k3GC
11-11 01:01 PM
I think this letter looks good, let us send it. There is no hassle in doing that.
Questions
1. Do we all need to send a copy? Is this like a campaign we are doing?
2. Do we need to send this as IV? Is that possible? Who should we talk to about that?
3. Has somebody sent such letters before the the DOS Visa Office etc. and got anything - may be they can shed some light. I know of folks who have done the the 7001 form DHS | CIS Ombudsman - Case Problems (http://www.dhs.gov/files/programs/editorial_0497.shtm). I dont think this falls under that.
My 2 cents is - this is not a campaign, we are asking for a formal answer / clarification and if we can send this as from IV may be we will get an answer.
Questions
1. Do we all need to send a copy? Is this like a campaign we are doing?
2. Do we need to send this as IV? Is that possible? Who should we talk to about that?
3. Has somebody sent such letters before the the DOS Visa Office etc. and got anything - may be they can shed some light. I know of folks who have done the the 7001 form DHS | CIS Ombudsman - Case Problems (http://www.dhs.gov/files/programs/editorial_0497.shtm). I dont think this falls under that.
My 2 cents is - this is not a campaign, we are asking for a formal answer / clarification and if we can send this as from IV may be we will get an answer.
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sk.aggarwal
07-29 03:02 AM
Add Wachovia now acquired by Wells Fargo to the list. They don't even do H1 extensions.
varshadas
02-05 05:46 PM
Hello All,
Congressman Ferguson has agreed to meet at 4:30pm this Friday, February 9th, 2007 in his district office. The address is:
45 Mountain Blvd.
Building D, Suite 1
Warren, NJ 07059
Let me know who all can make it. I think I can accomodate 3 more. I have to check the fax I sent him.
Thanks,
Varsha
Congressman Ferguson has agreed to meet at 4:30pm this Friday, February 9th, 2007 in his district office. The address is:
45 Mountain Blvd.
Building D, Suite 1
Warren, NJ 07059
Let me know who all can make it. I think I can accomodate 3 more. I have to check the fax I sent him.
Thanks,
Varsha
2011 NBA superstar LeBron James has
rajuram
07-13 02:22 PM
It is just a temporary movement to capture as many visa number as possible. Dates will move back in Oct and surge forward in June 09.
more...
Canuck
02-14 08:10 PM
This is the exact reason why USCIS has a country quota system ensuring ROW folks do not have to compete with OVERSUBSCRIBED countries.
What WILL NOT happen? - Removal of per country quota for EB Visas!!
Why are you in favour of per country quotas, having been born in an oversubscribed country? Are you a glutton for punishment? Do you enjoy waiting 6 years more than an equally qualified counterpart from another country who moves onto bigger and better jobs while you rot in the same position and pay grade for years?
Per country rationing is discriminatory for EB migration. The best jobs should go to the best people, regardless of national origin, race, or religion - this basic principle is enshrined in employment law, but when it comes to EB migration, it is disregarded! It is not about "giving everyone an equal chance" - this is not a charity, this is a business, and in business, only the best and the brightest get those jobs.
What WILL NOT happen? - Removal of per country quota for EB Visas!!
Why are you in favour of per country quotas, having been born in an oversubscribed country? Are you a glutton for punishment? Do you enjoy waiting 6 years more than an equally qualified counterpart from another country who moves onto bigger and better jobs while you rot in the same position and pay grade for years?
Per country rationing is discriminatory for EB migration. The best jobs should go to the best people, regardless of national origin, race, or religion - this basic principle is enshrined in employment law, but when it comes to EB migration, it is disregarded! It is not about "giving everyone an equal chance" - this is not a charity, this is a business, and in business, only the best and the brightest get those jobs.
tooclose
07-13 09:47 AM
Thanks...Excerpt from the same document
Only persons with a priority date earlier than a cut-off date are entitled to allotment of a visa number. The cut-off dates are the 1st, 8th, 15th, and 22nd of a month, since VO groups demand for numbers under these dates. (Priority dates of the first through seventh of a month are grouped under the 1st, the eighth through the fourteenth under the 8th, etc.)
