gemini23
07-02 09:15 AM
mine is fragomen . they are pretty good...and have been working 24 by 7 in shifts to prepare forms. they are very responsive and very good people to deal with. surely recommend them.
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GCBy3000
11-08 10:39 AM
SInce democrats gained the contorl on house, they will wait till the next congress starts to pass releif to immigration issue. THis way, they can take the credit for it and campaign it for their next election. Republicans are stuck now. They neither want to pass it nor want it to supress. They dont want the democrats to gain the credit whatsoever. If republicans cannot pass it this year they will do everything to stop it in next congress session if they have majority in senate. It is vey comlicated and sensitive issue and we have to wait to see how the business people push the lawmakers. None other then business tycoons can make some impact with this kind of power split in senate / congress with a lame duck president for next two years.
I heard Nancy say she would get started with some legislation that both parties and president agrees and she mentioned CIR. I think, if the republicans are smart they will quickly pass a version of it that they still can control - during the lame duck session when the old house returns for a few days.
But the biggest new problem will be suedo retrogression due to bottlenecks at Service centers! so near yet so far!
I heard Nancy say she would get started with some legislation that both parties and president agrees and she mentioned CIR. I think, if the republicans are smart they will quickly pass a version of it that they still can control - during the lame duck session when the old house returns for a few days.
But the biggest new problem will be suedo retrogression due to bottlenecks at Service centers! so near yet so far!
GC_LOOKIN
05-20 10:16 PM
Me and my wife applied for AP renewal on the same date, my wife received the receipt notice but I haven't received mine yet. It's been almost 10 days since we sent the documents to USCIS Nebraska center. even the check isn't cashed out yet. Did this happen to anyone? any suggestions guys??
2011 Wedding Thank You Card
Caliber
06-11 08:31 AM
the world is not fair, I am willing to fight my part to make it fair and just for all.
Kartik, as long as we, the EB3 do not come forward and collect huge amount for lobbying, we will continue to lurk here for many more years.
Unfortunately the sad part is, whatever lobbying is done actually helped only EB2 I, may be due to a wrong notion by USCIS that all Hi-tech immigrants are EB2. This could be a fact as there are thousands of 245 cases that fell into EB3.
Another bad thing was that USCIS release this VB yesterday which means one extra day to CRY.
I do not blame any one, but ourselves. We do not want to spend money and hence dying in this process. No solution, but cry at every VB day.
Kartik, as long as we, the EB3 do not come forward and collect huge amount for lobbying, we will continue to lurk here for many more years.
Unfortunately the sad part is, whatever lobbying is done actually helped only EB2 I, may be due to a wrong notion by USCIS that all Hi-tech immigrants are EB2. This could be a fact as there are thousands of 245 cases that fell into EB3.
Another bad thing was that USCIS release this VB yesterday which means one extra day to CRY.
I do not blame any one, but ourselves. We do not want to spend money and hence dying in this process. No solution, but cry at every VB day.
more...
Hinglish
03-21 03:45 PM
Get a life.....As far as immigration is concerned...I know more laws than u could possibly think of..I have been in this immigration hell for more time than possibly u could think of...I am just asking u to read a few times before u post...
Being an Indian does matter in this discussion....in most of ur post ...u r referencing people from ROW...I understand what they would be feeling...that FYI was for u to understand that if I could get offended then people from ROW surely will...
there r lot of people on EB3 ROW who are either nurses, engineers etc...They are well qualified...and u don't have a right to call them unskilled...Period..End the discussion
All I can say is .... :) I didnt ... you called them that by wrongly inferring that from my posts
Being an Indian does matter in this discussion....in most of ur post ...u r referencing people from ROW...I understand what they would be feeling...that FYI was for u to understand that if I could get offended then people from ROW surely will...
there r lot of people on EB3 ROW who are either nurses, engineers etc...They are well qualified...and u don't have a right to call them unskilled...Period..End the discussion
All I can say is .... :) I didnt ... you called them that by wrongly inferring that from my posts
svn
04-10 05:12 PM
While I clearly do NOT agree with the original basis of this thread, here are the facts as I see it:
- We have an immigration backlog that affects a huge community and several people are only waking up to how serious this issue is (I will count myself in this category)
- IV has made significant contributions towards espousing our cause through the proper channels (via the press and lobbying)
- There is therefore greater interest today in an organization like IV and a desire to be part of the process including potentially financial contributions
- Hoewever, a lot of the new folks are looking for direction and a sense of belonging and action
- IV's policy of limited information dissemination (due to arguably valid reasons including the desire not to reveal any strategies to opponents of immigration) is not engendering the confidence required to welcome new members.
