war.... this country & this world provides for abundance of resources for everyone..... we can all cohabit this planet and live happily.... some people just don't want too..... the real question is...... will these facist forces stop with the undocumented or will they next try to squash another group who don't look like them..... my guess is that after they take care of the undocumented..... we r next.... its the generation old question that was asked during 2nd world war.... will the nazi forces of hitler stop within europe or will they next attack the US or soviet etc.... we all know the answer to that question.... and hence the 2nd world war.... the debate for the undocumented is of the same kind.... do we stop the negative fascist forces right here or will they be allowed to expand their wings.... i know the final outcome..... its just a matter of time.....
now u can throw out all the bull arguing that these are "illegal" people or they crossed the border etc.... these r the same sort of arguments presented for slavery or for mistreating women or immigrant groups, who were treated as slaves back then.... these negative fascist forces said the exact same things against abolishing slavery or giving equal rights to women, african americans and different immigrant groups..... u may think u are on the right side of this debate but u have no freaking clue that above human law there is another law... and that greater law supersedes every other human law.... every action in contradiction to the greater law will eventually lose.... wait & watch.... its just a matter of time....
60% of Americans support getting tough on illegals. Currently the US is the only country in the world, which puts the priorities of illegals above those of Citizens and legal people within its borders. Both Mexico and India (just to pick to countries) have very tough laws against visa over-stay, presence with out visa etc.
Nationally, 60% Favor Letting Local Police Stop and Verify Immigration Status - Rasmussen Reports� (http://www.rasmussenreports.com/public_content/politics/current_events/immigration/nationally_60_favor_letting_local_police_stop_and_ verify_immigration_status)
RedHat
08-30 05:01 PM
What is Sub-Labor?
I field my GC thru Very good company.
I am not understanding why its happend
I field my GC thru Very good company.
I am not understanding why its happend
more...
mjdup
12-15 10:48 AM
Don't point to websites, its just too much reading and the HR might get the illusion that the process involves too much work whereas its not that bad..
I was in similar situation five years ago, all I did was during my final interview with HR I requested them and was able to refer an attorney. The attorney did a good job of preparing the documents and providing rosy sticky tags for HR's signature. That made HR's and manager's life so easy. In return, I'm the medium between my attorney and HR. So, you will have to sell it to HR and engg. manager that "its no big deal"....
good luck,
I was in similar situation five years ago, all I did was during my final interview with HR I requested them and was able to refer an attorney. The attorney did a good job of preparing the documents and providing rosy sticky tags for HR's signature. That made HR's and manager's life so easy. In return, I'm the medium between my attorney and HR. So, you will have to sell it to HR and engg. manager that "its no big deal"....
good luck,
GCwaitforever
02-09 05:50 PM
If you could customize it to let people tell their own life stories, that would be great. I am mailing my letter tonight.
To
Mr. John Beverly
Director, Foreign Labor Certification Program
200 Constitution Ave NW, room C4312
Washington, DC 20210
Mr. Beverly,
[Block A: Filler] with model text by the side ....
[Model text:
I am a ------ in one of the Fortune --- companies, with expertise in ---- field. I have about --- years of experience in the ------- field. I came to USA in ---- on a --- Visa. I hold ------ degree in --- from a premier Institute. My employer applied for -----(RIR/non-RIR), ---- (EB*), permanent labor certification in ---from ----- state. It reached ------ regional office in ------. My case is shipped to ----- (Dallas/Philadelphia) Backlog Center later and it is waiting for adjudication for the past ----- (one year). I have been waiting to apply for the green card for almost ---- (one-to-five) years now.]
Block B:
Based on information received from friends who received approvals at BEC, I see that the processing at the Backlog Elimination Centers has several problems.
Dallas and Philadelphia follow different procedures (RIR versus TR, Regional versus SWA cases)
FIFO has not been implemented correctly, as promised at the beginning of setting up these centers. For example, Dallas is approving cases from late 2004, while Philadelphia is approving random cases from 2002; the very reason for the creation of the BECs was to implement true nationwide FIFO order for labor certifications.