Source please... or are you just kidding ?
Only persons with a priority date earlier than a cut-off date are entitled to allotment of a visa number. The cut-off dates are the 1st, 8th, 15th, and 22nd of a month, since VO groups demand for numbers under these dates. (Priority dates of the first through seventh of a month are grouped under the 1st, the eighth through the fourteenth under the 8th, etc.)
Source please... or are you just kidding ?
more...
pappu
06-14 01:13 PM
http://www.uscis.gov/files/nativedocuments/TransformationConOps_Mar07.pdf
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BharatPremi
08-29 04:00 PM
Desi consulting company and reliable ?:D:confused::D:confused::D:rolleyes::rolleyes::ro lleyes:
more...
Michael chertoff
03-10 12:33 PM
coolman ship,
what about if my greencard sponsoring company is ready to support me in any RFE( want to give me valid job offer any time). and i keep using my EAD for different employers.
still I have to use AC21 or it is OK?
i dont want to use AC21.
Thanks
MC
what about if my greencard sponsoring company is ready to support me in any RFE( want to give me valid job offer any time). and i keep using my EAD for different employers.
still I have to use AC21 or it is OK?
i dont want to use AC21.
Thanks
MC
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stldude
07-13 08:21 AM
Guys ! ! ! ! AT this stage let's take all the help we get from any possible source. Although i agree that Murthy is trying to stab in to the fame/sucess in this fabulous effort by IV, but it's better to add on more Voices to this cause...
The whole GC Seekercommunity knows that IV played a very big role in creating a public awareness and making people talk. Let's not bother commenting on Murthy's evil intentions...
The whole GC Seekercommunity knows that IV played a very big role in creating a public awareness and making people talk. Let's not bother commenting on Murthy's evil intentions...
more...
Imigrait
01-30 02:39 PM
It is my fault. I should have explained it better.
The immigration laws are very confusion. Entry on AP is legal entry and it is ok, but it is not considered as lawful entry for I-485 approval process ONLY. For last lawful entry, USCIS looks for last entry on non-immigrant visa.
Hope that helps.
____________________
Not a legal advice.
US Citizen of Indian Origin
I agree with the point above, but does this even apply to CrazyGhoda/OP? Because, he already has I485/AOS pending, which is a legal presence in the US in itself. Hence, I don't see him accruing any "out of status/illegal presence" days. He "MIGHT" have to show a future/current employer who is sponsoring his GC, depending on what his RFE asks for.
Please comment.
The immigration laws are very confusion. Entry on AP is legal entry and it is ok, but it is not considered as lawful entry for I-485 approval process ONLY. For last lawful entry, USCIS looks for last entry on non-immigrant visa.
Hope that helps.
____________________
Not a legal advice.
US Citizen of Indian Origin
I agree with the point above, but does this even apply to CrazyGhoda/OP? Because, he already has I485/AOS pending, which is a legal presence in the US in itself. Hence, I don't see him accruing any "out of status/illegal presence" days. He "MIGHT" have to show a future/current employer who is sponsoring his GC, depending on what his RFE asks for.
Please comment.
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logiclife
04-23 05:29 PM
Everyone, calm down.
Gautam: We understand that you are not an IV member and you attended a public event and asked the congressman a question and got a dissatisfactory answer to your question.
It was a public event and it was well within your rights to ask your question. Fine.
Here is the issue with your questions and expectation and also with expectation of other members who have been thoroughly dissatisfied on Saturday:
1). Need to temper expectations, lawmakers are not really experts in Immigration law or any law...they set policy...they dont practice law everyday...
Firstly, your question is such that it is beyond congressman's capacity to answer. You asked about the non-immigrant intent tied to the student visa and you said that it doesnt make sense to have that non-immigrant intent on student visas and its prevent you from getting a degree from your school where you are getting/got admission.
