Changes in Immigration Law

Angelika Recently, television reported that many laid-off H-1B holders are unable to find a new employer willing to go through the visa formalities again, and therefore, they actually have to leave the country. One of them was almost in possession of a Green Card, was laid off, and now has to throw his Green Card application in the trash. That made us a bit uneasy, as we are also waiting for our Green Card. We had felt secure not long ago because Clinton, just before leaving office, gave us a new law with the promising name "American Competitiveness in the Twenty-first Century Act of 2000." Interestingly, the title does not mention "Green Card" or "immigration" -- intentionally, because even in the immigration country of America, there is not an entirely positive attitude towards immigrants.

The law passed the conservative Congress in a rather secretive voice vote--it was deliberately kept under wraps to avoid sparking a national debate. The groundbreaking change is that the H-1B visa can be extended beyond the maximum of six years--provided that the employer has applied for the Green Card for the respective employee one year before the H-1B visa expires. This may not sound so spectacular to you, but for us, it is sensational. You surely remember that we have repeatedly mentioned that our situation with the Green Card is very tight, as our six years expire in October 2002, and it takes forever to go through the necessary three steps. With the new law, Michael's H-1B visa can be extended again, and it can be extended until our Green Card is approved. As mentioned, we hope to benefit from these changes and that Bush does not reverse everything.