At a time like this, it's best to have a realistic view on when things will improve.

[djh]

First let me say that I empathise with your plight - the retrogression and what it potentially means for your wait time.

I received my notice of approval last July after a long wait - 485 approval took 2 1/2 years alone.

My Background:
Let me share some things that may be of help that we learned at that time.

We all thought that we would get our 485 approval on average within 6 mos. That was the trend prior to our approvals and no reason to think it would be any different for us - then INS approved GC's of 2 terrorists post humously 6-12 mos after 911. That put a virtual stop on approvals.

During the next couple of years we waited and there was communications out of AILA, BCIS, politicians etc.

What we learned:
1)Don't believe every optimistic statement made by any person/politician/Immigration agency/lawyer. Yes, it's good to hear that and get some encouragement, but heavily discount it, because you will set yourself up for disappointment. Take it with a grain of salt, act on it if you can but always see this as wishful thinking and a longshot.

2)Keep this discussion board alive and supportive. You need to organize and if you can do it under 1 body or 1 voice all the better. You need to roll up your sleeves and get involved. You need to go to townhall meetings, get lawyers involved (it affects them more than you re: $$$ and therefore they should do this for free) For some ideas do a search on Kashmir in the i-485 California forum. You need a clear strategy and a multi-facited approach. You need to see this as a war and therefore not to look at one battle, but it will take many battles to win this.

3)You need to be mentally prepared for this to last a long time otherwise you will be disappointed, get depressed, bitter, angry, resentful etc. If you believe every optimistic thing you hear, you will be quickly disappointed. With this being a long haul effort before you may get your GC, you therefore should make your life decisions/career decisions around that. If you are in a crap job and are just hanging on hoping for your approval, maybe you need to re-evaluate that and find something else. Maybe you need to move back home, maybe go to Canada or Australia.

4)Put things in perspective. Maybe realise that you are in a good country on your H1B and you are making good money and while it sucks you can't get permanancy, life still isn't that bad. Develop some humour.

5)Live your life. Ignore this problem. You WILL get your GC eventually. Why let this consume your thoughts and eat at you. If you just live your life, enjoy your family and act as though you already have your GC, you will have much more peace in your life. The one thing most of us agreed with once we finally got our GC was how stupid it was to have all this anxiety at the time, because there was nothing we could do and all our worrying did nothing to change anything except to rob us of enjoying life at the moment. Yes, you will get your GC, eventually, so enjoy what you are doing, be glad you aren't in New Orleans, Pakistan, Iraq or wherever.

Good Luck!

 

[MDGUTS1307]

Nicely put

Nicely said.
The process will take a concentrated, focused, group effort.
We need to enjoy the little things in life in the meantime.

A colleague (age early 40's) of mine died few months ago after going thru the whole process of medical residency training (7 years) , J-1 wiaver/GC processing (years) . This just reminds us that life is short and we should make good use of what we have. GC will come sooner or later.

 

[techy2468]

All this sounds great when we are talking.....but living the same thing is quite different..

GC is such a big thing......it controls our life 90%.....and till we get it we will not be able to live peacefully, why??

1. Without GC career sucks, that means we will be spending 8-10 hours in frustration.
2. spouse may not be able to work, insecurity since if you get laid off before I-485, everything will restart or you may have to go back, this leads to pathetic personal life.

what else is left in life to live????

what is the other option.......go back to india, or apply immig to canada.

i think most of us will start the canada process in few months...

going back to india: people with bad priority dates will start moving back....if they are really good in their field(able to demand salary of around rs. 75k/pm)....or if they have pretty good savings...or combination of both..

imagine then how it will affect indian IT jobs, if not many can come to usa because of low H1B numbers(BTW i think industry is asking for more H1B, and i think they will get it...)....and many return from USA.

there will be a glut in india after 2 years...

but one has to live life.....as best as one can do....so if we prefer to stay in usa....work with one company for 4-5 years putting up with many humiliation....that will not be a very pretty life...

if one goes back.....making avg sal of rs.45k, with no social security...sucking government....no hopes that things will get better....corruption rampant....cops/gov emploees acting like gods.....sky high cost of housing.....barely able to save for retirement....

i think i will stay over here....and manage my career somehow.....i have more hopes over here....than get stuck without much opportunity in india.....of course i will start canada soon.....

btw...this is just my opinion....considering my family....it does not have to be true for most of us..