You have to realize that these are highly technical issues and no Congressman or Senator....NONE...not even Ted Kennedy, not even John McCain (they have spent good part of this decade coming up with comprehensive bill last year) would understand deeply technical legal issues like "Non Immigrant Intent" in the law and the bills. NOT EVEN JOHN CORNYN who has spend huge time on skilled immigration and whose previous bill actually has stuff to remove the non-immigrant intent from student visa adjudication in consulates. Lawmakers work at policy level and THEIR STAFF works the details. The kind of question you asked was something that you can get answers on from a staff member. And not just any staff member, it has to the the JUDICIARY COUNSEL of the congressman or the Senator. Otherwise, they would not know the different between H1 and F1 and the difference between GC quota (140,000) and H1 Quota (65,000).
Congress passes thousands of bills each year. Each day in session, Congressmen vote on over a dozen bills. For each bill they vote, they get a 5-10 line brief description. So never expect lawmakers to know your issues in that great details.
2). Need to have a polite tone.
This point I am making is not just pertinent to you (Gautam), but to everyone. When you are dealing with a lawmaker so closely involved with a 700-page bill of which 98% is dealing with sparing the lives of 11 million illegals who are living in fear of deportation, prison, raids and separation from their children, you have to be VERY VERY CAREFUL when asking for things like "I am not getting GC therefore, I cant get promotion", "I am making only 80K and with GC I can make 120K", "I cannot go to Ivy league school for next 2 years"... Not that these arent legit issues. They are. But when a person sees questions from the undocumented community, some of them were breaking into tears when asking questions...your questions and your tone has to be very careful. I dont know if anyone stayed thru the end. I and Pratik were there till the end and we talked to Congressman after the crowd dispersed and there were just some reporters, organizers etc at around 7:45 PM. Some questions towards the end,...people were breaking into tears when asking..."my son cannot go to school anywhere next year when he grads from highschool"..."When are the raids going to stop"...etc. These guys are plucked from their homes and workplace and their Kids actually end up on the streets as it recently happened in New Bedford, Massachussetts. Kids were unable to go home (http://www.boston.com/news/local/massachusetts/articles/2007/03/07/children_stranded_after_immigration_raid/)beause their parents didnt come from work (http://www.boston.com/news/local/massachusetts/articles/2007/03/07/350_are_held_in_immigration_raid/)and there wasnt anyone from social services notified about the parents being picked up by Immigration enforcement.
In the environment, when children possibly become homeless/lost/kidnapped because their parents are in jail suddenly, (read news articles on raids in New Bedford Massachussets (http://www.boston.com/news/local/massachusetts/articles/2007/03/07/children_stranded_after_immigration_raid/)), IF YOU DONT HAVE A VERY SOFT AND POLITE TONE and a very compelling story, your point is going to backfire and you will risk looking like RICH SPOILED AND PRIVILEGED KIDS who ALREADY HAVE LEGAL STATUS and ALREADY HAVE PATH TO CITIZENSHIP and are yelling on top of their lungs to speed that up.
Your case is legit, not doubt, but WHEN IN CONTRAST with undocumented, you run the risk of looking like snobs and elitists. That's just how it is. And lawmakers dont exactly get goosebumps when you name-drop words like "Harvard", "Stanford" and "Berkeley" and "U Penn". Its not like they are going to go weak on their knees when you say "I went to harvard and how dare you dont get me a Greencard. I will go back to India/China". It doesnt really make a difference to them. They have people WORKING FOR THEM in their staff who went to Ivy league schools.
And frankly, Gautam, your tone of asking the question was..."what are you doing about this...you dont understand what you are losing , you will lose us to India and China and France"....is THE WRONG TONE. It was nowhere near polite or calm. It was pretty "WTF" attitude like you said we should all use, and IT WONT WORK. If shouting out, yelling, soundbites and rhetoric would have worked, we would have gotten the job done a long time ago.
