delhiguy79
07-25 12:52 PM
Its better to use rental car, as i did landing on june30, 2008 and the canadian customs asked me to either transfer the car or take it back to USA.
so were u able to do landing? if yes, then how u did?
so were u able to do landing? if yes, then how u did?
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heathere3
09-04 10:05 AM
I received my receipts from the lawyer this morning. July 2nd applicaiton to NSC, transfered to TSC, labour approved TSC in Aug 2006.
Heather
EB-3 ROW
PD: Aug 2006
RD: July 2, 2007
ND: Aug. 24, 2007
EAD: ??
AP ??
Heather
EB-3 ROW
PD: Aug 2006
RD: July 2, 2007
ND: Aug. 24, 2007
EAD: ??
AP ??
pappu
06-28 04:47 PM
Hello LCtank,
Thanks for the excellent suggestion. Do you know Dr. Woo or do you know someone who would know Dr. Woo? That would help a lot. Will initiate the contact with 80-20 initiative right away.
If anybody has more of such suggestions/leads please send them across and help this effort.
Thanks again,
WaldenPond
This is a good idea.
http://www.80-20initiative.net/intouch.htm
http://www.80-20initiative.net/BoDSC.html
There is also one Rajen Anand as its director.
Rajen Anand (Southern California)
Currently serving as a Professor of Physiology at the California State University, Long Beach, Dr. Anand was head of the USDA Center for Nutrition Policy and Promotion in Washington DC, 1995-2001.
Long involved in public policy issues and community affairs, Dr. Anand has served as an officer / Board member of: 80-20 Initiative, Asian and Pacific Americans in Higher Education (vice president); National Federation of Indian American Associations (president-elect); Indo-American Political Association (chair); Asian American and Pacific Islander Caucus (vice chair and chair) in California, and many others.
Dr. Anand was appointed in 1994, and reappointed in 1997 and 2000, to serve on the 11-member National Committee on Foreign Medical Education and Accreditation.
Thanks for the excellent suggestion. Do you know Dr. Woo or do you know someone who would know Dr. Woo? That would help a lot. Will initiate the contact with 80-20 initiative right away.
If anybody has more of such suggestions/leads please send them across and help this effort.
Thanks again,
WaldenPond
This is a good idea.
http://www.80-20initiative.net/intouch.htm
http://www.80-20initiative.net/BoDSC.html
There is also one Rajen Anand as its director.
Rajen Anand (Southern California)
Currently serving as a Professor of Physiology at the California State University, Long Beach, Dr. Anand was head of the USDA Center for Nutrition Policy and Promotion in Washington DC, 1995-2001.
Long involved in public policy issues and community affairs, Dr. Anand has served as an officer / Board member of: 80-20 Initiative, Asian and Pacific Americans in Higher Education (vice president); National Federation of Indian American Associations (president-elect); Indo-American Political Association (chair); Asian American and Pacific Islander Caucus (vice chair and chair) in California, and many others.
Dr. Anand was appointed in 1994, and reappointed in 1997 and 2000, to serve on the 11-member National Committee on Foreign Medical Education and Accreditation.
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sparklinks
09-02 06:36 PM
Try to call them or you may write a letter to them. I really hope and pray you get your EAD card soon. I also had applied in June and received few days ago. Good Luck.
Thanks buddy! I opened SR, I opened expedite process.....made so many calls but no use. :(
Thanks buddy! I opened SR, I opened expedite process.....made so many calls but no use. :(
more...
chanduy9
07-05 01:59 PM
If this guy from USCIS (Emilio T. Gonzalez) is an anti immigrant then he might think this is an appreciation from anti immigrants. dont you want to convey to him that these flowers are actually from people who got screwed by him and uscis
Pls my post very carefully...it is
Select Occasion: "Sympathy".....and you can write some msg in the card too...it explains from where it is coming and what it means...
guys think +ve.
Thanks,
Chandra.
Pls my post very carefully...it is
Select Occasion: "Sympathy".....and you can write some msg in the card too...it explains from where it is coming and what it means...
guys think +ve.
Thanks,
Chandra.
anzerraja
07-19 07:16 PM
Can you take the job to give us an update on the total amount pledged so far, at certain points in between the thread , as it grows ?
Zoooom thanks for doing this. Anzerraja good work. You two work good as a team.