 

[notxer]

I haven't read a bigger load of crap than this for a long time. You sound like a mindless union employee dishing out the typical BS. What a load of crap!

All this sounds great when we are talking.....but living the same thing is quite different..

GC is such a big thing......it controls our life 90%.....and till we get it we will not be able to live peacefully, why??

Why do you let it control you? Imagine you had your GC, do you think that for 90% of your day you will think, I've got my GC? You might for the first few months but after that you will live your life - so the point is why don't you do that now? You can't change anything.

1. Without GC career sucks, that means we will be spending 8-10 hours in frustration.

GC has nothing to do with your career sucking - this has all to do with who you are and your outlook on your career. This is a choice you make to have about your job. If your job is that bad, then change it, you have provisions to do that.

2. spouse may not be able to work, insecurity since if you get laid off before I-485, everything will restart or you may have to go back, this leads to pathetic personal life.

If you have your I-140, you can apply for EAD. If you get laid off you can get another job, there are so many jobs right now - have you been laid off yet? No? then why live in insecurity? You make the choice to live the pathetic persona life.

what else is left in life to live????

Listen to you - how lame. Do you have your health? Are you better off than you were in India? Do you have a family? Quit your moaning.

what is the other option.......go back to india, or apply immig to canada.

No you have the option of working here, advancing your career, making money and waiting for your GC. Money is better here than the other two places, the quality of life is better and tax system is much better.

i think most of us will start the canada process in few months...

And you base this on what? Don't assume that everyone else shares your pessimism.

going back to india: people with bad priority dates will start moving back....if they are really good in their field(able to demand salary of around rs. 75k/pm)....or if they have pretty good savings...or combination of both..

I don't think so, people didn't do it when the priority date were a long time in the 90's. Why? Because life here is pretty good in comparison.

imagine then how it will affect indian IT jobs, if not many can come to usa because of low H1B numbers(BTW i think industry is asking for more H1B, and i think they will get it...)....and many return from USA.

there will be a glut in india after 2 years...

There will be no glut - there are too many jobs to fill and besides like I said relatively few will go home.

but one has to live life.....as best as one can do....so if we prefer to stay in usa....work with one company for 4-5 years putting up with many humiliation....that will not be a very pretty life...

Why do you have to live in humilition? Why do you have such a loser attitude? Why don't you have pride in what you do? Get off this pathetic mindset - it's so immature.

if one goes back.....making avg sal of rs.45k, with no social security...sucking government....no hopes that things will get better....corruption rampant....cops/gov emploees acting like gods.....sky high cost of housing.....barely able to save for retirement...

If that's the case then quit your bitching.

i think i will stay over here....and manage my career somehow.....i have more hopes over here....than get stuck without much opportunity in india.....of course i will start canada soon.....

btw...this is just my opinion....considering my family....it does not have to be true for most of us..

Dude, sure retrogression sucks, but you need a major attitude adjustment. You should go back and reread the first message. There are a lot of good points in there for you. Instead of whining about your plight, why don't you use that energy positively and get involved with actively campaigning the gov't, helping out etc.. And this is just my opinion.

 

[notxer]

i just thought i would make this post current again because gettingclosernow had some great advice ... and since retrogression is dragging on... maybe it will be helpful for someone.

 

[alexberg]

techy is techy is techy

 

[techy2468]

notxer...previously i had ignored your bad remarks on my comment....

but let me summarize my view again........no matter what one says.....no matter how enlightened one becomes.........as long as we are dependent on GC we will suffer/get depressed......because it controls our life....

it is very easy to say after getting GC that one should not have worried.....but i am going through this right now.........and all i am able to do is wait and wait....and wait....

not that i am worrying....but yes i am frustrated being tied down.......

my advise.....

LOWER YOUR EXPECTATION.........as saras said in a different thread........hope for the best and prepare for the worst.......

it does not matter if you feel depressed......as long as you have plans in case you have to go through emergency situation like a job loss after 6 years of H1B etc.

and if you are still early (EB3-india-2004 and later) you can choose to make yourself independent from the GC process......i mean if you dont like your job....quit and get a job you like....restart GC process....if possible you can port your PD......but most important is that you should not suffer for the next 4 years in a shit job...

 

[GC_TRAP]

Same views, opinions, re-hashed again and again!!!

As I succintly see it, the issue seems to be a case of "Glass half-full, Glass half-empty".

I don't want to single out any poster from here, but clearly our views and mindsets on the GC process are much a reflection of our individual personalities and characters. Or, are they not?