Merits of the issue and argument is one thing...no matter how strong your point is YOU HAVE TO be POLITE and be FRIENDLY and ask nicely. Otherwise you will really get nothing back from your lawmakers.
Its not like you are going to threaten to vote against them. YOU HAVE NO VOTING power for next 15 years.
Gautam: We understand that you are not an IV member and you attended a public event and asked the congressman a question and got a dissatisfactory answer to your question.
It was a public event and it was well within your rights to ask your question. Fine.
Here is the issue with your questions and expectation and also with expectation of other members who have been thoroughly dissatisfied on Saturday:
1). Need to temper expectations, lawmakers are not really experts in Immigration law or any law...they set policy...they dont practice law everyday...
Firstly, your question is such that it is beyond congressman's capacity to answer. You asked about the non-immigrant intent tied to the student visa and you said that it doesnt make sense to have that non-immigrant intent on student visas and its prevent you from getting a degree from your school where you are getting/got admission.
You have to realize that these are highly technical issues and no Congressman or Senator....NONE...not even Ted Kennedy, not even John McCain (they have spent good part of this decade coming up with comprehensive bill last year) would understand deeply technical legal issues like "Non Immigrant Intent" in the law and the bills. NOT EVEN JOHN CORNYN who has spend huge time on skilled immigration and whose previous bill actually has stuff to remove the non-immigrant intent from student visa adjudication in consulates. Lawmakers work at policy level and THEIR STAFF works the details. The kind of question you asked was something that you can get answers on from a staff member. And not just any staff member, it has to the the JUDICIARY COUNSEL of the congressman or the Senator. Otherwise, they would not know the different between H1 and F1 and the difference between GC quota (140,000) and H1 Quota (65,000).
Congress passes thousands of bills each year. Each day in session, Congressmen vote on over a dozen bills. For each bill they vote, they get a 5-10 line brief description. So never expect lawmakers to know your issues in that great details.
2). Need to have a polite tone.
This point I am making is not just pertinent to you (Gautam), but to everyone. When you are dealing with a lawmaker so closely involved with a 700-page bill of which 98% is dealing with sparing the lives of 11 million illegals who are living in fear of deportation, prison, raids and separation from their children, you have to be VERY VERY CAREFUL when asking for things like "I am not getting GC therefore, I cant get promotion", "I am making only 80K and with GC I can make 120K", "I cannot go to Ivy league school for next 2 years"... Not that these arent legit issues. They are. But when a person sees questions from the undocumented community, some of them were breaking into tears when asking questions...your questions and your tone has to be very careful. I dont know if anyone stayed thru the end. I and Pratik were there till the end and we talked to Congressman after the crowd dispersed and there were just some reporters, organizers etc at around 7:45 PM. Some questions towards the end,...people were breaking into tears when asking..."my son cannot go to school anywhere next year when he grads from highschool"..."When are the raids going to stop"...etc. These guys are plucked from their homes and workplace and their Kids actually end up on the streets as it recently happened in New Bedford, Massachussetts. Kids were unable to go home (http://www.boston.com/news/local/massachusetts/articles/2007/03/07/children_stranded_after_immigration_raid/)beause their parents didnt come from work (http://www.boston.com/news/local/massachusetts/articles/2007/03/07/350_are_held_in_immigration_raid/)and there wasnt anyone from social services notified about the parents being picked up by Immigration enforcement.
In the environment, when children possibly become homeless/lost/kidnapped because their parents are in jail suddenly, (read news articles on raids in New Bedford Massachussets (http://www.boston.com/news/local/massachusetts/articles/2007/03/07/children_stranded_after_immigration_raid/)), IF YOU DONT HAVE A VERY SOFT AND POLITE TONE and a very compelling story, your point is going to backfire and you will risk looking like RICH SPOILED AND PRIVILEGED KIDS who ALREADY HAVE LEGAL STATUS and ALREADY HAVE PATH TO CITIZENSHIP and are yelling on top of their lungs to speed that up.
