snowshoe
12-19 03:31 PM
Will inform colleagues about the drive.
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sugaur
12-04 08:08 PM
Heres the quote from the article
"Baby Jaqueline was delivered at 9:25 p.m. and weighed 6.28 pounds." So, yes ,she did deliver without complications.
And the Mayans couldnt even see their own end coming, let alone forecast that of the world :D.
"Baby Jaqueline was delivered at 9:25 p.m. and weighed 6.28 pounds." So, yes ,she did deliver without complications.
And the Mayans couldnt even see their own end coming, let alone forecast that of the world :D.
Sherman_tribiani
09-08 01:49 PM
Your contribution is not welcomed. Go back to where you came from and contribute there.
You say you start 25% of the companies. Though, I don�t believe this number but what about the remaining 75%? Also, what percentage of employment do such companies generate? Negligible! Every Joe Schmuck can start a company; it takes only few hundred dollars. And by the way, those were supposed to be my dollars.
Having said that, I would like to remind the readers I have great respect for those with leadership qualities. Now, my questions to all, what percentage of green card aspirants start such companies?
Just 1%, what about the remaining masses, they in my mind are parasites, sloths, cowards and will do more harm than good to our society.
And this actually strengthen our argument that employment based quota should be drastically reduced and made available to �real people� only.
You just don�t deserve it�
So are we putting up with all the biased folks like you. We go to work everyday and earn our pay. We are not a burden to US. We contribute to the economy. We start about 25% of the companies. I can go on and on.
My question first though to the mods is why is this guy and his IP not banned?
:mad::mad:
You say you start 25% of the companies. Though, I don�t believe this number but what about the remaining 75%? Also, what percentage of employment do such companies generate? Negligible! Every Joe Schmuck can start a company; it takes only few hundred dollars. And by the way, those were supposed to be my dollars.
Having said that, I would like to remind the readers I have great respect for those with leadership qualities. Now, my questions to all, what percentage of green card aspirants start such companies?
Just 1%, what about the remaining masses, they in my mind are parasites, sloths, cowards and will do more harm than good to our society.
And this actually strengthen our argument that employment based quota should be drastically reduced and made available to �real people� only.
You just don�t deserve it�
So are we putting up with all the biased folks like you. We go to work everyday and earn our pay. We are not a burden to US. We contribute to the economy. We start about 25% of the companies. I can go on and on.
My question first though to the mods is why is this guy and his IP not banned?
:mad::mad:
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Sakthisagar
06-07 03:39 PM
Congress.org - News : Why Bill Gates cares about immigration (http://www.congress.org/news/2010/05/24/why_bill_gates_cares_about_immigration)
Why Bill Gates cares about immigration
Foreign workers have a stake in fight to change laws.
Activists on both sides of the immigration debate tend to focus on the millions of illegal immigrants whose fate rests on whether Congress passed a law.
But foreigners here legally also have a stake in this fight.
The U.S. issues temporary worker visas, called H-1B after their official classification, to thousands of non-residents each year. Often, they hold college degrees and have technical skills.
Microsoft and other technology companies hire many workers this way. They often have to prove they can't hire skilled U.S. citizens to fill those jobs first.
Bill Gates wrote in the Washington Post several years back that there is an employment gap that H-1B visas help fill:
This issue has reached a crisis point. Computer science employment is growing by nearly 100,000 jobs annually. But at the same time studies show that there is a dramatic decline in the number of students graduating with computer science degrees.
The United States provides 65,000 temporary H-1B visas each year to make up this shortfall -- not nearly enough to fill open technical positions.
H-1B workers, who have united under grassroots groups like Immigration Voice , want more than just an increase in visas. They want the government to streamline the rules.
Currently, the workers have to apply for green cards through their employers, often a lengthy and cumbersome process. They can't switch jobs easily and sometimes have to reapply for a visa even if they move jobs within the same company. They have to leave the country every few years before they can reapply for a visa.
The workers can also apply for a spouse to come to the U.S., but their partners are not allowed to work under the H-4 status granted to them. The activists argue that those individuals represent a skilled base of workers who could contribute to the U.S. economy and help pay for household expenses.
Powerful corporations back the H-1 B workers in their demands, since it would make it easier for them to hire skilled workers. But groups like Numbers USA argue that those companies shouldn't hire non-residents at a time when many Americans are jobless.
