hi4signs
01-22 08:54 PM
I just found out that I have an employment gap of 11 months working without authorization. I applied for an I-485 in 2007 (I-140 approved) and my paralegal told me I didn't need to renew my H-1 nor apply for EA, I was covered by the pending I-485. Today I got a RFE requesting proof of authorization to work since my h-1 expired, and realized I couldn't be working when I hired a real lawyer to take care of this case and she informed me so. How to respond my RFE??? Would they forgive 11 months of working without permit because of bad advice? I have a 9 year history of keeping my papers legal and up to date until this incident. Please help!
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yabadaba
07-31 02:34 PM
check out immigrationportal.com
the reason you wont get anywhere in terms of answers in a public forum is because you have not provided us with any relevant information. which forms were filed by your grandfather...which category was it filed under.
did your grandfather not file form I-765? that is an employment authorization document...giving your mom unrestricted permission to work.
the reason you wont get anywhere in terms of answers in a public forum is because you have not provided us with any relevant information. which forms were filed by your grandfather...which category was it filed under.
did your grandfather not file form I-765? that is an employment authorization document...giving your mom unrestricted permission to work.
geesee
08-10 12:43 PM
My check has a temp address of NJ - After that my address changed 3 times ... I didn't even mention that address in G325 because i stayed there for 30 days temporarily ....
Am i screwed ? This thing is going beyond Limit now... They are NOT leaving any option other than settling to other countries like CANADA or Europe...
Europe: never heard of this "country" :D
Am i screwed ? This thing is going beyond Limit now... They are NOT leaving any option other than settling to other countries like CANADA or Europe...
Europe: never heard of this "country" :D
2011 Thank you for your service
senk1s
05-08 01:40 AM
In our case (also Jul 2007) the Dr gave sealed envelopes ... and we gave it to our attorney.
What did yor attorney say about this RFE?
What did yor attorney say about this RFE?
more...
ski_dude12
04-01 05:51 PM
Why did you not stick with the approved labor with company A, thus retaining the priority date of Nov 2006???
If you used substitution labor just to get ahead of others who are in the line, then I hope no one answers your query. I won't be as critical as zCool but substitute labor cases are repulsive.
If you used substitution labor just to get ahead of others who are in the line, then I hope no one answers your query. I won't be as critical as zCool but substitute labor cases are repulsive.
NKR
10-09 12:04 PM
Texas has joined the bandwagon. Starting 10/1 anyone other than Perm Residents and Citizens will have to show proof of legal residency and will only be issued a 1 yr license that will look different from everyone elses. Seee details in the link below
http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/front/6047852.html
Welcome dude, I am from GA and a couple of days ago I applied for H1 renewal in PREMIUM, that is 1K spent just to be able to get my H1 renewal approved before my DL expires this month end.
Why can't I use EAD?.
My EAD is getting expired this month end too.
Why didn't I apply for renewal before?.
I am early 2004 EB2 I applicant, my date was current and I was expecting GC anytime soon, but I beleive USCIS was busy processing newer application and my PD moved back this month.
http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/front/6047852.html
Welcome dude, I am from GA and a couple of days ago I applied for H1 renewal in PREMIUM, that is 1K spent just to be able to get my H1 renewal approved before my DL expires this month end.
Why can't I use EAD?.
My EAD is getting expired this month end too.
Why didn't I apply for renewal before?.
I am early 2004 EB2 I applicant, my date was current and I was expecting GC anytime soon, but I beleive USCIS was busy processing newer application and my PD moved back this month.
more...
pbuckeye
09-02 02:04 PM
[B]
I am 100% sure , H4 visa holders cannot work in any position which pays them. It is a violation of the visa.
Does that also apply to a case where the person is employed in another country and getting paid there? What about a case where the H4 holder travels to their home country and works for 3 months at a local company and gets paid for it?
Correct me if I am wrong but I would think the rule only applies if you work and earn money in the US.
I am 100% sure , H4 visa holders cannot work in any position which pays them. It is a violation of the visa.
Does that also apply to a case where the person is employed in another country and getting paid there? What about a case where the H4 holder travels to their home country and works for 3 months at a local company and gets paid for it?
Correct me if I am wrong but I would think the rule only applies if you work and earn money in the US.
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ultrasparc
09-01 08:13 PM
My PD is in Apr 2002, EB3. I filed for EAD renewal on Jun 23 2008. Got approval on Aug 13 2008. got EAD for 1 year in mail instead of 2 year.
