rc10580
06-13 02:20 PM
Hi camberiu,
my PD is November 2001 and we are hoping that next bulletin will get us there. Keeping our fingers crossed. I am from Europe and my husband from Brazil (on H4 and probably the only unemployed software engineer!!!!!) We cannot wait to file and get his EAD! Good luck!
Renata
my PD is November 2001 and we are hoping that next bulletin will get us there. Keeping our fingers crossed. I am from Europe and my husband from Brazil (on H4 and probably the only unemployed software engineer!!!!!) We cannot wait to file and get his EAD! Good luck!
Renata
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mambarg
08-01 01:03 PM
Here is my prediction.
With July Fiasco INS has learnt their lessons.
They have potential to process and approve 40K cases in one month.
Once all receipting is done by Sept 17th for all late Aug 17th filers, they will immediately start processing all oct 08 current cases.
I think they might even issue again 40K cases in october ?
Why not ?
So it is important to quickly do the FP and after FP within 3 weeks the name check gets cleared.
So anyone who does FP in Sept and who is current in oct , be ready to get your GC soon.
I would say dont be surprised if it takes just one month to approve ?????
With July Fiasco INS has learnt their lessons.
They have potential to process and approve 40K cases in one month.
Once all receipting is done by Sept 17th for all late Aug 17th filers, they will immediately start processing all oct 08 current cases.
I think they might even issue again 40K cases in october ?
Why not ?
So it is important to quickly do the FP and after FP within 3 weeks the name check gets cleared.
So anyone who does FP in Sept and who is current in oct , be ready to get your GC soon.
I would say dont be surprised if it takes just one month to approve ?????
wooster
07-11 02:11 AM
I had the same thing happen to me, applied PP on June19, it reached on 20th got approved on June21. Status still shows pending, but the lawyer got the approval notice with an A# to boot...
Just to update, I got a CRIS mail that I was approved on the June21 and the online status changed to approved today....thats more than 2 weeks after the lawyer got the approval notice...snail mail seems faster then online notifications....why is everything so Topsy turvy with these guys only !!
Just to update, I got a CRIS mail that I was approved on the June21 and the online status changed to approved today....thats more than 2 weeks after the lawyer got the approval notice...snail mail seems faster then online notifications....why is everything so Topsy turvy with these guys only !!
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waitin_toolong
07-18 06:56 PM
read the last paragraph of the link you posted
Adjustment applications and ancillary benefits – The new application fee for an I-485 is a package fee that includes associated EAD and advance parole applications. Thus, if you file an I-485 with the fee listed above, while you will still need to submit applications for an EAD and advance parole, you will not need to pay a separate fee so long as your adjustment application is pending. However, if you filed your I-485 before this fee change, to apply for or renew your EAD or advance parole, you must file a new application with the new fee for those applications.
As for status information, if your wife does not want to work after she gets back it might be in her interest to enter using H4. Because if she stops working she will not be out of status but AOS pending, hence legal, but there will be no safety net in case od denial, and you will save money on AP's
Adjustment applications and ancillary benefits – The new application fee for an I-485 is a package fee that includes associated EAD and advance parole applications. Thus, if you file an I-485 with the fee listed above, while you will still need to submit applications for an EAD and advance parole, you will not need to pay a separate fee so long as your adjustment application is pending. However, if you filed your I-485 before this fee change, to apply for or renew your EAD or advance parole, you must file a new application with the new fee for those applications.
As for status information, if your wife does not want to work after she gets back it might be in her interest to enter using H4. Because if she stops working she will not be out of status but AOS pending, hence legal, but there will be no safety net in case od denial, and you will save money on AP's
more...
govind440
08-30 07:05 AM
Hi
tanx for ur reply. I already quit the job since i could not bear him..any more nd his mental torture...I ma planing to give a compliant to DOL and wanna c if it can be helpful to me..Si i cnat record anymore i tohught of recording it but never really got a courage to do that. I will c if i cna sue him...
Try to record few of your conversations with him with a hidden camcorder and/or voice recorder, once you are sure you have enough evidence - talk to a good lawyer, also file for a h1b transfer and change job and once you get into your new job sue this old employer for mental agony and torture etc....... lawyer will manage this
tanx for ur reply. I already quit the job since i could not bear him..any more nd his mental torture...I ma planing to give a compliant to DOL and wanna c if it can be helpful to me..Si i cnat record anymore i tohught of recording it but never really got a courage to do that. I will c if i cna sue him...
