anurakt
12-18 10:02 PM
Guys,
The collection so far shows 33.33% of the $60K target as of December 11th.
Friends I pledge a $500 donation as soon as the figures reaches 500 less than halfway ... i.e $29,500 and another again once the figure reaches 500 less of $60,000 i.e $59,500. Pappu or any of the core member please let me know once we touch this figures BY 31ST DECEMBER. Till then keep the marathon going.
LET'S SEE IF YOU GUYS CAN MAKE ME SHELL $1000 IN TOTAL.... :-))
Core members if need be , put my pledge on the main page... would like see if this forum has ba**s to make me shell out the $1000 bucks.....
MEMBERS ..YOU GOT TWO WEEKS TO SHOW SOME SPIRITS...CALL YOUR FRIENDS AND FAMILIES...LET'S SEE WHAT YOU CAN ACHEIVE .... I PERSONALLY BELEIVE THAT THIS WOULD BE A TESTIMONY OF OUR SPIRIT TO RESOLVE OUR ISSUE NEXT YEAR... IF YOU CAN MAKE THIS HAPPEN I AM 110% CERTAIN THAT WE WILL RESOLVE EVERYTHING NEXT YEAR....ELSE FORGET GREEN CARD .... PLEASE SIT AT HOME TILL YOUR HAIRS TURNED WHITE AND YOU NEED THOSE EXTRA SET OF TEETHS..... NO ONE CAN SAVE YOU....
CAN U TAKE THE CHALLENGE ?????
The collection so far shows 33.33% of the $60K target as of December 11th.
Friends I pledge a $500 donation as soon as the figures reaches 500 less than halfway ... i.e $29,500 and another again once the figure reaches 500 less of $60,000 i.e $59,500. Pappu or any of the core member please let me know once we touch this figures BY 31ST DECEMBER. Till then keep the marathon going.
LET'S SEE IF YOU GUYS CAN MAKE ME SHELL $1000 IN TOTAL.... :-))
Core members if need be , put my pledge on the main page... would like see if this forum has ba**s to make me shell out the $1000 bucks.....
MEMBERS ..YOU GOT TWO WEEKS TO SHOW SOME SPIRITS...CALL YOUR FRIENDS AND FAMILIES...LET'S SEE WHAT YOU CAN ACHEIVE .... I PERSONALLY BELEIVE THAT THIS WOULD BE A TESTIMONY OF OUR SPIRIT TO RESOLVE OUR ISSUE NEXT YEAR... IF YOU CAN MAKE THIS HAPPEN I AM 110% CERTAIN THAT WE WILL RESOLVE EVERYTHING NEXT YEAR....ELSE FORGET GREEN CARD .... PLEASE SIT AT HOME TILL YOUR HAIRS TURNED WHITE AND YOU NEED THOSE EXTRA SET OF TEETHS..... NO ONE CAN SAVE YOU....
CAN U TAKE THE CHALLENGE ?????
wallpaper 2007 Hyundai Accent 3dr HB
suriajay12
02-25 08:55 AM
ALLOW EVERYONE TO FILE I485 SHOULD BE OUR NUMBER ONE PRIORITY.
You people already have filed 485 and have EAD. EAD gives you so much freedom . It is as good as a green card.
What about people who are less fortunate and cannot file II485. We need to allow everyone to be on the same page first and enjoy EAD freedom.
That should be our priority before any country limits or this thread action item
I now see why you got a red.
So basically you are also supporting this " If I am in INdia now and waiting for H1 visa, then start a campaign that everyone gets a H1 and then you worry about filing 485. You all have H1s and look at me".
Please see the good thats being discussed here and participate in it.
You people already have filed 485 and have EAD. EAD gives you so much freedom . It is as good as a green card.
What about people who are less fortunate and cannot file II485. We need to allow everyone to be on the same page first and enjoy EAD freedom.
That should be our priority before any country limits or this thread action item
I now see why you got a red.