Twicetwice & Anzerraja, your generous pledge has inspired me to pledge $100 for now, more later.
We should merge all other threads dealing with this issue over here for convenience
Zoooom thanks for doing this. Anzerraja good work. You two work good as a team.
Twicetwice & Anzerraja, your generous pledge has inspired me to pledge $100 for now, more later.
We should merge all other threads dealing with this issue over here for convenience
more...
guchi472000
04-30 09:54 AM
http://www.immigration-information.com/forums/showthread.php?t=4285&page=53
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dotnetguru
08-18 06:19 PM
Ead renewal applied.paper filed at TSC.uscis received date is 07/03.my pd is eb3 jan 2007.EAD approved on 08/14. i still got for only 1 year and still lost one month on the ead.i am still using h1 and i waited for that 2 year ead announcement and i still got for 1 year.i filed 485 with old fees and now more money lost....i am so pissed off :mad:....is any one in the same boat...i do not know if any thing can be done at this point.....
more...
sayonara
08-24 03:24 PM
being anguished about the situation of not getting receipts and even worse - not being able to track or check status...I emailed the attorney and asked if he could check for encashed checks or if their firm is getting july 2nd receipts...
His response :
"We have just started getting receipts for some of the June applications we sent. I am surprised that July filers are already getting their receipts and somehow find it hard to beleive thats the case. Anyhow we have no updates on ur case."
:mad::mad::mad:
His response :
"We have just started getting receipts for some of the June applications we sent. I am surprised that July filers are already getting their receipts and somehow find it hard to beleive thats the case. Anyhow we have no updates on ur case."
:mad::mad::mad:
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mchatrvd
09-11 04:26 PM
The thing is that I feel bad for IV when people start screaming and yelling at them. IV is not responsible for passing these legislation. They don't even realize that if there was no IV, July fiasco would have resulted in lot of people not getting their 485 filed. So many people would have so far not been able to use AC21 and change jobs. They are just sitting and posting out their suggestions. IV needs members who can help them in their cause and strengthen the organization. They have no right to yell or scream despite not even contributing a single minute to the cause. I still believe that we better have couple of members who we know and can count to volunteer rather than a blog where people throw fancy suggestions and vent out. That is the reason for me being advocating for paid site. If not paid, then activate membership through state chapters. Have state leadership activate their membership based on their contribution for this blog. At least we know that they are contributing to the cause by money or time. I am seriously disgusted by seeing so many irrelevant postings on this site which has nothing to do with immigration and people spending hours blogging, rather than contributing couple of minutes with their state chapters.
more...
unitednations
08-26 03:42 PM
I filed my I-129 for H1B extension in March, 2008. It is almost 5 months. I haven't got my H1B extension approval yet.
Do any of you experience delay in H1B extension? Is it normal waiting time after July 2007 fiasco?
I am also wondering why Vermont is delaying the processing of H1B though it is not processing I-485s?
Please share your experiences.
There are cases pending since last august. This is the whole theme of the thread. Lots of cases stuck in vermont service center.
Do any of you experience delay in H1B extension? Is it normal waiting time after July 2007 fiasco?
I am also wondering why Vermont is delaying the processing of H1B though it is not processing I-485s?
Please share your experiences.
There are cases pending since last august. This is the whole theme of the thread. Lots of cases stuck in vermont service center.
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arihant
05-03 12:05 PM
GreeNever,
The only clarification I would make over Knnmbd's interpretation is that as long as you have a US master's degree or higher, the "3 years work experience in a related field" restriction will not apply. If you read section 201 carefully, you will see that the difference between items 1 and 2 is that item 1 refers to US advanced degree holders while item 2 refers to advanced degree holders (resumably non-US educated). The 3 year restriction only applies to those who fall into item #2.
So, if
a) you have a MS from a US university, you and your immediate family (spouse and minor children) will not be subject to the 3 years restriction and will be exempt from the Visa Cap
b) you have a masters or higher from an acredited non-US university, then the Visa Cap will not apply to you and your family, but you shouldd have worked in the US in a "related" field for 3 years.
My question to everyone:
Will folks in section 201 be required to get a Labor certification? If not, then this will provide relief to a lot of us stuck in the BECs.
Knowledgeable folks, please comment.
REMINDER: Any such bill is still MANY months away from seeing the light of day, if at all. BUT, favorable bills such as these give us hope.