Try to record few of your conversations with him with a hidden camcorder and/or voice recorder, once you are sure you have enough evidence - talk to a good lawyer, also file for a h1b transfer and change job and once you get into your new job sue this old employer for mental agony and torture etc....... lawyer will manage this
fromnaija
07-11 03:24 PM
If you file 485 based on your previous approved 140, you are compelled to go back to your previous employer when your GC is approved.
So the options you have are:
1. File 485 based on previously approved 140. If approved within 180 days, go back to previous employer otherwise use AC21 to change employer to current employer. This presumes that your former employer is willing to continue support of your GC.
2. You could file 485 based on unapproved 140 since concurrent filing is still allowed.
The choice is yours.
So the options you have are:
1. File 485 based on previously approved 140. If approved within 180 days, go back to previous employer otherwise use AC21 to change employer to current employer. This presumes that your former employer is willing to continue support of your GC.
2. You could file 485 based on unapproved 140 since concurrent filing is still allowed.
The choice is yours.
more...
priderock
06-28 04:09 PM
I hope Geeta will reduce your pain.
I asked her , but her boyfriend would not agree:)
I asked her , but her boyfriend would not agree:)
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jonty_11
01-16 02:50 PM
Whats a good score for Immigration purposes on the IELTS. Looks like the scale is 1 to 9.
more...
WeShallOvercome
07-27 03:49 PM
Sorry to have to say this but they will probably reject your application. Signature is the most important thing they look for in any application.
Not entirely true..
Some employees of my client company who filed their AOS in june did so without signing a single piece of paper and already got their RNs and FP's done as well.
There are a few things to see if what your lawyer did was correct:
1) Did he ask you to write him/her an email/letter authorizing them to sign on your behalf
2) Your company has your facsimile signatures or signature stamps.
Not entirely true..
Some employees of my client company who filed their AOS in june did so without signing a single piece of paper and already got their RNs and FP's done as well.
There are a few things to see if what your lawyer did was correct:
1) Did he ask you to write him/her an email/letter authorizing them to sign on your behalf
2) Your company has your facsimile signatures or signature stamps.
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gauravster
01-20 11:27 AM
As far as my understanding goes, EB1/2/3 is fairly recent, 15-20 year pehnomemon. As such getting examples of people who have been extremely successful post getting the visa is going to be difficult. Even for Harvard reunions, usually it is only at the 25th reunion (among a few thousand people) that you have some very successful people, in a 10-15 year span, getting extremely successful(to have your name in newspapers every other day) is like a 1 in 100,000 chance. Even with EB1s.
more...
makemygc
06-22 11:18 AM
Due to time contraints doctor sent me for a chest x-ray and skipped the TB skin test. Chest x-ray came back negative. Question: Is a TB skin test required if a chest x-ray is negative? No remarks were made as to why TB skin test was not given. Should suggest, to a reasonable person, that no active TB is present
My civil surgeon advised me against by-passing skin test. He said, he has done that in the past but peope got an RFE.
My civil surgeon advised me against by-passing skin test. He said, he has done that in the past but peope got an RFE.
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nixstor
04-19 11:18 AM
JP,
Will you be our Leonardo Dicaprio of The Departed? We already have Matt Damon(s) here on our forum. :) Just kidding
Will you be our Leonardo Dicaprio of The Departed? We already have Matt Damon(s) here on our forum. :) Just kidding
more...
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jasonalbany
07-04 12:28 PM
Access to Job Market in U.S. a Matter of Degrees
Foreign workers with high-tech skills are in demand, but visa quotas snarl the hiring process.
By Anna Gorman, Times Staff Writer
July 3, 2006
This spring, a U.S. high-tech company recruited British citizen Gareth Lloyd for a possible engineering job.
But before the Irvine office made its hiring decision, the number of available visas for skilled workers ran out, in a record time of less than two months.
Lloyd, who has degrees in applied physics and electrical and electronics engineering, found another job in Germany.
"I was a little bit incredulous," Lloyd, 34, said in a phone interview. "It seems arbitrary to put some kind of quota on this."
Much of the national debate on immigration has centered on undocumented workers who fill agriculture, construction and service jobs. But highly skilled foreign scientists, engineers and computer programmers recruited by U.S. companies to work here legally also have a lot at stake in the outcome. "The major focus for all the laws and all the bills has mainly been for illegal immigrants," said Swati Srivastava, an Indian software engineer who lives in Playa del Rey and is waiting for her green card. "We kind of get pushed to the sidelines."