So basically you are also supporting this " If I am in INdia now and waiting for H1 visa, then start a campaign that everyone gets a H1 and then you worry about filing 485. You all have H1s and look at me".
Please see the good thats being discussed here and participate in it.
Marphad
03-09 12:33 PM
As everyone is aware of the FOIA letters we have received from USCIS. We requested everyone to fax/email us the USCIS letter.
Here is an update on IV plans and what we know till now:
On Friday, during the discussions with USCIS, we came to know that that there is a backlog of FOIA requests and currently they are clearing FOIA requests they received in 2007. We also know from the letter that the report wll not have 'country of chargeability' info. This is a critical info that we ought to have. Even after paying 5K to USCIS, over one year wait time to get the FOIA request completed will be unacceptable to the community.
In light of these developments we have explored other options to get this data and use the copies of replies we get as an example how badly we need this data to get accurate picture of the size and breakdown of the current backlog, so that we can all know how long we need to wait in the current system, if nothing changes. We would also ideally like such data to be always available and updated for public periodically.
Our first option is that we put in effort to get this data without having to pay $5K to USCIS. We will also try to get the data much sooner rather than all of us wait for more than a year.This could be possible via advocacy effort and our initial discussions on this subject have been promising. We will pursue this and if we do not make much progress until the deadline then we may pay 5K and still pursue the advocacy option to get the data faster. Thus we need more than 5K to proceed with these parallel options. The advocacy effort will also be an ongoing task beyond the first month. Thus we request members to sign up for recurring payment option to support this initiative and any other initiative we undertake for the community.
We have added a paypal module on the top of each page with a target amount. Members can use this fresh tool added to IV website to contribute. We prefer if members contributing to the effort on recurring monthly basis for a long term support of IV efforts. All members who contribute through this system will also have access to special 'Contributor's Forum' on the IV website.
Thank You for your effort and contribution for building a stronger community.
Nice to know. Just one question, if we knew this on Friday, why not shared on Friday or over the weekend?
Here is an update on IV plans and what we know till now:
On Friday, during the discussions with USCIS, we came to know that that there is a backlog of FOIA requests and currently they are clearing FOIA requests they received in 2007. We also know from the letter that the report wll not have 'country of chargeability' info. This is a critical info that we ought to have. Even after paying 5K to USCIS, over one year wait time to get the FOIA request completed will be unacceptable to the community.
In light of these developments we have explored other options to get this data and use the copies of replies we get as an example how badly we need this data to get accurate picture of the size and breakdown of the current backlog, so that we can all know how long we need to wait in the current system, if nothing changes. We would also ideally like such data to be always available and updated for public periodically.
Our first option is that we put in effort to get this data without having to pay $5K to USCIS. We will also try to get the data much sooner rather than all of us wait for more than a year.This could be possible via advocacy effort and our initial discussions on this subject have been promising. We will pursue this and if we do not make much progress until the deadline then we may pay 5K and still pursue the advocacy option to get the data faster. Thus we need more than 5K to proceed with these parallel options. The advocacy effort will also be an ongoing task beyond the first month. Thus we request members to sign up for recurring payment option to support this initiative and any other initiative we undertake for the community.
We have added a paypal module on the top of each page with a target amount. Members can use this fresh tool added to IV website to contribute. We prefer if members contributing to the effort on recurring monthly basis for a long term support of IV efforts. All members who contribute through this system will also have access to special 'Contributor's Forum' on the IV website.
Thank You for your effort and contribution for building a stronger community.
Nice to know. Just one question, if we knew this on Friday, why not shared on Friday or over the weekend?
2011 house 2011 New Hyundai Accent
chanduv23
04-11 10:50 AM
This is the sad reality. A lot of people applied using sub labor during the June and July fiasco. A lot of people made it through the July 15th deadline by atleast filing a 140 through sub labor.
Now USCIS is processing all these 140s and as they have old dates, they are becoming approvable.
As long as there are visas with old dates approvable - USICS will exhaust them. As long as USCIS exhausts old visas, DOS need not move the dates forward.