The only clarification I would make over Knnmbd's interpretation is that as long as you have a US master's degree or higher, the "3 years work experience in a related field" restriction will not apply. If you read section 201 carefully, you will see that the difference between items 1 and 2 is that item 1 refers to US advanced degree holders while item 2 refers to advanced degree holders (resumably non-US educated). The 3 year restriction only applies to those who fall into item #2.
So, if
a) you have a MS from a US university, you and your immediate family (spouse and minor children) will not be subject to the 3 years restriction and will be exempt from the Visa Cap
b) you have a masters or higher from an acredited non-US university, then the Visa Cap will not apply to you and your family, but you shouldd have worked in the US in a "related" field for 3 years.
My question to everyone:
Will folks in section 201 be required to get a Labor certification? If not, then this will provide relief to a lot of us stuck in the BECs.
Knowledgeable folks, please comment.
REMINDER: Any such bill is still MANY months away from seeing the light of day, if at all. BUT, favorable bills such as these give us hope.
more...
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ash0210
03-09 12:08 PM
Here is my story...When I came here 12 years back, for initial 3 years I did not applied for GC. Then I started my GC with a employer, company lawyer kept on saying that he filed my GC for one & half year but he did not...One fine morning, I realized that my lawyer was seating on my papers as per instructions from HR..lost around 2 years there. After talking to HR, lawyer filed LC and LC was approved thereafter two & half years..Unfortunatley, at the time of filing I-140, company declared "Bankruptcy" and once agian I was on the road. Joined new employer. New employer said I have to complete one year to file GC. After one year filed LC, my I-140 approved and last FOUR years on EAD. This roller coster is because of...I am from "Retrogressed" conuthry and PD is getting retrogressing now & then...
Still feels that GC is just a part of journey of my life...
Ash0210, how come you have been here for 12 years without GC?? Can you tell me?
Still feels that GC is just a part of journey of my life...
Ash0210, how come you have been here for 12 years without GC?? Can you tell me?
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pappu
05-13 03:53 PM
Please reply this, how to become member of donor group, so that we can come to know what is plan and strategy for future.
There is a donate now button at the top of each page in the forum. Once you contribute /sign up for monthly subscription you will get access to the donor forum on monthly basis and your status will change from member to donor.
By becoming the donor,
- You will gain access to IV plans and updates.
- You will be able to easily communicate with IV leadership.
- You will be given access to IV conference calls and participate in the discussions.
- If your own application is in trouble and you are in a desperate situation and you have tried all other avenues, you can contact IV if you are a donor and IV will contact USCIS for you and try to get the problem fixed.
- By being a donor you are helping IV continue this effort that benefits the community.
There is a donate now button at the top of each page in the forum. Once you contribute /sign up for monthly subscription you will get access to the donor forum on monthly basis and your status will change from member to donor.
By becoming the donor,
- You will gain access to IV plans and updates.
- You will be able to easily communicate with IV leadership.
- You will be given access to IV conference calls and participate in the discussions.
- If your own application is in trouble and you are in a desperate situation and you have tried all other avenues, you can contact IV if you are a donor and IV will contact USCIS for you and try to get the problem fixed.
- By being a donor you are helping IV continue this effort that benefits the community.
more...
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desi_scorpion
08-01 02:33 PM
Am in the same boat....485 submitted to NSC on July 2nd....140 pending in TSC. I called the Nebraska Service center at 1-800-375-5283, option 1-2-2-6-2-2-1 and the agent escalated my call ...then was told that if my I-140 was in Texas then the 485 will be tranaferred there. Its taking 6-8 weeks for receipt notices. On asking if transferring will take longer...she said no....will not take longer.
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h1techSlave
06-28 09:05 PM
Employers can (at least they do) discriminate EAD holders. Here is an example and related link:
Fog Creek Software - Intern in Software Development (http://www.fogcreek.com/Jobs/SummerIntern.html)
"Permanent legal right to work in the United States. Because student visas (J1, F1, etc) are time-limited, we regret that we can't consider interns on student visas."
They key word here is "Permanent legal right to work in the United States". EADs (485 based EAD as well as F1 based EADs) have a limit of 1 year/2 year/29 months etc. Based on this Fog Creek Software will not hire an EAD holder. Can we do some thing about this blatant violation of the law?
Thanks, Walking_Dude, for putting this link.
