According to an article published in Immigration Daily (HTTP://WWW.ILW.COM/IMMIGDAILY/DIGEST/2007,1130.SHTM) FBI name check delays will be ending soon.
When immigrants apply for benefits like Citizenship and Permanent Residency, their names are sent by CIS to the FBI. The FBI then feeds the names through a computer which has a list of all criminals. If the name does not match anything, it clears instantly. However if the name gets a hit, (ie, it has a combination of names similar to the one in their database) then the name gets stuck. An officer would have to physically go in, check and make sure that the beneficiary is not the same one that is on their database, listed as a criminal. Although most names are cleared; due to the sheer number of names and the scarcity of officers, the process takes years.
Until the names clear, the beneficiary cannot get the green card or the citizenship. In the best case scenario, the beneficiary (who in most cases are innocent) has to renew their work and travel permit every year, a costly process, which takes time and money. In the worst case scenario, if the beneficiary has illegal time, she cannot leave the country and is stuck here for years.
What is more dangerous however is that if there really was a criminal whose name got a hit, we would not know that for years, during which time they could plot and execute any number of crimes.
Moreover some individuals would sue, and the courts would force the FBI to work on those individuals' cases. But lawsuits are costly, and those who could not sue, would be pushed further down the waiting list since the FBI had to follow the court order and adjudicate those who sued first.
What is frustrating is that the FBI (probably since the J Edgar Hoover time) is one Government institution which does not answer to the public. Their rotten image does not seem to hamper them a bit.
Hopefully this frightful scenario will end and FBI name checks be done fast.
Friday, November 30, 2007
Friday, November 9, 2007
Diwali Greetings
Today is the Hindu festival of Diwali, and I heartily wish everyone a very happy Diwali. In India we celebrated it with light and fireworks. When I first immigrated here in the 80s, few people had heard of Diwali. The day came and went, without so much as a faint sound of firecracker echoing from distant India. So much has changed in these years. During my kids high school years their non religious private school started celebrating the festival. The City of Sugar Land, TX started hosting a Diwali celebration in their City Hall, much the same way as a Christmas tree lighting ceremony. I find Diwali cards at my local Walgreens.
The reason for this prominence is that the number of Indian American have grown in the past few years, due to the fact that India has some of the most qualified software engineers, and the whole world needs them. Our numbers rose from 1700 in 1900 to 1.1 million in 1997. (This number is still 1/300 of our population). So the obvious question is what have we, Indian Americans given back to America?
We represent over 40% in Silicon Valley, and generate more than $200 billion worth of business in the US. In 1997 31,000 of our children (USCs of Indian origin) were enrolled in colleges. The total number of Asians in the ivy leagues (I could not find statistics for Indian students) was 7.1% and probably none of them got admission through legacy or affirmative action. And anyone who is in medicine knows that quite a few of their classmates are Indian Americans. "Paging Dr. Gupta" is a common saying in US hospitals.
Yet numbers only tell half the story. What we Indian immigrants brought with us is our values. My own two children are in the ivys. While the majority of American school children roamed the malls on week ends, my children studied. While the others played video games, mine played chess or piano. However even though they are in ivys, I cannot ask them to become lawyers, when the American Bar Association acknowledges that there are very few minority partners in big law firms. How can my children witness their lower qualified white male colleagues been given the choice spots, in a society that still judges them "by the color of their skin," and not "by the content of their character?"
And yet we, Indian Americans forge ahead. We ask not what America can do for us, but we do what we can to improve the American economy in terms of wealth and brain power. And if you've been reading this blog until now, thinking that immigrants come and mess up our country, we only ask that you think again.
The reason for this prominence is that the number of Indian American have grown in the past few years, due to the fact that India has some of the most qualified software engineers, and the whole world needs them. Our numbers rose from 1700 in 1900 to 1.1 million in 1997. (This number is still 1/300 of our population). So the obvious question is what have we, Indian Americans given back to America?
We represent over 40% in Silicon Valley, and generate more than $200 billion worth of business in the US. In 1997 31,000 of our children (USCs of Indian origin) were enrolled in colleges. The total number of Asians in the ivy leagues (I could not find statistics for Indian students) was 7.1% and probably none of them got admission through legacy or affirmative action. And anyone who is in medicine knows that quite a few of their classmates are Indian Americans. "Paging Dr. Gupta" is a common saying in US hospitals.
Yet numbers only tell half the story. What we Indian immigrants brought with us is our values. My own two children are in the ivys. While the majority of American school children roamed the malls on week ends, my children studied. While the others played video games, mine played chess or piano. However even though they are in ivys, I cannot ask them to become lawyers, when the American Bar Association acknowledges that there are very few minority partners in big law firms. How can my children witness their lower qualified white male colleagues been given the choice spots, in a society that still judges them "by the color of their skin," and not "by the content of their character?"
And yet we, Indian Americans forge ahead. We ask not what America can do for us, but we do what we can to improve the American economy in terms of wealth and brain power. And if you've been reading this blog until now, thinking that immigrants come and mess up our country, we only ask that you think again.
