tnite
08-03 10:36 PM
See the disclaimer at the bottom of the page. It says it might take another 14 days to receive the receipt even though they might have issued it. What I understand from this is that USCIS has completed the data entry for the dates given and issue the receipts (essentially means, receipt date has been marked against your application in the database) but the receipt will take another 14 days to reach.
So guys keep patience as USCIS is going to give us update every week now...mentioned in the news letter.
So assuming the application was received on 07/01/2007 then 14 days is 07/15 as we know that except for few no one else has received the receipts
So guys keep patience as USCIS is going to give us update every week now...mentioned in the news letter.
So assuming the application was received on 07/01/2007 then 14 days is 07/15 as we know that except for few no one else has received the receipts
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AB1275
12-18 10:07 AM
For MTR - Brief / Evidence need to be given within 30 days of denial.
For Appeal - A brief statement of what the error with the decision or what the new evidence is needed in the form, later actual evidences can be given within 30 days of filing form 290(B).
In either case, 290(B) have to be filed to keep it going.
Both Appeal and MTR should be sent to the service that made unfavorable change and later on when additional evidences are sent they need to be send to AAO directly.
Hope this helps.
Thank you for the suggestion.....From what I understand from it, the evidence for MTR has to be filed with the MTR and cant be filed later. Is that right? If so, then my only choice is Appeal since my W-2 will not reach me before the due date of the 290B.
For Appeal - A brief statement of what the error with the decision or what the new evidence is needed in the form, later actual evidences can be given within 30 days of filing form 290(B).
In either case, 290(B) have to be filed to keep it going.
Both Appeal and MTR should be sent to the service that made unfavorable change and later on when additional evidences are sent they need to be send to AAO directly.
Hope this helps.
Thank you for the suggestion.....From what I understand from it, the evidence for MTR has to be filed with the MTR and cant be filed later. Is that right? If so, then my only choice is Appeal since my W-2 will not reach me before the due date of the 290B.
GabonpharmD
04-15 10:45 PM
also update ur profile..
I did not wan to create a separate thread since I have similar questions:
My situation:
US pharmD graduating in may 09
H1B approved ( start oct 09)
OPT not approved yet
Married to F-1
child born in US
Country- Gabon (both)
city- nashville TN
Company-CVS
Facts:
My company told me I qualify for GC sponsoring after 90 days of full time as pharmacist and to just buzz them when I am ready. I will be full time rx on my OPT, which shoudl come out before graduation.
I pass my boards in June, I should be go to go for GC filing as soon as October.
Questions:
1. is changing address within the same city affect GC procress? I heard of people changing city and having to start the 1st step over. If address change within the same city is a big deal. We will buy our house before starting GC filing if not we will take our time.
2. What r the pros and cons of filing GC that early into employment? The CVS guy told me usually people prefer to wait longer before filing for GC. why? ( I am thinking if it's going to take that many years, I might as well start early because my husband has the possibility to transform his phD into MD/phD after his qualifying exam in 2-3 years and we hope to be Gc holder by then)
3. When GC filing start can I include my husband from the start with his F1 status or do we have to switch him to H4 status first?. For now, we prefer to keep him on his F1 visa because of a friend experience with H4, she was F1, went H4 but went back to F1 cause F1 can get stipend for lab work but H4 can't)
4. any suggestion, that you think I can benefit from on how to approach is welcomed. I 've been F1 for 5-6 years now..just looking forward to ending my life as an international student, but I don't want to rush into things out of ignorance.
I did not wan to create a separate thread since I have similar questions:
My situation:
US pharmD graduating in may 09
H1B approved ( start oct 09)
OPT not approved yet
Married to F-1
child born in US
Country- Gabon (both)
city- nashville TN
Company-CVS
Facts:
My company told me I qualify for GC sponsoring after 90 days of full time as pharmacist and to just buzz them when I am ready. I will be full time rx on my OPT, which shoudl come out before graduation.
I pass my boards in June, I should be go to go for GC filing as soon as October.
Questions:
1. is changing address within the same city affect GC procress? I heard of people changing city and having to start the 1st step over. If address change within the same city is a big deal. We will buy our house before starting GC filing if not we will take our time.
2. What r the pros and cons of filing GC that early into employment? The CVS guy told me usually people prefer to wait longer before filing for GC. why? ( I am thinking if it's going to take that many years, I might as well start early because my husband has the possibility to transform his phD into MD/phD after his qualifying exam in 2-3 years and we hope to be Gc holder by then)
3. When GC filing start can I include my husband from the start with his F1 status or do we have to switch him to H4 status first?. For now, we prefer to keep him on his F1 visa because of a friend experience with H4, she was F1, went H4 but went back to F1 cause F1 can get stipend for lab work but H4 can't)
4. any suggestion, that you think I can benefit from on how to approach is welcomed. I 've been F1 for 5-6 years now..just looking forward to ending my life as an international student, but I don't want to rush into things out of ignorance.