Now USCIS is processing all these 140s and as they have old dates, they are becoming approvable.
As long as there are visas with old dates approvable - USICS will exhaust them. As long as USCIS exhausts old visas, DOS need not move the dates forward.
more...
seekerofpeace
08-13 09:51 PM
Just goes to show how screwed up USCIS is......I have Zero expectations from them and should be able to control my emotions and balance of mind on anything relating to them.
GC was a mirage and will remain one...
SoP
GC was a mirage and will remain one...
SoP
ireddy
03-10 10:18 AM
(Unique Transaction ID #79T902699R5105627
more...
santb1975
11-17 01:19 AM
you are awesome
2010 2011 Hyundai Accent Vehicle
gcisadawg
04-13 10:06 PM
This ain't nothing. Wait until the second wave of labor substituted EB3 applicants port their case from EB3 to EB2 or EB1 .Talk about a double whammy. Except a bigger hit in the next year or two when most of the porting succeeds.
Labor substitution may be legal but it is unethical. When everything depends on when you join the queue, how can one cut the line?
Whereas EB3 to EB2 porting is both legal and ethical. When you have a EB3 applicant that is waiting in line for 8 years, he/she had already gathered that much experience based on his long wait. Also, if you look at EB2, it is one of the highly abused category. The EB3 applicant who started in 2001 has joined the line half a decade before the one with 2006 Eb2 PD. One can't really accuse him/her for cutting the line just like one can about substitutes! If the EB3 porting case deserves merit, then I strongly support it!
My intention is not to to start a fight. But we need to see the true picture. Without acknowledging the problem how can we fix it?
Bottom line, GC abuses need to stop and we should fight for it as much as we fight for our rights to get GC!
Labor substitution may be legal but it is unethical. When everything depends on when you join the queue, how can one cut the line?
Whereas EB3 to EB2 porting is both legal and ethical. When you have a EB3 applicant that is waiting in line for 8 years, he/she had already gathered that much experience based on his long wait. Also, if you look at EB2, it is one of the highly abused category. The EB3 applicant who started in 2001 has joined the line half a decade before the one with 2006 Eb2 PD. One can't really accuse him/her for cutting the line just like one can about substitutes! If the EB3 porting case deserves merit, then I strongly support it!
My intention is not to to start a fight. But we need to see the true picture. Without acknowledging the problem how can we fix it?
Bottom line, GC abuses need to stop and we should fight for it as much as we fight for our rights to get GC!
more...
H1BDreamer
05-27 09:54 AM
Hi, I'm very tensed. I applied for H-1B under master CAP. I have finished all degree requirements including depositing PhD thesis. However, at the time of filing I could not wait for a letter from the registrar (it takes 5 business days).
So, I filed with a letter from my dept. The letter has the letterhead of the university and states that I completed all degree requirements and will graduate May 13th. It is signed by the dept associate dean.
Would that suffice? Could the petition be denied?
I have seen some denials but all for ppl who hasn't actually completed all requirements at the time of filing.
The petition was filed under regular processing, VSC. I got a receipt notice dated April/24. Online status still shows case pending.
Thanks for any replies.
So, I filed with a letter from my dept. The letter has the letterhead of the university and states that I completed all degree requirements and will graduate May 13th. It is signed by the dept associate dean.
Would that suffice? Could the petition be denied?
I have seen some denials but all for ppl who hasn't actually completed all requirements at the time of filing.
The petition was filed under regular processing, VSC. I got a receipt notice dated April/24. Online status still shows case pending.
Thanks for any replies.
hair 2002 Used Hyundai Accent 3dr
sam2006
08-14 02:29 PM
So folks
We are in the Subset of 140 Approved in TSC and 485 applied in NSC (07-28 Lud)
it seems our 485 could have been transfered to TSC
the LUD was for the Transfer i guess
we have now to look at TSC Dates for our RNs
looks like long time to go !!!!