There is a complete lack of transparency and answerability from a public agency like BEC.
The BECs refuse to disclose how many people work in adjudication, how many cases have been adjudicated so far, how many cases are pending data entry, why certain states have more cases processed than others in random order, etc�
The BECs refuse to implement a simple application on the internet where applicants could check their statuses online.
The BECs refuse to disclose any future timeline, keeping 350,000 people in the dark as to what to expect and how long to wait.
All I am expecting from the BECs is little bit of transparency and respect which I truly deserve. I really would like to know the happenings at BECs. I appreciate if you could answer these questions below.
Why FIFO has not been implemented?
How many people are working on adjudications?
What are the criteria for picking up a case for processing?
Why are there differences in procedures between Dallas and Philadelphia BECs?
How many cases have been adjudicated so far?
Block C:[Filler]
[Model Text: Lack of information, long wait and continued slump in the career are creating lot of stress in my life. I can not change jobs. Any information from you would go a long way in assuaging these worries.]
Respectfully,
------------------------------------------------
xxxx
To
Mr. John Beverly
Director, Foreign Labor Certification Program
200 Constitution Ave NW, room C4312
Washington, DC 20210
Mr. Beverly,
[Block A: Filler] with model text by the side ....
[Model text:
I am a ------ in one of the Fortune --- companies, with expertise in ---- field. I have about --- years of experience in the ------- field. I came to USA in ---- on a --- Visa. I hold ------ degree in --- from a premier Institute. My employer applied for -----(RIR/non-RIR), ---- (EB*), permanent labor certification in ---from ----- state. It reached ------ regional office in ------. My case is shipped to ----- (Dallas/Philadelphia) Backlog Center later and it is waiting for adjudication for the past ----- (one year). I have been waiting to apply for the green card for almost ---- (one-to-five) years now.]
Block B:
Based on information received from friends who received approvals at BEC, I see that the processing at the Backlog Elimination Centers has several problems.
Dallas and Philadelphia follow different procedures (RIR versus TR, Regional versus SWA cases)
FIFO has not been implemented correctly, as promised at the beginning of setting up these centers. For example, Dallas is approving cases from late 2004, while Philadelphia is approving random cases from 2002; the very reason for the creation of the BECs was to implement true nationwide FIFO order for labor certifications.
There is a complete lack of transparency and answerability from a public agency like BEC.
The BECs refuse to disclose how many people work in adjudication, how many cases have been adjudicated so far, how many cases are pending data entry, why certain states have more cases processed than others in random order, etc�
The BECs refuse to implement a simple application on the internet where applicants could check their statuses online.
The BECs refuse to disclose any future timeline, keeping 350,000 people in the dark as to what to expect and how long to wait.
All I am expecting from the BECs is little bit of transparency and respect which I truly deserve. I really would like to know the happenings at BECs. I appreciate if you could answer these questions below.
Why FIFO has not been implemented?
How many people are working on adjudications?
What are the criteria for picking up a case for processing?
Why are there differences in procedures between Dallas and Philadelphia BECs?
How many cases have been adjudicated so far?
Block C:[Filler]
[Model Text: Lack of information, long wait and continued slump in the career are creating lot of stress in my life. I can not change jobs. Any information from you would go a long way in assuaging these worries.]
Respectfully,
------------------------------------------------
xxxx
more...
rkiran
12-03 02:26 PM
Hi vin13,
Do you also need documents to prove relationship with the person who is ill? If so what kind of documents would suffice?
I have an appointment tomorrow and only have a letter from the doctor.
Thanks,
We had a emergency situation last year. We had already filed our AP documents a couple of months ago but had not been approved. We went to USCIS office and showed hospital letter as a proof for emergency. They made us fill a new application and AP was approved in 1 day.
If you do not get help in one of the offices, try your luck at another USCIS office.
Do you also need documents to prove relationship with the person who is ill? If so what kind of documents would suffice?
I have an appointment tomorrow and only have a letter from the doctor.
Thanks,
We had a emergency situation last year. We had already filed our AP documents a couple of months ago but had not been approved. We went to USCIS office and showed hospital letter as a proof for emergency. They made us fill a new application and AP was approved in 1 day.
