gunsnkars
11-02 12:15 PM
Couldn't agree more. The problem lies here in the US..Just pure politics...The cost of education is just too high for an american to get a degree whereas a foreign born is able to get it for cheap. Politicians know it and they want to keep it that way. America will just do fine with or without you.
wallpaper 3D illustration, ackground
alterego
03-13 12:34 AM
My analysis for EB2. If some one is not agree with this, please ignore it but don't put any rude comment.
DOL approved labor as follow
For India (all category assume 50% are EB2)
2005 : 1350 (EB2-I : 675
2006 : 22298 (EB2-I : 11149)
2007 : 24573 (EB2-I : 12286)
2007 before July 2007 (approximately 65%)
July 2007 : 15972 (EB2-I : 7986)
2007 labor approval is for FY (up to Sept 07). If person have approved labor before July 2007, 99% he/she might have filed I 485.
Consider derivative (Dependent) factor : 2.5
Following numbers of I 485 pending applications for EB2-I:
2006 : 27872
2007 : 19965
Total : 47837
As per Sen Kyl's information pending I 485 for EB2 India : 51717
PD Before 31 Dec 2005 : 3880
PD Before 31 Dec 2006 : 31752
PD before July 2007 : 51717
If this data is true, It would be easily hit early 2006 cut off date for EB2-I in August/Sept 2009 VB
Good luck to every one !
(Note: I got my Green card in 2007)
Hey Khodalmd,
Good to see some of the old timers hanging around though the got their Green.
As you can see some of those old timers are still languishing here! Funny thing is becoming current is no guarantee of completion of processing, it merely gives you a chance to be hopeful!
This is a massively screwed up immigration system in so many ways. Totally unbefitting of such a great country.
DOL approved labor as follow
For India (all category assume 50% are EB2)
2005 : 1350 (EB2-I : 675
2006 : 22298 (EB2-I : 11149)
2007 : 24573 (EB2-I : 12286)
2007 before July 2007 (approximately 65%)
July 2007 : 15972 (EB2-I : 7986)
2007 labor approval is for FY (up to Sept 07). If person have approved labor before July 2007, 99% he/she might have filed I 485.
Consider derivative (Dependent) factor : 2.5
Following numbers of I 485 pending applications for EB2-I:
2006 : 27872
2007 : 19965
Total : 47837
As per Sen Kyl's information pending I 485 for EB2 India : 51717
PD Before 31 Dec 2005 : 3880
PD Before 31 Dec 2006 : 31752
PD before July 2007 : 51717
If this data is true, It would be easily hit early 2006 cut off date for EB2-I in August/Sept 2009 VB
Good luck to every one !
(Note: I got my Green card in 2007)
Hey Khodalmd,
Good to see some of the old timers hanging around though the got their Green.
As you can see some of those old timers are still languishing here! Funny thing is becoming current is no guarantee of completion of processing, it merely gives you a chance to be hopeful!
This is a massively screwed up immigration system in so many ways. Totally unbefitting of such a great country.
hybrid101
06-09 07:41 AM
Heres mine. Not too good though.
2011 Galaxy, physics engines
mrdelhiite
07-26 07:36 AM
my 2 cents!!
if you are single and apply for 485 and get a EAD can still being ur wife from India on H4 as long as u DO NOT use EAD and DO NOT get 485 approved.
EAD to me has major benefits for the spouse. I think everyone agrees that 485 retrogression gona happen ... so if that happens u cannot get a 485 approval or add ur wife till almost close to 485 approval .. as ur PD wont be current. In this period u will never be able to use EAD as ur dependent will go out of H4 status ...
Also it is never recommended to use EAD and maintain H1 status ... so to me if you are single and have no plans as of yet to get married u will not use the interim benefits and pay EAD fee every year.
u will be in the 485 queue and if anything changes about green card u are atleast far enough to not to start ur application from beginning... also if for some reason u decide to use ur EAD the way around is ur wife to get another Visa like F1 ....
hope this helps.
if you are single and apply for 485 and get a EAD can still being ur wife from India on H4 as long as u DO NOT use EAD and DO NOT get 485 approved.
EAD to me has major benefits for the spouse. I think everyone agrees that 485 retrogression gona happen ... so if that happens u cannot get a 485 approval or add ur wife till almost close to 485 approval .. as ur PD wont be current. In this period u will never be able to use EAD as ur dependent will go out of H4 status ...
Also it is never recommended to use EAD and maintain H1 status ... so to me if you are single and have no plans as of yet to get married u will not use the interim benefits and pay EAD fee every year.
u will be in the 485 queue and if anything changes about green card u are atleast far enough to not to start ur application from beginning... also if for some reason u decide to use ur EAD the way around is ur wife to get another Visa like F1 ....
hope this helps.
more...
smbaps
08-12 01:36 PM
EB3 india, Oct 2003 PD
Macaca
12-09 08:11 AM
GcSoon-Ihope is from France. I thought that retrogression is mainly for India with some effects on China, Philipines and Mexico.