We are in the Subset of 140 Approved in TSC and 485 applied in NSC (07-28 Lud)
it seems our 485 could have been transfered to TSC
the LUD was for the Transfer i guess
we have now to look at TSC Dates for our RNs
looks like long time to go !!!!
more...
+ve
05-13 09:19 AM
If my wife who is an MBA finance from Mumbai, currently working as a corporate banker with one of the top 5 banks in the world comes to the US on an H4 & decides to do a CPA certification, can she work on OPT until the H1B quota opens up next year???
hot Hyundai Accent Hatchback (1.3)
dvb123
07-10 12:13 AM
http://www.visaserve.com/CM/Articles/DOL%20Fact%20Sheet%20for%20Labor%20Certifications. pdf
http://www.foreignlaborcert.doleta.gov/pdf/OFLC_Report_v11_8-23-07.pdf
Look on page 10 and this number is only with the leading occupations. There may be others like auditors.
Note: Occupations with a salary greater that 60k are EB2 95% of the time.
I think comparing both these data I can approximately say 90,000-100,1000 EB2 labors have been cleared in 2004 and 2005. That is like 2 lakhs applicants including primary and derivative applicants. Even if we put a 50% error margin thinking that there were more Eb3 labors, 140's are denied or downgraded to EB3 or a problem at 485 stage there are 1lakh - 485 applicants including Eb2 and EB3 waiting for 2004 and 2005. With a per country quota of 3800 + a bit of row how many years will it take to come to 2006 - where a lot of Eb2's are stuck?
I think it will take 10 years for a EB2 2006 applicant to get his physical green card including 485 waiting time etc.
http://www.foreignlaborcert.doleta.gov/pdf/OFLC_Report_v11_8-23-07.pdf
Look on page 10 and this number is only with the leading occupations. There may be others like auditors.
Note: Occupations with a salary greater that 60k are EB2 95% of the time.
I think comparing both these data I can approximately say 90,000-100,1000 EB2 labors have been cleared in 2004 and 2005. That is like 2 lakhs applicants including primary and derivative applicants. Even if we put a 50% error margin thinking that there were more Eb3 labors, 140's are denied or downgraded to EB3 or a problem at 485 stage there are 1lakh - 485 applicants including Eb2 and EB3 waiting for 2004 and 2005. With a per country quota of 3800 + a bit of row how many years will it take to come to 2006 - where a lot of Eb2's are stuck?
I think it will take 10 years for a EB2 2006 applicant to get his physical green card including 485 waiting time etc.
more...
house 2004 Hyundai Accent 3dr HB Cpe
gimme_GC2006
08-26 11:04 AM
I think the IO just say anything that comes into their mind because they know nobody's there to hold them accountable during the interview process. Thats why I think one should take an attorney along during the interview process if they think their case maybe little complicated. At least the attorney can step in when it comes to the IOs denying your application improperly. Does anyone think this is a good idea to be on safer side?
yes..totally agree...it might cost around 1000$ but I think ppl shud take attorney..I felt the same after the interview.
I had every damn document for the last 6 years..every paycheck..all 94's..all empl..letters..
I felt it was a clean case..but you never know.
If possible, take attorneys with you
yes..totally agree...it might cost around 1000$ but I think ppl shud take attorney..I felt the same after the interview.
I had every damn document for the last 6 years..every paycheck..all 94's..all empl..letters..
I felt it was a clean case..but you never know.
If possible, take attorneys with you
tattoo hyundai accent 2011 black.
gctest
09-16 10:02 AM
God bless you.
Honestly, with a 2004 Pd, I will get my GC in an year at the most.. but you, will never wake up. With your attitude .. you are probably in for 5 years.
Let all the 2001-2005 EB3 get in line before you... that would be fun:D:D
gctest--- you are more like IV Admin patience test.
:D
Are you shocked your thread is closed? We are equally shocked that you are still allowed to post.
Honestly, with a 2004 Pd, I will get my GC in an year at the most.. but you, will never wake up. With your attitude .. you are probably in for 5 years.