- An appeal for blind faith instead is just off-putting to most logical and thinking members and threads like these are nothing but an appeal for more information (stated rather poorly, I am afraid).
- In order to succeed, we clearly need to get everyone united
The reality is - IV needs a lot lot lot funds,IV needs manpower, IV needs your skills, IV needs your unity, IV does not need your criticism because if you criticize IV it won't help you.
So you and I together - united we stand - we build IV - if we do not want to take that extra step - we all suffer...............
Chandu, I chose to quote you since everything you are saying makes a lot of sense ( I also appreciate all of your posts and all the work you have done for so many years). In fact, with Obama's administration at least ready to talk about immigration, I think we have the perfect opportunity to get our point of view across through lobbying, which as you have said, will take a lot of funds. However, that said, is it really hard for the current team to undertstand that there are a lot of folks out there who want to contribute but would at least like to be informed on what is going on? (see poll thread I started: http://immigrationvoice.org/forum/showthread.php?t=24858)
I completely understand that those who are working hard on our cause don't really have the time to update others, especially given everything else in life they have to deal with. However, when there are people ready to take on this task, why the hesitation and the defensiveness in sharing information? We really need to move involve more people in this effort to have any chance of succeeding. I know a lot of folks have said something to the effect "it's not our job to inspire people - if they cannot be inspired to contribute, let them go to hell". However, I do think it's the job of leadership to inspire and get more people behind them or else no one will succeed - I really wish the Core team moves in this direction.
Disclaimer: I am a recent "Donor" and have certainly not put in anywhere near the amount of effort or money that several of the committed members like you have
- We have an immigration backlog that affects a huge community and several people are only waking up to how serious this issue is (I will count myself in this category)
- IV has made significant contributions towards espousing our cause through the proper channels (via the press and lobbying)
- There is therefore greater interest today in an organization like IV and a desire to be part of the process including potentially financial contributions
- Hoewever, a lot of the new folks are looking for direction and a sense of belonging and action
- IV's policy of limited information dissemination (due to arguably valid reasons including the desire not to reveal any strategies to opponents of immigration) is not engendering the confidence required to welcome new members.
- An appeal for blind faith instead is just off-putting to most logical and thinking members and threads like these are nothing but an appeal for more information (stated rather poorly, I am afraid).
- In order to succeed, we clearly need to get everyone united
The reality is - IV needs a lot lot lot funds,IV needs manpower, IV needs your skills, IV needs your unity, IV does not need your criticism because if you criticize IV it won't help you.
So you and I together - united we stand - we build IV - if we do not want to take that extra step - we all suffer...............
Chandu, I chose to quote you since everything you are saying makes a lot of sense ( I also appreciate all of your posts and all the work you have done for so many years). In fact, with Obama's administration at least ready to talk about immigration, I think we have the perfect opportunity to get our point of view across through lobbying, which as you have said, will take a lot of funds. However, that said, is it really hard for the current team to undertstand that there are a lot of folks out there who want to contribute but would at least like to be informed on what is going on? (see poll thread I started: http://immigrationvoice.org/forum/showthread.php?t=24858)
I completely understand that those who are working hard on our cause don't really have the time to update others, especially given everything else in life they have to deal with. However, when there are people ready to take on this task, why the hesitation and the defensiveness in sharing information? We really need to move involve more people in this effort to have any chance of succeeding. I know a lot of folks have said something to the effect "it's not our job to inspire people - if they cannot be inspired to contribute, let them go to hell". However, I do think it's the job of leadership to inspire and get more people behind them or else no one will succeed - I really wish the Core team moves in this direction.
Disclaimer: I am a recent "Donor" and have certainly not put in anywhere near the amount of effort or money that several of the committed members like you have
more...
485Mbe4001
07-17 02:49 PM
I was also told that there is new law which requires that the PERM fees should be paid by the employer (around 5-6k). Most desi consultancies used to ask the employees to pony up the labor fees. wonder how this will affect the conversion process.
I called couple of Desi consultancies..and they told me that lot of thier I-140's aqre getting rejected in this conversion drama...since they are looking for finanacials of the companies and looking for $3 mil of profits..? well do you have anybody who successfully converted from Eb-2-3 please IM me which companies I could contact...
