The USCIS has admitted its fault, reversed its earlier decision, and opened doors for tens of thousands of Green Card applicants again. So, pretty much all those who are eligible for filing application for the last stage of their permanent residency can do so by August 17, 2007. Business Week (wrongly) calls it "Gandhi Protests Pay Off". I don't think that the USCIS lost its sleep over all the bouquets it received. This reversal was primarily due to political pressures, threats of litigation by the AILF, and protests by immigrants and their employers.
The fiasco started when the USCIS opened doors for all employment-based Green Card applicants in June 2007. Most applicants (mainly Desis) spent a few grand for getting their application packages ready. The USCIS suddenly changed its mind at the end of June 2007, and refused to accept AOS applications. AILA threatened to sue the USCIS and there were wide-spread protests from the stake holders. Finally, the USCIS caved-in yesterday and reversed its decision.
I am wondering how this wave of applications is going to affect software job market. Tens of thousands who apply for Green Card in August 2007 will be eligible to change their employers in February 2008 (6 months after their application). Also, 65,000 H1-B Visa holders start their employment in October 2007. Some of these (those who are recruited by head hunters w/o actually having a job) will be looking for a real job in Jan. '08 (as Nov./Dec. are slow months for recruitment). Added to this, a few thousand Fall'07 graduates will be looking for jobs starting Jan. 08. I have a feeling that the software job market will get tighter in early 2008. Excess long-term labor availability might reduce outsourcing too.
Don't mind my ramblings on this subject too much:-) I am just an environmental guy with a few friends in the software industry!
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