The Senate's sweeping immigration bill that passed in May calls for increasing the number of H-1B visas, which are available for professional foreign workers, from 65,000 to 115,000 annually. Foreigners with certain advanced degrees would be exempt from the cap.
Despite President Bush's urging to increase such quotas, however, the House bill that passed late last year does not include any provisions for skilled-worker visas. And a conference committee, which would negotiate a compromise, has yet to be selected. U.S. companies complain that they are losing prospective employees to other countries because of a shortage of highly skilled and educated foreign workers. As a result, companies are either outsourcing science and engineering jobs or making do with fewer employees.
"There aren't enough U.S. citizens pursuing those types of degrees," said Jennifer Greeson, spokeswoman for Intel Corp. in Santa Clara, Calif., where about 5% of the company's U.S.-based employees are on H-1B visas. "U.S. companies being able to have access to talent, no matter where it originates, is key to our continued competitiveness."
But critics of the H-1B program argue that there are enough Americans qualified for the jobs. Companies just prefer to hire younger, less expensive workers from other countries, such as India and China, instead of more experienced American workers at higher salaries.
"The bottom line is cheap labor," said UC Davis computer-science professor Norman Matloff, who has studied the H-1B program.
The six-year visas are available to foreigners with at least a bachelor's degree. Firms must pay foreign workers the prevailing wage.
The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services agency begins accepting H-1B visa applications on April 1 each year. The agency received enough visas to hit the congressionally mandated cap of 65,000 at the end of May this year, compared with August in 2005 and October in 2004. Those who receive the visas can begin work Oct. 1, the start of the fiscal year.
There are also 20,000 additional visas available for foreign workers who earned a master's or higher-level degree in the U.S. The Citizenship and Immigration Services is still accepting applications for those visas.
Because the H-1B cap is reached more quickly each year, many companies prepare their paperwork ahead of time so they can be at the front of the line. But they say it's often difficult to make hiring decisions six months before the start date.
Orange County immigration attorney Mitchell Wexler has a courier ready on the first day to take his clients' completed applications to Citizenship and Immigration Services.
"The whole white-collar business community is kind of crossing our fingers" that the number of visas is raised, Wexler said. Highly skilled foreign workers, he said, are "the best and brightest" and should be invited into the economy.
"If we can't get them," Wexler added, "they will go to a country that will accept them, and they will get jobs in Canada, Australia and England and will compete against us."
One of Wexler's clients, Massachusetts-based Skyworks Solutions, develops and manufactures integrated circuits for cellphones. Connie Williams, senior human resources specialist at the company's Irvine office, said her firm was effectively cut off from a foreign labor pool that included Lloyd of Britain when the government stopped accepting H-1B applications.
Williams said she worries that if Congress fails to pass reform legislation, the door will slam shut even earlier next year. The company has just over 2,000 U.S.-based employees, roughly 100 of whom have H-1B visas.
"We need these highly skilled, highly educated, highly qualified engineers," said Williams. "These people are a needle in a haystack."
Once foreigners have H-1B visas, they face another hurdle � becoming permanent legal residents. Applicants are often forced to wait years because there are only 140,000 employment-based green cards available annually. A backlog at Citizenship and Immigration Services adds to the delays.
Swati and Aradhana Srivastava, 34, both Indian software engineers working in the U.S. on H-1B visas, began the green card process with their employer in November 2001. Since then, the sisters said they have not been able to change jobs, positions or salaries.
They have taken film classes and are eager to pursue second careers in filmmaking but cannot do so until after they get their green cards. They also are reluctant to buy property or start a business. If they don't get their green cards by the time they finish film school, the sisters may return home.
"It's like living in a holding pattern continuously," said Swati Srivastava, 28, a member of Immigration Voice, a new grass-roots organization of skilled foreign workers pushing for immigration reform. The Internet-based group formed late last year and has about 5,000 members scattered around the country.
"We work in [the] U.S. legally in high-skilled jobs, but we still get penalized for playing by the rules," Immigration Voice co-founder Aman Kapoor said in an e-mail. "Since no one was working on our issues, we decided to organize."
Sandy Boyd, vice president of the National Assn. of Manufacturers, said there is an urgency to fixing the problems facing highly skilled foreign workers, whether they're seeking temporary or permanent legal status. The Senate's proposed immigration bill would increase the number of available employment-based green cards.
If compromise legislation cannot be reached on the broader issues, Boyd said, Congress should pass a separate, more narrow reform bill.