:confused:
I called couple of Desi consultancies..and they told me that lot of thier I-140's aqre getting rejected in this conversion drama...since they are looking for finanacials of the companies and looking for $3 mil of profits..? well do you have anybody who successfully converted from Eb-2-3 please IM me which companies I could contact...
:confused:
2010 Thank You Cards - 2
santb1975
02-08 03:30 PM
We really need you and Franklin to give a Shout out to So.Cal. We really need to wake IV'ans up in So.Cal
Templar of the Temple Templates, have fun :)
Templar of the Temple Templates, have fun :)
more...
HariDod
07-27 02:02 PM
..
I recieved my I-140 receipt notice finally from Nebraska Service Center, it does not have the A#, may be due to the fact that I belong to EB3 category.
As one of my friend who is in EB2 category has an A# on his receipt notice which he got yesterday from Texas Service Center.
I recieved my I-140 receipt notice finally from Nebraska Service Center, it does not have the A#, may be due to the fact that I belong to EB3 category.
As one of my friend who is in EB2 category has an A# on his receipt notice which he got yesterday from Texas Service Center.
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go_guy123
02-09 06:26 PM
All three- Lofgren, Eshoo and Pelosi- represent the High Tech areas of California, Silicon Valley and the areas around it. I'm sure there are many immigrants/IV members in those areas. We need to have a webfax and phone campaign to get interim relief now. Folks in that area can viist lawmakers offices too. Maybe CompeteAmerica wants to recapture H1 visas and EB visas for high tech immigrants too??
In 2005, a special 50K quota was carved out for Sch A. Now they're talking about another 90K quota exclusively for Sch A. I'm not against Sch A relief, but for once we High tech immigrants need relief too. We've been waiting 5 years for our Green Cards and still no end in sight!!
Its all because of corporate lobby. Corp america actually likes the H1B slave
nature thats why they never actively lobby for Green card reform for IT
professionals.
But nurses cant be hired on H1B therefore the corp lobby pushes for
Green Card reform for nurses.
In 2005, a special 50K quota was carved out for Sch A. Now they're talking about another 90K quota exclusively for Sch A. I'm not against Sch A relief, but for once we High tech immigrants need relief too. We've been waiting 5 years for our Green Cards and still no end in sight!!
Its all because of corporate lobby. Corp america actually likes the H1B slave
nature thats why they never actively lobby for Green card reform for IT
professionals.
But nurses cant be hired on H1B therefore the corp lobby pushes for
Green Card reform for nurses.
more...
acecupid
05-29 07:11 PM
On behalf of Air France, I must respectfully deny this allegation as we do not discriminate against any of our passengers based on their origin, race or gender.
I must add that the airline has no authority over security procedures which apply to all passengers transiting through Charles de Gaulle. Should there be any incident, the airline staff is not authorized to arbitrate or provide assistance to passengers at the security checkpoint.
In order to better serve you, we would like to provide you with the following information from the Air France Customer Relations Department in the USA:
The USA Customer Relations Department handles claims for residents of the United States after the completion of travel. If your permanent residence is outside of the United States,
please submit your claim in writing to the Air France Customer Service Department in your
country of permanent residence.
Please visit our website wwww.airfrance.com and select your country of permanent residence, select contact us and make a claim online.
or mail your request to:
Air France Customer Relations
P.O. Box 459000
Sunrise, FL 33345-9000
Thank you for your cooperation
Original Message Follows: ------------------------
Title................................... : Mr.
Last name............................... : Kumar
First name.............................. : Mohan
E-mail.................................. :
Do you have an Air France or KLM card?.. : No
Your message............................ : STOP RACISM YOU BASTARDS !!!
I must add that the airline has no authority over security procedures which apply to all passengers transiting through Charles de Gaulle. Should there be any incident, the airline staff is not authorized to arbitrate or provide assistance to passengers at the security checkpoint.
In order to better serve you, we would like to provide you with the following information from the Air France Customer Relations Department in the USA:
The USA Customer Relations Department handles claims for residents of the United States after the completion of travel. If your permanent residence is outside of the United States,
please submit your claim in writing to the Air France Customer Service Department in your
country of permanent residence.
Please visit our website wwww.airfrance.com and select your country of permanent residence, select contact us and make a claim online.
or mail your request to:
Air France Customer Relations
P.O. Box 459000
Sunrise, FL 33345-9000
Thank you for your cooperation
Original Message Follows: ------------------------
Title................................... : Mr.