Your case is legit, not doubt, but WHEN IN CONTRAST with undocumented, you run the risk of looking like snobs and elitists. That's just how it is. And lawmakers dont exactly get goosebumps when you name-drop words like "Harvard", "Stanford" and "Berkeley" and "U Penn". Its not like they are going to go weak on their knees when you say "I went to harvard and how dare you dont get me a Greencard. I will go back to India/China". It doesnt really make a difference to them. They have people WORKING FOR THEM in their staff who went to Ivy league schools.
And frankly, Gautam, your tone of asking the question was..."what are you doing about this...you dont understand what you are losing , you will lose us to India and China and France"....is THE WRONG TONE. It was nowhere near polite or calm. It was pretty "WTF" attitude like you said we should all use, and IT WONT WORK. If shouting out, yelling, soundbites and rhetoric would have worked, we would have gotten the job done a long time ago.
Merits of the issue and argument is one thing...no matter how strong your point is YOU HAVE TO be POLITE and be FRIENDLY and ask nicely. Otherwise you will really get nothing back from your lawmakers.
Its not like you are going to threaten to vote against them. YOU HAVE NO VOTING power for next 15 years.
more...
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boreal
08-22 01:36 AM
I am not sure why you guys are so harsh when someone is asking for guidance and help. If you have lot of time please go after the antis...there are lot of websites to rant your farustartion. If you can not give any useful information...please refrain from posting. It just gives very bad light.
Advising someone who is clearly illegal and to top it, feels entitled to a Green card, you guys are giving quite a lot of fodder to the same antis...so please stop this as well!
Advising someone who is clearly illegal and to top it, feels entitled to a Green card, you guys are giving quite a lot of fodder to the same antis...so please stop this as well!
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sandiboy
07-18 08:33 AM
Mine reached on Jul 2nd @ 7:55AM. I was also current per June bulletin but it was filed in July. No Receipt yet.
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amitpan007
06-06 04:31 PM
Hi bodhi_tree and amitpan007,
Were there any LUD's on your application before the approval?
Thanks.
No LUDS since 20-JUL-07 for FP.
Were there any LUD's on your application before the approval?
Thanks.
No LUDS since 20-JUL-07 for FP.
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karthkc
07-14 06:27 PM
I filed for 485 during July 2007. My 140 was already approved. Due to some problems I quit my employer in August 2007. My previous employer was a desi blood sucker. I was fed up & decided to quit after working for him for 3 years. I applied for H1 transfer with a new employer based on approved 140. I got H1 approval for another 3 years. Currently I am working for the new H1 sponsoring employer. I also received an EAD card based on pending 485 for one year. I didnt notify USICS of job change in July.
I applied for EAD extension this year. The application for EAD extension is pending. I got a following RFE on my 485:
Please state whether or not you are currently working for your I-140 petitioner.
You must submit a currently dated letter from you permanent employer, describing your present job duties & position in the organization, your proferred position (if different from your current one), the date you began employement & the offered salary & wage. The letter must also indicate whether the terms & conditions of your employement based visa petition (or labor certification) continue to exist.
I am not in good terms with my previous employer so I cant ask him for a letter. I can ask my new employer for such a letter.
Will USCIS come to know I quite Employer A before completing 180 days?
Also is it possible that 140 was revoked by my previous employer?
What document should I send to USCIS now?
Nowhere in this post, do I see the fact that the OP used AC21 when he moved in August 2007.
Does not AC21 come in when you have used EAD to move instead of a H1 transfer?
In my understanding, by doing a H1 transfer rather than invoking AC21, the OP preserved the status of the original petition unless the employer revoked the I140 for fraud. If that's the case, shouldn't the RFE be worded differently?
