|
Demand for H1B visas outstrips supply
This year, the US government had to run a computer-generated random selection process or a lottery for H1B visas since applications far exceeded the number of visas available. This situation is also making Indian students at American colleges nervous since they face an uncertain future. But a group of American lawyers is making an attempt to convince the US Congress to raise the quota. Thousands of applicants for H1B visas will be disappointed this year, if they do not get their work permit after a lottery. The lottery was announced after the annual quota was exceeded on the first day of filing for the visas. But now the American Immigration Lawyers Association is starting to lobby hard with lawmakers to overcome this problem. Immigration lawyer, Cyrus Mehta told CNBC-TV18, "All the members, the attorney members of this organization, have been asked to contact their corporate clients and then get them to sign on to a letter and we hope to get 1000 signatures from H1B companies or companies using the H1B, to petition Congress people, Senators and members of the House, to increase the H1B quota and even increase the EB quota - the employment-based quota." The situation has caused great anxiety for Indian students studying in America because after spending large amounts on higher education here, they face the prospect of being jobless once they graduate.
Snoop no threat: lawyer
As controversial rapper Snoop Sogg's lawyer said the singer poses no threat, Prime Minister John Howard this morning said that the artist has been barred from entering Australia for "sound reasons". The entertainer was due to perform at the MTV Australia Music Video Awards in Sydney on Sunday, but has been denied an entry visa on character grounds. A spokeswoman for Immigration Minister Kevin Andrews said yesterday Snoop Dogg had failed to pass the character requirements for a visa to be awarded after pleading no contest to felony gun and drug charges in April. His plea saw him avoid up to four years in jail. He was sentenced to five years probation plus 800 hours of community service. On the 35-year-old rapper's last visit to Australia in February to perform at the Good Vibrations Festival in Sydney and Melbourne, he was on a tight leash and warned that any future indiscretion would make it difficult for him to perform in Australia.
Dispelling Myths: Immigration part two
While federal Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents are remaining tight-lipped about their procedures on detaining arrested aliens, two local ICE agents spoke to the Times-News last week. They refuted claims that they use intimidation during interviews to extract admissions of foreign birth from those suspected of a crime. We dont have to intimidate you to get what we have to know, Lt. R.L. Wilborn said. For the most part, those who are here legally can, and want, to prove it to authorities. Its only a few people who they have problems with, he said. Local immigration groups and those that have been picked up by ICE agents disagree, saying they have forced people to sign deportation release papers or refused to let them make phone calls home. ICE agents say their job is an extension of the booking process.
| 