"This is not an issue that can be put off until comprehensive immigration reform is passed," Boyd said, "because once we lose these jobs, it's very difficult for them to come back."
But industry lobbyists arguing against increases in H-1B visas say the program hurts U.S. citizens by lowering wages and increasing job competition. They cite a recent report by the Government Accountability Office that says the program lacks sufficient oversight from the Department of Labor.
"We feel for the most part there are not shortages of U.S. engineers and computer scientists that have the skills these companies are looking for," said Chris McManes, spokesman for the U.S. sector of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers. "If the cap is increased, that will further hamper the ability of a U.S. engineer to find a job."
David Huber, a network engineer in Chicago and U.S. citizen by birth, said he twice lost out on jobs to foreign workers. He was passed over for one job and replaced at another, he said. Huber, who testified before the House in March, said he could not find work for nearly three years, despite his education and experience. "Too many of us cannot find jobs because companies are turning to H-1B workers as a first choice," Huber said in written testimony to the House.
Swadha Sharma, who lives in Arcadia, said she is not trying to replace U.S. workers. Sharma earned an electronics engineering degree in India but has long dreamed of becoming a math teacher. So while her husband worked here on an H-1B visa, she earned her teaching credential at Cal Poly Pomona.
Sharma, 30, started applying for teaching jobs early this year, but she said only one of three interested districts was willing to sponsor her for an H-1B visa. And that offer, from a Los Angeles charter school, came after the visa cap had been reached. Sharma now plans to pursue a master's degree but said the U.S. is "missing out on a catch."
"I am really qualified," she said. "Hopefully, I will be able to teach soon."
As for Lloyd, his plans to come to the United States are now on indefinite hold. He started his job in Germany but still laments the U.S. immigration system for limiting workers like himself from coming here.
"The H-1B scheme seems a little bit ridiculous," he said. "I would certainly be an asset to the American economy."
Foreign workers with high-tech skills are in demand, but visa quotas snarl the hiring process.
By Anna Gorman, Times Staff Writer
July 3, 2006
This spring, a U.S. high-tech company recruited British citizen Gareth Lloyd for a possible engineering job.
But before the Irvine office made its hiring decision, the number of available visas for skilled workers ran out, in a record time of less than two months.
Lloyd, who has degrees in applied physics and electrical and electronics engineering, found another job in Germany.
"I was a little bit incredulous," Lloyd, 34, said in a phone interview. "It seems arbitrary to put some kind of quota on this."
Much of the national debate on immigration has centered on undocumented workers who fill agriculture, construction and service jobs. But highly skilled foreign scientists, engineers and computer programmers recruited by U.S. companies to work here legally also have a lot at stake in the outcome. "The major focus for all the laws and all the bills has mainly been for illegal immigrants," said Swati Srivastava, an Indian software engineer who lives in Playa del Rey and is waiting for her green card. "We kind of get pushed to the sidelines."
The Senate's sweeping immigration bill that passed in May calls for increasing the number of H-1B visas, which are available for professional foreign workers, from 65,000 to 115,000 annually. Foreigners with certain advanced degrees would be exempt from the cap.
Despite President Bush's urging to increase such quotas, however, the House bill that passed late last year does not include any provisions for skilled-worker visas. And a conference committee, which would negotiate a compromise, has yet to be selected. U.S. companies complain that they are losing prospective employees to other countries because of a shortage of highly skilled and educated foreign workers. As a result, companies are either outsourcing science and engineering jobs or making do with fewer employees.
"There aren't enough U.S. citizens pursuing those types of degrees," said Jennifer Greeson, spokeswoman for Intel Corp. in Santa Clara, Calif., where about 5% of the company's U.S.-based employees are on H-1B visas. "U.S. companies being able to have access to talent, no matter where it originates, is key to our continued competitiveness."
But critics of the H-1B program argue that there are enough Americans qualified for the jobs. Companies just prefer to hire younger, less expensive workers from other countries, such as India and China, instead of more experienced American workers at higher salaries.
"The bottom line is cheap labor," said UC Davis computer-science professor Norman Matloff, who has studied the H-1B program.
The six-year visas are available to foreigners with at least a bachelor's degree. Firms must pay foreign workers the prevailing wage.
The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services agency begins accepting H-1B visa applications on April 1 each year. The agency received enough visas to hit the congressionally mandated cap of 65,000 at the end of May this year, compared with August in 2005 and October in 2004. Those who receive the visas can begin work Oct. 1, the start of the fiscal year.