I called USCIS they told me use EAD and file new I9 form with employer based on this 1 year EAD. Then re-file new I765 form with USCIS with cover letter explaining why I should get two year EAD; plus send orginal EAD back. if USCIS find any error on their side they will correct it and send new EAD cards.
I am scared to send orignal EAD back.. just in case employer ask for EAD card again!!
Is this procedure sounds right? Any one have any experience with this process?
I called USCIS they told me use EAD and file new I9 form with employer based on this 1 year EAD. Then re-file new I765 form with USCIS with cover letter explaining why I should get two year EAD; plus send orginal EAD back. if USCIS find any error on their side they will correct it and send new EAD cards.
I am scared to send orignal EAD back.. just in case employer ask for EAD card again!!
Is this procedure sounds right? Any one have any experience with this process?
more...
India76
06-04 11:24 AM
Senate is planning to vote on THIS friday and I don't see any urgency or any heat(debate) on this topic. today they will strat debating at 2:30????
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Pineapple
04-27 07:56 AM
read this:
Congressional Dems Say No Immigration Bill Anytime Soon - The Gaggle Blog - Newsweek.com (http://blog.newsweek.com/blogs/thegaggle/archive/2010/04/26/congressional-dems-say-no-immigration-bill-anytime-soon.aspx?hpid=topnews)
Congressional Dems Say No Immigration Bill Anytime Soon - The Gaggle Blog - Newsweek.com (http://blog.newsweek.com/blogs/thegaggle/archive/2010/04/26/congressional-dems-say-no-immigration-bill-anytime-soon.aspx?hpid=topnews)
more...
test101
06-14 09:32 PM
Hi
Can I file for the I-485 before july 1st 2007?
I doing my medical exam next week on the 20th, that's the earliest i could get in MA.
However i'm going to do my x-ray tomorrow, because i always test positive after the TB test, but x-ray negative. Does it hurt to do the x-ray earlier that the actual TB test (PPD)? my doctor said it does not hurt and he will accept it. Does any one know if there going to be a problem with that ?
thanks for your help.
Can I file for the I-485 before july 1st 2007?
I doing my medical exam next week on the 20th, that's the earliest i could get in MA.
However i'm going to do my x-ray tomorrow, because i always test positive after the TB test, but x-ray negative. Does it hurt to do the x-ray earlier that the actual TB test (PPD)? my doctor said it does not hurt and he will accept it. Does any one know if there going to be a problem with that ?
thanks for your help.
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leoindiano
04-06 12:52 PM
How about this?
If a company located outside of united states, it cannot apply for more than 300 H1B's? I heard WIPRO and INFOSYS applied 6000 each this year
If a company located outside of united states, it cannot apply for more than 300 H1B's? I heard WIPRO and INFOSYS applied 6000 each this year
more...
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bidhanc
03-06 10:57 PM
Same here. We submitted 485 on Jul2 without our medicals and some other major documents like birth certificates etc. Have had not issues till now. Got our receipt notices for 485, AP & EAD. Also got our EADs pretty quickly.
Wondering whether one can mail in the missing docs (including medical) with the 485 receipt instead of waiting for the RFE. Any ideas?
Hi stu*
Did you get an answer whether we can send the medical papers to USCIS now with I-485 receipts?
Would it work?
Anyone??
Wondering whether one can mail in the missing docs (including medical) with the 485 receipt instead of waiting for the RFE. Any ideas?
Hi stu*
Did you get an answer whether we can send the medical papers to USCIS now with I-485 receipts?
Would it work?
Anyone??
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rghrdr777
10-25 09:19 AM
Just spoke with a TSC IO. She was a pretty nice lady and answered all my questions. Apparently, mine and my spouse's AP were approved on 10/17/2007. We still didn't receive the APs. The online status still shows pending. I believe my attorney may receive the AP docs.
I've asked her about my Name Check and Fingerprint. According to her my name check was initiated on 8/9/2007 and it is pending. My FBI fingerprint check came back on 9/10/2007.
TSC (Sent to NSC. Got transferred to TSC)
RD: 06/25/2007
ND: 08/01/2007
EAD Self Card Received: 08/23
EAD Spouse Card Received: 08/25
FP done for myself and Spouse: 09/06
Name check initiated on 08/09/2007 and is pending
AP: Waiting (according to TSC IO approved on 10/17/2007)
GC: Waiting
I've asked her about my Name Check and Fingerprint. According to her my name check was initiated on 8/9/2007 and it is pending. My FBI fingerprint check came back on 9/10/2007.
