Comment

I-485, I-765, and I-131 Address Change

USCIS announced individuals filing: Form I-485, I-765, and I-131 should mail their forms directly to the Chicago Lockbox instead of submitting them to their District Office. This change will be implemented in two phases, beginning December 1, 2004. For the press release, see here.

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Articles

Having Fun in the USA: Food, Entertainment & Shopping
Oliver Oziel writes "Your new country has plenty of opportunities for enjoyment of your leisure time, whether you like shopping, music, good restaurants, or other fun activities."

Assignment Of Social Security Numbers
Gregory Siskind writes "Previously, the SSA issued social security numbers for some “valid nonwork purposes”, such as obtaining a driver’s license."

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Logon for chat Next Chat: Tue, Dec 7, 5PM ET Questions will be accepted starting 15 minutes before the event.	Alice Yardum-Hunter, Esq.
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Letters

Send your letters to weeklyeditor@ilw.com.

Dear Editor:
I found Gregory Siskind's roundup of the new H-1B/L-1 legislation in the omnibus spending bill to be informative but he didn't spend enough time discussing the requirement that makes it illegal to subcontract L-1 visa holders to third parties. This requirement is merely a cut-and-paste from the mostly worthless L-1 reform bill by Sen. Chambliss. Assuming that the USCIS would actually enforce this requirement it would be very easy for bodyshops such as Tata to get around this just by setting up an office within a company where the work is done. For instance, all they would have to do at Siemens is to set up an office on the company site where the work is being done. This is the simplest form of outsourcing and is quite common in high-tech industries. Using IBM as an example, they will set up separate office space within a company such as Honeywell to house IBM workers. Using the outsourcing model it will be easy for Indian bodyshops to subvert this regulation and it will be very difficult to enforce. Once again, Congress is offering "feel-good" legislation instead of something that protects the beleaguered American workforce from being replaced with cheap foreign labor.

Rob Sanchez

Dear Editor:
As we gather around Thanksgiving feasts, and more this holiday season, may I remind you of some blessings that you might not have considered? When chowing down on that turkey, have you ever considered who processed that turkey, from birth to death? Probably migrant labor. These people, who pick the apples, cut the celery, make our American wines, build your ample houses, wash the restaurant dishes...have brown hands and an aching back. They are denied drivers' license, tax refunds, bank accounts, retirement, medical insurance, documents, all because of one reason…they are "illegal". Yet we want cheap, abundant food in our grocery stores, clean, low-cost rooms at our hotels, quick, efficient service at our favorite restaurants, and low wages on the construction sites. And how do we achieve that? By using illegal immigrant labor. Rail against the major corporations that bring them here by the truckloads, be shocked when dozens die in the Arizona desert, be upset when our borders cannot contain the constant flow of people coming here to work. You want cheap food, cheap service, cheap products. And the only way your businesses can provide that is by taking the lowest bidder in the employment line. What can you do to change all this? Start demanding from our elected officials that they stop turning a blind eye to these 10 million + people that wearily labor for us, so that we are comfortable and well-fed. Demand that these "invisible" people be given the credit they deserve, with proper documentation, and rights to live here, as well as work here. You do that, and we will add many millions to our Thanksgiving celebration. And they will thank you for your concern.

Pamela Erwin Mann
Crittenden, KY

Dear Editor:
I want to study under the H-1B visa program. What decuments do I need?

Ezzat Bandari

Dear Editor:
I have not been receiving Immigrant's Weekly for a few months now. I have tried to resubscribe a couple times but still nothing happens. I do not have any spam filters that would stop me from receiving Immigrant's Weekly and I still receive Immigration Daily.

Atena

Editor's Note: We looked into this issue and there is no record of your subscription to Immigrant's Weekly. You have been added to the Immigrant's Weekly subscriber list and you should have begun receiving Immigrant's Weekly as of last week. Please bear in mind that subscription to Immigrant's Weekly and Immigration Daily are independent and require subscribing to both separately.