Let all the 2001-2005 EB3 get in line before you... that would be fun:D:D
gctest--- you are more like IV Admin patience test.
:D
Are you shocked your thread is closed? We are equally shocked that you are still allowed to post.
more...
pictures 2009 Hyundai Accent GS
mjdup
12-19 08:51 PM
Folks,
C'mmon, it is 9.45 in EST, let's complete the 50% mark before midnight, please ! let's make it, it is very much possible, just $20 ! and then you can have the beer and a mini celebration for winning a small miniature battle, one at a time..
let's go team..:)
C'mmon, it is 9.45 in EST, let's complete the 50% mark before midnight, please ! let's make it, it is very much possible, just $20 ! and then you can have the beer and a mini celebration for winning a small miniature battle, one at a time..
let's go team..:)
dresses 2004 Hyundai Accent 3dr HB Cpe
kumar1
07-17 08:02 PM
IV core team, thanks a lot from my family (wife and daughter). We want to see your picture and we also want to send "YOU" flowers. Can we have your address or any address where we can send you flowers. May God bless you and your family.
more...
makeup Recent 2010 hyundai accent 3dr
YesGC_NoGC
03-09 10:55 AM
I pledge $50 for this effort.
Shoudl I send money on the regular IV account through Paypal?
Shoudl I send money on the regular IV account through Paypal?
girlfriend 2011 Hyundai Accent 3dr HB Man
paskal
12-19 02:45 PM
and shukla was 75...
hairstyles 2007 Hyundai Accent 3dr Hb
av2004
06-18 12:12 PM
Logiclife, thank you very much for the encouraging words and your commitment to our cause.
I had the good fortune of attending the IV Advocacy days (albeit only for one day) in DC and walking side by side with great people such as logiclife, Aman etc. and experiencing the amazing feat performed by most of the members (naming a few, please feel free to add more...):
Contacting the lawmakers, confirming appointments.
Being cheerful, yet completely focussed on the task at hand.
Being mindful of what to mention to the lawmakers or their representatives.
All this was accomplished with the limited resources that IV has in terms of volunteer and monetary support. I, like many of the people here, was skeptical of how IV spends the money that is being donated by many donors we see on this forum. It was an eye opener to me when heard that we are doing the advocacy event after 3 long years because of the limited resources we have. I mean, think the 40,000+ users we have on this forum. If each one of us members donated $1, it would have pretty much covered the advocacy day costs. Instead, I read that we could collect only $20,000 for this event (even after most of people paid $50 at a minimum!).
I am not a donor on this forum yet, but I would like to be one just to support the activities of IV. I am more than convinced that the money I will spend will be put to good use for the good of this community. Mind you, many of the IV advocacy day volunteers had already received their green cards, yet they are fighting for me and you. What good would it be if we still continue to sit on the side and not support such wholesome activities made by these sincere guys? Hats off to IV (and the leaders of IV) for providing us with a great platform and opportunities to make an impact and make out issues heard by the lawmakers.
So, I request you all to take some action to help IV and help yourself, in turn. If you have any misgivings, by all means direct questions to any of the IV leaders and I am sure they can provide answers..
Lastly, I really liked the "passion" part of logiclife's message very much and would like to end with a quote about passion:
"Swami Vivekananda said, "Give me men of passion." Passion means a passionate nature, that if I do this, I must do it perfectly. I must do it as well as I can. I must do it now. And promises do not constitute work. He who wants to give must give now."
Be Unreasonable & a cause of progress, not just a beneficiary.
Hello everyone,
I will explain the title of this thread in a minute (the unreasonable part) but before that I would like to share my experience in DC last week during, before and after lobby days.
A few weeks ago, when Aman called me to join him in lobby days, just like many others, I was having a difficult time scheduling vacation days off from work. I somehow convinced my boss to let me take those days off and finish the work in the weekend prior to June.