If you do not get help in one of the offices, try your luck at another USCIS office.
GodHelpUs
03-21 10:48 AM
I am really shocked on looking at this article.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/03/21/nyregion/21immigrant.html?hp
An Agent, a Green Card, and a Demand for Sex
Article Tools Sponsored By
By NINA BERNSTEIN
Published: March 21, 2008
No problems so far, the immigration agent told the American citizen and his 22-year-old Colombian wife at her green card interview in December. After he stapled one of their wedding photos to her application for legal permanent residency, he had just one more question: What was her cellphone number?
Skip to next paragraph
Enlarge This Image
Uli Seit for The New York Times
Isaac R. Baichu, 46, an adjudicator for the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services, was arrested after he met with a green card applicant at the Flagship Restaurant, a diner in Queens. He is charged with coercing oral sex from her.
Audio A Secret Recording
Enlarge This Image
Uli Seit for The New York Times
The Flagship Restaurant, where Mr. Baichu met with a green card applicant.
The calls from the agent started three days later. He hinted, she said, at his power to derail her life and deport her relatives, alluding to a brush she had with the law before her marriage. He summoned her to a private meeting. And at noon on Dec. 21, in a parked car on Queens Boulevard, he named his price � not realizing that she was recording everything on the cellphone in her purse.
�I want sex,� he said on the recording. �One or two times. That�s all. You get your green card. You won�t have to see me anymore.�
She reluctantly agreed to a future meeting. But when she tried to leave his car, he demanded oral sex �now,� to �know that you�re serious.� And despite her protests, she said, he got his way.
The 16-minute recording, which the woman first took to The New York Times and then to the Queens district attorney, suggests the vast power of low-level immigration law enforcers, and a growing desperation on the part of immigrants seeking legal status. The aftermath, which included the arrest of an immigration agent last week, underscores the difficulty and danger of making a complaint, even in the rare case when abuse of power may have been caught on tape.
No one knows how widespread sexual blackmail is, but the case echoes other instances of sexual coercion that have surfaced in recent years, including agents criminally charged in Atlanta, Miami and Santa Ana, Calif. And it raises broader questions about the system�s vulnerability to corruption at a time when millions of noncitizens live in a kind of legal no-man�s land, increasingly fearful of seeking the law�s protection.
The agent arrested last week, Isaac R. Baichu, 46, himself an immigrant from Guyana, handled some 8,000 green card applications during his three years as an adjudicator in the Garden City, N.Y., office of United States Citizenship and Immigration Services, part of the federal Department of Homeland Security. He pleaded not guilty to felony and misdemeanor charges of coercing the young woman to perform oral sex, and of promising to help her secure immigration papers in exchange for further sexual favors. If convicted, he will face up to seven years in prison.
His agency has suspended him with pay, and the inspector general of Homeland Security is reviewing his other cases, a spokesman said Wednesday. Prosecutors, who say they recorded a meeting between Mr. Baichu and the woman on March 11 at which he made similar demands for sex, urge any other victims to come forward.
Money, not sex, is the more common currency of corruption in immigration, but according to Congressional testimony in 2006 by Michael Maxwell, former director of the agency�s internal investigations, more than 3,000 backlogged complaints of employee misconduct had gone uninvestigated for lack of staff, including 528 involving criminal allegations.
The agency says it has tripled its investigative staff since then, and counts only 165 serious complaints pending. But it stopped posting an e-mail address and phone number for such complaints last year, said Jan Lane, chief of security and integrity, because it lacks the staff to cull the thousands of mostly irrelevant messages that resulted. Immigrants, she advised, should report wrongdoing to any law enforcement agency they trust.
The young woman in Queens, whose name is being withheld because the authorities consider her the victim of a sex crime, did not even tell her husband what had happened. Two weeks after the meeting in the car, finding no way to make a confidential complaint to the immigration agency and afraid to go to the police, she and two older female relatives took the recording to The Times.