Last name............................... : Kumar
First name.............................. : Mohan
E-mail.................................. :
Do you have an Air France or KLM card?.. : No
Your message............................ : STOP RACISM YOU BASTARDS !!!
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boreal
02-12 12:27 AM
ok, i am beginning to lose confidence now... first no i-485 relief and now wait till CIR>.....last year, CIR turned out to be a big circus....i hope this time something productive happens....
why are we changing lobbying firm? what do you mean it is a strategic decision?
are we dissatisfied with our lobbying firm? pm me if you can post on public forum..
but we need answers....this leadership is going nowhere now......
Ok big guy! The phone number that connects you with the core group is here in the web site. Talk to them directly. Why do you wanna get this info in a PM..btw..when did u start owning IV and everyone around?
[sic sic sic]
why are we changing lobbying firm? what do you mean it is a strategic decision?
are we dissatisfied with our lobbying firm? pm me if you can post on public forum..
but we need answers....this leadership is going nowhere now......
Ok big guy! The phone number that connects you with the core group is here in the web site. Talk to them directly. Why do you wanna get this info in a PM..btw..when did u start owning IV and everyone around?
[sic sic sic]
more...
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Totoro
01-29 08:32 PM
I just made a new post about how the new stimulus is going to be denied to immigrants again. Please view the new thread here:
http://immigrationvoice.org/forum/showthread.php?t=23399
http://immigrationvoice.org/forum/showthread.php?t=23399
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kc_p21
12-10 03:31 PM
Why don't you shut up? along with Logiclife?
Bill O' Rielly does it too. And he is a successful professional. So I guess it is ok to ask someone to shut up.
Bill O' Rielly does it too. And he is a successful professional. So I guess it is ok to ask someone to shut up.
more...
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psaxena
09-30 02:10 PM
Is this a serious discussion on the immigration portal about airlines.
Why don't you shut the fuck up!!@#@# and get on with your "SERIOUS DISCUSSION" about AI, Vonage,Lingo, Shahrukh Khan etc etc etc..
Serious!! yeah damn serious to be on this forum... guy like you are a shame and disgrace to the whole community where they just can't contribute but yes can definitely try to distract, deviate and derail the efforts.
You got all this bashing for the reason, I dun consider this conversation as "SERIOUS" and was trying to add up humor to lighten up the thread. But the A**H***E like you and other 2( who gave you the green on the comment) are totally stupids to understand on where to discuss what.
I am proud donor of IV, if that makes you feel ashamed when you look at the mirror, then I can't help you.
Guys like you are a disgrace.
When a serious discussion is going on, do you really have to post??
Just shut up and donate to IV by selling your jet!
Why don't you shut the fuck up!!@#@# and get on with your "SERIOUS DISCUSSION" about AI, Vonage,Lingo, Shahrukh Khan etc etc etc..
Serious!! yeah damn serious to be on this forum... guy like you are a shame and disgrace to the whole community where they just can't contribute but yes can definitely try to distract, deviate and derail the efforts.
You got all this bashing for the reason, I dun consider this conversation as "SERIOUS" and was trying to add up humor to lighten up the thread. But the A**H***E like you and other 2( who gave you the green on the comment) are totally stupids to understand on where to discuss what.
I am proud donor of IV, if that makes you feel ashamed when you look at the mirror, then I can't help you.
Guys like you are a disgrace.
When a serious discussion is going on, do you really have to post??
Just shut up and donate to IV by selling your jet!
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martiansoldier
07-21 03:42 PM
if you are a desi no reason for you to not know hindi mate....hamara bharat mahan
Well, I've got a few reasons.
1. I don't like the attitude that comes along with the people that speak it.
2. I just don't like the language.
3. I don't live anywhere close to a place where I must know Hindi to survive.
4. The Indian Constitution recognises English as a subsidiary official language.
5. If I have survived as long as I have without knowing Hindi, I'm sure I can survive without knowing Hindi for the rest of my life.
Thaai mannae vanakkam!
Well, I've got a few reasons.
1. I don't like the attitude that comes along with the people that speak it.
2. I just don't like the language.
3. I don't live anywhere close to a place where I must know Hindi to survive.
4. The Indian Constitution recognises English as a subsidiary official language.
5. If I have survived as long as I have without knowing Hindi, I'm sure I can survive without knowing Hindi for the rest of my life.