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snathan
02-17 08:05 PM
Hello,
I have a question regarding my employment & H1B.
I was working for company "A" and my project ended in Jan and the company "A" gave me 1 month to find employment.
So I have applied for H1B transfer last week with company "B"
I got a call today from company "A" offering me a job.
Is it possible for me to work with company "A", while my application for H1B transfer is pending?
I want to join company "B" when H1B transfer is approved but in the meantime can I work for company "A" because it is very hard to find a job in this economic situation
Any help in this matter will be greatly appreciated.
Thanks
As long as you have valid H1 with company A...you can work with them.
I have a question regarding my employment & H1B.
I was working for company "A" and my project ended in Jan and the company "A" gave me 1 month to find employment.
So I have applied for H1B transfer last week with company "B"
I got a call today from company "A" offering me a job.
Is it possible for me to work with company "A", while my application for H1B transfer is pending?
I want to join company "B" when H1B transfer is approved but in the meantime can I work for company "A" because it is very hard to find a job in this economic situation
Any help in this matter will be greatly appreciated.
Thanks
As long as you have valid H1 with company A...you can work with them.
more...
sobers
02-08 02:58 PM
Intel chairman calls for immigration reform (Financial Times/ Feb 7, 2005)
http://msnbc.msn.com/id/11221265/
Craig Barrett, chairman of Intel, the world's largest semiconductor maker, called for comprehensive immigration reform to make the US more competitive, during a live question-and-answer session on FT.com.
Mr Barrett, one of a number of technology leaders including Bill Gates to have criticised restrictions on foreign workers in the US, said the first step in simplifying the immigration process would be "to replace the current arbitrary quota system with an open market type approach".
The US's H1-B visa allows foreign engineers and scientists to work on a temporary basis in the US but is capped at 65,000 a year. Mr Barrett said this was inadequate: the current quota had been exhausted and there could be no new admissions until another came into effect in October this year.
Mr Barrett said demand was also greater than supply for green cards that allowed permanent employment, with the cap at 140,000 a year and long processing delays meaning individuals having to wait up to seven years to obtain one.
"These arbitrary caps undercut business's ability to hire and retain the number of highly educated people in the fields where we need to maintain our leading position," he said.
"Instead of arbitrary caps, a market-based approach that responds to demand is needed."
The tabular content relating to this article is not available to view. Apologies in advance for the inconvenience caused.
Mr Barrett was asked by an Intel employee why his company had stopped sponsoring its workers for green cards between 2001 and 2004. The Intel chairman said this was during the longest and deepest recession in the semiconductor industry. It had been waiting for business conditions to improve before resuming the process.
"We should just staple a green card to every advanced degree granted to a foreign national from a US university in science and engineering," he said in another answer.
Mr Barrett also advocated improvements in the US education system to make America more competitive in technology fields.
"Today, we compare ourselves to our neighbours � California to Arizona, Texas to Florida, etc. We do not compare ourselves to the rest of the world and recognise that the bar of achievement, the level necessary for competitiveness is continually being raised."
Craig Barrett: America should open its doors wide to foreign talent
--------
IV Moderators- please use this information in your presentations.
http://msnbc.msn.com/id/11221265/
Craig Barrett, chairman of Intel, the world's largest semiconductor maker, called for comprehensive immigration reform to make the US more competitive, during a live question-and-answer session on FT.com.
Mr Barrett, one of a number of technology leaders including Bill Gates to have criticised restrictions on foreign workers in the US, said the first step in simplifying the immigration process would be "to replace the current arbitrary quota system with an open market type approach".
The US's H1-B visa allows foreign engineers and scientists to work on a temporary basis in the US but is capped at 65,000 a year. Mr Barrett said this was inadequate: the current quota had been exhausted and there could be no new admissions until another came into effect in October this year.
Mr Barrett said demand was also greater than supply for green cards that allowed permanent employment, with the cap at 140,000 a year and long processing delays meaning individuals having to wait up to seven years to obtain one.
"These arbitrary caps undercut business's ability to hire and retain the number of highly educated people in the fields where we need to maintain our leading position," he said.
"Instead of arbitrary caps, a market-based approach that responds to demand is needed."
The tabular content relating to this article is not available to view. Apologies in advance for the inconvenience caused.
Mr Barrett was asked by an Intel employee why his company had stopped sponsoring its workers for green cards between 2001 and 2004. The Intel chairman said this was during the longest and deepest recession in the semiconductor industry. It had been waiting for business conditions to improve before resuming the process.
"We should just staple a green card to every advanced degree granted to a foreign national from a US university in science and engineering," he said in another answer.
Mr Barrett also advocated improvements in the US education system to make America more competitive in technology fields.
"Today, we compare ourselves to our neighbours � California to Arizona, Texas to Florida, etc. We do not compare ourselves to the rest of the world and recognise that the bar of achievement, the level necessary for competitiveness is continually being raised."
Craig Barrett: America should open its doors wide to foreign talent
--------
IV Moderators- please use this information in your presentations.
superdude
08-01 04:54 PM
I hope they look at the post mark date. We can not even trust FedEx now. These things do happen. Its very sad to hear this
Response for my RFE on 140 was supposed to be sent in by today. My Law office sent in the resposne using FEDEX overnight yesterday. I come to work in the moring and check the status of FEDEX and it says it is still in transit. I call the fedex office with tracking number and they say there was a big technical problem and hydraulic leak in the plane that was supposed to carry my response. Fedex says they will try to deliver by after mailroom closes today and they are ready to issue a letter stating that its their mistake. Do you guys think my response will be accepted tomorrow or I get a NOID for my 140? My lawyer says that if FEDEX trys to deliver it by today and they fail we should be ok or if they issue NOID we can always rebut back with letter from FEDEX and open a MTR .. any one of you guys have any such experience. I dont want to blame any one here excpet my luck in the whole process.
Any input guys .. I really dont know what to do .. I am almost half paralyzed , I am in 6th year of my H1 and ends in december ..and my PD is Sep 2004 .
Guys any input is appreciated ..
Response for my RFE on 140 was supposed to be sent in by today. My Law office sent in the resposne using FEDEX overnight yesterday. I come to work in the moring and check the status of FEDEX and it says it is still in transit. I call the fedex office with tracking number and they say there was a big technical problem and hydraulic leak in the plane that was supposed to carry my response. Fedex says they will try to deliver by after mailroom closes today and they are ready to issue a letter stating that its their mistake. Do you guys think my response will be accepted tomorrow or I get a NOID for my 140? My lawyer says that if FEDEX trys to deliver it by today and they fail we should be ok or if they issue NOID we can always rebut back with letter from FEDEX and open a MTR .. any one of you guys have any such experience. I dont want to blame any one here excpet my luck in the whole process.
Any input guys .. I really dont know what to do .. I am almost half paralyzed , I am in 6th year of my H1 and ends in december ..and my PD is Sep 2004 .
Guys any input is appreciated ..
more...
rb_248
10-18 12:16 AM
rb_248, I am in the similar situation if you dont mind can you share your lawyers details, seems to be very experienced lawyer..
golgappa,
Just sent you a PM. Please check your inbox.
golgappa,
Just sent you a PM. Please check your inbox.
2010 Nissan 300ZX - If Looks Could
boston_gc
01-20 09:29 PM
My I-797 approval notice was received several months ago. Does that reduce the possibility of security delays? Also, is there a way to take proactive steps to make sure PIMS is cleared before visa interview date?
more...
saiimmi
01-27 07:14 AM
So, what's the significance of 485 processing dates? Say, if my PD is June 2001 EB3 and my 485 got applied in Aug, 2007 what are the chances that my 485 will be touched if the visa bulletin were to move to June but the processing dates were to be in July 2007?
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morchu
05-12 12:06 PM
Greg,
The Original poster mentioned that he filed 485 on 08/06/2007 (and I believe he is employment based). Please note that all employment based categories were unavailable as per bulletin#109 (for august 07). So any EB 485 filer filed in August of 2007 was eligible for that only because of the bulletin 107 & further "July Fiasco events". Which means even if they filed 485 after July 31st, they in fact used the old fee structure.
So ANY EB 485 filers between 08/01/2007 to 08/15/2007, still has to keep on paying fees for EAD (even though the rules change happened for filings after 07/31/2007). This is a special category of filers created by "July Fiasco".
With respect to your first question, anyone filing since the 2007 rules change you note would only pay a single I-485 filing fee which now has the EAD and advanced parole fees built in. Basically, you're paying for the EAD whether you actually apply for it or not.
The Original poster mentioned that he filed 485 on 08/06/2007 (and I believe he is employment based). Please note that all employment based categories were unavailable as per bulletin#109 (for august 07). So any EB 485 filer filed in August of 2007 was eligible for that only because of the bulletin 107 & further "July Fiasco events". Which means even if they filed 485 after July 31st, they in fact used the old fee structure.
So ANY EB 485 filers between 08/01/2007 to 08/15/2007, still has to keep on paying fees for EAD (even though the rules change happened for filings after 07/31/2007). This is a special category of filers created by "July Fiasco".
With respect to your first question, anyone filing since the 2007 rules change you note would only pay a single I-485 filing fee which now has the EAD and advanced parole fees built in. Basically, you're paying for the EAD whether you actually apply for it or not.
more...
DyersEve
10-21 01:05 AM
Alright i did a little work on the picture, and im not sure if it is better or worse so tell me what you guys think.
http://teamnerd.tripod.com/random/images2.txt
http://teamnerd.tripod.com/random/images2.txt
hot My 1990 Nissan 300ZX
rahulpaper
01-01 12:13 AM
vote..............
I got FP notices today (NSC>CSC>NSC). No SR opened.
I got FP notices today (NSC>CSC>NSC). No SR opened.
more...
house Nissan 300zx Oxygen Sensor
frostrated
09-03 02:01 PM
Does that also apply to a case where the person is employed in another country and getting paid there? What about a case where the H4 holder travels to their home country and works for 3 months at a local company and gets paid for it?
Correct me if I am wrong but I would think the rule only applies if you work and earn money in the US.
You are correct. An H4 cannot work in the US if they are getting paid on US payroll. They can work as long as they do NOT get paid in US. They can telecommute for a company in India for all you want, and get paid in India in Indian currency. The H4 holder will have to file taxes in India though.
Correct me if I am wrong but I would think the rule only applies if you work and earn money in the US.
You are correct. An H4 cannot work in the US if they are getting paid on US payroll. They can work as long as they do NOT get paid in US. They can telecommute for a company in India for all you want, and get paid in India in Indian currency. The H4 holder will have to file taxes in India though.
tattoo 1990 Nissan 300ZX Engine
Catherine
06-23 09:40 AM
Thanks for your thoughts. Unfortunately the marriage was the basis of my green card and I was divorced before being married for two years and, therefore, before applying jointly with my (ex-)husband for the conditions on that card to be removed.
The link you sent was helpful for people in my situation, however. For the information of others who may be in this situation, this part applies:
"Divorce Before Green Card Issued
Conditional permanent residence means that the permanent residence can be terminated if it is determined that the marriage was a sham. The marriage is considered a sham when the spouses marry only for the green card. The marriage is not a sham if the spouses married for any other reason and the marriage took place within two years before the immigrant was given a green card. Before the two-year anniversary of permanent residence being given to the immigrant, both the immigrant and spouse must file a joint petition to remove the conditions.
However, if the immigrant spouse is divorcing the U.S. citizen spouse, then the relationship may have deteriorated to a point where the U.S. citizen spouse does not agree to file the joint petition to remove the conditions. This is when a divorce involving a green card causes the most problems. The immigrant spouse must then file for a waiver from the joint petition rule.
If the divorce is finalized before the green card is issued, the immigrant spouse cannot get a green card based on the marriage. This is because the divorce terminated the conditional permanent residence.
But, the immigrant can also get a waiver of this termination. A waiver of the termination is granted if the marriage was in good faith and the immigrant was not at fault for failing to file the joint petition to remove the condition.
Applying for a Waiver
The immigrant spouse must prove grounds for the waiver. The following are grounds for a waiver of termination:
* Good faith marriage (if the divorce is finalized when you file for the waiver). A good faith marriage can be proved by showing that the couple had a child and that the couple owned property. You will also need to file a copy of the final divorce decree.
* Extreme hardship to the immigrant spouse if deported.
* Extreme cruelty and abuse from the U.S. citizen spouse.
Waivers often require an interview of the immigrant spouse to get approval."
The link you sent was helpful for people in my situation, however. For the information of others who may be in this situation, this part applies:
"Divorce Before Green Card Issued
Conditional permanent residence means that the permanent residence can be terminated if it is determined that the marriage was a sham. The marriage is considered a sham when the spouses marry only for the green card. The marriage is not a sham if the spouses married for any other reason and the marriage took place within two years before the immigrant was given a green card. Before the two-year anniversary of permanent residence being given to the immigrant, both the immigrant and spouse must file a joint petition to remove the conditions.
However, if the immigrant spouse is divorcing the U.S. citizen spouse, then the relationship may have deteriorated to a point where the U.S. citizen spouse does not agree to file the joint petition to remove the conditions. This is when a divorce involving a green card causes the most problems. The immigrant spouse must then file for a waiver from the joint petition rule.
If the divorce is finalized before the green card is issued, the immigrant spouse cannot get a green card based on the marriage. This is because the divorce terminated the conditional permanent residence.
But, the immigrant can also get a waiver of this termination. A waiver of the termination is granted if the marriage was in good faith and the immigrant was not at fault for failing to file the joint petition to remove the condition.
Applying for a Waiver
The immigrant spouse must prove grounds for the waiver. The following are grounds for a waiver of termination:
* Good faith marriage (if the divorce is finalized when you file for the waiver). A good faith marriage can be proved by showing that the couple had a child and that the couple owned property. You will also need to file a copy of the final divorce decree.
* Extreme hardship to the immigrant spouse if deported.
* Extreme cruelty and abuse from the U.S. citizen spouse.
Waivers often require an interview of the immigrant spouse to get approval."
more...
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apahilaj
05-29 01:39 PM
Yes file the G-28 forms as well..thats what i did too..
I didn't file G-28 form since I was filing myself. Isn't G-28 only required if some one else is representing you?
I've got the receipt notices for EAD as well. Will see what happens next.
I didn't file G-28 form since I was filing myself. Isn't G-28 only required if some one else is representing you?
I've got the receipt notices for EAD as well. Will see what happens next.
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ronhira
09-18 09:42 PM
USCIS admits to a backlog of 190K but most are in EB2-I/C and EB3 with a PD earlier than Aug 2007. No one knows how many people are waiting in these categories with approved I-140s from Aug2007-Sep2010. It could be another 150-200K. S0 even if the backlog is not 800K, but its around 400K.
uscis definition of backlog is pending AOS applications that have been processed and have visa dates current...... they do not account for application with non-current dates as backlog..... so that's y they say the backlog is 190K..... but in reality the backlog size is many folder higher than 190K.....
u may want to look for uscis definition of backlog....
uscis definition of backlog is pending AOS applications that have been processed and have visa dates current...... they do not account for application with non-current dates as backlog..... so that's y they say the backlog is 190K..... but in reality the backlog size is many folder higher than 190K.....
u may want to look for uscis definition of backlog....
more...
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snathan
01-22 07:36 PM
I hate the word Donate but somehow I donated blood which will be sent to Haiti. I did some in monies. Life is life no matter who it is.
Can you provide more details...?
Can you provide more details...?
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Ram_C
11-19 07:59 PM
Today there was LUD on my 140 application which was approved 1 year back. What does this mean? I received my EAD and AP is approved.
Sorry to ask this question on this thread, but i think i don't have ability to create new thread?
Can some one help please?
My PD is Feb 2006 and I am EB3 India
This is common, many of us including me received soft LUD on already approved
I-140 applications. check my post#2 on this same thread.
hope this helps
good luck :)
Sorry to ask this question on this thread, but i think i don't have ability to create new thread?
Can some one help please?
My PD is Feb 2006 and I am EB3 India
This is common, many of us including me received soft LUD on already approved
I-140 applications. check my post#2 on this same thread.
hope this helps
good luck :)
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GodHelpUs
03-21 10:48 AM
I am really shocked on looking at this article.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/03/21/nyregion/21immigrant.html?hp
An Agent, a Green Card, and a Demand for Sex
Article Tools Sponsored By
By NINA BERNSTEIN
Published: March 21, 2008
No problems so far, the immigration agent told the American citizen and his 22-year-old Colombian wife at her green card interview in December. After he stapled one of their wedding photos to her application for legal permanent residency, he had just one more question: What was her cellphone number?
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Uli Seit for The New York Times
Isaac R. Baichu, 46, an adjudicator for the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services, was arrested after he met with a green card applicant at the Flagship Restaurant, a diner in Queens. He is charged with coercing oral sex from her.
Audio A Secret Recording
Enlarge This Image
Uli Seit for The New York Times
The Flagship Restaurant, where Mr. Baichu met with a green card applicant.
The calls from the agent started three days later. He hinted, she said, at his power to derail her life and deport her relatives, alluding to a brush she had with the law before her marriage. He summoned her to a private meeting. And at noon on Dec. 21, in a parked car on Queens Boulevard, he named his price � not realizing that she was recording everything on the cellphone in her purse.
�I want sex,� he said on the recording. �One or two times. That�s all. You get your green card. You won�t have to see me anymore.�
She reluctantly agreed to a future meeting. But when she tried to leave his car, he demanded oral sex �now,� to �know that you�re serious.� And despite her protests, she said, he got his way.
The 16-minute recording, which the woman first took to The New York Times and then to the Queens district attorney, suggests the vast power of low-level immigration law enforcers, and a growing desperation on the part of immigrants seeking legal status. The aftermath, which included the arrest of an immigration agent last week, underscores the difficulty and danger of making a complaint, even in the rare case when abuse of power may have been caught on tape.
No one knows how widespread sexual blackmail is, but the case echoes other instances of sexual coercion that have surfaced in recent years, including agents criminally charged in Atlanta, Miami and Santa Ana, Calif. And it raises broader questions about the system�s vulnerability to corruption at a time when millions of noncitizens live in a kind of legal no-man�s land, increasingly fearful of seeking the law�s protection.
The agent arrested last week, Isaac R. Baichu, 46, himself an immigrant from Guyana, handled some 8,000 green card applications during his three years as an adjudicator in the Garden City, N.Y., office of United States Citizenship and Immigration Services, part of the federal Department of Homeland Security. He pleaded not guilty to felony and misdemeanor charges of coercing the young woman to perform oral sex, and of promising to help her secure immigration papers in exchange for further sexual favors. If convicted, he will face up to seven years in prison.
His agency has suspended him with pay, and the inspector general of Homeland Security is reviewing his other cases, a spokesman said Wednesday. Prosecutors, who say they recorded a meeting between Mr. Baichu and the woman on March 11 at which he made similar demands for sex, urge any other victims to come forward.
Money, not sex, is the more common currency of corruption in immigration, but according to Congressional testimony in 2006 by Michael Maxwell, former director of the agency�s internal investigations, more than 3,000 backlogged complaints of employee misconduct had gone uninvestigated for lack of staff, including 528 involving criminal allegations.
The agency says it has tripled its investigative staff since then, and counts only 165 serious complaints pending. But it stopped posting an e-mail address and phone number for such complaints last year, said Jan Lane, chief of security and integrity, because it lacks the staff to cull the thousands of mostly irrelevant messages that resulted. Immigrants, she advised, should report wrongdoing to any law enforcement agency they trust.
The young woman in Queens, whose name is being withheld because the authorities consider her the victim of a sex crime, did not even tell her husband what had happened. Two weeks after the meeting in the car, finding no way to make a confidential complaint to the immigration agency and afraid to go to the police, she and two older female relatives took the recording to The Times.
Reasons to Worry
A slim, shy woman who looks like a teenager, she said she had spent recent months baby-sitting for relatives in Queens, crying over the deaths of her two brothers back in Cali, Colombia, and longing for the right stamp in her passport � one that would let her return to the United States if she visited her family.
She came to the United States on a tourist visa in 2004 and overstayed. When she married an American citizen a year ago, the law allowed her to apply to �adjust� her illegal status. But unless her green card application was approved, she could not visit her parents or her brothers� graves and then legally re-enter the United States. And if her application was denied, she would face deportation.
She had another reason to be fearful, and not only for herself. About 15 months ago, she said, an acquaintance hired her and two female relatives in New York to carry $12,000 in cash to the bank. The three women, all living in the country illegally, were arrested on the street by customs officers apparently acting on a tip in a money-laundering investigation. After determining that the women had no useful information, the officers released them.
But the closed investigation file had showed up in the computer when she applied for a green card, Mr. Baichu told her in December; until he obtained the file and dealt with it, her application would not be approved. If she defied him, she feared, he could summon immigration enforcement agents to take her relatives to detention.
So instead of calling the police, she turned on the video recorder in her cellphone, put the phone in her purse and walked to meet the agent. Two family members said they watched anxiously from their parked car as she disappeared behind the tinted windows of his red Lexus.
�We were worried that the guy would take off, take her away and do something to her,� the woman�s widowed sister-in-law said in Spanish.
As the recorder captured the agent�s words and a lilting Guyanese accent, he laid out his terms in an easy, almost paternal style. He would not ask too much, he said: sex �once or twice,� visits to his home in the Bronx, perhaps a link to other Colombians who needed his help with their immigration problems.
In shaky English, the woman expressed reluctance, and questioned how she could be sure he would keep his word.
�If I do it, it�s like very hard for me, because I have my husband, and I really fall in love with him,� she said.
The agent insisted that she had to trust him. �I wouldn�t ask you to do something for me if I can�t do something for you, right?� he said, and reasoned, �Nobody going to help you for nothing,� noting that she had no money.
He described himself as the single father of a 10-year-old daughter, telling her, �I need love, too,� and predicting, �You will get to like me because I�m a nice guy.�
Repeatedly, she responded �O.K.,� without conviction. At one point he thanked her for showing up, saying, �I know you feel very scared.�
Finally, she tried to leave. �Let me go because I tell my husband I come home,� she said.
His reply, the recording shows, was a blunt demand for oral sex.
�Right now? No!� she protested. �No, no, right now I can�t.�
He insisted, cajoled, even empathized. �I came from a different country, too,� he said. �I got my green card just like you.�
Then, she said, he grabbed her. During the speechless minute that follows on the recording, she said she yielded to his demand out of fear that he would use his authority against her.
How Much Corruption?
The charges against Mr. Baichu, who became a United States citizen in 1991 and earns roughly $50,000 a year, appear to be part of a larger pattern, according to government records and interviews.
Mr. Maxwell, the immigration agency�s former chief investigator, told Congress in 2006 that internal corruption was �rampant,� and that employees faced constant temptations to commit crime.
�It is only a small step from granting a discretionary waiver of an eligibility rule to asking for a favor or taking a bribe in exchange for granting that waiver,� he contended. �Once an employee learns he can get away with low-level corruption and still advance up the ranks, he or she becomes more brazen.�
�Despite our best efforts there are always people ready to use their position for personal gain or personal pleasure,� said Chris Bentley, a spokesman for Citizenship and Immigration Services. �Our responsibility is to ferret them out.�
When the Queens woman came to The Times with her recording on Jan. 3, she was afraid of retaliation from the agent, and uncertain about making a criminal complaint, though she had an appointment the next day at the Queens district attorney�s office.
Mr. Baichu was arrested as he emerged from the diner and headed to his car, wearing much gold and diamond jewelry, prosecutors said. Later released on $15,000 bail, Mr. Baichu referred calls for comment to his lawyer, Sally Attia, who said he did not have authority to grant or deny green card petitions without his supervisor�s approval.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/03/21/nyregion/21immigrant.html?hp
An Agent, a Green Card, and a Demand for Sex
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By NINA BERNSTEIN
Published: March 21, 2008
No problems so far, the immigration agent told the American citizen and his 22-year-old Colombian wife at her green card interview in December. After he stapled one of their wedding photos to her application for legal permanent residency, he had just one more question: What was her cellphone number?
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Uli Seit for The New York Times
Isaac R. Baichu, 46, an adjudicator for the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services, was arrested after he met with a green card applicant at the Flagship Restaurant, a diner in Queens. He is charged with coercing oral sex from her.
Audio A Secret Recording
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Uli Seit for The New York Times
The Flagship Restaurant, where Mr. Baichu met with a green card applicant.
The calls from the agent started three days later. He hinted, she said, at his power to derail her life and deport her relatives, alluding to a brush she had with the law before her marriage. He summoned her to a private meeting. And at noon on Dec. 21, in a parked car on Queens Boulevard, he named his price � not realizing that she was recording everything on the cellphone in her purse.
�I want sex,� he said on the recording. �One or two times. That�s all. You get your green card. You won�t have to see me anymore.�
She reluctantly agreed to a future meeting. But when she tried to leave his car, he demanded oral sex �now,� to �know that you�re serious.� And despite her protests, she said, he got his way.
The 16-minute recording, which the woman first took to The New York Times and then to the Queens district attorney, suggests the vast power of low-level immigration law enforcers, and a growing desperation on the part of immigrants seeking legal status. The aftermath, which included the arrest of an immigration agent last week, underscores the difficulty and danger of making a complaint, even in the rare case when abuse of power may have been caught on tape.
No one knows how widespread sexual blackmail is, but the case echoes other instances of sexual coercion that have surfaced in recent years, including agents criminally charged in Atlanta, Miami and Santa Ana, Calif. And it raises broader questions about the system�s vulnerability to corruption at a time when millions of noncitizens live in a kind of legal no-man�s land, increasingly fearful of seeking the law�s protection.
The agent arrested last week, Isaac R. Baichu, 46, himself an immigrant from Guyana, handled some 8,000 green card applications during his three years as an adjudicator in the Garden City, N.Y., office of United States Citizenship and Immigration Services, part of the federal Department of Homeland Security. He pleaded not guilty to felony and misdemeanor charges of coercing the young woman to perform oral sex, and of promising to help her secure immigration papers in exchange for further sexual favors. If convicted, he will face up to seven years in prison.
His agency has suspended him with pay, and the inspector general of Homeland Security is reviewing his other cases, a spokesman said Wednesday. Prosecutors, who say they recorded a meeting between Mr. Baichu and the woman on March 11 at which he made similar demands for sex, urge any other victims to come forward.
Money, not sex, is the more common currency of corruption in immigration, but according to Congressional testimony in 2006 by Michael Maxwell, former director of the agency�s internal investigations, more than 3,000 backlogged complaints of employee misconduct had gone uninvestigated for lack of staff, including 528 involving criminal allegations.
The agency says it has tripled its investigative staff since then, and counts only 165 serious complaints pending. But it stopped posting an e-mail address and phone number for such complaints last year, said Jan Lane, chief of security and integrity, because it lacks the staff to cull the thousands of mostly irrelevant messages that resulted. Immigrants, she advised, should report wrongdoing to any law enforcement agency they trust.
The young woman in Queens, whose name is being withheld because the authorities consider her the victim of a sex crime, did not even tell her husband what had happened. Two weeks after the meeting in the car, finding no way to make a confidential complaint to the immigration agency and afraid to go to the police, she and two older female relatives took the recording to The Times.
Reasons to Worry
A slim, shy woman who looks like a teenager, she said she had spent recent months baby-sitting for relatives in Queens, crying over the deaths of her two brothers back in Cali, Colombia, and longing for the right stamp in her passport � one that would let her return to the United States if she visited her family.
She came to the United States on a tourist visa in 2004 and overstayed. When she married an American citizen a year ago, the law allowed her to apply to �adjust� her illegal status. But unless her green card application was approved, she could not visit her parents or her brothers� graves and then legally re-enter the United States. And if her application was denied, she would face deportation.
She had another reason to be fearful, and not only for herself. About 15 months ago, she said, an acquaintance hired her and two female relatives in New York to carry $12,000 in cash to the bank. The three women, all living in the country illegally, were arrested on the street by customs officers apparently acting on a tip in a money-laundering investigation. After determining that the women had no useful information, the officers released them.
But the closed investigation file had showed up in the computer when she applied for a green card, Mr. Baichu told her in December; until he obtained the file and dealt with it, her application would not be approved. If she defied him, she feared, he could summon immigration enforcement agents to take her relatives to detention.
So instead of calling the police, she turned on the video recorder in her cellphone, put the phone in her purse and walked to meet the agent. Two family members said they watched anxiously from their parked car as she disappeared behind the tinted windows of his red Lexus.
�We were worried that the guy would take off, take her away and do something to her,� the woman�s widowed sister-in-law said in Spanish.
As the recorder captured the agent�s words and a lilting Guyanese accent, he laid out his terms in an easy, almost paternal style. He would not ask too much, he said: sex �once or twice,� visits to his home in the Bronx, perhaps a link to other Colombians who needed his help with their immigration problems.
In shaky English, the woman expressed reluctance, and questioned how she could be sure he would keep his word.
�If I do it, it�s like very hard for me, because I have my husband, and I really fall in love with him,� she said.
The agent insisted that she had to trust him. �I wouldn�t ask you to do something for me if I can�t do something for you, right?� he said, and reasoned, �Nobody going to help you for nothing,� noting that she had no money.
He described himself as the single father of a 10-year-old daughter, telling her, �I need love, too,� and predicting, �You will get to like me because I�m a nice guy.�
Repeatedly, she responded �O.K.,� without conviction. At one point he thanked her for showing up, saying, �I know you feel very scared.�
Finally, she tried to leave. �Let me go because I tell my husband I come home,� she said.
His reply, the recording shows, was a blunt demand for oral sex.
�Right now? No!� she protested. �No, no, right now I can�t.�
He insisted, cajoled, even empathized. �I came from a different country, too,� he said. �I got my green card just like you.�
Then, she said, he grabbed her. During the speechless minute that follows on the recording, she said she yielded to his demand out of fear that he would use his authority against her.
How Much Corruption?
The charges against Mr. Baichu, who became a United States citizen in 1991 and earns roughly $50,000 a year, appear to be part of a larger pattern, according to government records and interviews.
Mr. Maxwell, the immigration agency�s former chief investigator, told Congress in 2006 that internal corruption was �rampant,� and that employees faced constant temptations to commit crime.
�It is only a small step from granting a discretionary waiver of an eligibility rule to asking for a favor or taking a bribe in exchange for granting that waiver,� he contended. �Once an employee learns he can get away with low-level corruption and still advance up the ranks, he or she becomes more brazen.�
�Despite our best efforts there are always people ready to use their position for personal gain or personal pleasure,� said Chris Bentley, a spokesman for Citizenship and Immigration Services. �Our responsibility is to ferret them out.�
When the Queens woman came to The Times with her recording on Jan. 3, she was afraid of retaliation from the agent, and uncertain about making a criminal complaint, though she had an appointment the next day at the Queens district attorney�s office.
Mr. Baichu was arrested as he emerged from the diner and headed to his car, wearing much gold and diamond jewelry, prosecutors said. Later released on $15,000 bail, Mr. Baichu referred calls for comment to his lawyer, Sally Attia, who said he did not have authority to grant or deny green card petitions without his supervisor�s approval.
apb
07-17 10:23 PM
The current fee schedule will apply to all applications filed under Visa Bulletin No. 107 through August 17, 2007. (The new fee schedule that becomes effective on July 30, 2007, will apply to all other applications filed on or after July 30, 2007).
Please note that fee change will be effective for EAD/AP after July/30
Please note that fee change will be effective for EAD/AP after July/30
friend99
08-12 12:08 AM
Thanks a lot for the replies! I am going to wait and see and hope for the best as I know sending any contradicting document at this point will just make matters worse.
Thanks a lot!
Thanks a lot!
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