Thread: Foreign workers balk over backlogs

Foreign workers balk over backlogs
They protest years' wait for green card
Kristin Collins, Staff Writer

Deepak Suryanarayanan moved across the world searching for the bright promise of America. Eight years later, it is still just out of reach.
Suryanarayanan, a computer engineer from India, meets all the requirements for work-based immigration -- but he is trapped in a growing backlog of people waiting to become permanent U.S. residents. According to the government's estimate, he faces another seven years in line.

Suryanarayanan says the long wait is demoralizing, and he is fed up with a system that dangles a promise it cannot keep. The soft-spoken Cary resident is becoming a leader in a nationwide push to reform the work-based immigration system.

"I need to speak out," he said, "because I've realized, there's no one who's going to speak for me."

Legal immigrants across the country say they are tired of politicians debating the fate of illegal immigrants while ignoring the long delays that face those who come legally. Legal immigrants must spend thousands of dollars in legal fees without knowing when or whether they will win permanent residency.

While they wait, their lives are in limbo. They cannot change jobs or get promoted, international travel is sometimes difficult, their spouses and children often can't work or get driver's licenses, and they must frequently renew their temporary work visas.

Some were incensed that a deal some lawmakers proposed for illegal immigrants in a reform bill this summer -- a "Z-visa" that would allow them to work and live in the United States indefinitely -- was far better than the one offered to those who have followed the rules.

Some legal immigrants asked their attorneys whether they could apply for the Z-visa and were told no. In addition, the bill would have cut the number of green cards issued each year that grant residency to legal immigrants. The proposal failed, but many are still seething.

"If you want to give amnesty, give them U.S. passports and make them citizens tomorrow, fine," said Jay Pradhan, of Reno, Nev., a spokesman for the grass-roots activist network Immigration Voice. "But don't do that at our expense."

United in frustration

The government limits work-based green cards to 140,000 a year, and no more than 7 percent of that quota can go to immigrants from a single country.

That means that even the most qualified candidates from such countries as India, China and Mexico face huge backlogs, which are cleared on a first-come, first-serve basis. The system is so overloaded that just one small step, such as the FBI background check, can take years.

Immigrants caught in the system began sharing information and commiserating on an Internet chat room called Immigration Voice. In July, the site transformed into a political action network, fueled by an unprecedented government mix-up. First, the government announced that backlogs were cleared and thousands of people were eligible to apply for green cards. Then, after people scrambled to complete their applications, federal officials said there were no available green cards and all applications would be rejected.

The site's leaders organized a "flower protest," and thousands of people sent flower arrangements to the Washington, D.C., office of U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Soon after, federal officials reversed the decision, allowing thousands of immigrants to submit green card applications.

Energized, the site's leaders developed an agenda and asked immigrants all over the country to start local centers of activity. Suryanarayanan took up the cause for the Triangle.

As home to a growing immigrant community, he said, the Triangle should be among the loudest voices.

He began spreading the word among co-workers and friends.

In September, he and a fellow activist chartered a bus and took 40 people to Washington, where they joined immigrants from across the country. They picketed in front of the Capitol and visited the offices of North Carolina politicians.

Brad Taylor, a Canadian immigrant who works with Suryanarayanan, took his wife and son to the rally. It was their first trip to the nation's capital.

It was empowering to see how many others were living with the same frustrations. "Now I realize that we can actually go out and say something without getting arrested or deported," he said.

Ana Santiago, a spokeswoman for U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, says the agency has made a major push recently to process applications more quickly. And she says it sends applicants frequent updates about where they are in the process. Anytime they have questions, she said, applicants can make an appointment to meet with an immigration officer.

But she said that the number of applicants far outnumbers the available green cards, and only Congress can help with that.

Stiff resistance

Suryanarayanan is planning another round of meetings with congressional members at their North Carolina offices, trying to persuade them to raise the quota.

But he is learning how difficult it can be to bring about change.

Although some employers in North Carolina and across the country have spoken out about the need for more skilled foreign workers, none have joined the Immigration Voice effort to speed the permanent residency process. Suryanarayanan's company refused to allow him to even mention its name for this story. Another Raleigh activist said his employer would not allow him to be named in the newspaper at all.

Immigrants are also hesitant, he said. Some are afraid of deportation, and others are simply in denial.

"People aren't willing to believe that they're going to be in this line for 10 years," he said.

Many also fear putting themselves in the sights of critics.

Groups such as the Washington-based Center for Immigration Studies, which pushes for stricter limits on immigration, say it is a myth that the United States does not produce enough engineers and high-tech workers. They say companies recruit foreign workers to drive down wages.

Mark Krikorian, the group's director, says companies dangle the hope of permanent residency as a recruitment tool, even though they know there aren't enough green cards available.

"We need to stop stringing them along and say, 'Your time's up. You've got to leave,' " Krikorian said.

How much longer?

Suryanarayanan and his wife, Radha Patel, say the hardest part is the constant hope that, if they just wait another month, or another year, they will earn the right to stay permanently. Both have temporary work visas, which they have to renew periodically.

But they know it's also possible that they could wait years and have their applications rejected.

"We've been here seven years, contributed to the economy, paid our taxes," Patel said. "We have a right to a fair system. We should know when we'll be getting our green cards."

For now, the couple say, they will give it another year or two. They bought a home in Cary.

But they fear that they will end up back in India, having lost years establishing themselves in North Carolina -- and having wasted the thousands of dollars they spent in the process.

kristin.collins@newsobserver.com or (919) 812-8532
http://www.newsobserver.com/news/story/768394.html

Apparently the word "temporary" just doesn't mean anything. I guess they get a "temporary" work visa and expect it will, sooner or later, morph into permanent.