Thaai mannae vanakkam!
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makeup Interview Thank You Letter - 1
gk_2000
03-28 09:01 PM
Let us disagree on this, whats that supposed to be a back-handed negative comment?
not so complex.. I was referring to this dot concept. Never heard of that anywhere LOL
not so complex.. I was referring to this dot concept. Never heard of that anywhere LOL
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silibili
05-17 01:45 PM
Done.
Thanks!
Thanks!
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krishmunn
10-06 11:22 AM
An article of getting PIO card from India :)
www.outlookindia.com | The Papers Are In Order (http://www.outlookindia.com/article.aspx?261306)
I am a Person of Indian Origin. I have a slate-grey passport-like document issued by the Indian government that says so. But I�m not really. I was not born or brought up here, and I do not have a single direct ancestor who, as far as I know, ever lived in India. I have become the proud possessor of a Persons of Indian Origin card because I am married to an Indian citizen.
I had lived in India, on and off, for ten years�and had been married to an Indian citizen for even longer.
Two men were seated at the edge of the sofa, looking more nervous than me. Shireen was questioning them.
Previously, my visas were renewed every six months. We now wanted to stay in India indefinitely and make our home in Delhi. I would have preferred dual citizenship�but that wasn�t, and still isn�t, available. PIO would be second best. But the actual card was not easy to come by. It involved a total of 17 visits to three separate ministries and five different offices. It took up at least four full days of my life. I was interviewed twice, the second time at home with my wife, Shireen. The first time was at the offices of the Foreigners Division, Ministry of Home Affairs, in an unventilated, very public room brimming with non-Indians from every continent. I reached the head of the queue after two hours of eavesdropping on other people�s immigration problems. I was asked, among other more prosaic questions, to explain why I had married an Indian woman (�Love,� I said, monosyllabically), and then, with a leer and a twinkle, whether I had had many Indian girlfriends. �N-no�, I stuttered. My hesitant response did not reflect either uncertainty or mendacity on my part, but my surprise and my growing irritation with the questioner. The interview ended abruptly. He wrote �Refer for further enquiry� on my residence permit and said I would receive a home visit. �We need to be sure that marriages to Indian citizens are genuine.�
Several weeks later, one Friday afternoon around 5 pm, I received a phone call as I was pottering around the streets of central Delhi.
�He wanted a bribe, you idiot,� my friend said. �You�ll never get your card now; he�d have been happy with Rs 100.�
The investigators from the Home Ministry would be at my home at 5.30. As I rushed home, images of Mr and Mrs, a television programme of my UK childhood, flashed through my mind. A gormless husband would be placed in a soundproof booth, while his bright-as-a-button wife would stand on the stage. She would be asked semi-intimate questions about their life together: what was the first present she gave him when they were ? What colour nightclothes was she wearing yesterday? And so on. The husband was then released from the booth, and would invariably get the answers wrong, to his embarrassment and everyone else�s amusement. It was gentle viewing�a mild celebration of female omniscience and male autism. But now I was going to take part in a real-life version of Mr and Mrs, and my precious PIO card, and perhaps my right to stay in India, would depend on it. And, suddenly I could not, for the life of me, remember the colour of Shireen�s toothbrush, or the name of her favourite Hindi movie, or her shoe size. Fifteen years of marriage had been erased from my memory. I was sweating with nerves by the time I reached home.
Two men were seated on the edge of the sofa, looking even more nervous than me, untouched glasses of water in front of them. Shireen was questioning them about their professional qualifications�which were not very extensive. I gave her a self-conscious kiss on the cheek and sat down. At that point, our children burst in, a dancing duet of carefree excitement.
�What are these children?� asked the chief investigator.
�They�re ours.� Shireen responded with a slight chill in her voice.
�Children of both of you? They are very old.�
�Yes, both of us. They�re twelve and eleven.�
�How do you have children if you are just married?� I had not prepared for this baffling line of questioning�and was later reprimanded for just sitting there with my mouth open. Shireen, meanwhile, delivered a crushing blow.
�Ridiculous (sotto voce).... This is all totally ridiculous (out loud).... We�ve been married for fifteen years.�
I nodded eagerly.
The two men looked at each other, aghast, and then started scrabbling through the cardboard file they had brought with them. It became clear that they normally interviewed newly-married couples.