TSC (Sent to NSC. Got transferred to TSC)
RD: 06/25/2007
ND: 08/01/2007
EAD Self Card Received: 08/23
EAD Spouse Card Received: 08/25
FP done for myself and Spouse: 09/06
Name check initiated on 08/09/2007 and is pending
AP: Waiting (according to TSC IO approved on 10/17/2007)
GC: Waiting
more...
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GCard_Dream
04-23 02:50 PM
Have you or someone you khow actually been able to get a copy of I-140 using G-639? If so when was that and what was the processing time?
The reason I ask is because I have heard all kinds of stories about using FOIA to get a copy of I-140.
- Some say that you can not only get I-140 but also copies of your labor cert and they have actually received it.
- Some say that USCIS responded back saying that it was employer's property and hence can't be given to the employee.
- Some say that it just takes too damn long (over a year) to be any meaningful.
By the way, I just sent the G-639 myself couple of weeks ago. Will let you know if I was successful in getting a copy.
To get a copy of your I-140, you need to apply to USCIS using G-639 form. Please read the instruction of the form and you will know more. You need to mention your employer's info and I-140 receipt # etc.
Now a days it takes time. Almost 3 months.
URL: http://www.ed.gov/policy/gen/leg/foia/foiatoc.html
The Freedom of Information Act (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. � 552, was enacted in 1966 and generally provides that :
-Any person has the right to request access to federal agency records or information.
-All agencies of the U.S. Government are required to disclose records upon receiving a written request for them.
-There are nine exemptions to the FOIA that protect certain records from disclosure.
The reason I ask is because I have heard all kinds of stories about using FOIA to get a copy of I-140.
- Some say that you can not only get I-140 but also copies of your labor cert and they have actually received it.
- Some say that USCIS responded back saying that it was employer's property and hence can't be given to the employee.
- Some say that it just takes too damn long (over a year) to be any meaningful.
By the way, I just sent the G-639 myself couple of weeks ago. Will let you know if I was successful in getting a copy.
To get a copy of your I-140, you need to apply to USCIS using G-639 form. Please read the instruction of the form and you will know more. You need to mention your employer's info and I-140 receipt # etc.
Now a days it takes time. Almost 3 months.
URL: http://www.ed.gov/policy/gen/leg/foia/foiatoc.html
The Freedom of Information Act (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. � 552, was enacted in 1966 and generally provides that :
-Any person has the right to request access to federal agency records or information.
-All agencies of the U.S. Government are required to disclose records upon receiving a written request for them.
-There are nine exemptions to the FOIA that protect certain records from disclosure.
dresses Thank you for your continued
newlife2
09-19 10:16 PM
Guys, I was just laid off and have efiled i539 3 days after the termination date for a status change to F2. Now working on the application letter. Do you think I should mention the layoff in the letter?
If I do mention it:
Con: The layoff might quickly catch the eyes of the immigration officer and if he want to check my status, he could find out the 3 days OOS.
Pro: My previous job was well paid. By mentioning it, I give the reason that why I want to stay at home as F2 instead of keeping the well paid job.
I guess I will mention it in the letter to explain the whole situation and hope everything will be all right. Let me know if anybody disagrees asap, I will mail out the stuff with in next two days.
If I do mention it:
Con: The layoff might quickly catch the eyes of the immigration officer and if he want to check my status, he could find out the 3 days OOS.
Pro: My previous job was well paid. By mentioning it, I give the reason that why I want to stay at home as F2 instead of keeping the well paid job.
I guess I will mention it in the letter to explain the whole situation and hope everything will be all right. Let me know if anybody disagrees asap, I will mail out the stuff with in next two days.
more...
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cat555
07-09 12:20 PM
I was in a consulting field with employer taking 30% and me getting 70%.
He supposed to deduct $400 for medical insurance from my paycheck -biweekly, instead deduction was only $200. I never knew that.
My question is why not he acted immediately after knowing the error?
Why should I pay for somebody's mistake?
Am I going to get any tax benefit now?
Why not he deducted single penny in last 2 months before I left?
I didn't sign any paper to pay him back over a period neither did he come up with any plan.
All this proves that he agreed to waive off while I was working for him.
He supposed to deduct $400 for medical insurance from my paycheck -biweekly, instead deduction was only $200. I never knew that.
My question is why not he acted immediately after knowing the error?
Why should I pay for somebody's mistake?
Am I going to get any tax benefit now?
Why not he deducted single penny in last 2 months before I left?
I didn't sign any paper to pay him back over a period neither did he come up with any plan.