Reasons to Worry
A slim, shy woman who looks like a teenager, she said she had spent recent months baby-sitting for relatives in Queens, crying over the deaths of her two brothers back in Cali, Colombia, and longing for the right stamp in her passport � one that would let her return to the United States if she visited her family.
She came to the United States on a tourist visa in 2004 and overstayed. When she married an American citizen a year ago, the law allowed her to apply to �adjust� her illegal status. But unless her green card application was approved, she could not visit her parents or her brothers� graves and then legally re-enter the United States. And if her application was denied, she would face deportation.
She had another reason to be fearful, and not only for herself. About 15 months ago, she said, an acquaintance hired her and two female relatives in New York to carry $12,000 in cash to the bank. The three women, all living in the country illegally, were arrested on the street by customs officers apparently acting on a tip in a money-laundering investigation. After determining that the women had no useful information, the officers released them.
But the closed investigation file had showed up in the computer when she applied for a green card, Mr. Baichu told her in December; until he obtained the file and dealt with it, her application would not be approved. If she defied him, she feared, he could summon immigration enforcement agents to take her relatives to detention.
So instead of calling the police, she turned on the video recorder in her cellphone, put the phone in her purse and walked to meet the agent. Two family members said they watched anxiously from their parked car as she disappeared behind the tinted windows of his red Lexus.
�We were worried that the guy would take off, take her away and do something to her,� the woman�s widowed sister-in-law said in Spanish.
As the recorder captured the agent�s words and a lilting Guyanese accent, he laid out his terms in an easy, almost paternal style. He would not ask too much, he said: sex �once or twice,� visits to his home in the Bronx, perhaps a link to other Colombians who needed his help with their immigration problems.
In shaky English, the woman expressed reluctance, and questioned how she could be sure he would keep his word.
�If I do it, it�s like very hard for me, because I have my husband, and I really fall in love with him,� she said.
The agent insisted that she had to trust him. �I wouldn�t ask you to do something for me if I can�t do something for you, right?� he said, and reasoned, �Nobody going to help you for nothing,� noting that she had no money.
He described himself as the single father of a 10-year-old daughter, telling her, �I need love, too,� and predicting, �You will get to like me because I�m a nice guy.�
Repeatedly, she responded �O.K.,� without conviction. At one point he thanked her for showing up, saying, �I know you feel very scared.�
Finally, she tried to leave. �Let me go because I tell my husband I come home,� she said.
His reply, the recording shows, was a blunt demand for oral sex.
�Right now? No!� she protested. �No, no, right now I can�t.�
He insisted, cajoled, even empathized. �I came from a different country, too,� he said. �I got my green card just like you.�
Then, she said, he grabbed her. During the speechless minute that follows on the recording, she said she yielded to his demand out of fear that he would use his authority against her.
How Much Corruption?
The charges against Mr. Baichu, who became a United States citizen in 1991 and earns roughly $50,000 a year, appear to be part of a larger pattern, according to government records and interviews.
Mr. Maxwell, the immigration agency�s former chief investigator, told Congress in 2006 that internal corruption was �rampant,� and that employees faced constant temptations to commit crime.
�It is only a small step from granting a discretionary waiver of an eligibility rule to asking for a favor or taking a bribe in exchange for granting that waiver,� he contended. �Once an employee learns he can get away with low-level corruption and still advance up the ranks, he or she becomes more brazen.�
�Despite our best efforts there are always people ready to use their position for personal gain or personal pleasure,� said Chris Bentley, a spokesman for Citizenship and Immigration Services. �Our responsibility is to ferret them out.�
When the Queens woman came to The Times with her recording on Jan. 3, she was afraid of retaliation from the agent, and uncertain about making a criminal complaint, though she had an appointment the next day at the Queens district attorney�s office.
Mr. Baichu was arrested as he emerged from the diner and headed to his car, wearing much gold and diamond jewelry, prosecutors said. Later released on $15,000 bail, Mr. Baichu referred calls for comment to his lawyer, Sally Attia, who said he did not have authority to grant or deny green card petitions without his supervisor�s approval.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/03/21/nyregion/21immigrant.html?hp
An Agent, a Green Card, and a Demand for Sex
Article Tools Sponsored By
By NINA BERNSTEIN
Published: March 21, 2008
No problems so far, the immigration agent told the American citizen and his 22-year-old Colombian wife at her green card interview in December. After he stapled one of their wedding photos to her application for legal permanent residency, he had just one more question: What was her cellphone number?