�Can we see your marriage certificate?� I showed it to them and was asked for a copy. I printed out a copy of the certificate, which was downloaded on my computer. They then got up and left�abruptly ending my brief cameo on Mr and Mrs�having promised a decision within two weeks.
The following evening, a Saturday, our cook, Pan Singh, said one of the men who had come yesterday was at the gate, asking for a lifafa, the Hindi word for envelope. I asked him to invite the man in. Pan Singh returned, a little sheepish, saying the man refused to come in, but just wanted a lifafa�with our marriage certificate. And so, slightly puzzled, I printed out another copy.
Later, I told a friend this story. �He wanted a bribe, you idiot. A lifafa is what you put the bribe in. You�ll never get your PIO card now, and he�d have been perfectly happy with 100 rupees.�
Three weeks later I went to the Foreigners� Regional Registration Office to hear the good news, and the bad. �Your application for a PIO has successfully passed the enquiry stage,� the official informed me without looking up. �But unfortunately, Mr Miller, all your documentation has gone astray and you will need to resubmit.� I looked heavenwards and brought my hand down rather heavily on the table. �I�m sorry. We�re not computerised yet, and some of our agents are a little careless.� It may have been my imagination, but I�m sure I detected the trace of a wink in her left eye. �Probably best to apply next time you�re in London,� she told me cheerfully. I walked away presuming, but unable to prove, that my papers had been deliberately lost.
I took her advice. Three weeks after putting in my application to the Indian High Commission in London (no interview necessary), I had my precious PIO card�together with a 15-year visa, the right to buy property in India, and, to my amusement, the ability to join the diplomats� queue at immigration at Delhi airport. This is of no practical use, because I still have to wait just as long for my luggage, but I do get childishly gleeful as I saunter past the first-class passengers.
Except for the presumed bribary and loss of docs, I do not see anything unusual. USCIS do a lot more grilling before issuing a marriage based GC .
Think about the time consuming process and associated cost even for a EB GC. Well the cost is not bribe -- here they call it Attorney Fees.
www.outlookindia.com | The Papers Are In Order (http://www.outlookindia.com/article.aspx?261306)
I am a Person of Indian Origin. I have a slate-grey passport-like document issued by the Indian government that says so. But I�m not really. I was not born or brought up here, and I do not have a single direct ancestor who, as far as I know, ever lived in India. I have become the proud possessor of a Persons of Indian Origin card because I am married to an Indian citizen.
I had lived in India, on and off, for ten years�and had been married to an Indian citizen for even longer.
Two men were seated at the edge of the sofa, looking more nervous than me. Shireen was questioning them.
Previously, my visas were renewed every six months. We now wanted to stay in India indefinitely and make our home in Delhi. I would have preferred dual citizenship�but that wasn�t, and still isn�t, available. PIO would be second best. But the actual card was not easy to come by. It involved a total of 17 visits to three separate ministries and five different offices. It took up at least four full days of my life. I was interviewed twice, the second time at home with my wife, Shireen. The first time was at the offices of the Foreigners Division, Ministry of Home Affairs, in an unventilated, very public room brimming with non-Indians from every continent. I reached the head of the queue after two hours of eavesdropping on other people�s immigration problems. I was asked, among other more prosaic questions, to explain why I had married an Indian woman (�Love,� I said, monosyllabically), and then, with a leer and a twinkle, whether I had had many Indian girlfriends. �N-no�, I stuttered. My hesitant response did not reflect either uncertainty or mendacity on my part, but my surprise and my growing irritation with the questioner. The interview ended abruptly. He wrote �Refer for further enquiry� on my residence permit and said I would receive a home visit. �We need to be sure that marriages to Indian citizens are genuine.�
Several weeks later, one Friday afternoon around 5 pm, I received a phone call as I was pottering around the streets of central Delhi.
�He wanted a bribe, you idiot,� my friend said. �You�ll never get your card now; he�d have been happy with Rs 100.�
The investigators from the Home Ministry would be at my home at 5.30. As I rushed home, images of Mr and Mrs, a television programme of my UK childhood, flashed through my mind. A gormless husband would be placed in a soundproof booth, while his bright-as-a-button wife would stand on the stage. She would be asked semi-intimate questions about their life together: what was the first present she gave him when they were ? What colour nightclothes was she wearing yesterday? And so on. The husband was then released from the booth, and would invariably get the answers wrong, to his embarrassment and everyone else�s amusement. It was gentle viewing�a mild celebration of female omniscience and male autism. But now I was going to take part in a real-life version of Mr and Mrs, and my precious PIO card, and perhaps my right to stay in India, would depend on it. And, suddenly I could not, for the life of me, remember the colour of Shireen�s toothbrush, or the name of her favourite Hindi movie, or her shoe size. Fifteen years of marriage had been erased from my memory. I was sweating with nerves by the time I reached home.