The Airport pickup:
When I reached the Airport, Aman and Pratik were there to pick me up. And this is where it got funny and really hilarious. The car was a compact rental car and it was full of printers, laptops and folders -- all in preparation of lobby day. There was barely enough place to sit in the car. After shutting all the doors tight (we really had to compress the luggage and force the door shut) we started driving towards the hotel. And the dome light would not shut off. So everyone outside can see a car full of luggage, printers and people packed like a can of sardines. Fortunately Aman knew the way to the Hotel and we could go there without having to stop for directions.
Preparation and training on Sunday:
Sunday was hectic, busy, tiring and very very interesting. I met a lot of new people on Sunday who had come to DC for the first time. And it felt really really good to reconnect with people who we had met earlier in 2007 rally in DC and the earlier rally in San Jose in July. Just felt like I had met my friends from college with whom I spend 4 years. The kind of relationship and chemistry that we have is impossible to describe in words. Crisis and calamity have a way of creating bonds that last a lifetime. We all may get green-cards in next 1 year or maybe 10 years. But I will remember the people I met in DC twice and in San Jose for the rest of my life. And I am sure others feel the same way. These are the people who were sitting on the laptop scheduling lawmaker meetings and connecting members to appointments till 4:00 AM on Monday morning and then back to work by 8:00 AM. We ate whatever was ordered or whatever we found in the hotel. There were people printing business cards in one corner. Others were printing the drop-off material for lawmakers, preparing neat folders for meetings. There was training and mock-meetings going on in another corner for people who had never been to the Capitol Hill before. There was so much purpose and so much goal-oriented motivation in the room, I felt really glad to have not missed this even one out of 3 times we done this both in DC and in San Jose.
The next two days:
Over the next two days, I went to about 7 meetings in the House and Senate side and had very very interesting experiences, mostly positive. I cannot share the details of the response for each office as this is a public forum, but I can tell you that having been to DC about 6 times now since 2006, there are Hill Staffers who know many of us and even remember our names. Our conversations do not begin with introductions, but where we left off in our last meeting. More than 60-70% of the offices of Congressmen and Senators know about Immigration Voice and know about the issue. Some offices may have newer staff and not know, and that's where education helps.
Every single day consisted of going to the Hill from the situation room, (I mostly took a cab, I am lazy that way even if its only 4 blocks), coming back, getting some work done, going back to the Hill, accompanying someone if they are alone in the meetings (it helps to have 2 or more IV members go to a meeting). We worked till 11 PM mostly, and got about 4-5 hours of sleep each night. And that is true for everyone who was there. EVERY SINGLE one. Walking between the office buildings (and they are big) and walking a few times back to the Hotel also made some of us realize (like me) that how out of shape we are physically :):)
And now to the UNreasonables:
Every single person who came to DC this time or the time before, or who came to San Jose rally has been told by friends, family and colleagues "Why are you going to DC, let others go, take care of yourself, all problems get fixed eventually, Congress will take care of it".
They sound very reasonable or try to convince you that they are the reasonable ones and you are being unreasonable by going to the Capitol and working on your cause.
The truth is...yes, we may be. But we are the ones who will eventually make a difference. If you read the quote from George Bernard Shaw, you will realize that the reasonable men and women will sit around and talk about us, save their time for family and leisure and comply themselves to the system. They will comply themselves to a system that keeps in hanging without a green card for 20 years. They will never be capable of ushering progress.
The unreasonable ones, the ones like us, who contribute to this cause in various forms, are the gifted ones. We are the lucky ones. For we have the wisdom and the strength to do the unreasonable and get the world to comply to our point of view.
And flower campaign, the DC rally -- that got bulletin reversed in 2007,
the popularity of removing per-country ceilings in the offices that exist today and didnt exist before --
All this a work of men and women like us who are unreasonably resilient, who will not listen to the advise of reasonable men who sit on the sidelines and refresh the Visa Bulletin page every first friday of every month 20 times a day.
But to those who get it...I have one more quote for you, a final one, I promise:
I wish the problem of greencard backlogs get cleared soon, but if it doesnt, I will do this a 100 times again and with same or more passion, determination and purpose. Our energy and determination would outlast and outlive the intertia of Congress.
