More than a decade on H1B?

A

abe111

New Member
I have been working in U.S. on H1B since 1999. I am trying to find out if there are many people like me with more than a decade of continues work in the US on the H1B program and still not even eligible for an employment authorization (EAD) benefit. Now that the congress is slowly starting to consider immigration reforms I would want to somehow highlight the plight of legal immigrants. I feel that people like I have a valid case to show how the current system is penalizing legal immigrants.

Thanks in advance for any input.
 
You didn't file I-485 in Summer 2007 when it was all-current? What happened? What is your priority date and category?

Unfortunately, Congress is too battle-weary after health care legislation to take up another hot-button issue like immigration now. There's no way any major immigration laws will be passed before the Congressional elections this November.
 
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No, didn’t file for I-485 in the Summer of 2007. My Labor Certification was pending at that time although I have a priority date of June 2004. My employer did traditional recruiting instead of RIR. So LC took a long time. Prior to 2004 I did not get a chance to start Green Card processing: a combination of non-scrupulous employers and just bad luck (despite schooling and one year OPT in US before starting H1B in 1999).

I know Congress may not consider immigration reforms now. I am wondering if there will be many people like me. Whenever they consider immigration reforms, it will be worth highlighting our story to the lawmakers.
 
I am also working on H1 although have an option to go EAD.

abe111 said:
I have been working in U.S. on H1B since 1999. I am trying to find out if there are many people like me with more than a decade of continues work in the US on the H1B program and still not even eligible for an employment authorization (EAD) benefit. Now that the congress is slowly starting to consider immigration reforms I would want to somehow highlight the plight of legal immigrants. I feel that people like I have a valid case to show how the current system is penalizing legal immigrants.

Thanks in advance for any input.
Click to expand...
 
OK, so you've been in H1B status for about 11 years, but you're still less than 6 years into the green card process. That is not unusually long; there are many people with priority dates in early 2004 and 2003 who are still waiting.

However, if you are in EB3 India, you'll probably have many more years of waiting if they don't change the law. Hopefully they'll change it next year, when there is no big election.
 
Healthcare reform is going back in the HOUSE for another vote after some fixes. So, immigration reform is almost certain to be not touched this year.
Whenever they do touch immigration reform - it will be more about illegals. I am sure there will be some respite for future legal immigration. Not sure if there will be any good for people like us, stuck in the system.
I am also on H1B since 1999; applied for GC in 2002 and waiting since. I do have EAD applied during July 07 fiasco (applied in June 07 as my PD was current in June 07). Still maintaining H1B.
At current rate, you are certainly looking at several years before you can apply for 485. Hang in there and hope for some good things from immigration reform (hopefully in 2011)
 
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