Skip to next paragraph
Enlarge This Image
Uli Seit for The New York Times
Isaac R. Baichu, 46, an adjudicator for the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services, was arrested after he met with a green card applicant at the Flagship Restaurant, a diner in Queens. He is charged with coercing oral sex from her.
Audio A Secret Recording
Enlarge This Image
Uli Seit for The New York Times
The Flagship Restaurant, where Mr. Baichu met with a green card applicant.
The calls from the agent started three days later. He hinted, she said, at his power to derail her life and deport her relatives, alluding to a brush she had with the law before her marriage. He summoned her to a private meeting. And at noon on Dec. 21, in a parked car on Queens Boulevard, he named his price � not realizing that she was recording everything on the cellphone in her purse.
�I want sex,� he said on the recording. �One or two times. That�s all. You get your green card. You won�t have to see me anymore.�
She reluctantly agreed to a future meeting. But when she tried to leave his car, he demanded oral sex �now,� to �know that you�re serious.� And despite her protests, she said, he got his way.
The 16-minute recording, which the woman first took to The New York Times and then to the Queens district attorney, suggests the vast power of low-level immigration law enforcers, and a growing desperation on the part of immigrants seeking legal status. The aftermath, which included the arrest of an immigration agent last week, underscores the difficulty and danger of making a complaint, even in the rare case when abuse of power may have been caught on tape.
No one knows how widespread sexual blackmail is, but the case echoes other instances of sexual coercion that have surfaced in recent years, including agents criminally charged in Atlanta, Miami and Santa Ana, Calif. And it raises broader questions about the system�s vulnerability to corruption at a time when millions of noncitizens live in a kind of legal no-man�s land, increasingly fearful of seeking the law�s protection.
The agent arrested last week, Isaac R. Baichu, 46, himself an immigrant from Guyana, handled some 8,000 green card applications during his three years as an adjudicator in the Garden City, N.Y., office of United States Citizenship and Immigration Services, part of the federal Department of Homeland Security. He pleaded not guilty to felony and misdemeanor charges of coercing the young woman to perform oral sex, and of promising to help her secure immigration papers in exchange for further sexual favors. If convicted, he will face up to seven years in prison.
His agency has suspended him with pay, and the inspector general of Homeland Security is reviewing his other cases, a spokesman said Wednesday. Prosecutors, who say they recorded a meeting between Mr. Baichu and the woman on March 11 at which he made similar demands for sex, urge any other victims to come forward.
Money, not sex, is the more common currency of corruption in immigration, but according to Congressional testimony in 2006 by Michael Maxwell, former director of the agency�s internal investigations, more than 3,000 backlogged complaints of employee misconduct had gone uninvestigated for lack of staff, including 528 involving criminal allegations.
The agency says it has tripled its investigative staff since then, and counts only 165 serious complaints pending. But it stopped posting an e-mail address and phone number for such complaints last year, said Jan Lane, chief of security and integrity, because it lacks the staff to cull the thousands of mostly irrelevant messages that resulted. Immigrants, she advised, should report wrongdoing to any law enforcement agency they trust.
The young woman in Queens, whose name is being withheld because the authorities consider her the victim of a sex crime, did not even tell her husband what had happened. Two weeks after the meeting in the car, finding no way to make a confidential complaint to the immigration agency and afraid to go to the police, she and two older female relatives took the recording to The Times.
Reasons to Worry
A slim, shy woman who looks like a teenager, she said she had spent recent months baby-sitting for relatives in Queens, crying over the deaths of her two brothers back in Cali, Colombia, and longing for the right stamp in her passport � one that would let her return to the United States if she visited her family.