As per web page on this link -This will exclude applicants on H-1B visa status as they don't have work authorization to work for the new employer.
However, as I said before, Employer can not discriminate between GC holder, EAD, and OPT holder.
.
Fog Creek Software - Intern in Software Development (http://www.fogcreek.com/Jobs/SummerIntern.html)
"Permanent legal right to work in the United States. Because student visas (J1, F1, etc) are time-limited, we regret that we can't consider interns on student visas."
They key word here is "Permanent legal right to work in the United States". EADs (485 based EAD as well as F1 based EADs) have a limit of 1 year/2 year/29 months etc. Based on this Fog Creek Software will not hire an EAD holder. Can we do some thing about this blatant violation of the law?
Thanks, Walking_Dude, for putting this link.
As per web page on this link -This will exclude applicants on H-1B visa status as they don't have work authorization to work for the new employer.
However, as I said before, Employer can not discriminate between GC holder, EAD, and OPT holder.
.
more...
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abhijitp
11-21 05:38 PM
Mehul
I resonate the feelings of all on this forum, God bless you and your family, these are some thoughts coming to my mind... all might not be feasible in your case so take what you think might help the current situation and make an informed decision.
- Find an "good" immigration lawyer, most immigration lawyers are very community minded, they might also help you without any fees,
- There is a huge fiji community in US I am talking about well established business people (especially in automobile industry) who can help in applying a H1 visa for your wife as a backup and also meet local politicians, and take an infopass appointment to know what really happens to such cases like yours.
- Since you are a Indian Citizen you can go to India for a second opinion if you prefer to, there are great Doctors who studied in US and went back to start their own clinics. Canada is another country who gives free health care and have a shorter immigration process.
- Life in India will also be less expensive if you decide you live there with your savings of 8 years, you might want to look into India's policy on Fiji citizen immigration if your wife/children are Fiji citizens.
- I am sure you must have looked into cancer survivor stories, stem cell research and treatment options.
- Last but not least, concentrate on getting better - fight back, also look into your life insurance options, property papers and write a Will.
God Bless you from what i can understand you are a fighter dealing with health issues, Fiji immigration issues and US immigration issues I am sure you will post a message here at a later date that how you survived and this whole thing will be just a bad episode in your life which came and went away.
That is a very well balanced, informative, as well as inspiring post, arc!
Life comes at you fast... so all of us living here in limbo should take this seriously and come up with a backup strategy in case something untoward happens.
I resonate the feelings of all on this forum, God bless you and your family, these are some thoughts coming to my mind... all might not be feasible in your case so take what you think might help the current situation and make an informed decision.
- Find an "good" immigration lawyer, most immigration lawyers are very community minded, they might also help you without any fees,
- There is a huge fiji community in US I am talking about well established business people (especially in automobile industry) who can help in applying a H1 visa for your wife as a backup and also meet local politicians, and take an infopass appointment to know what really happens to such cases like yours.
- Since you are a Indian Citizen you can go to India for a second opinion if you prefer to, there are great Doctors who studied in US and went back to start their own clinics. Canada is another country who gives free health care and have a shorter immigration process.
- Life in India will also be less expensive if you decide you live there with your savings of 8 years, you might want to look into India's policy on Fiji citizen immigration if your wife/children are Fiji citizens.
- I am sure you must have looked into cancer survivor stories, stem cell research and treatment options.
- Last but not least, concentrate on getting better - fight back, also look into your life insurance options, property papers and write a Will.
God Bless you from what i can understand you are a fighter dealing with health issues, Fiji immigration issues and US immigration issues I am sure you will post a message here at a later date that how you survived and this whole thing will be just a bad episode in your life which came and went away.
That is a very well balanced, informative, as well as inspiring post, arc!
Life comes at you fast... so all of us living here in limbo should take this seriously and come up with a backup strategy in case something untoward happens.
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sanhari
07-21 11:24 AM
Use this forum strictly for discussions on support of EB spillover usage based on priority date. Others please look for other appropriate forums for your discussion. Not meant to hurt anybody's feelings, but to keep focused on the purpose of this forum.