-- Ambreen Ali, Congress.org
The amount of frustation people go through because of this stupid power mongering false value politicians and the organisations like Numbers USA etc is more than the tragedy of Gulf oil spill. People are holding on to their travel to home country because of this stupid idoitic laws. Educated people are treated like slaves. Why in America Immigration means Illegal? the back log is around 50,000 and added to it 50,000 more will not grab American Jobs. and the American job losses are because of the so called mulltinational companies greed for money, they out source everything to India, China and Philippines. (example Call centers) And offshore development. America only gained because of LEGAL immigration.
Might is Right works here.
Why Bill Gates cares about immigration
Foreign workers have a stake in fight to change laws.
Activists on both sides of the immigration debate tend to focus on the millions of illegal immigrants whose fate rests on whether Congress passed a law.
But foreigners here legally also have a stake in this fight.
The U.S. issues temporary worker visas, called H-1B after their official classification, to thousands of non-residents each year. Often, they hold college degrees and have technical skills.
Microsoft and other technology companies hire many workers this way. They often have to prove they can't hire skilled U.S. citizens to fill those jobs first.
Bill Gates wrote in the Washington Post several years back that there is an employment gap that H-1B visas help fill:
This issue has reached a crisis point. Computer science employment is growing by nearly 100,000 jobs annually. But at the same time studies show that there is a dramatic decline in the number of students graduating with computer science degrees.
The United States provides 65,000 temporary H-1B visas each year to make up this shortfall -- not nearly enough to fill open technical positions.
H-1B workers, who have united under grassroots groups like Immigration Voice , want more than just an increase in visas. They want the government to streamline the rules.
Currently, the workers have to apply for green cards through their employers, often a lengthy and cumbersome process. They can't switch jobs easily and sometimes have to reapply for a visa even if they move jobs within the same company. They have to leave the country every few years before they can reapply for a visa.
The workers can also apply for a spouse to come to the U.S., but their partners are not allowed to work under the H-4 status granted to them. The activists argue that those individuals represent a skilled base of workers who could contribute to the U.S. economy and help pay for household expenses.
Powerful corporations back the H-1 B workers in their demands, since it would make it easier for them to hire skilled workers. But groups like Numbers USA argue that those companies shouldn't hire non-residents at a time when many Americans are jobless.
-- Ambreen Ali, Congress.org
The amount of frustation people go through because of this stupid power mongering false value politicians and the organisations like Numbers USA etc is more than the tragedy of Gulf oil spill. People are holding on to their travel to home country because of this stupid idoitic laws. Educated people are treated like slaves. Why in America Immigration means Illegal? the back log is around 50,000 and added to it 50,000 more will not grab American Jobs. and the American job losses are because of the so called mulltinational companies greed for money, they out source everything to India, China and Philippines. (example Call centers) And offshore development. America only gained because of LEGAL immigration.
Might is Right works here.
more...
JazzByTheBay
02-25 03:10 PM
Let's get started on this push - it's a win-win solution for all concerned.
Attempts can be made to include the provision to file I-485 if priority date is not current (or make it such that it automatically applies... given this change).
jazz
Good one, Change to workflow should not be an issue, but we should have IV core support and reasonable to pool of money (not peanuts) to make this a success. I would recommend to run a funding drive, specially for this effort once IV core endorses this effort. In day to day life, Everything begins with $, you get what you pay for and nothing is free.
Attempts can be made to include the provision to file I-485 if priority date is not current (or make it such that it automatically applies... given this change).
jazz
Good one, Change to workflow should not be an issue, but we should have IV core support and reasonable to pool of money (not peanuts) to make this a success. I would recommend to run a funding drive, specially for this effort once IV core endorses this effort. In day to day life, Everything begins with $, you get what you pay for and nothing is free.
GCDream
07-17 09:10 PM
Immigration Voice Core made the difference.
Keep going. Lets pass all the hurdles.:D
Keep going. Lets pass all the hurdles.:D
more...
ragz4u
04-12 06:18 PM
Ragz
I am not ( so do others i guess) interested in names location etc
just the content.. want to see how great our immigrant population is
Keep up the good work
At the same time, have you sent us your story? As I had mentioned earlier, we need all the stories we can!
I am not ( so do others i guess) interested in names location etc
just the content.. want to see how great our immigrant population is
Keep up the good work
At the same time, have you sent us your story? As I had mentioned earlier, we need all the stories we can!
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reachag
12-19 12:35 PM
Just sent my third contribution
more...
what_if
08-11 06:40 AM
Thanks Deecha,
My wife's case may or may not be fine. She came on H4 and got her H1 in 2004 but got a project only in the middle of 2005 and the company started paying her only once she was on project. But thats fine. If her 485 gets rejected (although the company not paying her is not really her fault), we'll just pack our bags :) Also, her I-140 is still pending.