There are also 20,000 additional visas available for foreign workers who earned a master's or higher-level degree in the U.S. The Citizenship and Immigration Services is still accepting applications for those visas.
Because the H-1B cap is reached more quickly each year, many companies prepare their paperwork ahead of time so they can be at the front of the line. But they say it's often difficult to make hiring decisions six months before the start date.
Orange County immigration attorney Mitchell Wexler has a courier ready on the first day to take his clients' completed applications to Citizenship and Immigration Services.
"The whole white-collar business community is kind of crossing our fingers" that the number of visas is raised, Wexler said. Highly skilled foreign workers, he said, are "the best and brightest" and should be invited into the economy.
"If we can't get them," Wexler added, "they will go to a country that will accept them, and they will get jobs in Canada, Australia and England and will compete against us."
One of Wexler's clients, Massachusetts-based Skyworks Solutions, develops and manufactures integrated circuits for cellphones. Connie Williams, senior human resources specialist at the company's Irvine office, said her firm was effectively cut off from a foreign labor pool that included Lloyd of Britain when the government stopped accepting H-1B applications.
Williams said she worries that if Congress fails to pass reform legislation, the door will slam shut even earlier next year. The company has just over 2,000 U.S.-based employees, roughly 100 of whom have H-1B visas.
"We need these highly skilled, highly educated, highly qualified engineers," said Williams. "These people are a needle in a haystack."
Once foreigners have H-1B visas, they face another hurdle � becoming permanent legal residents. Applicants are often forced to wait years because there are only 140,000 employment-based green cards available annually. A backlog at Citizenship and Immigration Services adds to the delays.
Swati and Aradhana Srivastava, 34, both Indian software engineers working in the U.S. on H-1B visas, began the green card process with their employer in November 2001. Since then, the sisters said they have not been able to change jobs, positions or salaries.
They have taken film classes and are eager to pursue second careers in filmmaking but cannot do so until after they get their green cards. They also are reluctant to buy property or start a business. If they don't get their green cards by the time they finish film school, the sisters may return home.
"It's like living in a holding pattern continuously," said Swati Srivastava, 28, a member of Immigration Voice, a new grass-roots organization of skilled foreign workers pushing for immigration reform. The Internet-based group formed late last year and has about 5,000 members scattered around the country.
"We work in [the] U.S. legally in high-skilled jobs, but we still get penalized for playing by the rules," Immigration Voice co-founder Aman Kapoor said in an e-mail. "Since no one was working on our issues, we decided to organize."
Sandy Boyd, vice president of the National Assn. of Manufacturers, said there is an urgency to fixing the problems facing highly skilled foreign workers, whether they're seeking temporary or permanent legal status. The Senate's proposed immigration bill would increase the number of available employment-based green cards.
If compromise legislation cannot be reached on the broader issues, Boyd said, Congress should pass a separate, more narrow reform bill.
"This is not an issue that can be put off until comprehensive immigration reform is passed," Boyd said, "because once we lose these jobs, it's very difficult for them to come back."
But industry lobbyists arguing against increases in H-1B visas say the program hurts U.S. citizens by lowering wages and increasing job competition. They cite a recent report by the Government Accountability Office that says the program lacks sufficient oversight from the Department of Labor.
"We feel for the most part there are not shortages of U.S. engineers and computer scientists that have the skills these companies are looking for," said Chris McManes, spokesman for the U.S. sector of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers. "If the cap is increased, that will further hamper the ability of a U.S. engineer to find a job."
David Huber, a network engineer in Chicago and U.S. citizen by birth, said he twice lost out on jobs to foreign workers. He was passed over for one job and replaced at another, he said. Huber, who testified before the House in March, said he could not find work for nearly three years, despite his education and experience. "Too many of us cannot find jobs because companies are turning to H-1B workers as a first choice," Huber said in written testimony to the House.
Swadha Sharma, who lives in Arcadia, said she is not trying to replace U.S. workers. Sharma earned an electronics engineering degree in India but has long dreamed of becoming a math teacher. So while her husband worked here on an H-1B visa, she earned her teaching credential at Cal Poly Pomona.
Sharma, 30, started applying for teaching jobs early this year, but she said only one of three interested districts was willing to sponsor her for an H-1B visa. And that offer, from a Los Angeles charter school, came after the visa cap had been reached. Sharma now plans to pursue a master's degree but said the U.S. is "missing out on a catch."