Some will lament about everything, even why the GC does not allow them to get certain security jobs and how they have to renew it every ten years or so. There is no end to one's protestations and that is as much a reflection of who they are.

Some, on the other hand will brave the toughest of hardships and smile their way through, blaming no one but taking full responsibility of their situations.

It has been like this through the history of time. The bottomline is that if you are NOT happy now with whatever you've got, you will NEVER, I repeat NEVER, be happy in different circumstances.

And that's not a Judgement call, perhaps it is just who you are and maybe you are comfortable with that world of despair, hopelessness and desperation that you have built around you. NOBODY can ever make you see things differently, yet they can get into a shouting match with you telling you to change, or see their way etcetera.

To those who see only doom and gloom ahead, more power to you. To those who see hope and light and an eventual end to this night, I'm with you. If online community and support were ever needed, it was to raise hopes (and glasses, albeit half-filled) and feel that there is a way out, whether or not that plastic card ever knocks at our doorstep.

Cheers, and best wishes to all!

 

[saras76]

Outlooks ...

Guys and Gals,

We need to stop beating on eachother regarding the way we might feel about this retrogression. None of us can truly gauge eachothers situations or state of mind due to this indefnite wait for the GC. When I read gettingclosernow's post I agreed with a lot of things and when I read techys post I could indentify with several of his thoughts. I am sure techy has his reasons for feeling the way that he does. Not having a GC maybe taking a greater toll on his life than ours. Maybe his personality is such that it affects him more than others. I know my peronsality is such. Being at the mercy of this process has taken a huge emotional toll on my life and it has taken me 4 years to come to terms with the situation I am in. Its more of a mental block than anything else .. while I agree that one can do a lot things without the GC, there are an equal if not more things that one cannot do. I agree that its pointless to harp on this but if someone wants to post his/her frustration once in a while, lets not get on their case. I am sure most of us can relate with them in some way ...

regards,

saras

 

[posmd]

These are my observations on the points you have made GC-Trap. By the way much of what you say has merit.
In fact, most of us today are living rather comfortable lives considering the overall average of the world. In fact many of us are guaranteed never to starve, to always be "connected" and perhaps to drive a car and live in a reasonable accomodation. It is definitely worth having some perspective of our troubles sometimes.

However here is something to ponder. Immigrants especially highly skilled immigrants by definition are ambitious. If not for that they would not leave the cocoon of some relative comfort of their native lands to study hard in university and take all the troubles to search out opportunities here and work hard here and build a new life here away from so many things that they miss.
Hence in this selective group of individuals you would find frustration at the inefficiency of this process.

Many of these people are also doers and like to take charge and make things happen. These are people whose traits are pre-selected and to some extent their energy, vibrance, restlessness and whatever adjective you want to attach to it is what rejuvenates the native work force here. They are most certainly a boon to this country, it is just that their flow and integration into this country needs to be managed and managed well and right now that is not happening efficiently. Their nature makes them react this way. It is not necessarily a bad trait either. Their energy will eventually drive their success as well. Whether that makes them happy in the end or not is less significant to the country.

 

[nyte_crawler]

notxer...previously i had ignored your bad remarks on my comment....

but let me summarize my view again........no matter what one says.....no matter how enlightened one becomes.........as long as we are dependent on GC we will suffer/get depressed......because it controls our life....

it is very easy to say after getting GC that one should not have worried.....but i am going through this right now.........and all i am able to do is wait and wait....and wait....

not that i am worrying....but yes i am frustrated being tied down.......

my advise.....

LOWER YOUR EXPECTATION.........as saras said in a different thread........hope for the best and prepare for the worst.......

it does not matter if you feel depressed......as long as you have plans in case you have to go through emergency situation like a job loss after 6 years of H1B etc.

and if you are still early (EB3-india-2004 and later) you can choose to make yourself independent from the GC process......i mean if you dont like your job....quit and get a job you like....restart GC process....if possible you can port your PD......but most important is that you should not suffer for the next 4 years in a shit job...

Just cheer up techy. There is no more to do in life than worrying about GC. I have seen folks with GC struggling and still not peaceful in their life. As GCTRAP puts it, its more to do with the mindset than reality, even if there is one. I have lived in Birmingham and I know it is not one of the best places but to this date it is one of my best memories of life.