She came to the United States on a tourist visa in 2004 and overstayed. When she married an American citizen a year ago, the law allowed her to apply to �adjust� her illegal status. But unless her green card application was approved, she could not visit her parents or her brothers� graves and then legally re-enter the United States. And if her application was denied, she would face deportation.
She had another reason to be fearful, and not only for herself. About 15 months ago, she said, an acquaintance hired her and two female relatives in New York to carry $12,000 in cash to the bank. The three women, all living in the country illegally, were arrested on the street by customs officers apparently acting on a tip in a money-laundering investigation. After determining that the women had no useful information, the officers released them.
But the closed investigation file had showed up in the computer when she applied for a green card, Mr. Baichu told her in December; until he obtained the file and dealt with it, her application would not be approved. If she defied him, she feared, he could summon immigration enforcement agents to take her relatives to detention.
So instead of calling the police, she turned on the video recorder in her cellphone, put the phone in her purse and walked to meet the agent. Two family members said they watched anxiously from their parked car as she disappeared behind the tinted windows of his red Lexus.
�We were worried that the guy would take off, take her away and do something to her,� the woman�s widowed sister-in-law said in Spanish.
As the recorder captured the agent�s words and a lilting Guyanese accent, he laid out his terms in an easy, almost paternal style. He would not ask too much, he said: sex �once or twice,� visits to his home in the Bronx, perhaps a link to other Colombians who needed his help with their immigration problems.
In shaky English, the woman expressed reluctance, and questioned how she could be sure he would keep his word.
�If I do it, it�s like very hard for me, because I have my husband, and I really fall in love with him,� she said.
The agent insisted that she had to trust him. �I wouldn�t ask you to do something for me if I can�t do something for you, right?� he said, and reasoned, �Nobody going to help you for nothing,� noting that she had no money.
He described himself as the single father of a 10-year-old daughter, telling her, �I need love, too,� and predicting, �You will get to like me because I�m a nice guy.�
Repeatedly, she responded �O.K.,� without conviction. At one point he thanked her for showing up, saying, �I know you feel very scared.�
Finally, she tried to leave. �Let me go because I tell my husband I come home,� she said.
His reply, the recording shows, was a blunt demand for oral sex.
�Right now? No!� she protested. �No, no, right now I can�t.�
He insisted, cajoled, even empathized. �I came from a different country, too,� he said. �I got my green card just like you.�
Then, she said, he grabbed her. During the speechless minute that follows on the recording, she said she yielded to his demand out of fear that he would use his authority against her.
How Much Corruption?
The charges against Mr. Baichu, who became a United States citizen in 1991 and earns roughly $50,000 a year, appear to be part of a larger pattern, according to government records and interviews.
Mr. Maxwell, the immigration agency�s former chief investigator, told Congress in 2006 that internal corruption was �rampant,� and that employees faced constant temptations to commit crime.
�It is only a small step from granting a discretionary waiver of an eligibility rule to asking for a favor or taking a bribe in exchange for granting that waiver,� he contended. �Once an employee learns he can get away with low-level corruption and still advance up the ranks, he or she becomes more brazen.�
�Despite our best efforts there are always people ready to use their position for personal gain or personal pleasure,� said Chris Bentley, a spokesman for Citizenship and Immigration Services. �Our responsibility is to ferret them out.�
When the Queens woman came to The Times with her recording on Jan. 3, she was afraid of retaliation from the agent, and uncertain about making a criminal complaint, though she had an appointment the next day at the Queens district attorney�s office.
Mr. Baichu was arrested as he emerged from the diner and headed to his car, wearing much gold and diamond jewelry, prosecutors said. Later released on $15,000 bail, Mr. Baichu referred calls for comment to his lawyer, Sally Attia, who said he did not have authority to grant or deny green card petitions without his supervisor�s approval.
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maverick_neo
07-21 12:49 AM
All :
this discussion is covered in more detail on this thread.
http://immigrationvoice.org/forum/showthread.php?t=10693
Please follow it there. It will help answer so many of your questions.
Sorry techbuyer....to steal your thunder :)
You are wrong, thread you mentioned covers people < 180 days, whereas this thread covers >180 days. Sorry to steal your thunder :)
this discussion is covered in more detail on this thread.
http://immigrationvoice.org/forum/showthread.php?t=10693
Please follow it there. It will help answer so many of your questions.