If that's not the case, all the OP has to do is craft a response to the RFE with an Employment Verification Letter from his current employer attesting to the similar nature of job etc.. and move forward.
Either way, an attorney would be the safest bet..
I applied for EAD extension this year. The application for EAD extension is pending. I got a following RFE on my 485:
Please state whether or not you are currently working for your I-140 petitioner.
You must submit a currently dated letter from you permanent employer, describing your present job duties & position in the organization, your proferred position (if different from your current one), the date you began employement & the offered salary & wage. The letter must also indicate whether the terms & conditions of your employement based visa petition (or labor certification) continue to exist.
I am not in good terms with my previous employer so I cant ask him for a letter. I can ask my new employer for such a letter.
Will USCIS come to know I quite Employer A before completing 180 days?
Also is it possible that 140 was revoked by my previous employer?
What document should I send to USCIS now?
Nowhere in this post, do I see the fact that the OP used AC21 when he moved in August 2007.
Does not AC21 come in when you have used EAD to move instead of a H1 transfer?
In my understanding, by doing a H1 transfer rather than invoking AC21, the OP preserved the status of the original petition unless the employer revoked the I140 for fraud. If that's the case, shouldn't the RFE be worded differently?
If that's not the case, all the OP has to do is craft a response to the RFE with an Employment Verification Letter from his current employer attesting to the similar nature of job etc.. and move forward.
Either way, an attorney would be the safest bet..
more...
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Administrator2
04-20 03:11 PM
------------------------------------------------
URGENT
------------------------------------------------
We need 4-5 volunteers to make phone calls to IV members in CA. The purpose of the call is to inform and invite IV members in CA about this event so that we all could be well represented at this event. Please post a message or send a private message if you would like to voluneer for this effort. We will provide you with all the information required to make the phone calls to IV members. This task involves volunteering 30-45 minutes of your time. Please help this cause to help us all.
Thanks,
URGENT
------------------------------------------------
We need 4-5 volunteers to make phone calls to IV members in CA. The purpose of the call is to inform and invite IV members in CA about this event so that we all could be well represented at this event. Please post a message or send a private message if you would like to voluneer for this effort. We will provide you with all the information required to make the phone calls to IV members. This task involves volunteering 30-45 minutes of your time. Please help this cause to help us all.
Thanks,
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hrushi_j
09-10 03:27 PM
and will return at 5:00 PM
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tooclose
07-13 09:47 AM
Thanks...Excerpt from the same document
Only persons with a priority date earlier than a cut-off date are entitled to allotment of a visa number. The cut-off dates are the 1st, 8th, 15th, and 22nd of a month, since VO groups demand for numbers under these dates. (Priority dates of the first through seventh of a month are grouped under the 1st, the eighth through the fourteenth under the 8th, etc.)
Source please... or are you just kidding ?
Only persons with a priority date earlier than a cut-off date are entitled to allotment of a visa number. The cut-off dates are the 1st, 8th, 15th, and 22nd of a month, since VO groups demand for numbers under these dates. (Priority dates of the first through seventh of a month are grouped under the 1st, the eighth through the fourteenth under the 8th, etc.)
Source please... or are you just kidding ?
lvinaykumar
04-24 11:53 PM
Congrats guys
vegasbaby
10-12 12:18 AM
Wow. period.
I had no idea the situation was this bad. We were on flippin Grey hound buses, from NY to Buffalo and then two immigration people board the bus and start talking to us.
We were just four students doing our Master's going to Niagara and we had no clue that we needed a passports to travel there, But the thing that pissed me off the most was the attitude of one of the officers.
Here's the actual conversation.
Bus driver before we reach Syracuse: "Immigration officials come up to check documents 90% of the time".
Us: "Dude, you should've told us this in New york city! Why are you telling us this now?"
Officer1: "Sir, your documents"
Me(extremely low tone, pretty scared): "Sorry officer, I didn't realize we needed a passport to travel to Niagara falls. We aren't going over to Canada..."