I appreciate your taking time for my question.
Since you're a beneficiary of you're wife's AOS, you're in "pending status of authorized stay". Therefore you *are* authorized to stay here as of that day until a decision on the 485 is made (the unlawful stay clock stops ticking). If you get rejected on your H1 extension, you can still stay in the country and possibly work on the EAD (a derivative benefit of the 485). If you think your wife's 485 is airtight, and there's a problem later you can use the 245(k) provision since you were in unlawful stay for less than 180 days.
My wife's case may or may not be fine. She came on H4 and got her H1 in 2004 but got a project only in the middle of 2005 and the company started paying her only once she was on project. But thats fine. If her 485 gets rejected (although the company not paying her is not really her fault), we'll just pack our bags :) Also, her I-140 is still pending.
I appreciate your taking time for my question.
Since you're a beneficiary of you're wife's AOS, you're in "pending status of authorized stay". Therefore you *are* authorized to stay here as of that day until a decision on the 485 is made (the unlawful stay clock stops ticking). If you get rejected on your H1 extension, you can still stay in the country and possibly work on the EAD (a derivative benefit of the 485). If you think your wife's 485 is airtight, and there's a problem later you can use the 245(k) provision since you were in unlawful stay for less than 180 days.
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standard20886
07-17 07:39 PM
I Whole heartedly thank the core team for their valiant effort in making a dream real......
more...
needGCcool
08-14 02:16 PM
Congrats. I have a question, which I posted to another member. Did you get the receipt first or your attorney or you both at the same time.
Note: Checks got cashed after 2 days of Receipts.
I-140 Approved (NSC) 11/2006
485 -- July 2nd 11:30a.m
Receipt rcvd -- Aug 10th (Rcvd copy of receipts Aug 13th).
LUD Not updated.
I have seen some one else like me had the same process. Checks got cashed after 2 days of receipts.
Thanks
Note: Checks got cashed after 2 days of Receipts.
I-140 Approved (NSC) 11/2006
485 -- July 2nd 11:30a.m
Receipt rcvd -- Aug 10th (Rcvd copy of receipts Aug 13th).
LUD Not updated.
I have seen some one else like me had the same process. Checks got cashed after 2 days of receipts.
Thanks
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drirshad
08-22 04:37 AM
Why does his profile have same date for everthying .............
http://immigrationvoice.org/forum/member.php?u=18915
I did notify them. First I called USCIS and told them about this, they opened an SR and after sometiem I received some bullshit response for the SR.
Then I took an Infopass appointment to return the EAD (Someone else's). Then this IO was at the counter, she was stunned to see omeone else's EAD and the response for the SR I had opened. I asked her, if they had sent a new EAD to the other person, she said no and thanked me for taking the pains to take an appointment to return it back. That day also, I aksed her about our Namecheck status.
I was happy to see her at the counter today, as she was very nice and help the last time and was hopeful that she might help me with the namecheck status with an Infopass appointment.
http://immigrationvoice.org/forum/member.php?u=18915
I did notify them. First I called USCIS and told them about this, they opened an SR and after sometiem I received some bullshit response for the SR.
Then I took an Infopass appointment to return the EAD (Someone else's). Then this IO was at the counter, she was stunned to see omeone else's EAD and the response for the SR I had opened. I asked her, if they had sent a new EAD to the other person, she said no and thanked me for taking the pains to take an appointment to return it back. That day also, I aksed her about our Namecheck status.
I was happy to see her at the counter today, as she was very nice and help the last time and was hopeful that she might help me with the namecheck status with an Infopass appointment.
more...
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dwhuser
08-11 11:59 AM
Please dear god..... let them consider priority date instead of the notice date. Mine is Oct 15th 2007. Our priority dates were current for three times and our application never touched, all our friends March 2006 to Jun 2006 filers got their cards a couple of years ago....:rolleyes:
Please....please....dearlord.....
I am so sorry for the EB3 filers...hope their dates will pick up the wind.....
Please....please....dearlord.....
I am so sorry for the EB3 filers...hope their dates will pick up the wind.....
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paskal
07-10 11:45 PM
dude, you sound viscious. You missed his/her point.