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SunnySurya
08-18 02:10 PM
So far I have abq_gc, Johnamit , Singhsa3 , SunnySurya and pamposh(5 and counting ) . I need more..
zeta7
06-22 01:36 PM
Hey all,
I completed my landing in Toronto some 4 weeks ago. My pertinent details:
-No valid H1B stamp in passport
-485 was filed
-Planned on using AP to return
The risk at the time (since there was no clear consensus here) was returning to the US using AP with a Canadian Immigrant visa stamp in my passport. I should point out that my passport was literally a year old, and the Canadian visa was bang in the middle pages; it popped out as soon as the passport was flipped open. It couldn't be missed.
Toronto immigration was smooth. The only comment the officer made was that I had only a week left before my Canadian visa was due to expire, and she was surprised I had waited till the last minute (I suspect she'll be seeing quite a few more cases like this soon though!). I provided a Canadian address to receive my PR card over there.
I spent two days only in Canada. I decided to travel across the Atlantic and meet up with the family since I was leaving the U.S. anyways. Plus I figured on returning, if I was asked what the purpose of my travel was, I could honestly say "visiting family" as opposed to beating about the bush about the Canadian PR.
I returned 2 weeks later to NY-JFK. At the immigration counter I was asked to go to a separate desk to have my AP paperwork done. The Officer there asked me what my area of employment was, which I responded to. I was then asked to wait. 20-30 minutes later I was called again and my passport and AP documents were returned. No other questions were asked.
I was extremely paranoid about the whole thing, but there were literally no issues. Of course luck plays a big part, so it's up to you to roll the dice; chances of problems arising seem low though.
It's been almost 4 weeks and I still haven't received the Canadian PR card; if anyone else has an idea of how long it takes, I'd appreciate it if they could apprise me. Also I'm under the impression that since I'm not earning any income in Canada, there is no tax paperwork to be filed there. Is this correct?
I completed my landing in Toronto some 4 weeks ago. My pertinent details:
-No valid H1B stamp in passport
-485 was filed
-Planned on using AP to return
The risk at the time (since there was no clear consensus here) was returning to the US using AP with a Canadian Immigrant visa stamp in my passport. I should point out that my passport was literally a year old, and the Canadian visa was bang in the middle pages; it popped out as soon as the passport was flipped open. It couldn't be missed.
Toronto immigration was smooth. The only comment the officer made was that I had only a week left before my Canadian visa was due to expire, and she was surprised I had waited till the last minute (I suspect she'll be seeing quite a few more cases like this soon though!). I provided a Canadian address to receive my PR card over there.
I spent two days only in Canada. I decided to travel across the Atlantic and meet up with the family since I was leaving the U.S. anyways. Plus I figured on returning, if I was asked what the purpose of my travel was, I could honestly say "visiting family" as opposed to beating about the bush about the Canadian PR.
I returned 2 weeks later to NY-JFK. At the immigration counter I was asked to go to a separate desk to have my AP paperwork done. The Officer there asked me what my area of employment was, which I responded to. I was then asked to wait. 20-30 minutes later I was called again and my passport and AP documents were returned. No other questions were asked.
I was extremely paranoid about the whole thing, but there were literally no issues. Of course luck plays a big part, so it's up to you to roll the dice; chances of problems arising seem low though.
It's been almost 4 weeks and I still haven't received the Canadian PR card; if anyone else has an idea of how long it takes, I'd appreciate it if they could apprise me. Also I'm under the impression that since I'm not earning any income in Canada, there is no tax paperwork to be filed there. Is this correct?
dish
12-10 12:21 PM
Kennedy, McCain, 2 congressmen meet
By Jerry Kammer
COPLEY NEWS SERVICE
December 9, 2006
WASHINGTON � Two of the most liberal members of Congress met with two of their most conservative colleagues this week to revive immigration legislation that passed the Senate but was throttled by House Republican leaders who resisted its attempt to grant citizenship to illegal immigrants.
Sen. Edward Kennedy
�The plan is to bring the bill up in late winter,� said Rep. Jeff Flake, R-Ariz., a conservative stalwart who attended the meeting in the office of Sen. Edward Kennedy, D-Mass. The other participants were Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., and Rep. Luis Gutierrez, D-Ill.
The strategy session Wednesday came amid speculation about how the dynamics of the immigration debate might change, if at all, when Democrats take control of the House and Senate next month.
Flake said that Kennedy, who will be chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee's immigration subcommittee, wants to let the new Congress deal first with issues such as the war in Iraq and proposals to raise the minimum wage.