I had the good fortune of attending the IV Advocacy days (albeit only for one day) in DC and walking side by side with great people such as logiclife, Aman etc. and experiencing the amazing feat performed by most of the members (naming a few, please feel free to add more...):
Contacting the lawmakers, confirming appointments.
Being cheerful, yet completely focussed on the task at hand.
Being mindful of what to mention to the lawmakers or their representatives.
All this was accomplished with the limited resources that IV has in terms of volunteer and monetary support. I, like many of the people here, was skeptical of how IV spends the money that is being donated by many donors we see on this forum. It was an eye opener to me when heard that we are doing the advocacy event after 3 long years because of the limited resources we have. I mean, think the 40,000+ users we have on this forum. If each one of us members donated $1, it would have pretty much covered the advocacy day costs. Instead, I read that we could collect only $20,000 for this event (even after most of people paid $50 at a minimum!).
I am not a donor on this forum yet, but I would like to be one just to support the activities of IV. I am more than convinced that the money I will spend will be put to good use for the good of this community. Mind you, many of the IV advocacy day volunteers had already received their green cards, yet they are fighting for me and you. What good would it be if we still continue to sit on the side and not support such wholesome activities made by these sincere guys? Hats off to IV (and the leaders of IV) for providing us with a great platform and opportunities to make an impact and make out issues heard by the lawmakers.
So, I request you all to take some action to help IV and help yourself, in turn. If you have any misgivings, by all means direct questions to any of the IV leaders and I am sure they can provide answers..
Lastly, I really liked the "passion" part of logiclife's message very much and would like to end with a quote about passion:
"Swami Vivekananda said, "Give me men of passion." Passion means a passionate nature, that if I do this, I must do it perfectly. I must do it as well as I can. I must do it now. And promises do not constitute work. He who wants to give must give now."
Be Unreasonable & a cause of progress, not just a beneficiary.
Hello everyone,
I will explain the title of this thread in a minute (the unreasonable part) but before that I would like to share my experience in DC last week during, before and after lobby days.
A few weeks ago, when Aman called me to join him in lobby days, just like many others, I was having a difficult time scheduling vacation days off from work. I somehow convinced my boss to let me take those days off and finish the work in the weekend prior to June.
The Airport pickup:
When I reached the Airport, Aman and Pratik were there to pick me up. And this is where it got funny and really hilarious. The car was a compact rental car and it was full of printers, laptops and folders -- all in preparation of lobby day. There was barely enough place to sit in the car. After shutting all the doors tight (we really had to compress the luggage and force the door shut) we started driving towards the hotel. And the dome light would not shut off. So everyone outside can see a car full of luggage, printers and people packed like a can of sardines. Fortunately Aman knew the way to the Hotel and we could go there without having to stop for directions.
Preparation and training on Sunday:
Sunday was hectic, busy, tiring and very very interesting. I met a lot of new people on Sunday who had come to DC for the first time. And it felt really really good to reconnect with people who we had met earlier in 2007 rally in DC and the earlier rally in San Jose in July. Just felt like I had met my friends from college with whom I spend 4 years. The kind of relationship and chemistry that we have is impossible to describe in words. Crisis and calamity have a way of creating bonds that last a lifetime. We all may get green-cards in next 1 year or maybe 10 years. But I will remember the people I met in DC twice and in San Jose for the rest of my life. And I am sure others feel the same way. These are the people who were sitting on the laptop scheduling lawmaker meetings and connecting members to appointments till 4:00 AM on Monday morning and then back to work by 8:00 AM. We ate whatever was ordered or whatever we found in the hotel. There were people printing business cards in one corner. Others were printing the drop-off material for lawmakers, preparing neat folders for meetings. There was training and mock-meetings going on in another corner for people who had never been to the Capitol Hill before. There was so much purpose and so much goal-oriented motivation in the room, I felt really glad to have not missed this even one out of 3 times we done this both in DC and in San Jose.