All this proves that he agreed to waive off while I was working for him.
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rockstart
04-23 04:17 PM
Thanks for the response guys. I think it is better to change address because address forwarding does not work with USCIS letters. I have seen the trouble my friend had to go through to get his GC.
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gsvisu
07-12 02:39 PM
Some famous Indian Americans that I googled on. Will it be a good idea to approach / send them notes ?
Politics
------
Kumar P. Barve, State legislator and Majority Leader of the Maryland House of Delegates
Satveer Chaudhary, state Senator in Minnesota.
Toby Chaudhuri, Democratic communications strategist.
Swati Dandekar, an Iowa State Representative
Dinesh D'Souza, a conservative commentator and author
Kris Kolluri, New Jersey Commissioner of Transportation.
Upendra Chivukula, state legislator (New Jersey General Assembly); first Indian-American elected to the NJ legislature.
Kamala Harris, District Attorney of San Francisco; first Indian-American elected as a D.A. in the United States. Her sister, Maya Harris, was made the Executive Director of the ACLU of Northern California in October 2006.
Bobby Jindal, U.S. Congressman from Louisiana; former gubernatorial candidate; Republican.
Raj Mukherji, New Jersey lobbyist and businessman.
Vij Pawar, New Jersey attorney and former congressional candidate.
Ramesh Ponnuru, contributing editor at the National Review, political commentator
Dalip Singh Saund, the first Indian-American congressman, was a Democratic member of the U.S. House of Representatives from California
S. R. Sidarth, Democratic campaign volunteer who sparked the George Allen "Macaca" incident.
Shashi Tharoor, Undersecretary General for Communications and Public Information for the United Nations. Candidate for UN general secretary post
Sanjay Puri, Chairman of USINPAC & USIBA
Nikki Haley, South Carolina legislator
Rachel Paulose first woman to become a U.S. Attorney in Minnesota, US Attorney for the District of Minnesota
Sameer Kanal, Democratic National Convention 2004 delegate for Howard Dean from Washington.
Dr. Joy Cherian Appointed by President Reagan to be first Asian and Indian American to head the Equal Employemnt Opportunity Commission (EEOC) in 1987
Politics
------
Kumar P. Barve, State legislator and Majority Leader of the Maryland House of Delegates
Satveer Chaudhary, state Senator in Minnesota.
Toby Chaudhuri, Democratic communications strategist.
Swati Dandekar, an Iowa State Representative
Dinesh D'Souza, a conservative commentator and author
Kris Kolluri, New Jersey Commissioner of Transportation.
Upendra Chivukula, state legislator (New Jersey General Assembly); first Indian-American elected to the NJ legislature.
Kamala Harris, District Attorney of San Francisco; first Indian-American elected as a D.A. in the United States. Her sister, Maya Harris, was made the Executive Director of the ACLU of Northern California in October 2006.
Bobby Jindal, U.S. Congressman from Louisiana; former gubernatorial candidate; Republican.
Raj Mukherji, New Jersey lobbyist and businessman.
Vij Pawar, New Jersey attorney and former congressional candidate.
Ramesh Ponnuru, contributing editor at the National Review, political commentator
Dalip Singh Saund, the first Indian-American congressman, was a Democratic member of the U.S. House of Representatives from California
S. R. Sidarth, Democratic campaign volunteer who sparked the George Allen "Macaca" incident.
Shashi Tharoor, Undersecretary General for Communications and Public Information for the United Nations. Candidate for UN general secretary post
Sanjay Puri, Chairman of USINPAC & USIBA
Nikki Haley, South Carolina legislator
Rachel Paulose first woman to become a U.S. Attorney in Minnesota, US Attorney for the District of Minnesota
Sameer Kanal, Democratic National Convention 2004 delegate for Howard Dean from Washington.
Dr. Joy Cherian Appointed by President Reagan to be first Asian and Indian American to head the Equal Employemnt Opportunity Commission (EEOC) in 1987
tabletpc
05-28 11:32 AM
Greatly apprecite if anyone can give their inputs...
I have PD with dec 2006 and 140 approved. Filed 485 in July 2007. For october 2008 I will be done with 4 years of H1b. I am single and I may not get married untill later 2009 due to some family responsibalities. I am kind of concered about 485 getting approval by then which might jeoperdise my spouse visa later. Based on the present processing speed, mine might take minmum 2 years. But bit concerend what if USCICS make a mistake in processing 485 in terms of picking 485 from a later date and approving it?
So my query is...