�Then he'll be ready to go� with a new version of the bill that the Senate approved in April.
Sen. John McCain
Republicans ran the show in both houses of Congress then, and passionate divisions in their ranks over immigration policy became a dominant feature of the debate. Democrats, particularly in the House, were mostly content to sit back and enjoy the stalemate, even as they campaigned against the �do-nothing Republican Congress.�
Now Democrats face the hazards of immigration politics.
Immigration-law changes are conspicuously absent from the legislative agenda laid out by incoming House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. Observers here say it will be difficult for Pelosi, D-San Francisco, to honor her campaign-season pledge to work for a new comprehensive immigration law without splitting a caucus that includes freshly elected Democrats who vowed to secure the border and crack down on illegal immigration.
The November midterm elections seemed to send mixed messages.
Rep. Luis Gutierrez
In a cliffhanger contest, Arizona Rep. J.D. Hayworth, a conservative Republican and strident foe of illegal immigration, was defeated by Democrat Harry Mitchell.
Immigration advocates such as Ben Johnson of the Immigration Policy Center say Hayworth's defeat showed that immigration �did not turn out to be the firebrand issue that some people thought it could be.�
But immigration restrictionists point out that Mitchell made getting tough on immigration the centerpiece of his campaign. They also say Mitchell cleverly used the issue against Hayworth, saying his Republican opponent was part of a political regime that wasn't competent enough to stop the hundreds of thousands of immigrants that sweep across Arizona's southern border each year.
While Mitchell said he favored legal status for long-established immigrants, he insisted that immigration policy can be fixed only by �members of Congress who are willing to enforce the law, produce real immigration reform and stop playing politics with the issue.�
Rep. Jeff Flake
That enforcement-heavy approach is fine with immigration advocates as long as it is part of a package that provides permanent legal status to those who are beckoned across the border by agriculture, restaurant, construction, landscaping and janitorial jobs. The number of illegal immigrants in the United States is estimated to be at least 11 million.
Immigrant-rights advocates, along with their allies at the National Chamber of Commerce and other business organizations, also support a proposal to provide hundreds of thousands of low-wage workers every year for employers who demonstrate that they are unable to find Americans to fill the slots.
While McCain and Kennedy describe this as a �temporary-worker program,� the legislation they sponsored would put the workers on a path to citizenship.
At a time of anxiety about the loss of good-paying manufacturing jobs, the McCain-Kennedy bill's efforts to import low-wage labor has drawn the anger of critics across the political spectrum. That is why Mark Krikorian of the Center for Immigration Studies, which advocates immigration restrictions, predicts Pelosi will be reluctant to get behind a proposal that could endanger the new Democratic majority.
�Nancy Pelosi knows the Democrats are on probation for the next two years,� Krikorian said.
He predicted that Pelosi would back less ambitious immigration change, such as a plan to provide legal status to undocumented students, rather than take on the explosive issue of mass legalization, which critics condemn as an amnesty that would spawn more illegal immigration.
But Frank Sharry, executive director of the National Immigration Forum, which advocates for immigrant rights, argues that next year will be pivotal because of the presidential race that follows.
Advertisement
�I think that once we hit primary (election) season, controversial issues get a lot harder to do,� Sharry said. �Everybody I talk to says 2007 is the window of opportunity.�
Pelosi was noncommittal this week on whether the House would take up immigration legislation. She sought to deflect some of the responsibility to the White House, suggesting that she expects President Bush to offer more specifics than his call to �match willing worker with willing employer.�
�That's up to the president,� Pelosi said. �We want to work closely with him because it has to be comprehensive and bipartisan.�
President Bush's political advisers, meanwhile, have acknowledged that revamping immigration law may be necessary to shore up sagging support for Republicans among Hispanics, the nation's fastest-growing ethnic group. Republicans received just 30 percent of the Hispanic vote this year, down from 44 percent in 2004.
By Jerry Kammer
COPLEY NEWS SERVICE
December 9, 2006
WASHINGTON � Two of the most liberal members of Congress met with two of their most conservative colleagues this week to revive immigration legislation that passed the Senate but was throttled by House Republican leaders who resisted its attempt to grant citizenship to illegal immigrants.