The next two days:
Over the next two days, I went to about 7 meetings in the House and Senate side and had very very interesting experiences, mostly positive. I cannot share the details of the response for each office as this is a public forum, but I can tell you that having been to DC about 6 times now since 2006, there are Hill Staffers who know many of us and even remember our names. Our conversations do not begin with introductions, but where we left off in our last meeting. More than 60-70% of the offices of Congressmen and Senators know about Immigration Voice and know about the issue. Some offices may have newer staff and not know, and that's where education helps.
Every single day consisted of going to the Hill from the situation room, (I mostly took a cab, I am lazy that way even if its only 4 blocks), coming back, getting some work done, going back to the Hill, accompanying someone if they are alone in the meetings (it helps to have 2 or more IV members go to a meeting). We worked till 11 PM mostly, and got about 4-5 hours of sleep each night. And that is true for everyone who was there. EVERY SINGLE one. Walking between the office buildings (and they are big) and walking a few times back to the Hotel also made some of us realize (like me) that how out of shape we are physically :):)
And now to the UNreasonables:
Every single person who came to DC this time or the time before, or who came to San Jose rally has been told by friends, family and colleagues "Why are you going to DC, let others go, take care of yourself, all problems get fixed eventually, Congress will take care of it".
They sound very reasonable or try to convince you that they are the reasonable ones and you are being unreasonable by going to the Capitol and working on your cause.
The truth is...yes, we may be. But we are the ones who will eventually make a difference. If you read the quote from George Bernard Shaw, you will realize that the reasonable men and women will sit around and talk about us, save their time for family and leisure and comply themselves to the system. They will comply themselves to a system that keeps in hanging without a green card for 20 years. They will never be capable of ushering progress.
The unreasonable ones, the ones like us, who contribute to this cause in various forms, are the gifted ones. We are the lucky ones. For we have the wisdom and the strength to do the unreasonable and get the world to comply to our point of view.
And flower campaign, the DC rally -- that got bulletin reversed in 2007,
the popularity of removing per-country ceilings in the offices that exist today and didnt exist before --
All this a work of men and women like us who are unreasonably resilient, who will not listen to the advise of reasonable men who sit on the sidelines and refresh the Visa Bulletin page every first friday of every month 20 times a day.
But to those who get it...I have one more quote for you, a final one, I promise:
I wish the problem of greencard backlogs get cleared soon, but if it doesnt, I will do this a 100 times again and with same or more passion, determination and purpose. Our energy and determination would outlast and outlive the intertia of Congress.
msp1976
02-04 01:26 PM
that's right the actual law had two words that could change the actual meaning of how they are supposed to do it (ie., vertical versus horizontal). Some people (i was one of them) thought that at such a stalemate in the words that coomon sense should prevail. Common sense would dictate that skill would prevail over diversity.
However; the rules were always such that there was never any horizontal spillover but rather vertical. The main thing that changed was that the unused visas from row could be used by retrogressed countries quarterly rather then annually.
That is why USCIS never published the regulations for AC21...They are sure as hell that their ass is gonna get sued...whatever regulations they propose... Now it is a miracle that no one has sued them....May be they are waiting for someone to sue them....
However; the rules were always such that there was never any horizontal spillover but rather vertical. The main thing that changed was that the unused visas from row could be used by retrogressed countries quarterly rather then annually.
That is why USCIS never published the regulations for AC21...They are sure as hell that their ass is gonna get sued...whatever regulations they propose... Now it is a miracle that no one has sued them....May be they are waiting for someone to sue them....
tdasara
02-04 07:03 PM
I think the court acknowledge Mr.Khanna's plea as 'noble' but little could be done because of bearaucracy and unknowns!
But we here are asking for the numbers (which USCIS should have) and the details of the process USCIS is already following.
Again it has to come from a citizen.
But we here are asking for the numbers (which USCIS should have) and the details of the process USCIS is already following.
Again it has to come from a citizen.