>>Good weather, UAB games (used to give free tickets at grocery shops, do they still do it ?), free movies at the university, sunday morning football practice, getting lost at 6 am in the morning drunk and driving back to Atlanta towards east instead of I20 E and more.<<

 

[techy2468]

nyte_crawler.......yes man you are right.....Birmingham,AL is the best life i have seen and i wish they will get few more industries here...
ya you can still get fee tickets to UAB games..


HOW EASY IT IS TO TAKE THINGS OUT OF CONTEXT...
if only all of you read the thread from beginning and get the context will you understand what i am saying...

I am not the one to worry about GC......i have plan B and Plan C and i am not going to wait more than 2-3 years.........just as i said if i feel that GC will take more than 3-6 years.....i will move to a better city and get a better job...and restart GC.

i am just trying to reflect on people who say not to worry....take it easy....etc...

on the other thought....i have a feeling that being worried or thinking pessimistically leads to better contingency planning...

sure i will complain that life sucks....because i know what all i would have been able to do if i had the GC.......or if my home country would have been a developed country....

anyways it does not matter....everyone in their own world and unique situation........someone having to support two families in india....will definitely be more depressed........while some one with a multi millionaire family background will not have to worry at all.....

 

[indian_gc_ocean]

I agree with most of the points mentioned in the original post.
I would like add something to it.

I would say if anyone has an EAD, use it along with AC21 and take advantage of the law. Most companies are worried only if they have to sponsor us, if we do our paper work they would be just fine. Whether you get a good job or not, atleast the freedom to try will help handle a sucking current job.

USCIS/DOS should go easy with AC21 with so much retrogression and country quotas. AC21 job change with a EAD correctly fits into the current situation.

 

[LC_Ki_Kahaani]

Noxter ... this is Not true ... you can file for an EAD only when you file for the change in status (I-485)

I am in the same position as that of Techy and many others ... although I suffer the GC trauma... i never complain

I spent the last 7 years of my life going to school, working hard to get a higher qualification ... applied for a number of nice jobs ... got a lot of calls from the employers.. only to hear that they would not like to "TRANSFER" my H1B work permit. Why? Because they dont do that.

The only advantage of I-140 that I have is a 3-year H1B extension and can keep extending until my I-485 is filed/employer is bankrupt. I am just as hopeful as others and seeing the patience of so many of you makes me understand that I am not the only one. There are a lot of others like me and we should encourage each other in some way.

... If you have your I-140, you can apply for EAD. If you get laid off you can get another job, there are so many jobs right now - have you been laid off yet? No? then why live in insecurity? ...

 

[LC_Ki_Kahaani]

 

[marlon2006]

Best way to handle this situation

Some of you might have noticed that I have decreased the number of posts in this forum. The reason is that I got irate with the situation, I called lawmaker office continuously, wrote to newspapers, etc in protests, I slept late reading posts, I posted hundreds of messages in this forum. We have very, very little bargaining power. Americans are the bosses on this. They are the ones in a position to ask. Then someday I woke up and read rumours that the October 2006 visa bulletin will bring up further retrogression. Rumours or not, do you think that doesn't make sense ? I am afraid it does. Also, who is to say that even if the cut-off dates move to EB3 Jan 2002 they won't remain stuck there for months to come ?

Then I learned that the GC will come when it comes. Like Mark Knopfler says in the song Shangri-la, "we may never love again to the music of guitars"... "this is all the heaven we've got". That means, enjoy whatever you have right now. You don't know how tomorrow will be. Invest heavily on your education while you are here and keep yourself busy. That's the only way to go through this.

 

[saras76]

Excellent observation ..

These are my observations on the points you have made GC-Trap. By the way much of what you say has merit.
In fact, most of us today are living rather comfortable lives considering the overall average of the world. In fact many of us are guaranteed never to starve, to always be "connected" and perhaps to drive a car and live in a reasonable accomodation. It is definitely worth having some perspective of our troubles sometimes.

However here is something to ponder. Immigrants especially highly skilled immigrants by definition are ambitious. If not for that they would not leave the cocoon of some relative comfort of their native lands to study hard in university and take all the troubles to search out opportunities here and work hard here and build a new life here away from so many things that they miss.
Hence in this selective group of individuals you would find frustration at the inefficiency of this process.

