Mentol Blog's

i travel this leg regularly - at least once every year. 2 hrs is good enough. Pls ensure you have a stamped visa when returning.

Really speaking I care more for the dates to get current so I can add my wife to my GC application and get her an EAD and AP. After that I won't mind if I have to wait for some more time before I get the actual GC in hand

If your employer has a EB-2 position open which you would be a fit for and if he is willing to start the EB-2 process, then I think you should go ahead with the process. The problem with pending I-485 inventory that USCIS published is that those are only the cases pending at NSC and TSC. They do not account for the cases pending at USCIS Field Offices and overseas consulates. Now coming to the main reason why EB-3 dates not moving is because of 245i (legalization of illegals) cases which were filed before Apr 30, 2001. All of them were classified as EB-3 and there were thousands of applicants. Most the applicants who filed for Adjustment within US are processed. But their dependents cases are still pending at the overseas consulates. Many of them were follow-to-join cases where the cases were filed after primary beneficiary got the greencard and they still use the 2001 PD. There are many such cases pending for consular processing. Though USCIS I-485 inventory only suggests 1100 cases before Dec 2001, there could be hundereds or even thousands pending in field offices or consular posts, hence EB-3 I dates aren't moving either.

Consult immigration lawyer and try to keep the time out of status to a minimum. Do not try to take chances, times are tough and everything is being looked through when it comes to immigration. Wish you luck friend!

Hi KaylaMarie,

Any non-profit institution which engages in research/ collaboration with an university is H1b-cap exempt. Also H1B cap-exemption is possible if you work at a non-profit/ university, but not paid by it (e.g. paid by some other company).

My wife came from India 2 months ago. She has a degree in biostatistics and is in a similar situation. If you would like to get in touch, let us know.

Regards,

1.As someone suggested trying for fellowship will skip all the steps to practice OBGYN unrestricted.Again these are very limited spots and usually one needs the right contacts for this IMO.

2.Go the usual route...Pass USMLE Ste1, 2, CS and 3 (4 exams) and then you are ECFMG certified.Once ECFMG certified you can apply for the match (you can apply for the match with one step passed too but chances are you extremely low for an interview call).
The residency match happens once every year...many sources online...just google 'the residency match' and the process is self explanatory with lots of forums on websites like usmleworld.com, kaplan.com,scutwork.com,findaresident.com etc etc

3.My 2 cents most folks in her situation will find OBGYN residency just too much to handle (imagine > 80 hrs/ week for 4 yrs ) after slogging for the exams :rolleyes:
I would also recommend her to look into Physician Assistants programs.She will get a credit considering that she is a physician and she can finish it in 1-1.5 yrs. Work and Lifestyle is good and the money is good too :D.

Hello,

My I485 was filed at TX center. However it was transferred to VSC for data entry and they generated the receipt number.
Receipt date = 03-Aug-2007
Notice Date = 12-Oct-2007

On 20-Oct, VSC then transferred the case back to TSC and generated a transfer notice with date of 20-Oct-2007

For the AC21/180 day I always thought that the counting would start in my case from 03-Aug. However my company lawyer says that it will start from 20-Oct and I am at a complete loss on this..
Is it really true.

This is really urgent since I stand to lose out big time on an excellent job offer.

What are my options here - Is there any documentation that I can show to him that I am correct (If I am).
Thanks.

Yes, we have to go to Turkey for cosular processing since I accepted illegal employment and paid taxes for one year when we first came here.

We filed for 485 in 2007 july fiasco... and so far, we never received FPs for me or my wife..
my lawyer called the TSC a couple of times, and I called at least 3 times, and all the time, they say it is fine, and they will contact me if they need anything. We got our EADs and APs renewed as well, but never received FPs...

Every time I contacted them and explained the problem, they would open up a case to investigate and they send us letters a couple of months later saying my application is within the current processing times...

I am hoping this is only normal, and there are others out there in the same boat as mine...
Am I wrong in assuming so? Let me know if there is anything I should do?

pal :)


Hi pal,

Two things -

a.) If your priority date is current and you are EB2-India, then your priority date in your profile is incorrect. Could you please fix it, along with other data in your profile.

b.) Based on what you said, if I were you, I would take an infopass appointment at the nearest USCIS center for the entire family and speak with the IO face-2-face and ask this -
i.) My dates are current, how much time will it take to approve your application, and at what stage it is stuck?
ii.) You have not recd FP notice, is that ok?

I think IO officer will most likely print an FP notice right there, and that will bring up your file, if it is lying in some rubble. It would have someone look into your application.

Hope this is helpful!

.

How about pledging anywhere between 1 to 5 % of our tax returns? If enough people do it, that should do the trick.. But we need to widen the base, I think.. I don't think the problem is of people not contributing enough, the real problem is that we do not have enough people contributing.

But an interesting idea nevertheless.. though 2K is beyond my means at the moment. :o

you are allowed to file for a renewal 120 days before the previous document expires.

"replacement" is different- it's for a lost card or damaged etc

http://www.irs.gov/newsroom/article/0,,id=179211,00.html

Read this line

Not eligible at the current time? If you're not eligible this year but you become eligible next year, you can claim the economic stimulus payment next year on your 2008 tax return.

I posted this earlier, Admin has deleted my post.


hiya

And what about immigrants who have paid taxes for many years but may not be able to get SSN by the end of 2008. That's the whole point. The issue is with the way eligibility for stimulus package is defined.