"I am really qualified," she said. "Hopefully, I will be able to teach soon."
As for Lloyd, his plans to come to the United States are now on indefinite hold. He started his job in Germany but still laments the U.S. immigration system for limiting workers like himself from coming here.
"The H-1B scheme seems a little bit ridiculous," he said. "I would certainly be an asset to the American economy."
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rani77
08-30 10:53 AM
Isnt recording conversations without the consent illegal? :confused:
This may be correct but , if you sent the tape of employer abusing /cursing its own employees to DOL along with other allegations , they might well pay special attention and scrutinize him or his company thoroghly.
This may be correct but , if you sent the tape of employer abusing /cursing its own employees to DOL along with other allegations , they might well pay special attention and scrutinize him or his company thoroghly.
more...
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Amy
07-12 10:17 PM
I have the copy of I-140 approval notice. If the old employer revokes I-140 after I leave, can I still carry over my PD? Is there any risk on this? Thanks!
I-140 can not be ported. You need to start all over again at your new company with new PERM labor and new I-140.
However, if you have a copy of old approved I-140, you can use that to port older priority date at the time of 485 filing.Companies usually don't give copies of I-140.
I-140 can not be ported. You need to start all over again at your new company with new PERM labor and new I-140.
However, if you have a copy of old approved I-140, you can use that to port older priority date at the time of 485 filing.Companies usually don't give copies of I-140.
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akhilmahajan
09-30 02:24 PM
If you dont mind, can you please elaborate little bit more on this?
more...
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gbof
09-30 09:37 PM
Before you get all mushy about AILA and start bashing USCIS take deep look and see if AILA is really acting as a friend or a adversary in friends disguise?
Donot get me wrong. I have no special love for aila or uscis. please, note, aila is talking about 100 million short fall and uscis plan to raise fees.........
Donot get me wrong. I have no special love for aila or uscis. please, note, aila is talking about 100 million short fall and uscis plan to raise fees.........
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abhijitp
01-27 11:47 AM
^^
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mhtanim
11-19 05:15 PM
My AP was approved for multiple trips. So I can use the 2 stamped AP as many times as I want. The officer told me that when I use the APs for my next trip then they are going stamp the same APs again. And that I will not need to submit anything on my next trip. It would be advisable to keep some photocopies of the AP just in case they ask for a copy.
I guess AP works like I-20s. When I came to the U.S. for the first time, the INS officer took one copy of my I-20 and stamped the other copy and gave it to me. I carried the same stamped I-20 multiple times to get into the U.S. They stamped on the same I-20 every time I got in.
I guess AP works like I-20s. When I came to the U.S. for the first time, the INS officer took one copy of my I-20 and stamped the other copy and gave it to me. I carried the same stamped I-20 multiple times to get into the U.S. They stamped on the same I-20 every time I got in.
arjun007
01-26 12:53 PM
H1B Stamping in Halifax Canada (only for revalidation)
If this is your first H1 do not book your appointment. I had my H1 from my first company and I was going for the stamp for my third company.
-Appointment
I Scheduled the appointment on the website. While scheduling it the page for entering the I-797 information (notice date, receipt date, receipt number) did not show up. But a few days before the appointment I logged in again to my account with the passport number and reference number, this page showed up and I entered the information. It is important to fill out this information and DS 156 online.
I would suggest filling up a sample DS-156 offline and after reviewing it filling it up online. You should get 3 pages for the DS 156 and 2 of them have a barcode.
*Do not glue the 2x2 photograph on the form.
*Also do not leave any blank spaces (.... write NA)
At the airport
As soon as I got out of the immigration at Halifax, a few yards down the airport lounge I saw the Travelex foreign exchange and converted a few us dollars. there is a 7 $ fee for every transaction. If you have somebody with you, I would recommend both of you to do the transaction in one go. I recommend not taking a cab to the city. It costs 54 Canadan $. There is a shuttle service managed by AIRPORTER. Its 18 $ per person. Book your ticket in the airport terminal itself. Ask the driver to drop you at Delta Halifax (Hotel).
-Scotia Bank
Once you get down at Delta Halifax you will see the Scotia Bank Sign. Get into the building. The bank is in this building (Scotia Mall) right behind a fountain.