His/her point is EB catergory does not depend on advanced education as claimed by your earlier post.
and i did not claim that either. the EB category is based on the job requirement, it is therefore natural that a majority of people that apply in the category also have qualifications that match that requirement. therefore the wonderful solution offered, ie ignore EB category and give GC by PD only, does not work. it would be very unfair to a lot of advanced degree holders that are actually in EB2.
also that is not all that he/she is saying. read his/her posts a few times, maybe they will sound "vicious" too. as for my posts, the facts are what they are...even if you do not like them.
just because the two of you have advanced degrees does not change the facts. btw i have sincere advice for you, something i do not bother handing out a lot. your PD is 4/04. your qualifications are excellent. go and find a job needs your MS rather than short changing yourself. you will be current in EB2 and you will have a GC as soon as the I140 is approved. in your place, i would be doing that asap. of course i do not know your situation. but i hope you will find that opportunity.
its a better solution than moaning about why "EB3 is not discussed on IV".
for the last time, this time really so. this thread is meant to discuss other things. do not force me to close it.
His/her point is EB catergory does not depend on advanced education as claimed by your earlier post.
and i did not claim that either. the EB category is based on the job requirement, it is therefore natural that a majority of people that apply in the category also have qualifications that match that requirement. therefore the wonderful solution offered, ie ignore EB category and give GC by PD only, does not work. it would be very unfair to a lot of advanced degree holders that are actually in EB2.
also that is not all that he/she is saying. read his/her posts a few times, maybe they will sound "vicious" too. as for my posts, the facts are what they are...even if you do not like them.
just because the two of you have advanced degrees does not change the facts. btw i have sincere advice for you, something i do not bother handing out a lot. your PD is 4/04. your qualifications are excellent. go and find a job needs your MS rather than short changing yourself. you will be current in EB2 and you will have a GC as soon as the I140 is approved. in your place, i would be doing that asap. of course i do not know your situation. but i hope you will find that opportunity.
its a better solution than moaning about why "EB3 is not discussed on IV".
for the last time, this time really so. this thread is meant to discuss other things. do not force me to close it.
more...
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a2006
04-12 12:59 PM
USCIS do have some checks and balances for the subst labor cases, so its not a staright approvals for the lab subst cases. their might be a possibility few lucky ones get off the hook, but overall USCIS can weed out the dubious/fraudulent employer petitions.
Sub labor is not the only reason guys, its just the country cap which is limiting india EB-3 and EB-2. Most of the H1Bs like us coming to us ends up applying for GC, now look at the number of H1Bs coming each year from india and the total number of GCs available for india. Their is a huge gap in these numbers, so unless they remove the country cap or recaptured unused VISA numbers from the past years, we dont see any relief.
Please donate to IV and help lobbying for the admin fixes or the laws which going to help us in the long run.
True, and from 2000 to 2003, the h1b quota was increased to 195,000 to accommodate the IT boom. All the petitions that got stuck in BEC's and name checks have to come out at some point. These number gets multiplied by at least 2 because of the dependent visas. So with limited visa numbers and country quota we are stuck unless some relief happens!!!
There is no point in trying to blame somebody for these issues.
Sub labor is not the only reason guys, its just the country cap which is limiting india EB-3 and EB-2. Most of the H1Bs like us coming to us ends up applying for GC, now look at the number of H1Bs coming each year from india and the total number of GCs available for india. Their is a huge gap in these numbers, so unless they remove the country cap or recaptured unused VISA numbers from the past years, we dont see any relief.
Please donate to IV and help lobbying for the admin fixes or the laws which going to help us in the long run.
True, and from 2000 to 2003, the h1b quota was increased to 195,000 to accommodate the IT boom. All the petitions that got stuck in BEC's and name checks have to come out at some point. These number gets multiplied by at least 2 because of the dependent visas. So with limited visa numbers and country quota we are stuck unless some relief happens!!!
There is no point in trying to blame somebody for these issues.
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uka
05-14 03:27 PM
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Gurus,
I received notice of decision for my wife's H-4 application and I am worried whether my case has been denied.
This is the content of the case received from CA with WACxxxxxxxxxxx.
NOTICE OF DECISION
This notice is in reference to form 1-539, application for Extend/Change of Nonimmigrant Status, requesting a change of status to that of a dependent of a specialty occupation worker under section 101(a)(15)(H)(i)(b) of the Immigrantion and Nationality Act.
It is ordered by the Director of the California service center, United States Citizenship and Immigration Sevices that the applicant's request for change of status be denied for the following reasons:
As a dependent, the applicant's classification is subject to the principal alien's status. The nonimmigrant visa petition filed in behalf of the principal alien, seeking a concurrent change of status to a specialty occupation worker classification under 101(a)(15)(H)(i)(b) of the Act, has been processed as a consulate notification because the principal alien's request for a change of nonimmigrant status has been den ied.
