Pic Of The Moment: Descendants Of Immigrants Proudly Tell Other Immigrants To Go Home

[JaneFordA]

27. Legal immigration...

... ain't what is used to be. Thirty-some years ago, when my husband came here on a student visa for a PhD, the process of jumping through the hoops was relatively fast. Transitioning from H-1 wasn't then the nightmare it is now. From the wait while his job was advertized far and wide--and if any U.S. citizens met the requirements and wanted the position, they took priority (which I agree with). After that nail-biting time, that meant the labor clearance hurdle was done. Then the queue for the permanent residence (green card) status.

From the start of the labor clearance to obtaining the green card, I figure it was about six - eight months. Away back then. When Jesus rode dinosaurs, ya know.

Today (and in my opinion), the biggest problem for educated wannabe immigrants is trusting the would-be employer who claims, "Yes, sign this contract and I'll apply for your green card." An H-1 is good for three years with an optional three year extension. I can't tell you how many brilliant kids trust these sharks. And boy howdy, at the end of those six years, they find Employer XYZ had absolutely NO intention of filing the necessary paperwork.

Why should they bother? After all, there's a fresh crop of brilliant kids lined up to take their places.

Can we spell e-x-p-l-o-i-t-a-t-i-o-n? Corporate America sure can!