Many of these people are also doers and like to take charge and make things happen. These are people whose traits are pre-selected and to some extent their energy, vibrance, restlessness and whatever adjective you want to attach to it is what rejuvenates the native work force here. They are most certainly a boon to this country, it is just that their flow and integration into this country needs to be managed and managed well and right now that is not happening efficiently. Their nature makes them react this way. It is not necessarily a bad trait either. Their energy will eventually drive their success as well. Whether that makes them happy in the end or not is less significant to the country.

posmd,

You have made some brilliant points. I totally agree with your assesment. Great to see such rational insights.

cheers,

saras

 

[GreenCardVirus]

These are my observations on the points you have made GC-Trap. By the way much of what you say has merit.
In fact, most of us today are living rather comfortable lives considering the overall average of the world. In fact many of us are guaranteed never to starve, to always be "connected" and perhaps to drive a car and live in a reasonable accomodation. It is definitely worth having some perspective of our troubles sometimes.

However here is something to ponder. Immigrants especially highly skilled immigrants by definition are ambitious. If not for that they would not leave the cocoon of some relative comfort of their native lands to study hard in university and take all the troubles to search out opportunities here and work hard here and build a new life here away from so many things that they miss.
Hence in this selective group of individuals you would find frustration at the inefficiency of this process.

Many of these people are also doers and like to take charge and make things happen. These are people whose traits are pre-selected and to some extent their energy, vibrance, restlessness and whatever adjective you want to attach to it is what rejuvenates the native work force here. They are most certainly a boon to this country, it is just that their flow and integration into this country needs to be managed and managed well and right now that is not happening efficiently. Their nature makes them react this way. It is not necessarily a bad trait either. Their energy will eventually drive their success as well. Whether that makes them happy in the end or not is less significant to the country.

How do you learn to write so beautifully?

 

[catdog]

Techy2468 is a load of crap !!!!

This guy is a load of crap, man !! Look at him moaning ...ooh ahh ooooo my GC... I want my GC ...... <SLAP> <SLAP> STOP CRYING NOW !!!


People like you will aways be furstrated. When you get you GC, you need your citizenship. when you get that.. you want a better boss..when you get that, you want a better wife ! It will never stop with you. We will have to endure your anguish forever on the internet !!!!

Are you a eunuch ( chakka ) that you need your wife to work ? Why can't you make enough for your family and why don't you learn to live with it ? let your wife raise your children properly so that they do not grow up to be like you .

No one is saying that you HAVE to live your life here.. There are other options. Use one of the options where you are as far away from the web as possible. so we do not hear your cries anymore.

All this sounds great when we are talking.....but living the same thing is quite different..

GC is such a big thing......it controls our life 90%.....and till we get it we will not be able to live peacefully, why??

1. Without GC career sucks, that means we will be spending 8-10 hours in frustration.
2. spouse may not be able to work, insecurity since if you get laid off before I-485, everything will restart or you may have to go back, this leads to pathetic personal life.

what else is left in life to live????

what is the other option.......go back to india, or apply immig to canada.

i think most of us will start the canada process in few months...

going back to india: people with bad priority dates will start moving back....if they are really good in their field(able to demand salary of around rs. 75k/pm)....or if they have pretty good savings...or combination of both..

imagine then how it will affect indian IT jobs, if not many can come to usa because of low H1B numbers(BTW i think industry is asking for more H1B, and i think they will get it...)....and many return from USA.

there will be a glut in india after 2 years...

but one has to live life.....as best as one can do....so if we prefer to stay in usa....work with one company for 4-5 years putting up with many humiliation....that will not be a very pretty life...

if one goes back.....making avg sal of rs.45k, with no social security...sucking government....no hopes that things will get better....corruption rampant....cops/gov emploees acting like gods.....sky high cost of housing.....barely able to save for retirement....

i think i will stay over here....and manage my career somehow.....i have more hopes over here....than get stuck without much opportunity in india.....of course i will start canada soon.....

btw...this is just my opinion....considering my family....it does not have to be true for most of us..

 

[GreenCardVirus]

hopelessness is probably a boon

I have been feeling miserable past few months. Its been 9 years in US and I desparately need some closure. I think 9 years make you ripe enough to fall victim to frustations.

You know when is the most peaceful time in all this? When there is absolutely no hope of anything happening in near future. When my PD was not current and NC was pending, I felt very peaceful and did not think much about GC and was able to concentrate on work. First wave of frustation kicked in when PD became current. Next wave came when NC was cleared. And Now PD is unavailable. I have been going thru whole potpourri of emotions.

I'd be happy if someone tells me nothing is going to change say for next 4 years and I can use AC21 to keep my job opportunities open.