1. If I now withdraw my 485 and later change company. SHould I again get a new labor and i140 approved with new company to file for 485.( Here I understand I can port my PD.).
Any inputs will be greatly apprecited....
I have PD with dec 2006 and 140 approved. Filed 485 in July 2007. For october 2008 I will be done with 4 years of H1b. I am single and I may not get married untill later 2009 due to some family responsibalities. I am kind of concered about 485 getting approval by then which might jeoperdise my spouse visa later. Based on the present processing speed, mine might take minmum 2 years. But bit concerend what if USCICS make a mistake in processing 485 in terms of picking 485 from a later date and approving it?
So my query is...
1. If I now withdraw my 485 and later change company. SHould I again get a new labor and i140 approved with new company to file for 485.( Here I understand I can port my PD.).
Any inputs will be greatly apprecited....
Berkeleybee
02-05 02:30 PM
All,
Just wanted to say, if you think everything is going to be fine cos PACE has 30 democrat and 30 republican supporters, think again. The right wing has already mobilized its talking heads, look for more stories that discredit the basic premises of PACE and the American Competitiveness Initiative.
This from David Brooks, Op Ed columnist at the NYT, on Feb 2, 2006.
Copyright 2006 The New York Times Company
The New York Times
February 2, 2006 Thursday
Late Edition - Final
HEADLINE: The Nation of the Future
BYLINE: By DAVID BROOKS
BODY:
Everywhere I go people tell me China and India are going to blow by us in the coming decades. They've got the hunger. They've got the people. They've got the future. We're a tired old power, destined to fade back to the second tier of nations, like Britain did in the 20th century.
This sentiment is everywhere -- except in the evidence. The facts and figures tell a different story.
Has the United States lost its vitality? No. Americans remain the hardest working people on the face of the earth and the most productive. As William W. Lewis, the founding director of the McKinsey Global Institute, wrote, ''The United States is the productivity leader in virtually every industry.'' And productivity rates are surging faster now than they did even in the 1990's.
Has the United States stopped investing in the future? No. The U.S. accounts for roughly 40 percent of the world's R. & D. spending. More money was invested in research and development in this country than in the other G-7 nations combined.
Is the United States becoming a less important player in the world economy? Not yet. In 1971, the U.S. economy accounted for 30.52 percent of the world's G.D.P. Since then, we've seen the rise of Japan, China, India and the Asian tigers. The U.S. now accounts for 30.74 percent of world G.D.P., a slightly higher figure.
What about the shortage of scientists and engineers? Vastly overblown. According to Duke School of Engineering researchers, the U.S. produces more engineers per capita than China or India. According to The Wall Street Journal, firms with engineering openings find themselves flooded with resumes. Unemployment rates for scientists and engineers are no lower than for other professions, and in some specialties, such as electrical engineering, they are notably higher.
Michael Teitelbaum of the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation told The Wall Street Journal last November, ''No one I know who has looked at the data with an open mind has been able to find any sign of a current shortage.'' The G.A.O., the RAND Corporation and many other researchers have picked apart the quickie studies that warn of a science and engineering gap. ''We did not find evidence that such shortages have existed at least since 1990, nor that they are on the horizon,'' the RAND report concluded.
What about America's lamentable education system? Well, it's true we do a mediocre job of educating people from age 0 to 18, even though we spend by far more per pupil than any other nation on earth. But we do an outstanding job of training people from ages 18 to 65.
At least 22 out of the top 30 universities in the world are American. More foreign students come to American universities now than before 9/11.
More important, the American workplace is so competitive, companies are compelled to promote lifelong learning. A U.N. report this year ranked the U.S. third in the world in ease of doing business, after New Zealand and Singapore. The U.S. has the second most competitive economy on earth, after Finland, according the latest Global Competitiveness Report. As Michael Porter of Harvard told The National Journal, ''The U.S. is second to none in terms of innovation and an innovative environment.''
What about partisan gridlock and our dysfunctional political system? Well, entitlement debt remains the biggest threat to the country's well-being, but in one area vital to the country's future posterity, we have reached a beneficent consensus. American liberals have given up on industrial policy, and American conservatives now embrace an aggressive federal role for basic research.
Ford and G.M. totter and almost nobody suggests using public money to prop them up. On the other hand, President Bush, reputed to be hostile to science, has increased the federal scientific research budget by 50 percent since taking office, to $137 billion annually. Senators Lamar Alexander and Jeff Bingaman have proposed excellent legislation that would double the R. & D. tax credit and create a Darpa-style lab in the Department of Energy, devoting $9 billion for scientific research and education. That bill has 60 co-sponsors, 30 Democrats and 30 Republicans.
