During a presentation by Patrick Heneghan, the party’s election guru, they were warned that hundreds of council seats in England could be lost, along with control of the Welsh assembly. In Scotland, they were told, third place behind the Tories was inevitable and the London mayoral election was too close to call.
Excellent. The blues gained an additional 32 councils and 500 councillors (up 10%!) in May. Wonder how many more we can add
I thought you were in God's Own Country, overseas division?
Formerly part of the Greater Yorkshire Empire?
Yep, currently in the Bay Area.
I assume that's not Hudson's Bay, Whitley Bay or Robin Hood's Bay
I'm in the general vicinity of a bay. I'll say no more.
Best way to get a Green Card - come ashore on a rubber boat on the Greek island of Leros and claim refugee status. Obama will make you the poster child.
Unfortunately the last 4 years (5 by the time my visa is up) I'll have gained none of my years resident required to get a green card as I'm not on an immigrant visa. Bit of a bummer really.
The way I got here was by applying for a job and my employer was willing to sponsor me for an H1-B visa. It took 2 years, but was worth it. I am sure you could arrange such a position if you wanted to. Of course, this was 1980. Today I assume things are faster.
I thought you needed to be on an immigrant visa for five years before being eligible for a green card? Maybe things now are slower
Rob, your understanding is correct. The 5 year residency requirement stands.
Depending on your experience and level of expertise, you might qualify for an EB1 (Alien of Extraordinary Ability). This is not employer-dependent, nor do you have to show employment. It is based upon being in the top few percent globally of experts in your field. Although, like the H1 visas, this is not a green card per se, it is most definitely considered by the INS as a fast-track to permanent residence.
During a presentation by Patrick Heneghan, the party’s election guru, they were warned that hundreds of council seats in England could be lost, along with control of the Welsh assembly. In Scotland, they were told, third place behind the Tories was inevitable and the London mayoral election was too close to call.
Excellent. The blues gained an additional 32 councils and 500 councillors (up 10%!) in May. Wonder how many more we can add
I thought you were in God's Own Country, overseas division?
Formerly part of the Greater Yorkshire Empire?
Yep, currently in the Bay Area.
I assume that's not Hudson's Bay, Whitley Bay or Robin Hood's Bay
I'm in the general vicinity of a bay. I'll say no more.
Best way to get a Green Card - come ashore on a rubber boat on the Greek island of Leros and claim refugee status. Obama will make you the poster child.
Unfortunately the last 4 years (5 by the time my visa is up) I'll have gained none of my years resident required to get a green card as I'm not on an immigrant visa. Bit of a bummer really.
The way I got here was by applying for a job and my employer was willing to sponsor me for an H1-B visa. It took 2 years, but was worth it. I am sure you could arrange such a position if you wanted to. Of course, this was 1980. Today I assume things are faster.
I thought you needed to be on an immigrant visa for five years before being eligible for a green card? Maybe things now are slower
Rob, your understanding is correct. The 5 year residency requirement stands.
Depending on your experience and level of expertise, you might qualify for an EB1 (Alien of Extraordinary Ability). This is not employer-dependent, nor do you have to show employment. It is based upon being in the top few percent globally of experts in your field. Although, like the H1 visas, this is not a green card per se, it is most definitely considered by the INS as a fast-track to permanent residence.
Alas, being a world-class PB Tory probably doesn't qualify me for such a prestigious visa
An H1-B IS a green card. Your best bet is to find an immigration attorney. He or she will give you 30 minutes or so for free, and explain your options. You will need an attorney to guide you through the process. Reach for the phone book. It's a complex process and you HAVE to have an attorney.
Of course, not knowing which bay you are near could be a limiting factor
Tim, I don't think the H-1A, H-1B etc... are green cards.
"The H-1B is a non-immigrant visa in the United States under the Immigration and Nationality Act, section 101(a)(15)(H). It allows U.S. employers to temporarily employ foreign workers in specialty occupations."
Neither is the EB1 (the route I took), which is considered a pathway to a green card. The H1s are visas for professions with skills shortages and are generally good for (IIRC) 6 years, but have to be converted to green cards at the end of that period through a formal application process.
I went through this in 1980-81. It's 35 years ago, so I may be a tad hazy on this.
If the employer offered you the job, then the process started of employing you over US residents who had submitted resumes. If they accepted your experience / qualifications then you had to submit evidence of your experience from previous employers. Then you went through the usual interview, medical etc.
I'm sure it must have changed since then, which is why I was insistent that Rob should see an immigration attorney.
Maybe my mind is playing tricks, it was an employment skills based visa. I insisted I would not enter the US until I had my green card. I got it.
Comments
Depending on your experience and level of expertise, you might qualify for an EB1 (Alien of Extraordinary Ability). This is not employer-dependent, nor do you have to show employment. It is based upon being in the top few percent globally of experts in your field. Although, like the H1 visas, this is not a green card per se, it is most definitely considered by the INS as a fast-track to permanent residence.
If the employer offered you the job, then the process started of employing you over US residents who had submitted resumes. If they accepted your experience / qualifications then you had to submit evidence of your experience from previous employers. Then you went through the usual interview, medical etc.
I'm sure it must have changed since then, which is why I was insistent that Rob should see an immigration attorney.
Maybe my mind is playing tricks, it was an employment skills based visa. I insisted I would not enter the US until I had my green card. I got it.