Officer1 (Voice raising, everyone in the bus was looking at us by this point): "I hope you realize what you're saying. YOU ARE IN DIRECT VIOLATION OF FEDERAL LAW. I have people from 40 countries in my station now and I can take you there RIGHT now."
Me (still scared): "I'm sorry, I thought this was domestic travel, I didn't realize we needed a passport for this. I have my international driver's permit and my Student ID Card as identification"
Officer1:(Passengers looking on, Officer 2 jumps in after this): "You realize you are in MY country? This is not a valid form of ID. Drivers license allows you to drive. This does not constitute a valid immigration document"
(They talk)
Officer 1: "Are these valid?"
Me: "Yes"
Officer 1: "Are you sure? Because I'm going to call up someone to check your immigration record. What Visa are you on?"
Me: "F-1?"
Officer 1: Name?
Me: I tell him.
He calls someone up, finds out, checks my status and returns my ID.
And then Officer 2 goes on this really crappy speech which went like - "Now, I hope you realize that we at the United states have many welcome visitors from all over the world...Blah blah.. you just need to carry your Passport with you wherever you go".
Not sure if this is the fabled "good-cop, bad-cop", but damn I was so pissed at the end of it all. I almost wanted to say I want a lawyer, but we were on a vacation, long weekend, didn't want to ruin everything :(
Damn, I miss India now.
I work at El centro, CA. Its right on the border with Mexico abt 30-40 miles I guess. Each time the immigration officer stops me w/o fail & checks for my papers. Law is I guess, if you are traveling from 40 miles of US border with Canada/Mexico, you need to carry immigration papers.
I had no idea the situation was this bad. We were on flippin Grey hound buses, from NY to Buffalo and then two immigration people board the bus and start talking to us.
We were just four students doing our Master's going to Niagara and we had no clue that we needed a passports to travel there, But the thing that pissed me off the most was the attitude of one of the officers.
Here's the actual conversation.
Bus driver before we reach Syracuse: "Immigration officials come up to check documents 90% of the time".
Us: "Dude, you should've told us this in New york city! Why are you telling us this now?"
Officer1: "Sir, your documents"
Me(extremely low tone, pretty scared): "Sorry officer, I didn't realize we needed a passport to travel to Niagara falls. We aren't going over to Canada..."
Officer1 (Voice raising, everyone in the bus was looking at us by this point): "I hope you realize what you're saying. YOU ARE IN DIRECT VIOLATION OF FEDERAL LAW. I have people from 40 countries in my station now and I can take you there RIGHT now."
Me (still scared): "I'm sorry, I thought this was domestic travel, I didn't realize we needed a passport for this. I have my international driver's permit and my Student ID Card as identification"
Officer1:(Passengers looking on, Officer 2 jumps in after this): "You realize you are in MY country? This is not a valid form of ID. Drivers license allows you to drive. This does not constitute a valid immigration document"
(They talk)
Officer 1: "Are these valid?"
Me: "Yes"
Officer 1: "Are you sure? Because I'm going to call up someone to check your immigration record. What Visa are you on?"
Me: "F-1?"
Officer 1: Name?
Me: I tell him.
He calls someone up, finds out, checks my status and returns my ID.
And then Officer 2 goes on this really crappy speech which went like - "Now, I hope you realize that we at the United states have many welcome visitors from all over the world...Blah blah.. you just need to carry your Passport with you wherever you go".
Not sure if this is the fabled "good-cop, bad-cop", but damn I was so pissed at the end of it all. I almost wanted to say I want a lawyer, but we were on a vacation, long weekend, didn't want to ruin everything :(
Damn, I miss India now.
I work at El centro, CA. Its right on the border with Mexico abt 30-40 miles I guess. Each time the immigration officer stops me w/o fail & checks for my papers. Law is I guess, if you are traveling from 40 miles of US border with Canada/Mexico, you need to carry immigration papers.
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