Since the principal will not be classified as a temporary nonimmgrant worker until she/he obtains the HI-B visa abroad at a United States Embassy or consulate, and has been lawfully admitted into the United States in the nonimmigrant status, the applicant does not qualify for the requested change of status.
I have not received any information about mine. Does it mean that my application will be processed at a consulate office outside the state? I am confused. I do not really understand it well. Please help explain it to me.
Gurus,
I received notice of decision for my wife's H-4 application and I am worried whether my case has been denied.
This is the content of the case received from CA with WACxxxxxxxxxxx.
NOTICE OF DECISION
This notice is in reference to form 1-539, application for Extend/Change of Nonimmigrant Status, requesting a change of status to that of a dependent of a specialty occupation worker under section 101(a)(15)(H)(i)(b) of the Immigrantion and Nationality Act.
It is ordered by the Director of the California service center, United States Citizenship and Immigration Sevices that the applicant's request for change of status be denied for the following reasons:
As a dependent, the applicant's classification is subject to the principal alien's status. The nonimmigrant visa petition filed in behalf of the principal alien, seeking a concurrent change of status to a specialty occupation worker classification under 101(a)(15)(H)(i)(b) of the Act, has been processed as a consulate notification because the principal alien's request for a change of nonimmigrant status has been den ied.
Since the principal will not be classified as a temporary nonimmgrant worker until she/he obtains the HI-B visa abroad at a United States Embassy or consulate, and has been lawfully admitted into the United States in the nonimmigrant status, the applicant does not qualify for the requested change of status.
I have not received any information about mine. Does it mean that my application will be processed at a consulate office outside the state? I am confused. I do not really understand it well. Please help explain it to me.
more...
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dwhuser
08-12 03:37 PM
Looks like I'll need to make a trip, hope it's worth the effort...no harm in giving a try...:)
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Green.Tech
02-25 10:08 AM
Nice and refreshing idea. Two Thumps Up!!
I am sure you meant: two thumbs up and not 'two thumps up' Thanks for providing an early morning chuckle :)
I agree, this is a good idea!
I am sure you meant: two thumbs up and not 'two thumps up' Thanks for providing an early morning chuckle :)
I agree, this is a good idea!
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ksrk
09-11 08:48 PM
Anybody please comment. I have done some hard work here. Do you like the idea ? should we go for it ?
Hi bsbawa10,
You have put some good effort here and I think the posters make a point. But like you said, we need a substantial letter to accompany these.
We might need to take a bit of time to re-organize and pull this effort together. The Oct. VB news has been quite a damper - I came very close to not logging into IV today - I needed some time away from all this to collect my thoughts. It is likely that several people are doing the same.
IV core, in addition to the letters and calls to Congress persons to support HR5882, what else can we do? Several small efforts will likely not cut it for us. We need to pull our efforts together towards one single powerful protest. Any ideas from our advisors?
Hi bsbawa10,
You have put some good effort here and I think the posters make a point. But like you said, we need a substantial letter to accompany these.
We might need to take a bit of time to re-organize and pull this effort together. The Oct. VB news has been quite a damper - I came very close to not logging into IV today - I needed some time away from all this to collect my thoughts. It is likely that several people are doing the same.
IV core, in addition to the letters and calls to Congress persons to support HR5882, what else can we do? Several small efforts will likely not cut it for us. We need to pull our efforts together towards one single powerful protest. Any ideas from our advisors?
neelu
08-19 10:47 PM
I had the exact same question. If one responds to an RFE on his/her I-485 app, is there no place on the online status description where we can find the original receipt date?
Also, can one assume that his/her case has is pre-adjudicated, if there are no further requests from USCIS after an RFE reponse from the applicant?
Thank you, JSB, InTheMoment, FromNaija and all others who are providing valuable information (even though some of it is probably only good logical deductions) on this thread.
jsb
What exactly is meant by checking the receipt date online and it is 3 months after the date in the paper? All I see on my 485 is a statement that they have received my response to the RFE...I don't see any receipt date or notice dates on the case status online at USCIS.gov
Just wondering what you mean or am I missing something?
SoP
Also, can one assume that his/her case has is pre-adjudicated, if there are no further requests from USCIS after an RFE reponse from the applicant?
Thank you, JSB, InTheMoment, FromNaija and all others who are providing valuable information (even though some of it is probably only good logical deductions) on this thread.
jsb
What exactly is meant by checking the receipt date online and it is 3 months after the date in the paper? All I see on my 485 is a statement that they have received my response to the RFE...I don't see any receipt date or notice dates on the case status online at USCIS.gov
Just wondering what you mean or am I missing something?
SoP
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.