Recent polling suggests that people in Afghanistan and Iraq are more optimistic about their nations' futures than people in the United States. That's just crazy, even given our problems with health care, growing inequality and such. America's problem over the next 50 years will not be wrestling with decline. It will be helping the frustrated individuals and nations left so far behind.
Just wanted to say, if you think everything is going to be fine cos PACE has 30 democrat and 30 republican supporters, think again. The right wing has already mobilized its talking heads, look for more stories that discredit the basic premises of PACE and the American Competitiveness Initiative.
This from David Brooks, Op Ed columnist at the NYT, on Feb 2, 2006.
Copyright 2006 The New York Times Company
The New York Times
February 2, 2006 Thursday
Late Edition - Final
HEADLINE: The Nation of the Future
BYLINE: By DAVID BROOKS
BODY:
Everywhere I go people tell me China and India are going to blow by us in the coming decades. They've got the hunger. They've got the people. They've got the future. We're a tired old power, destined to fade back to the second tier of nations, like Britain did in the 20th century.
This sentiment is everywhere -- except in the evidence. The facts and figures tell a different story.
Has the United States lost its vitality? No. Americans remain the hardest working people on the face of the earth and the most productive. As William W. Lewis, the founding director of the McKinsey Global Institute, wrote, ''The United States is the productivity leader in virtually every industry.'' And productivity rates are surging faster now than they did even in the 1990's.
Has the United States stopped investing in the future? No. The U.S. accounts for roughly 40 percent of the world's R. & D. spending. More money was invested in research and development in this country than in the other G-7 nations combined.
Is the United States becoming a less important player in the world economy? Not yet. In 1971, the U.S. economy accounted for 30.52 percent of the world's G.D.P. Since then, we've seen the rise of Japan, China, India and the Asian tigers. The U.S. now accounts for 30.74 percent of world G.D.P., a slightly higher figure.
What about the shortage of scientists and engineers? Vastly overblown. According to Duke School of Engineering researchers, the U.S. produces more engineers per capita than China or India. According to The Wall Street Journal, firms with engineering openings find themselves flooded with resumes. Unemployment rates for scientists and engineers are no lower than for other professions, and in some specialties, such as electrical engineering, they are notably higher.
Michael Teitelbaum of the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation told The Wall Street Journal last November, ''No one I know who has looked at the data with an open mind has been able to find any sign of a current shortage.'' The G.A.O., the RAND Corporation and many other researchers have picked apart the quickie studies that warn of a science and engineering gap. ''We did not find evidence that such shortages have existed at least since 1990, nor that they are on the horizon,'' the RAND report concluded.
What about America's lamentable education system? Well, it's true we do a mediocre job of educating people from age 0 to 18, even though we spend by far more per pupil than any other nation on earth. But we do an outstanding job of training people from ages 18 to 65.
At least 22 out of the top 30 universities in the world are American. More foreign students come to American universities now than before 9/11.
More important, the American workplace is so competitive, companies are compelled to promote lifelong learning. A U.N. report this year ranked the U.S. third in the world in ease of doing business, after New Zealand and Singapore. The U.S. has the second most competitive economy on earth, after Finland, according the latest Global Competitiveness Report. As Michael Porter of Harvard told The National Journal, ''The U.S. is second to none in terms of innovation and an innovative environment.''
What about partisan gridlock and our dysfunctional political system? Well, entitlement debt remains the biggest threat to the country's well-being, but in one area vital to the country's future posterity, we have reached a beneficent consensus. American liberals have given up on industrial policy, and American conservatives now embrace an aggressive federal role for basic research.
Ford and G.M. totter and almost nobody suggests using public money to prop them up. On the other hand, President Bush, reputed to be hostile to science, has increased the federal scientific research budget by 50 percent since taking office, to $137 billion annually. Senators Lamar Alexander and Jeff Bingaman have proposed excellent legislation that would double the R. & D. tax credit and create a Darpa-style lab in the Department of Energy, devoting $9 billion for scientific research and education. That bill has 60 co-sponsors, 30 Democrats and 30 Republicans.
Recent polling suggests that people in Afghanistan and Iraq are more optimistic about their nations' futures than people in the United States. That's just crazy, even given our problems with health care, growing inequality and such. America's problem over the next 50 years will not be wrestling with decline. It will be helping the frustrated individuals and nations left so far behind.