Monday, November 5, 2007
US Green Card for Investors
With the value of US Currency down, a lot of foreign investors are finding it cheap to invest $500,000/- in the US. That will lead to a Permanent Residency card under EB-5 Program. The US Citizenship and Immigration Services has made the process easier, because they want immigrant investors. Thus for people who want to invest in the US and has at least $500,000/-, this might be the best option.
However, if the investor has a profitable business in their home country, and want to open a branch office in the US, the L-1A visa is easier to obtain. You need much less amount, even as little as $20,000/- or $10,000/- As long as there is a profit in both countries, and the Company employs US personnel, it is easier to get the Permanent Residency through this route than through the EB-5 programs.
However, if the investor has a profitable business in their home country, and want to open a branch office in the US, the L-1A visa is easier to obtain. You need much less amount, even as little as $20,000/- or $10,000/- As long as there is a profit in both countries, and the Company employs US personnel, it is easier to get the Permanent Residency through this route than through the EB-5 programs.
Friday, October 19, 2007
LADY LIBERTY
The Statue of Liberty which was donated to the
Give me your tired, your poor,
Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free,
The wretched refuse of your teeming shore.
Send these, the homeless, tempest-tost to me,
I lift my lamp beside the golden door!
Before you can breathe free
Do the wretched jobs that we won’t do
And we will debate about whether to let you in
Whether to let you live our dream
US Visitor's Visa and Ms. Jagger
A New York Appellate Court has ruled that Bianca Jagger (Ex wife of Mick Jagger) cannot have a "primary residence" in the US, and thus she could be evicted from her residence in NYC. Bianca had a visitor's visa. The visitor's visa does not allow a person to maintain a residence in the US, because the visit is purely temporary. This is the main proof that the Consulates look for in granting the visitor's visa. A person can visit, travel (B-2 visa) or work (B-1) temporarily (usually not more than 6 months) in the US on this visa. However except in rare circumstances, a visitor cannot be paid for his services in the US. Unlike Australia, we do not have a visa whereby a person can visit, work and get paid to defray the cost of travel in the US. For more information on the visitor's visa please visit my web site: http://www.visatous.com/
However that does not mean that a person cannot have a house or residence in the US. In fact much of Manhattan real estate is owned by people who do not live there. I think it is inherently unfair that we let visitors buy property and businesses without granting them some type of status to work in the US. We should institute a system like Australia whereby visitors can perform temporary work and get paid here, as long as they return to their home country. Of course they should pay taxes to the US on those earnings. This will be a win win situation.
However that does not mean that a person cannot have a house or residence in the US. In fact much of Manhattan real estate is owned by people who do not live there. I think it is inherently unfair that we let visitors buy property and businesses without granting them some type of status to work in the US. We should institute a system like Australia whereby visitors can perform temporary work and get paid here, as long as they return to their home country. Of course they should pay taxes to the US on those earnings. This will be a win win situation.
Thursday, October 11, 2007
Internationalism
In 1893, in the world parliament of religion, in Chicago, a young ascetic from India, Swami Vivekananda addressed the conference as "Sisters and Brothers of America" instead of the usual Ladies and Gentlemen. Thus was born a new concept, Internationalism, as opposed to Nationalism. Much later Disney crytllalized it into the song, "its a small world after all." The concept that we live in one world, without borders, is in direct conflict to the likes of Lou Dobbs. Nationalism lead us to two world wars, and is still influencing immigration policies everywhere, from the US to Switzerland. Immigration dominates the policy. Are we going back towards the ultra nationalism of the previous century?
What if we could move away from insularism, and become one world, who would control? Who would you vote for the Head of the WORLD?
What if we could move away from insularism, and become one world, who would control? Who would you vote for the Head of the WORLD?
Tuesday, October 2, 2007
New Naturalization Questions
For a complete list of questions and answers, please visit http://www.uscis.gov/files/nativedocuments/100q.pdf
Here's my take on some of the questions:
Q 10. What is freedom of religion:
A. You can practice any religion or not practice a religion. It fails to mention that we are still ruled by the right wing Christian Group. We do not have freedom to do stem cell research, we do not have gay marriages, under the Robert's Court we may certainly loose our abortion rights.
Q. 46 asks what is the political party of the President now. Q. 47 asks who is the speaker of the house now, without mentioning the political party. No questions ask which party has the majority in the House and Senate now. Hmmmmm, these questions were drafted by the Republican govt, but in future the answers can turn against them.
Here's my take on some of the questions:
Q 10. What is freedom of religion:
A. You can practice any religion or not practice a religion. It fails to mention that we are still ruled by the right wing Christian Group. We do not have freedom to do stem cell research, we do not have gay marriages, under the Robert's Court we may certainly loose our abortion rights.
Q. 46 asks what is the political party of the President now. Q. 47 asks who is the speaker of the house now, without mentioning the political party. No questions ask which party has the majority in the House and Senate now. Hmmmmm, these questions were drafted by the Republican govt, but in future the answers can turn against them.
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