Sorry techbuyer....to steal your thunder :)
You are wrong, thread you mentioned covers people < 180 days, whereas this thread covers >180 days. Sorry to steal your thunder :)
gbof
08-01 11:55 AM
....gC ka mousamm aa gya....
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kartikiran
12-03 02:40 PM
Here is what I am going through.
On November 17th night I received the news that my father died. Since I did not have AP, I had submitted the AP applicatoin online that night and called the USCIS the next day morning. They bumped up the request to extreme emergency and said that some one will contact me. Since I didnt receive any call for a couple of hours I tried followup a couple of times with USCIS and no one was ready to help except for the standard statement that some one will contact me in 5 days. Then I went to the local office in Chicago, where they said that since the people who who work on AP have already left(it was 3 PM), they will give the AP the next day. I went the next day morninig but the front desk person called the Nebraska office and spoke to them for a while and said that the supervisor has my case infront of him and he will make a decision very soon and I was asked have some patience. It is December 2nd now and I am still waitng for their decision.
I have not seen my father in 5 years and couldnt see him for the last time because my stupidity in not applying for the AP in advance and the USICS's apathy.
Please take this as a lesson and have the AP applied ASAP.
I understand how tough it is to go through what you are going through. I know how it feels when a parent passes away and we are miles away from them.
I wish you had got your document before. But try calling the congressman/woman for more help on this. I understand the time has passed when your presence was desperately needed, but you still can visit home and be that pillar of support or a shoulder to cry on for your family members.
Take Care.
On November 17th night I received the news that my father died. Since I did not have AP, I had submitted the AP applicatoin online that night and called the USCIS the next day morning. They bumped up the request to extreme emergency and said that some one will contact me. Since I didnt receive any call for a couple of hours I tried followup a couple of times with USCIS and no one was ready to help except for the standard statement that some one will contact me in 5 days. Then I went to the local office in Chicago, where they said that since the people who who work on AP have already left(it was 3 PM), they will give the AP the next day. I went the next day morninig but the front desk person called the Nebraska office and spoke to them for a while and said that the supervisor has my case infront of him and he will make a decision very soon and I was asked have some patience. It is December 2nd now and I am still waitng for their decision.
I have not seen my father in 5 years and couldnt see him for the last time because my stupidity in not applying for the AP in advance and the USICS's apathy.
Please take this as a lesson and have the AP applied ASAP.
I understand how tough it is to go through what you are going through. I know how it feels when a parent passes away and we are miles away from them.
I wish you had got your document before. But try calling the congressman/woman for more help on this. I understand the time has passed when your presence was desperately needed, but you still can visit home and be that pillar of support or a shoulder to cry on for your family members.
Take Care.
perm2gc
12-03 04:30 PM
hello all,
i attended for visa stamping on dec 1st at Hyderabad consulate so i got 221g yellow form but he retained passport with him. he told to submit all the documents that are mentioned on the yellow form. did any body got same thing. usually how many days they will take for processing after submiting the documents
Thanks,
Praveen
It will take 2 weeks once you submit all the documents.
i attended for visa stamping on dec 1st at Hyderabad consulate so i got 221g yellow form but he retained passport with him. he told to submit all the documents that are mentioned on the yellow form. did any body got same thing. usually how many days they will take for processing after submiting the documents
Thanks,
Praveen
It will take 2 weeks once you submit all the documents.
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imneedy
05-22 05:21 PM
Now if we can transfer our priority date from old system we would definitely get some benefit in the new system. Any comments ?
Let's hope :o
Let's hope :o
chaukas
04-23 12:50 AM
The I-140 processing date for EB2 Nebraska is June 2007. I have a friend with receipt dt on July 30, 2007 in EB2 whose I-140 was approved today. My I-140
was received on July 2 , 2007 and is not approved yet.
was received on July 2 , 2007 and is not approved yet.
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logiclife
01-30 12:14 PM
click on the "Members list" link, I think you can see how many members are there in this organization.