If people are promising them green cards they need to hold them accountable not the U.S. government, everyone knows there are only so many green cards available and we can not keep raising that limit just to accomidate everyone who wants to come here.

Why would you buy a home when you don't know if you will be allowed to stay. Souldn't they be saving the money they were allowed to come here and make so they can go back to their country and start a better life.

HELLLOOOO...... Temporary means not permanent!

Notice that the complainer who is trying to do it the legal way is trying to get across that he has a right to be here..

We have posted this speech by Prime Minister John Howard of Australia several times. It is particularly fitting to this thread and I think we need to read it frequently.


Muslims who want to live under Islamic Sharia law were told on Wednesday to get out of Australia, as the government targeted radicals in a bid to head off potential terror attacks.

A day after a group of mainstream Muslim leaders pledged loyalty to Australia and her Queen at a special meeting with Prime Minister John Howard, he and his Ministers made it clear that extremists would face a crackdown. Treasurer Peter Costello, seen as heir apparent to Howard, hinted that some radical clerics could be asked to leave the country if they did not accept that Australia was a secular state, and its laws were made by parliament.

"If those are not your values, if you want a country which has Sharia law or a theocratic state, then Australia is not for you", he said on National Television. "I'd be saying to clerics who are teaching that there are two laws governing people in Australia: one the Australian law and another Islamic law, that is false. If you can't agree with parliamentary law, independent courts, democracy, and would prefer Sharia law and have the opportunity to go to another country, which practices it, perhaps, then, that's a better option", Costello said.

Asked whether he meant radical clerics would be forced to leave, he said those with dual citizenship could possibly be asked to move to the other country. Education Minister Brendan Nelson later told reporters that Muslims who did not want to accept local values should "clear off. Basically people who don't want to be Australians, and who don't want, to live by Australian values and understand them, well then, they can basically clear off", he said.

Separately, Howard angered some Australian Muslims on Wednesday by saying he supported spy agencies monitoring the nation's mosques. Quote: "IMMIGRANTS, NOT AUSTRALIANS, MUST ADAPT. Take It Or Leave It. I am tired of this nation worrying about whether we are offending some individual or their culture. Since the terrorist attacks on Bali, we have experienced a surge in patriotism by the majority of Australians."

"However, the dust from the attacks had barely settled when the 'politically correct' crowd began complaining about the possibility that our patriotism was offending others. I am not against immigration, nor do I hold a grudge against anyone who is seeking a better life by coming to Australia."

"However, there are a few things that those who have recently come to our country, and apparently some born here, need to understand."

"This idea of Australia being a multi-cultural community has served only to dilute our sovereignty and our national identity. And as Australians, we have our own culture, our own society, our own language and our own lifestyle."

"This culture has been developed over two centuries of struggles, trials and victories by millions of men and women who have sought freedom"

"We speak mainly ENGLISH, not Spanish, Lebanese, Arabic, Chinese, Japanese, Russian, or any other language. Therefore, if you wish to become part of our society. Learn the language!"

"Most Australians believe in God. This is not some Christian, right wing, political push, but a fact, because Christian men and women, on Christian principles, founded this nation, and this is clearly documented. It is certainly appropriate to display it on the walls of our schools. If God offends you, then I suggest you consider another part of the world as your new home, because God is part of our culture."

"We will accept your beliefs, and will not question why. All we ask is that you accept ours, and live in harmony and peaceful enjoyment with us."

"If the Southern Cross offends you, or you don't like "A Fair Go", then you should seriously consider a move to another part of this planet. We are happy with our culture and have no desire to change, and we really don't care how you did things where you came from. By all means, keep your culture, but do not force it on others.

"This is OUR COUNTRY, OUR LAND, and OUR LIFESTYLE, and we will allow you every opportunity to enjoy all this. But once you are done complaining, whining, and griping about Our Flag, Our Pledge, Our Christian beliefs, or Our Way of Life, I highly encourage you to take advantage of one other great Australian freedom, 'THE RIGHT TO LEAVE'."

"If you aren't happy here then LEAVE. We didn't force you to come here. You asked to be here. So accept the country YOU accepted."

HEAR! HEAR! I second that!!

the problem is... big business wants highly educated individuals to come in at take jobs for less money; big business also wants Illegal Aliens to come in as well to drive down wages....

It is all for corporate profit. If you think for a minute that big business has a heart and a consious... I got a bridge i would like to sell you in antarctica.

Every person, even those that are trying to come into this country legally are being used as a wedge issue against the citizens.

Legal Immigration needs to at least slow down to get this mess under controland the Illegal Immigration not only has to stop, but deportations need to pick up at a much faster rate.

Illegal Immigrants should be given the choice to self deport or 10 years hard labor picking veggies will be the used in lew of room and board in a labor camp

I know too many skilled Americans in IT and other engineering disciplines who are "permanently" displaced with no line to stand in to obtain their "rights." Certainly not in India! Boo Hoo. I'm sick to death of hearing we need these supposedly irreplaceable "great thinkers" because we don't know how to create technology ourselves. In IT!!?? Puulllleeeaaassse.

I keep reading articles like this one telling us how hard and long it takes to become a U.S. citizen then I read articles telling us Hispanic organizations are helping Hispanics becoming citizens so they can vote in 2008. I hope someone has the numbers of how many American citizens were Hispanic in 2006, how many became citizens in 2007 and 2008, how many registered to vote in 2007 and 2008 and what the final count is that actually vote. We all know they are going to try and pull something, I just hope someone is on top of this.

Help fight illegal immigartion by turning off the jobs magnet. Ask yr congressmsn to co-sponsor the SAVE Act - H.R. 4088. It provides money for border security and forces all employers to verify every social security number

Call today !