Deposit the money and get the deposit slips stamped. I converted another 50 US $ for a 2 $ fee ( Cheaper than the airport). The food court is next to the bank. I ate at TASTE OF INDIA, but I would recommend the Chicken kabob platter at the Lebanese joint. After lunch I walked all the way through the skywalk to the PURDY WHARFS TOWER 2, behind the Casino, to check out the consulate, so that I do not have to struggle the next day to find it. The security at the reception area called a cab for us to my Dartmouth motel.
-Stay
I booked a motel (air+hotel package on ORBITZ) in Darthmouth, Nova Scotia (Comfort Inn, 456 Windmill rd) $ 72 per night for a 2 bed room. Its 20 minutes away from the city. 14 $ by cab. You can also take the bus number 51 (2$ coins only) right across the motel to the place called Bridge (it literally takes you to the bridge which connects Dartmouth and Halifax city). Remember to take the transfer stub and change the bus. Most of the buses from the bridge go to the Scotia Mall in Halifax. We travelled by bus for most of the day. It was very cold. January and temperature were around -20 C. There is a Chinese restaurant and a Pizza/Sub place right across the Motel. Also the Bridge area has a few places like Wendy's.
-day of the interview
My appt was at 9:30 , I was there by 8. They took me in. Gave me a list of documents to be kept ready (I was missing the travel itenary, fortunately my friend who was travelling with me had an extra copy). The security guy checks the documents and gives you a stub for the passport. Keep this stub safely, you have to show it the next day to get back your passport. (Its cool even if you lose it.The security guy is very freindly. He remembers people. A few had lost it, but no issue)
questions
- how long you have been in US
- what degree (Masters or Bachelors)
- how long with this company
- why did you leave the first company
- why did you leave the second company
- when did you leave the company
She told me ( as with other applicants) that my information is not in the new system called PIMPS, so its possible that I could not get my passport the next day at 3 pm.
After the interview we went back to the scotia mall, had lebonese food, took a bus number 1 to the park lane mall ( you could also walk) and watched an awesome movie (Kite Runner)
Next Tense day
This was friday, my flight was at 6:15 pm. The US immigration closes at 5:30, so I had to be back to the airport at the most by 5:15 pm.
I was at the consulate at 2:50 pm. I security guy let us in. Has a small chat with us. Said only a few passports are ready. unfortunate none of them were ours. We waited till 3:15 pm but the passports werent ready. There were 7 of us , only 2 were H1B. He asked us to come back at 4:30 pm, if not by then he ased us to enjoy our weekend at Halifax !! We went back to the Scotia mall, ate some more, came back at 4:00, clock was ticking...all 7 of us were there by 4:30 pm. All were very tensed, they had booked their tickets like us. 4:45 nothing yet....4:56 I got my passport, 4:59 my friends got my passport. We ran down to the reception, the security called a cab,
All of us had got the Passports. The Taxi driver (Indian) drove like crazy to get us to the airport. It was rush hour and the Bridge is packed. The most amazing driving I have seen. We got to the airport at 5:30 pm, but they didnt let us check in as the Immigration was closed. I paid 200$ for 2 if us to rebook the next available flight next morning and stayed the whole night at the airport.
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Hope this information was useful. Too detail, but I was in the mood of writing after watching Kite Runner. Do watch it !
If this is your first H1 do not book your appointment. I had my H1 from my first company and I was going for the stamp for my third company.
-Appointment
I Scheduled the appointment on the website. While scheduling it the page for entering the I-797 information (notice date, receipt date, receipt number) did not show up. But a few days before the appointment I logged in again to my account with the passport number and reference number, this page showed up and I entered the information. It is important to fill out this information and DS 156 online.
I would suggest filling up a sample DS-156 offline and after reviewing it filling it up online. You should get 3 pages for the DS 156 and 2 of them have a barcode.
*Do not glue the 2x2 photograph on the form.
*Also do not leave any blank spaces (.... write NA)
At the airport
As soon as I got out of the immigration at Halifax, a few yards down the airport lounge I saw the Travelex foreign exchange and converted a few us dollars. there is a 7 $ fee for every transaction. If you have somebody with you, I would recommend both of you to do the transaction in one go. I recommend not taking a cab to the city. It costs 54 Canadan $. There is a shuttle service managed by AIRPORTER. Its 18 $ per person. Book your ticket in the airport terminal itself. Ask the driver to drop you at Delta Halifax (Hotel).
-Scotia Bank
Once you get down at Delta Halifax you will see the Scotia Bank Sign. Get into the building. The bank is in this building (Scotia Mall) right behind a fountain.