Sen. Edward Kennedy
�The plan is to bring the bill up in late winter,� said Rep. Jeff Flake, R-Ariz., a conservative stalwart who attended the meeting in the office of Sen. Edward Kennedy, D-Mass. The other participants were Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., and Rep. Luis Gutierrez, D-Ill.
The strategy session Wednesday came amid speculation about how the dynamics of the immigration debate might change, if at all, when Democrats take control of the House and Senate next month.
Flake said that Kennedy, who will be chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee's immigration subcommittee, wants to let the new Congress deal first with issues such as the war in Iraq and proposals to raise the minimum wage.
�Then he'll be ready to go� with a new version of the bill that the Senate approved in April.
Sen. John McCain
Republicans ran the show in both houses of Congress then, and passionate divisions in their ranks over immigration policy became a dominant feature of the debate. Democrats, particularly in the House, were mostly content to sit back and enjoy the stalemate, even as they campaigned against the �do-nothing Republican Congress.�
Now Democrats face the hazards of immigration politics.
Immigration-law changes are conspicuously absent from the legislative agenda laid out by incoming House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. Observers here say it will be difficult for Pelosi, D-San Francisco, to honor her campaign-season pledge to work for a new comprehensive immigration law without splitting a caucus that includes freshly elected Democrats who vowed to secure the border and crack down on illegal immigration.
The November midterm elections seemed to send mixed messages.
Rep. Luis Gutierrez
In a cliffhanger contest, Arizona Rep. J.D. Hayworth, a conservative Republican and strident foe of illegal immigration, was defeated by Democrat Harry Mitchell.
Immigration advocates such as Ben Johnson of the Immigration Policy Center say Hayworth's defeat showed that immigration �did not turn out to be the firebrand issue that some people thought it could be.�
But immigration restrictionists point out that Mitchell made getting tough on immigration the centerpiece of his campaign. They also say Mitchell cleverly used the issue against Hayworth, saying his Republican opponent was part of a political regime that wasn't competent enough to stop the hundreds of thousands of immigrants that sweep across Arizona's southern border each year.
While Mitchell said he favored legal status for long-established immigrants, he insisted that immigration policy can be fixed only by �members of Congress who are willing to enforce the law, produce real immigration reform and stop playing politics with the issue.�
Rep. Jeff Flake
That enforcement-heavy approach is fine with immigration advocates as long as it is part of a package that provides permanent legal status to those who are beckoned across the border by agriculture, restaurant, construction, landscaping and janitorial jobs. The number of illegal immigrants in the United States is estimated to be at least 11 million.
Immigrant-rights advocates, along with their allies at the National Chamber of Commerce and other business organizations, also support a proposal to provide hundreds of thousands of low-wage workers every year for employers who demonstrate that they are unable to find Americans to fill the slots.
While McCain and Kennedy describe this as a �temporary-worker program,� the legislation they sponsored would put the workers on a path to citizenship.
At a time of anxiety about the loss of good-paying manufacturing jobs, the McCain-Kennedy bill's efforts to import low-wage labor has drawn the anger of critics across the political spectrum. That is why Mark Krikorian of the Center for Immigration Studies, which advocates immigration restrictions, predicts Pelosi will be reluctant to get behind a proposal that could endanger the new Democratic majority.
�Nancy Pelosi knows the Democrats are on probation for the next two years,� Krikorian said.
He predicted that Pelosi would back less ambitious immigration change, such as a plan to provide legal status to undocumented students, rather than take on the explosive issue of mass legalization, which critics condemn as an amnesty that would spawn more illegal immigration.
But Frank Sharry, executive director of the National Immigration Forum, which advocates for immigrant rights, argues that next year will be pivotal because of the presidential race that follows.
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�I think that once we hit primary (election) season, controversial issues get a lot harder to do,� Sharry said. �Everybody I talk to says 2007 is the window of opportunity.�
Pelosi was noncommittal this week on whether the House would take up immigration legislation. She sought to deflect some of the responsibility to the White House, suggesting that she expects President Bush to offer more specifics than his call to �match willing worker with willing employer.�
�That's up to the president,� Pelosi said. �We want to work closely with him because it has to be comprehensive and bipartisan.�
President Bush's political advisers, meanwhile, have acknowledged that revamping immigration law may be necessary to shore up sagging support for Republicans among Hispanics, the nation's fastest-growing ethnic group. Republicans received just 30 percent of the Hispanic vote this year, down from 44 percent in 2004.
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