Two men were seated on the edge of the sofa, looking even more nervous than me, untouched glasses of water in front of them. Shireen was questioning them about their professional qualifications�which were not very extensive. I gave her a self-conscious kiss on the cheek and sat down. At that point, our children burst in, a dancing duet of carefree excitement.
�What are these children?� asked the chief investigator.
�They�re ours.� Shireen responded with a slight chill in her voice.
�Children of both of you? They are very old.�
�Yes, both of us. They�re twelve and eleven.�
�How do you have children if you are just married?� I had not prepared for this baffling line of questioning�and was later reprimanded for just sitting there with my mouth open. Shireen, meanwhile, delivered a crushing blow.
�Ridiculous (sotto voce).... This is all totally ridiculous (out loud).... We�ve been married for fifteen years.�
I nodded eagerly.
The two men looked at each other, aghast, and then started scrabbling through the cardboard file they had brought with them. It became clear that they normally interviewed newly-married couples.
�Can we see your marriage certificate?� I showed it to them and was asked for a copy. I printed out a copy of the certificate, which was downloaded on my computer. They then got up and left�abruptly ending my brief cameo on Mr and Mrs�having promised a decision within two weeks.
The following evening, a Saturday, our cook, Pan Singh, said one of the men who had come yesterday was at the gate, asking for a lifafa, the Hindi word for envelope. I asked him to invite the man in. Pan Singh returned, a little sheepish, saying the man refused to come in, but just wanted a lifafa�with our marriage certificate. And so, slightly puzzled, I printed out another copy.
Later, I told a friend this story. �He wanted a bribe, you idiot. A lifafa is what you put the bribe in. You�ll never get your PIO card now, and he�d have been perfectly happy with 100 rupees.�
Three weeks later I went to the Foreigners� Regional Registration Office to hear the good news, and the bad. �Your application for a PIO has successfully passed the enquiry stage,� the official informed me without looking up. �But unfortunately, Mr Miller, all your documentation has gone astray and you will need to resubmit.� I looked heavenwards and brought my hand down rather heavily on the table. �I�m sorry. We�re not computerised yet, and some of our agents are a little careless.� It may have been my imagination, but I�m sure I detected the trace of a wink in her left eye. �Probably best to apply next time you�re in London,� she told me cheerfully. I walked away presuming, but unable to prove, that my papers had been deliberately lost.
I took her advice. Three weeks after putting in my application to the Indian High Commission in London (no interview necessary), I had my precious PIO card�together with a 15-year visa, the right to buy property in India, and, to my amusement, the ability to join the diplomats� queue at immigration at Delhi airport. This is of no practical use, because I still have to wait just as long for my luggage, but I do get childishly gleeful as I saunter past the first-class passengers.
Except for the presumed bribary and loss of docs, I do not see anything unusual. USCIS do a lot more grilling before issuing a marriage based GC .
Think about the time consuming process and associated cost even for a EB GC. Well the cost is not bribe -- here they call it Attorney Fees.
franklin
09-19 01:07 AM
That is the only option i had open to me...
I am a plumber, no degree, but equivalent qualifications.. dont qualify for H1B, and once you have shown perminat intent you carnt go back to a temp visa..so catch 22 for me.. i had to go out there get a job, and then start the process. And yes my future employer has been very understanding about it. they have been waiting for me for 2 years so far...so am anxious to say the least to get out there.
Strange thing is, in the midst of all this, i have had my fee bill, paid that, and now my attorny has received my DS230, and sent that back yesterday?? so god knows what is happening. even though the dates arnt current.???
i give up trying to figure out what is going on over there. im hoping they will just finish up with it and send it to the embassy in london, so at least it will all be here even if it just sitting here waiting for a number to become available.
My be the november bulitin will show some kind of movment?
lets all hope so.