If you qualify for stimulus check, it doesn't mean that there is no issue. Hope you understand.

Contact them for what?

My answer might be a little too pessimistic but I actually filed an appeal for a denied LC in Sep 2006. and as of today I still haven't heard from them. we tried calling and emailing them but they keep asking us to wait and they will get to it.

sorry and good luck. please keep me updated if you hear something from them.
Thanks

Have you hear anything from your appeal? Please let me know.
Thank you.

I had received RFE. They received the response for RFE on 08-01 for which there was LUD on 08-01. There was another LUD on 08-03. another one on 08-04. The status reads: "On August 1, 2008, we received your response to our request for evidence. We will notify you by mail when we make a decision or if we need something from you. If you move while this case is pending, call customer service. You should expect to receive a written decision or written update within 60 days of the date we received your response unless fingerprint processing or an interview are standard parts of case processing and have not yet been completed, in which case you can use our processing dates to estimate when this case will be done. This case is at our NEBRASKA SERVICE CENTER location. Follow the link below to check processing dates. You can also receive automatic e-mail updates as we process your case. Just follow the link below to
register."

I sent you PM. Please, check the same

Hello all:

I have few questions related to my travel plans to India. We will be leaving in January 2009.

We have our Advance Parole and EAD approved till 2009. I-485 is still pending . EB3 India.
My H1B visa stamp is not current or up-to-date on my passport. We have booked our flights with North-west airlines and KLM which will depart from Detroit-Amsterdam-Mumbai. I have few questions pertaining to my travel.

1) Would I still need to get a transit visa for Amsterdam, even though our flight will be halting for few may be 3-4 hours at Amsterdam- Schiphol Airport? If I do have to arrange for Amsterdam transit-visa, then where should I start as far as documentation is concerned.

2) Besides carrying my Passport, Advance parole copies with me, please advise me if I need to carry any more documentation from my end.

3) Would I need a copy of employment letter for visa purpose, or carrying my recent pay-stubs would be fine?

I would appreciate if you could please guide me with the travel related visa -requirements and documentation. Thanks!

RPH
my honest opinion on transit visa issues- the best way is to do a quick check on Netherlands website.......rather than only rely on answers on a public forum

http://www.netherlands-embassy.org/visainquiry.asp

I am positively sick of seeing the same "case received and pending" status on my I-485 case for the past two years (almost). I call CIS and they parrot like repeat the same status which I see on their website. They tell me they have no further information.

I simply can't take it any more. I have already paid unnacceptably high human cost for this GC. If my case has any discrepency and it is going to be rejected eventually, then I dont see any point of working in US from this point onwards itself. I would rather move back to India and use this time to build my career there.

I can hang on only if I somehow get to know if my case has been pre-adjudicated for approval, and no more bureaucratic actions are required on it. But how do I do that?

Any ideas?

UK and other countries in Europe must be smoking pot to think that they tap into the pool of skilled migrant workers returning from US. These people are returning back to their home countries primarily due to the recent advancements in their own countries, and to some extent due to the GC & visa mess in US.

The working (& living) condition in Europe is not as good as it is in US, and the scope for personal advancement is not as good as it is in India, China, Brazil, and many other countries. Why would anyone do a stop over in between? And that too in UK - the country with the most racism than any other European country, may be with the exception of Germany. Just look at how it reversed its GC policy (a scheme called by some other BS name).

Believe me - I'm speaking from more than 8 years of living and extensive travel in that region. You don't want to do that.

You are right, but the point here is not whether kicked out U.S. PhDs want to leave the U.S. for Europe, the point is that those PhDs ARE WANTED everywhere, except in the U.S. (regardless of where they choose to settle, which will probably be, like you rightly stated their home countries, where the opportunities are the best)

What if a person has active TB and is currently being treated? Doctors are saying it will take 9 months to complete the medication.

Q1. Do we need to wait till 9 months to apply for I140 and 485?
Q2. When will the medical records be opened and monitored? is it when my 485 is being processed or before giving EAD?
Q3. If doctor says we have TB on the form, will i be queried by govt to get it checked again, or will i be rejected?

I spoke with a 2nd level officer and came to know that my case is preadjudicated..but still not assigned to an officer and obviously the visa number has not been assigned. Is there anything I could do to make my case assigned to an IO in order to get the visa number and ofcourse the CPO?? Anyone experienced this??

If your priority date is current, you may try opening a SR, though not sure if that would help.

We don't know how internal processes work.

Just chill, don't panic - your case will be assigned a visa number soon.

People who filed I-485 after the July fiasco (starting with the August 2007 bulletin) paid a higher initial fee ($1010) - but they don't have to pay any EAD & AP fee - either the first time or for any renewals.

Look at the "Special instructions" sections of the following URL:

http://www.uscis.gov/i-485

so those that didn't pay the new fees when they filed 485 but paid the new fees for renewal of EAD and AP what happens to them? do they also get free renewals?

Hi People,
I getting even more confused:mad:

My status - AOS, H1B expired, staying on EAD.
Ap is valid until the middle of November 2008.

I have to travel abroad end re-enter more than 2 times from now to the AP expiry date
..
USCIS sent me 2 exact copies of AP - is that mean that only one stamp per each re-entry implying that I may travel out of country only twice until AP exparation end re-enter twice only???
Or there allowed more than one stamp on AP paper - using one AP per multiple entries??
Sorry, I am confused :confused: