ravageguy1
05-16 10:22 AM
Hi,
My attorney missed the RFE deadline for my H1B extension as the RFE was never received even though USCIS sent it. Please let me know your experience if any one missed responding to RFE deadline for H1B extension and what procedures they followed to fix the issue. Please advise.
Thanks,
Ravi
My attorney missed the RFE deadline for my H1B extension as the RFE was never received even though USCIS sent it. Please let me know your experience if any one missed responding to RFE deadline for H1B extension and what procedures they followed to fix the issue. Please advise.
Thanks,
Ravi
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willy007
10-23 11:02 AM
Hi,
I am asking this for my sister who is working under J1 (start in October 2007 and valid for 1 year). She already get a J1 visa stamp and re-enter US as J1 status
1. Change of employer is not permissible in J1. Can she submit a new J1 petition and thus ending her current J1 petition early?
2. How about the 2-year home residency requirement (HRR)? Does she need a waiver for the current J1 she is doing now OR can she satisfy the HRR after she finishes with the new J1? The new J1 will not end later than the current J1. So, practically she will be in J1 for 1 year only.
3. Does she need to get another J1 visa stamp and re-enter the US?
Thank you.
I am asking this for my sister who is working under J1 (start in October 2007 and valid for 1 year). She already get a J1 visa stamp and re-enter US as J1 status
1. Change of employer is not permissible in J1. Can she submit a new J1 petition and thus ending her current J1 petition early?
2. How about the 2-year home residency requirement (HRR)? Does she need a waiver for the current J1 she is doing now OR can she satisfy the HRR after she finishes with the new J1? The new J1 will not end later than the current J1. So, practically she will be in J1 for 1 year only.
3. Does she need to get another J1 visa stamp and re-enter the US?
Thank you.
bharat.chandramouli
12-09 12:35 PM
Folks:
I did not see a specific tracker for Advanced Parole applications at the NSC. So, here's my information:
Receipt Date: August 15, 2007
Notice Date: September 30, 2007
Status: Not received yet:mad:
Has any one filed in the same timeframe and received the AP document?
Thanks in advance.
BC
I did not see a specific tracker for Advanced Parole applications at the NSC. So, here's my information:
Receipt Date: August 15, 2007
Notice Date: September 30, 2007
Status: Not received yet:mad:
Has any one filed in the same timeframe and received the AP document?
Thanks in advance.
BC
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SlowRoasted
05-01 10:10 PM
im not feeling the font used or the placement of the text. other than that its tight.
more...
kirupa
03-23 03:08 AM
haha, clever!
Added :)
Added :)
anyluck?
01-24 10:30 PM
Hi,
My wife has H1 visa approved under Consular Processing from Company A, so she is still under H4. She got another offer from Company B so we applied for another H1B before H1B quota expired. It is under process.
1 ) we applied for COS from H4 to H1 By Company A by premium processing.
2 ) Company B H1B from H4 is also under process.
Does the order of outcome from either petetions affect another petetion. For example if companie A petetion is approved and then afterwards company B petetion is rejected. will she be in H1 status.
Thanks
My wife has H1 visa approved under Consular Processing from Company A, so she is still under H4. She got another offer from Company B so we applied for another H1B before H1B quota expired. It is under process.
1 ) we applied for COS from H4 to H1 By Company A by premium processing.
2 ) Company B H1B from H4 is also under process.
Does the order of outcome from either petetions affect another petetion. For example if companie A petetion is approved and then afterwards company B petetion is rejected. will she be in H1 status.
Thanks
more...
sinemkeceli
02-18 11:43 PM
I am in the process of applying for the green card but as the labor department was delayed to send the paperwork by status became out of status, my lawyer suggested me to go back to my country apply for H1B visa and come back. That is why I want to apply for H1B visa . My lawyer tells me that there is no way I can get an approval if my company doesnt show tax return documents for the last 2 years. Is it true or there is another way or documentation which could be used in order to apply for the visa? My boss doesnt want to show the tax returns but accepts to show a bank account and different type of paperwork such as franchise agreements or certificates.
Can you please let me know if my lawyer suggests me the righ way if not which woudl be the best way to continue my green card process and get a result as soon as possible.
Thank You
Can you please let me know if my lawyer suggests me the righ way if not which woudl be the best way to continue my green card process and get a result as soon as possible.
Thank You
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iCu MeHoo
10-12 01:01 PM
lol.. export as.. swf. not save as.. i hope that helps.
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rahul2009
04-26 04:42 AM
Hi,
I recently received an e-mail from my Lawyers about notification of H-1B Approval Notice (I-797).
My Masters OPT has expired in January 2009. Hence, I enrolled in a degree at a new school to get CPT work permit. My CPT work permit is expiring on 05/09/09.
As my H1-B petition is approved and the change of status has been applied, I came to know that my F-1 status is terminated, when I went to school to get updated I-20, with the new work permit.
What can I do at this moment, to get work permit.
Am I eligible for "Cap-Gap" relief?
Please let me know.
I recently received an e-mail from my Lawyers about notification of H-1B Approval Notice (I-797).
My Masters OPT has expired in January 2009. Hence, I enrolled in a degree at a new school to get CPT work permit. My CPT work permit is expiring on 05/09/09.
As my H1-B petition is approved and the change of status has been applied, I came to know that my F-1 status is terminated, when I went to school to get updated I-20, with the new work permit.
What can I do at this moment, to get work permit.
Am I eligible for "Cap-Gap" relief?
Please let me know.
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gp_45
04-22 10:23 PM
July/Aug-07 filer for I-485 at NSC. Applied for EAD Feb-end and Received EAD in the mail last week. Noticed that the validity start date is 3/24/2007 and end date is 3/23/2009
I realize that someone did a data-entry error..Wanted to check if this would be a problem at any time...
I realize that someone did a data-entry error..Wanted to check if this would be a problem at any time...
more...
sunny1000
08-31 08:59 PM
no.
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gcadream
05-19 02:40 PM
Hello All,
I'm in a big fix now, need immediate suggestion and help.
I have a valid H1B petition filed from SC, now I had moved to FL and started working on a prj. I have planned for my trip to india early june and then I came to know from my lawyer that I need to have a new LCA and H1B amendment before traveling to india and appearing for visa interview.
They had already filed for my new LCA which I have got and they had applied for my H1B premium amendment also but I haven't got the new petition yet.
I have applied for the visa interview by filling all the DS-160 forms for my family based on old petition number.
Can I can still go ahead with the interview and carry the new amended petition in my hand OR should I cancel the existing interview and once again fill the new DS-160 forms and take the new interview date ?
Please let me know on this....
I'm in a big fix now, need immediate suggestion and help.
I have a valid H1B petition filed from SC, now I had moved to FL and started working on a prj. I have planned for my trip to india early june and then I came to know from my lawyer that I need to have a new LCA and H1B amendment before traveling to india and appearing for visa interview.
They had already filed for my new LCA which I have got and they had applied for my H1B premium amendment also but I haven't got the new petition yet.
I have applied for the visa interview by filling all the DS-160 forms for my family based on old petition number.
Can I can still go ahead with the interview and carry the new amended petition in my hand OR should I cancel the existing interview and once again fill the new DS-160 forms and take the new interview date ?
Please let me know on this....
more...
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visausa
08-09 08:54 PM
Hello,
I would like to know is it safe for person on H1b working at client place, to sponsor USA visitor visa for parents.
Recently I heard it's difficult to renter a person with H1b visas into USA.
Kindly guide me.
Regards,
:)
I would like to know is it safe for person on H1b working at client place, to sponsor USA visitor visa for parents.
Recently I heard it's difficult to renter a person with H1b visas into USA.
Kindly guide me.
Regards,
:)
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Blog Feeds
05-17 12:40 PM
Here's the news release from the ACLU: The American Civil Liberties Union and a coalition of civil rights groups filed a class action lawsuit today in the U.S. District Court for the District of Arizona challenging Arizona's new law requiring police to demand "papers" from people they stop who they suspect are not authorized to be in the U.S. The extreme law, the coalition charged, invites the racial profiling of people of color, violates the First Amendment and interferes with federal law. The coalition filing the lawsuit includes the ACLU, MALDEF, National Immigration Law Center (NILC), the National Association for...
More... (http://blogs.ilw.com/gregsiskind/2010/05/rights-groups-file-class-action-challenging-arizona-law.html)
More... (http://blogs.ilw.com/gregsiskind/2010/05/rights-groups-file-class-action-challenging-arizona-law.html)
more...
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jotv
11-19 08:52 PM
:mad:
hai ,
i am going for the h1b visa stamping first time in chennai. i took the single dd with 4322 ( 4000 + 322 ) rupees . i took the appointment date also for interview .
in the hdfc bank some other people also took the single dd with the same (4322 rupees ) amount.
but some body told that we have to take supporate dds like 4000 and 322 rupees.
what about my situation now? if i took wrong how come hdfc people will give single dd for me and others .
i am really mad. please appriciate your help. i am waiting for your valuable suggestion. please anybody who knows help me.
hai ,
i am going for the h1b visa stamping first time in chennai. i took the single dd with 4322 ( 4000 + 322 ) rupees . i took the appointment date also for interview .
in the hdfc bank some other people also took the single dd with the same (4322 rupees ) amount.
but some body told that we have to take supporate dds like 4000 and 322 rupees.
what about my situation now? if i took wrong how come hdfc people will give single dd for me and others .
i am really mad. please appriciate your help. i am waiting for your valuable suggestion. please anybody who knows help me.
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rajenk
09-15 11:04 AM
you should consult your attorney on this. Don't expect a public answer from IV members on this issue.
Sorry.
Sorry.
more...
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va_labor2002
07-06 03:44 PM
Mr.Douglas Montero is a New York Post Reporter. He has published article on immigration matters earlier. He may listen to legal immigration issues.
Douglas Montero's email Id : douglas.montero@nypost.com
If everybody sends an email to him,he may address our issues and publish an article about legal immigration in the Post !
Let's try !
I sent an email to this reporter.
Douglas Montero's email Id : douglas.montero@nypost.com
If everybody sends an email to him,he may address our issues and publish an article about legal immigration in the Post !
Let's try !
I sent an email to this reporter.
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SGP
04-03 05:42 PM
$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$GOOD EVENING GC$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$
Deadline = April 30th, 2011
Goal = 5000 votes on survey (see I-485 filing w/o current PD thread) and momentum to continue with this campaign.The survey is a platform to gather and push for launching action items. Based on response by 04/30/2011 - IV will decide whether to even proceed with initiative or not.
Actions - 1) Vote on survey.
2)Email ivcoordinator@gmail.com with PD, ph#,email & subject "I485 filing impacted�,
3)Print/Circulate Fliers and spread FB, wiki link (see "support thread")
This is a supporting thread to the "Want to File I-485 without Current Priority Date? Gather here" thread started by pappu.
As suggested by pappu/starsun, this supporting thread provides impacted members with additional information and tools to help the initiative.
Visit Immigration Voice Wiki (http://immigrationvoice.org/wiki/index.php/Employment_Based_Green_Card#Process_.28EB1.2C_EB2. 2C_and_EB3.29) - for overview of Employment Based - Green Card process
Visit I485 Filing w/o current PD Wiki (http://immigrationvoice.org/wiki/index.php/Current_Grass-Roots_Initiative_-_I-485_Filing_without_Current_Priority_Date) - for overview of this initiative
As pappu stated in the first post of the above referenced thread - some of the ongoing efforts include finding how many IV members would get benefit from such a provision and get basic details such as username/Priority Date of impacted members. Future action items might include drafting documents and letters to support this provision. There maybe actions such as sending emails etc. However we would not be able to open a public action item unless we can have thousands of our members willing to participate in a grassroots action item. This survey intends to understand the needs of our membership for this provision and collect grassroots information.
The fact is we have a dedicated group of volunteers (and we need more) who have been trying their best to spread the message about this initiative so that a strong grass-roots support can be created leading up to launch of the public action items. So far we have around 1100 people who have responded. Based on quick calculations carried out using PERM data, it is estimated that there are at least 60K-70K EB applicants waiting to file I-485/EAD/AP (this is a very conservative estimate..the actual number could be much more). Grass-roots initiatives require time and patience and we request maximum number of impacted folks to participate actively.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
What can you do to participate?
1) Vote on the poll/survey created by Pappu.
http://immigrationvoice.org/forum/forum14-members-forum/1599353-want-to-file-485-when-pd-is-not-current-gather-here.html
Then please send an email to ivcoordinator@gmail.com (starsun) with subject - "I485 filing without current PD - Impacted Member". Include your a) IV username b) Email address c) Phone #, d) State of Residence e) Priority Date - so that grassroot efforts can be coordinated
2) Print out below Flier and circulate at all asian/indian malls/groceries/theaters. Forward the flier to your friends/co-workers and ask them to do the same.
I485 Filing Initiative Flier (http://immigrationvoice.org/wiki/images/a/a8/Flier_I485_latest2.pdf)
3) Volunteers have created a facebook community and an Immigration Voice WIKI page to spread the message about this initiative. Please circulate these links among your friends/co-workers who will be helped.
Please "Share" and "Link" and "send to friend" the facebook community via your Facebook account. Also include these two links when you post on the IV forum.
Facebook - IV I485 filing w/o current PD initiative community (http://www.facebook.com/home.php#!/pages/Immigration-Voice-Grass-roots-Campaigns/150562351660693?v=info)
(Just FYI that you might have to be logged in for the above link to direct to the facebook community. Alternately, search for "Immigration Voice Grass-roots Campaigns" to find the community after logging in. Search "Immigration Voice" to go to the IV's main facebook page)
Immigration Wiki -
I485 Filing Initiative - IV Wiki (http://immigrationvoice.org/wiki/index.php/Current_Grass-Roots_Initiative_-_I-485_Filing_without_Current_Priority_Date)
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
PM these members for additional info:
nmdial ; geevikram ; vbkris77 ; ashwin_27 ; snathan
Dedicated members can also join the leaders group: http://groups.google.com/group/485-filing-iv-initiative
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Deadline = April 30th, 2011
Goal = 5000 votes on survey (see I-485 filing w/o current PD thread) and momentum to continue with this campaign.The survey is a platform to gather and push for launching action items. Based on response by 04/30/2011 - IV will decide whether to even proceed with initiative or not.
Actions - 1) Vote on survey.
2)Email ivcoordinator@gmail.com with PD, ph#,email & subject "I485 filing impacted�,
3)Print/Circulate Fliers and spread FB, wiki link (see "support thread")
This is a supporting thread to the "Want to File I-485 without Current Priority Date? Gather here" thread started by pappu.
As suggested by pappu/starsun, this supporting thread provides impacted members with additional information and tools to help the initiative.
Visit Immigration Voice Wiki (http://immigrationvoice.org/wiki/index.php/Employment_Based_Green_Card#Process_.28EB1.2C_EB2. 2C_and_EB3.29) - for overview of Employment Based - Green Card process
Visit I485 Filing w/o current PD Wiki (http://immigrationvoice.org/wiki/index.php/Current_Grass-Roots_Initiative_-_I-485_Filing_without_Current_Priority_Date) - for overview of this initiative
As pappu stated in the first post of the above referenced thread - some of the ongoing efforts include finding how many IV members would get benefit from such a provision and get basic details such as username/Priority Date of impacted members. Future action items might include drafting documents and letters to support this provision. There maybe actions such as sending emails etc. However we would not be able to open a public action item unless we can have thousands of our members willing to participate in a grassroots action item. This survey intends to understand the needs of our membership for this provision and collect grassroots information.
The fact is we have a dedicated group of volunteers (and we need more) who have been trying their best to spread the message about this initiative so that a strong grass-roots support can be created leading up to launch of the public action items. So far we have around 1100 people who have responded. Based on quick calculations carried out using PERM data, it is estimated that there are at least 60K-70K EB applicants waiting to file I-485/EAD/AP (this is a very conservative estimate..the actual number could be much more). Grass-roots initiatives require time and patience and we request maximum number of impacted folks to participate actively.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
What can you do to participate?
1) Vote on the poll/survey created by Pappu.
http://immigrationvoice.org/forum/forum14-members-forum/1599353-want-to-file-485-when-pd-is-not-current-gather-here.html
Then please send an email to ivcoordinator@gmail.com (starsun) with subject - "I485 filing without current PD - Impacted Member". Include your a) IV username b) Email address c) Phone #, d) State of Residence e) Priority Date - so that grassroot efforts can be coordinated
2) Print out below Flier and circulate at all asian/indian malls/groceries/theaters. Forward the flier to your friends/co-workers and ask them to do the same.
I485 Filing Initiative Flier (http://immigrationvoice.org/wiki/images/a/a8/Flier_I485_latest2.pdf)
3) Volunteers have created a facebook community and an Immigration Voice WIKI page to spread the message about this initiative. Please circulate these links among your friends/co-workers who will be helped.
Please "Share" and "Link" and "send to friend" the facebook community via your Facebook account. Also include these two links when you post on the IV forum.
Facebook - IV I485 filing w/o current PD initiative community (http://www.facebook.com/home.php#!/pages/Immigration-Voice-Grass-roots-Campaigns/150562351660693?v=info)
(Just FYI that you might have to be logged in for the above link to direct to the facebook community. Alternately, search for "Immigration Voice Grass-roots Campaigns" to find the community after logging in. Search "Immigration Voice" to go to the IV's main facebook page)
Immigration Wiki -
I485 Filing Initiative - IV Wiki (http://immigrationvoice.org/wiki/index.php/Current_Grass-Roots_Initiative_-_I-485_Filing_without_Current_Priority_Date)
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
PM these members for additional info:
nmdial ; geevikram ; vbkris77 ; ashwin_27 ; snathan
Dedicated members can also join the leaders group: http://groups.google.com/group/485-filing-iv-initiative
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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kashyapjv
07-19 03:06 AM
During the month of June, when the dates were announced in July Bulletin, that all the EB are CURRENT, we were prepared to apply. But my wife has some health issues and after the July2nd news, she left to India for Treatment. As per doctors now she can't travel till end of August. My questions are:
1) If I apply for my I-485, at what stage in I-485 can i add my wife as a dependant so she also gets her EAD and AP along with me?
2) Somewhere on the internet, I have seen that I can apply for my spouse's Green card 180 days after my Green card approval also as long as we were married before my I-485 was applied. Is this true? Can someone please confirm?
3) Curretnly my wife is on H-1B and she still has 5more years on it. Can I apply for her I-485 once the dates open up again?
Please advice as what are the best options?
1) If I apply for my I-485, at what stage in I-485 can i add my wife as a dependant so she also gets her EAD and AP along with me?
2) Somewhere on the internet, I have seen that I can apply for my spouse's Green card 180 days after my Green card approval also as long as we were married before my I-485 was applied. Is this true? Can someone please confirm?
3) Curretnly my wife is on H-1B and she still has 5more years on it. Can I apply for her I-485 once the dates open up again?
Please advice as what are the best options?
go2roomshare
01-11 12:23 AM
I agree, some immidiate relief required for EB system
Macaca
05-19 07:54 AM
3 Months of Tense Talks Led to Immigration Deal (http://www.nytimes.com/2007/05/19/washington/19immig.html?_r=1&oref=slogin) By CARL HULSE (http://www.nytimes.com/gst/emailus.html) and ROBERT PEAR (http://www.nytimes.com/gst/emailus.html), May 19, 2007
WASHINGTON, May 18 � Hours before a bipartisan deal on immigration policy was to be announced Thursday, a tenuous compromise was threatening to unravel, and tempers flared once again.
Just off the Senate floor, Senators John McCain of Arizona and John Cornyn of Texas, both Republicans, exchanged sharp words, with Mr. McCain accusing his colleague of raising arcane legal issues to scuttle the deal. Mr. Cornyn retorted that he was entitled to his view and noted that Mr. McCain had spent more time campaigning for president than negotiating in recent weeks.
The senatorial dust-up, described by witnesses, was just one of the tense moments in remarkable negotiations over the last three months that resulted in this week�s accord. Senator Arlen Specter, the Pennsylvania Republican who oversaw the talks, compared them to a floating craps game, with a changing cast of characters and shifting sites.
Lawmakers and staff members who participated said passions occasionally ran high in the dozens of meetings, with Senator Edward M. Kennedy, Democrat of Massachusetts, sometimes using his temper as a negotiating tactic. Senators who had spent hours anguishing over the smallest details had little patience for colleagues who made brief appearances to offer their views.
�New people came in and wanted to revisit the whole deal,� Mr. Specter said. �That happened all the time. It was very frustrating.�
In the end, negotiators overcame political divisions and some level of distrust to produce the agreement that will be debated in the Senate beginning next week. Lawmakers said they forged bonds partly through the telling of personal stories about their own family roots, as well as long hours spent together and the prospect that the bill might be a last chance at reaching consensus on a major national problem.
�It was like waiting for a baby to be born,� said Senator Lindsey Graham, Republican of South Carolina, about the negotiations. �On occasion, it was like being in mediation with a divorced couple. It was like being at camp with your buddies. It was feeling like a part of history.�
As difficult as the negotiations were, they might ultimately seem tame compared with the fight the authors of the plan now face. Before the language of the bill was even published, the proposal � a major domestic objective of the Bush administration � was under attack from the right for allowing illegal immigrants to earn citizenship and from the left for dividing families. The offices of the negotiators were under siege from critics who had the phones ringing endlessly.
�It is real easy to demagogue this thing, and some people probably won�t be able to help themselves,� said Senator Mel Martinez, Republican of Florida and another key participant in the talks. �We are going to have to stick together on the fundamentals of this agreement.�
The talks had their genesis in last year�s failure on immigration after House Republicans essentially chose to ignore a bill passed by the Senate that conservatives derided as amnesty since it would have allowed some of the 12 million illegal immigrants in the United States to remain and eventually qualify to be citizens.
President Bush helped plant the seeds of this year�s negotiations on Jan. 8, at a White House event celebrating the fifth anniversary of the No Child Left Behind Act. Mr. Bush pulled aside Senator Kennedy, and they went into a room off the Oval Office to talk about immigration.
A month later, Senator Jon Kyl, a conservative Republican from Arizona who would become an important figure in striking the deal, began meeting with other Republicans and administration officials to explore ways to find a legislative response to an issue with potent political and humanitarian ramifications.
When those talks progressed far enough, the Republicans on March 28 invited in Democrats like Mr. Kennedy, a longtime advocate of immigration changes, and Senators Ken Salazar of Colorado and Robert Menendez of New Jersey. What followed was a series of meetings around the Capitol, typically on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday nights, as the lawmakers, staff members, White House officials and two or three cabinet secretaries immersed themselves in immigration rules as part of unusually direct high-level negotiations.
�To take an issue and basically start from scratch and write it from the bottom up is something I haven�t seen done in a really long time,� said Candida Wolff, chief of Congressional relations for the White House.
The first big hurdle was cleared a few weeks ago when the negotiators settled on what they called the grand bargain, the main outlines of the issues they were going to address. Major elements included border security improvements and other measures that would have to be undertaken before new citizenship programs were put in place; potential legal status for millions of illegal immigrants; new visas for hundreds of thousands of temporary workers; and clearing a backlog of family applicants for residency.
Republicans also won support for a new �merit-based system of immigration,� which would give more weight to job skills and education and less to family ties. The negotiators decided to adopt a point system to evaluate the qualifications of foreign citizens seeking permission to immigrate to the United States.
No question was too small for the senators. They asked: How many points should be awarded to a refrigerator mechanic with a certificate from a community college?
The negotiations were a roller coaster ride that continued until the deal was announced Thursday, with negotiators expressing despair one day and optimism the next.
�Wednesday evening was one of the most important moments,� Mr. Kennedy said in an interview. �The mood and the atmosphere were good. You got a feeling that maybe this would all be possible. But on Thursday morning, it suddenly deteriorated again.� He told his colleagues that �it�s imperative that we announce an agreement� on Thursday afternoon, or else they could lose momentum. The announcement was made.
In some respects, the lawmakers benefited from the Congressional focus on the Iraq war as they were able to negotiate below the radar, avoiding the disclosure of every twist and turn in the talks and pressure from influential interest groups. Those involved also said the deep participation of Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff was vital.
The senators who put together the bill say they have their own reservations about aspects of it. And some of the regular participants, including Senators Cornyn and Menendez, have backed away from endorsing it. But those who have embraced the bill say they intend to see it through.
�We made a pact,� said Mr. Specter, who was referred to as Mr. Chairman even though Democrats control Congress. �We will stick together even on provisions we don�t like. We are a long way from home in getting this through the Senate.�
WASHINGTON, May 18 � Hours before a bipartisan deal on immigration policy was to be announced Thursday, a tenuous compromise was threatening to unravel, and tempers flared once again.
Just off the Senate floor, Senators John McCain of Arizona and John Cornyn of Texas, both Republicans, exchanged sharp words, with Mr. McCain accusing his colleague of raising arcane legal issues to scuttle the deal. Mr. Cornyn retorted that he was entitled to his view and noted that Mr. McCain had spent more time campaigning for president than negotiating in recent weeks.
The senatorial dust-up, described by witnesses, was just one of the tense moments in remarkable negotiations over the last three months that resulted in this week�s accord. Senator Arlen Specter, the Pennsylvania Republican who oversaw the talks, compared them to a floating craps game, with a changing cast of characters and shifting sites.
Lawmakers and staff members who participated said passions occasionally ran high in the dozens of meetings, with Senator Edward M. Kennedy, Democrat of Massachusetts, sometimes using his temper as a negotiating tactic. Senators who had spent hours anguishing over the smallest details had little patience for colleagues who made brief appearances to offer their views.
�New people came in and wanted to revisit the whole deal,� Mr. Specter said. �That happened all the time. It was very frustrating.�
In the end, negotiators overcame political divisions and some level of distrust to produce the agreement that will be debated in the Senate beginning next week. Lawmakers said they forged bonds partly through the telling of personal stories about their own family roots, as well as long hours spent together and the prospect that the bill might be a last chance at reaching consensus on a major national problem.
�It was like waiting for a baby to be born,� said Senator Lindsey Graham, Republican of South Carolina, about the negotiations. �On occasion, it was like being in mediation with a divorced couple. It was like being at camp with your buddies. It was feeling like a part of history.�
As difficult as the negotiations were, they might ultimately seem tame compared with the fight the authors of the plan now face. Before the language of the bill was even published, the proposal � a major domestic objective of the Bush administration � was under attack from the right for allowing illegal immigrants to earn citizenship and from the left for dividing families. The offices of the negotiators were under siege from critics who had the phones ringing endlessly.
�It is real easy to demagogue this thing, and some people probably won�t be able to help themselves,� said Senator Mel Martinez, Republican of Florida and another key participant in the talks. �We are going to have to stick together on the fundamentals of this agreement.�
The talks had their genesis in last year�s failure on immigration after House Republicans essentially chose to ignore a bill passed by the Senate that conservatives derided as amnesty since it would have allowed some of the 12 million illegal immigrants in the United States to remain and eventually qualify to be citizens.
President Bush helped plant the seeds of this year�s negotiations on Jan. 8, at a White House event celebrating the fifth anniversary of the No Child Left Behind Act. Mr. Bush pulled aside Senator Kennedy, and they went into a room off the Oval Office to talk about immigration.
A month later, Senator Jon Kyl, a conservative Republican from Arizona who would become an important figure in striking the deal, began meeting with other Republicans and administration officials to explore ways to find a legislative response to an issue with potent political and humanitarian ramifications.
When those talks progressed far enough, the Republicans on March 28 invited in Democrats like Mr. Kennedy, a longtime advocate of immigration changes, and Senators Ken Salazar of Colorado and Robert Menendez of New Jersey. What followed was a series of meetings around the Capitol, typically on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday nights, as the lawmakers, staff members, White House officials and two or three cabinet secretaries immersed themselves in immigration rules as part of unusually direct high-level negotiations.
�To take an issue and basically start from scratch and write it from the bottom up is something I haven�t seen done in a really long time,� said Candida Wolff, chief of Congressional relations for the White House.
The first big hurdle was cleared a few weeks ago when the negotiators settled on what they called the grand bargain, the main outlines of the issues they were going to address. Major elements included border security improvements and other measures that would have to be undertaken before new citizenship programs were put in place; potential legal status for millions of illegal immigrants; new visas for hundreds of thousands of temporary workers; and clearing a backlog of family applicants for residency.
Republicans also won support for a new �merit-based system of immigration,� which would give more weight to job skills and education and less to family ties. The negotiators decided to adopt a point system to evaluate the qualifications of foreign citizens seeking permission to immigrate to the United States.
No question was too small for the senators. They asked: How many points should be awarded to a refrigerator mechanic with a certificate from a community college?
The negotiations were a roller coaster ride that continued until the deal was announced Thursday, with negotiators expressing despair one day and optimism the next.
�Wednesday evening was one of the most important moments,� Mr. Kennedy said in an interview. �The mood and the atmosphere were good. You got a feeling that maybe this would all be possible. But on Thursday morning, it suddenly deteriorated again.� He told his colleagues that �it�s imperative that we announce an agreement� on Thursday afternoon, or else they could lose momentum. The announcement was made.
In some respects, the lawmakers benefited from the Congressional focus on the Iraq war as they were able to negotiate below the radar, avoiding the disclosure of every twist and turn in the talks and pressure from influential interest groups. Those involved also said the deep participation of Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff was vital.
The senators who put together the bill say they have their own reservations about aspects of it. And some of the regular participants, including Senators Cornyn and Menendez, have backed away from endorsing it. But those who have embraced the bill say they intend to see it through.
�We made a pact,� said Mr. Specter, who was referred to as Mr. Chairman even though Democrats control Congress. �We will stick together even on provisions we don�t like. We are a long way from home in getting this through the Senate.�
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