Yes, a plumber occupation would not qualify as a Highly Skilled occupation, it isn't on the list of in demand occupations. So - are you EB3 category? You need at least a 3 year degree for that (or if you don't have a degree, you need 3 years of experience for each year missing - so 9 years experience - depending on your unspecified "equivalent qualifications" - NVQ may or may not count, but I'm only guessing that this is what you have)
If you've been waiting 2 years, you have roughly 4 more years to wait imo, but to be honest, based on the info i have, I have doubts whether it would be feasible. If you can't get an H1B because your job wasn't applicable, getting an EB green card will be very tough.
I doubt Nov will have much movement. The ONLY reason for the movement earlier this year was total miscommunication between different governmental agencies, it is unlikely that this will happen again soon. Unused visa rush only happens at the end of the visa year, not the beginning.
I am a plumber, no degree, but equivalent qualifications.. dont qualify for H1B, and once you have shown perminat intent you carnt go back to a temp visa..so catch 22 for me.. i had to go out there get a job, and then start the process. And yes my future employer has been very understanding about it. they have been waiting for me for 2 years so far...so am anxious to say the least to get out there.
Strange thing is, in the midst of all this, i have had my fee bill, paid that, and now my attorny has received my DS230, and sent that back yesterday?? so god knows what is happening. even though the dates arnt current.???
i give up trying to figure out what is going on over there. im hoping they will just finish up with it and send it to the embassy in london, so at least it will all be here even if it just sitting here waiting for a number to become available.
My be the november bulitin will show some kind of movment?
lets all hope so.
Yes, a plumber occupation would not qualify as a Highly Skilled occupation, it isn't on the list of in demand occupations. So - are you EB3 category? You need at least a 3 year degree for that (or if you don't have a degree, you need 3 years of experience for each year missing - so 9 years experience - depending on your unspecified "equivalent qualifications" - NVQ may or may not count, but I'm only guessing that this is what you have)
If you've been waiting 2 years, you have roughly 4 more years to wait imo, but to be honest, based on the info i have, I have doubts whether it would be feasible. If you can't get an H1B because your job wasn't applicable, getting an EB green card will be very tough.
I doubt Nov will have much movement. The ONLY reason for the movement earlier this year was total miscommunication between different governmental agencies, it is unlikely that this will happen again soon. Unused visa rush only happens at the end of the visa year, not the beginning.
walking_dude
10-19 01:37 PM
We have E-mailed 800+ IV members who have indicated they're from Michigan, Called some 30+.
We have got good response. We'll know the exact numbers when we meet. Confirmed members may not show up, others may change their mind at the last moment and just drop by. It's hard to predict right now.
A lot of members are interested in "Knowing" what we are doing. Best way to know is "Participate". By attending the meeting you're getting added to the "MI chapter circle of trust" - that is members we feel safe in passing on sensitive and confidential info we get from IV core. We also feel it safe to pass on information about activities covered by IV Non-disclosure policy such as Lawmaker meetings and responses we get, with members we have met personally, talked and know their background. Posting such sensitive info here or on the google groups is not possible as it will be picked up by anti-immigrants trolling IV for such info.
Bottomline : Anybody missing the meeting is missing the opportunity to have access to IV "insider information" which will never be made public to people outside the "trusted circle".
Worst case, even if around 20 guys show up, it's a great start as I've heard that some chapters started of with 5-10 people and now have 100+ members. Don't worry, we will get there.
This is Ashish from Canton, MI. Will surely meet you guyz tomorrow. So, finally how many people, WD?
We have got good response. We'll know the exact numbers when we meet. Confirmed members may not show up, others may change their mind at the last moment and just drop by. It's hard to predict right now.
A lot of members are interested in "Knowing" what we are doing. Best way to know is "Participate". By attending the meeting you're getting added to the "MI chapter circle of trust" - that is members we feel safe in passing on sensitive and confidential info we get from IV core. We also feel it safe to pass on information about activities covered by IV Non-disclosure policy such as Lawmaker meetings and responses we get, with members we have met personally, talked and know their background. Posting such sensitive info here or on the google groups is not possible as it will be picked up by anti-immigrants trolling IV for such info.
Bottomline : Anybody missing the meeting is missing the opportunity to have access to IV "insider information" which will never be made public to people outside the "trusted circle".
Worst case, even if around 20 guys show up, it's a great start as I've heard that some chapters started of with 5-10 people and now have 100+ members. Don't worry, we will get there.
This is Ashish from Canton, MI. Will surely meet you guyz tomorrow. So, finally how many people, WD?
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