Deposit the money and get the deposit slips stamped. I converted another 50 US $ for a 2 $ fee ( Cheaper than the airport). The food court is next to the bank. I ate at TASTE OF INDIA, but I would recommend the Chicken kabob platter at the Lebanese joint. After lunch I walked all the way through the skywalk to the PURDY WHARFS TOWER 2, behind the Casino, to check out the consulate, so that I do not have to struggle the next day to find it. The security at the reception area called a cab for us to my Dartmouth motel.
-Stay
I booked a motel (air+hotel package on ORBITZ) in Darthmouth, Nova Scotia (Comfort Inn, 456 Windmill rd) $ 72 per night for a 2 bed room. Its 20 minutes away from the city. 14 $ by cab. You can also take the bus number 51 (2$ coins only) right across the motel to the place called Bridge (it literally takes you to the bridge which connects Dartmouth and Halifax city). Remember to take the transfer stub and change the bus. Most of the buses from the bridge go to the Scotia Mall in Halifax. We travelled by bus for most of the day. It was very cold. January and temperature were around -20 C. There is a Chinese restaurant and a Pizza/Sub place right across the Motel. Also the Bridge area has a few places like Wendy's.
-day of the interview
My appt was at 9:30 , I was there by 8. They took me in. Gave me a list of documents to be kept ready (I was missing the travel itenary, fortunately my friend who was travelling with me had an extra copy). The security guy checks the documents and gives you a stub for the passport. Keep this stub safely, you have to show it the next day to get back your passport. (Its cool even if you lose it.The security guy is very freindly. He remembers people. A few had lost it, but no issue)
questions
- how long you have been in US
- what degree (Masters or Bachelors)
- how long with this company
- why did you leave the first company
- why did you leave the second company
- when did you leave the company
She told me ( as with other applicants) that my information is not in the new system called PIMPS, so its possible that I could not get my passport the next day at 3 pm.
After the interview we went back to the scotia mall, had lebonese food, took a bus number 1 to the park lane mall ( you could also walk) and watched an awesome movie (Kite Runner)
Next Tense day
This was friday, my flight was at 6:15 pm. The US immigration closes at 5:30, so I had to be back to the airport at the most by 5:15 pm.
I was at the consulate at 2:50 pm. I security guy let us in. Has a small chat with us. Said only a few passports are ready. unfortunate none of them were ours. We waited till 3:15 pm but the passports werent ready. There were 7 of us , only 2 were H1B. He asked us to come back at 4:30 pm, if not by then he ased us to enjoy our weekend at Halifax !! We went back to the Scotia mall, ate some more, came back at 4:00, clock was ticking...all 7 of us were there by 4:30 pm. All were very tensed, they had booked their tickets like us. 4:45 nothing yet....4:56 I got my passport, 4:59 my friends got my passport. We ran down to the reception, the security called a cab,
All of us had got the Passports. The Taxi driver (Indian) drove like crazy to get us to the airport. It was rush hour and the Bridge is packed. The most amazing driving I have seen. We got to the airport at 5:30 pm, but they didnt let us check in as the Immigration was closed. I paid 200$ for 2 if us to rebook the next available flight next morning and stayed the whole night at the airport.
-
Hope this information was useful. Too detail, but I was in the mood of writing after watching Kite Runner. Do watch it !
mchundi
08-05 09:16 PM
get relief from retrogression. Capture of unused visa numbers etc will make us ignore how many apps USCIS received.
Good thing is that people will get interim benefits like EAD/AP.
First they need to cope with the scores of petetions, USCIS and FBI.
For how long will they work overtime to resolve this mess? such bouts as the one we saw in the last two weeks of june are short and few. If they are smart they will flush out the approvable cases early without going thru the EAD cycles year after year.
This is exactly opposite to what they have been doing. If there were 60k approvable cases, i wonder what they were doing all this time. Approving those cases earlier wud have allowed others to get in the system earlier.
Additional VISA numbers may not help anybody, if they don't use them properly
Good thing is that people will get interim benefits like EAD/AP.
First they need to cope with the scores of petetions, USCIS and FBI.
For how long will they work overtime to resolve this mess? such bouts as the one we saw in the last two weeks of june are short and few. If they are smart they will flush out the approvable cases early without going thru the EAD cycles year after year.
This is exactly opposite to what they have been doing. If there were 60k approvable cases, i wonder what they were doing all this time. Approving those cases earlier wud have allowed others to get in the system earlier.
Additional VISA numbers may not help anybody, if they don't use them properly
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