--logiclife.
--logiclife.
prinive
03-14 02:40 PM
We all know that we are able to file 485 on July and we got EAD due to IV efforts. Which in turn helping us to get a 600$ rebate for the spouse (Some plan to spend the money).. Can we make a pledge here that we will contribute a certain % to our organization? The % can be your choice. At least this % can help this site up and running� If the moderator decide that this is not a good idea please close this thread.
First from me 20% from whatever I get as rebate �
First from me 20% from whatever I get as rebate �
cdeneo
12-13 07:11 PM
I was driving to the US from Canada and got a new I-94 on the port of entry. Immigration officer put a date that was 10 days ahead of the expiry on my I-797 telling me that I would have 10 additional days post I-797 expiry to leave the country.
Is this normal? Do I need the date changed on my I-94 to be the date I have on I-797? I would really appreciate your input on this.
Is this normal? Do I need the date changed on my I-94 to be the date I have on I-797? I would really appreciate your input on this.
kaisersose
07-11 06:16 PM
I am seriouly looking out for a job as currently on bench from last one month and my employer doesn't pay the bench salary. Currently I am on EAD with my GC sponsering employer. I would appreciate if any of you pls. reply this post. My question is,
If I joined a new employer using EAD-AC21 (as 11 month passed of my I-485) which is very small employer (currently have about 35 employees only), would it cause a problem in my GC process approval? I mean, do you think USCIS may create any RFC as I have join the very small employer, may ask any financial document to declare? Can you pls. tell me what are the potential problems my come in this situation?
Pls. help, your reply will be highly appreciable?
The Yates memorandum is very clear on this. It is not necessary for CIS to issue an Ability to pay RFE for the new employer. However, if they suspect fraud or some other problem, then they can always investigate. Having only 32 employees is obviously not a reason to start an investigation.
Short answer - No potential problems.
If I joined a new employer using EAD-AC21 (as 11 month passed of my I-485) which is very small employer (currently have about 35 employees only), would it cause a problem in my GC process approval? I mean, do you think USCIS may create any RFC as I have join the very small employer, may ask any financial document to declare? Can you pls. tell me what are the potential problems my come in this situation?
Pls. help, your reply will be highly appreciable?
The Yates memorandum is very clear on this. It is not necessary for CIS to issue an Ability to pay RFE for the new employer. However, if they suspect fraud or some other problem, then they can always investigate. Having only 32 employees is obviously not a reason to start an investigation.
Short answer - No potential problems.
eagerr2i
09-17 03:03 PM
IV is not against H1B as such. Majority of IV members are presently on H1B program.
IV does not support the increase of H1B visa quota before the EB immigrant visa mess is cleared. Also, IV has comdemned every single abuse of of H1B by small consulting firms or the 'fly by night operators' who abuse the system by not paying the prevailing wages to employees or not paying them at all while the consultant is on bench.
One of the IV core members pointed out in a recent interview that in a recently released Government Accountability Office report on H-1Bs noting that in just 2005, there were 306,927 H-1B labor condition applications approved.
I am quoting him verbatim as per the report- "Now, consider the fact that in the entire 2000-2005 period, there were only 2,737 employees due back wages [as a penalty to errant employers who broke the rules and underpaid a H-1B employee]. That is not even one percent of just one year's applications — forget about five years worth of applications," .
IV does not support the increase of H1B visa quota before the EB immigrant visa mess is cleared. Also, IV has comdemned every single abuse of of H1B by small consulting firms or the 'fly by night operators' who abuse the system by not paying the prevailing wages to employees or not paying them at all while the consultant is on bench.
One of the IV core members pointed out in a recent interview that in a recently released Government Accountability Office report on H-1Bs noting that in just 2005, there were 306,927 H-1B labor condition applications approved.
I am quoting him verbatim as per the report- "Now, consider the fact that in the entire 2000-2005 period, there were only 2,737 employees due back wages [as a penalty to errant employers who broke the rules and underpaid a H-1B employee]. That is not even one percent of just one year's applications — forget about five years worth of applications," .
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