Please explain why bulletins are applicable to you. Thanks.
Merry Christmas!
Please explain why bulletins are applicable to you. Thanks.
Merry Christmas!
more...
jkays94
06-07 06:39 PM
100% agreed. Illegal immigrants do not have any rights/privileges.
The US constitution guarantees the basic rights enshrined within it to all within its borders irrespective of nationality or immigration status. The claim that the undocumented do not have rights is one propagated by Lou Dobbs and other anti-immigrationists. This is why it is possible for an undocumented worker to file a discrimination complaint with the EEOC and win for example.
The US constitution guarantees the basic rights enshrined within it to all within its borders irrespective of nationality or immigration status. The claim that the undocumented do not have rights is one propagated by Lou Dobbs and other anti-immigrationists. This is why it is possible for an undocumented worker to file a discrimination complaint with the EEOC and win for example.
2010 wallpaper transformers
hebbar77
10-03 12:45 PM
Point is all want GC fast. That will not come by fighting between EB2/EB3.
It takes realization of how important skilled immigrants are to US economy.
So Lets not fight within us, lets do what it takes to get what we want.
I come from india, and abt 300 years back fighting between the indian kings led to india being ruled by a foreign nation for 100 years!. Grow up folks , realise what you want!
It takes realization of how important skilled immigrants are to US economy.
So Lets not fight within us, lets do what it takes to get what we want.
I come from india, and abt 300 years back fighting between the indian kings led to india being ruled by a foreign nation for 100 years!. Grow up folks , realise what you want!
more...
syzygy
01-31 02:56 AM
its at 20, lets move it to top 5!
done!!
done!!
hair science quote wallpaper
cooldesi
04-02 08:53 PM
Unfotunately what you are saying sounds cool except that its not true.
Job offer has to be valid on the day petition filed or the specific date mentioned.
There is nothing cool here. Employer did mistake by charging money and candidate came to US uninvited.
Job offer has to be valid on the day petition filed or the specific date mentioned.
There is nothing cool here. Employer did mistake by charging money and candidate came to US uninvited.
more...
srikondoji
07-10 11:42 AM
I can trust this guy because of his recent past blogs which turned true.
Can i celebrate? I want to.
Can i celebrate? I want to.
hot Laser Physics…so naturally
GCard_Dream
01-30 06:35 PM
- from immigration-law.com
After we reported this news, we learned that there were some readers who gravely misunderstood the "final" rule making process. They were confused with the "proposed" rule making process. In the final rule making process, there is no comment period before the rule takes effect. On the date when the final rule is published in the federal register, it becomes a binding rule and the rule-making process is complete. Certain provisions in the final rule may take effect on certain specific later date or dates, but the rule itself becomes a binding law on the date of publication of the rule in the federal register. Accordingly, unless the DOL changed the proposed rule, substitution of the beneficiary of the labor certification will be eliminated on the date of publication which includes the substitution of the beneficiary in the pending labor certification by amendment as well as the substitution of the beneficiary in the approved labor certification. For those who filed the substitution I-140 petition, the proposed rule provided that only "substitution approved" on the date of publication of the rule would survive. Substitution approved can be interpreted to mean approval of the substitution I-140 petition. For the 45-day validity of the certified labor certification, under the proposed rule, the certified labor certification on the date of publication was supposed to have 45 days to file the I-140 petitions. For the labor certifications which are approved after publication of the final rule must file the I-140 petitions within 45 days from the date of certification.
The DOL could have changed part of the proposed rules in the final rule and the readers are cautioned to wait for the release of the final rule before they jump into any conclusion and take a misguided action.
After we reported this news, we learned that there were some readers who gravely misunderstood the "final" rule making process. They were confused with the "proposed" rule making process. In the final rule making process, there is no comment period before the rule takes effect. On the date when the final rule is published in the federal register, it becomes a binding rule and the rule-making process is complete. Certain provisions in the final rule may take effect on certain specific later date or dates, but the rule itself becomes a binding law on the date of publication of the rule in the federal register. Accordingly, unless the DOL changed the proposed rule, substitution of the beneficiary of the labor certification will be eliminated on the date of publication which includes the substitution of the beneficiary in the pending labor certification by amendment as well as the substitution of the beneficiary in the approved labor certification. For those who filed the substitution I-140 petition, the proposed rule provided that only "substitution approved" on the date of publication of the rule would survive. Substitution approved can be interpreted to mean approval of the substitution I-140 petition. For the 45-day validity of the certified labor certification, under the proposed rule, the certified labor certification on the date of publication was supposed to have 45 days to file the I-140 petitions. For the labor certifications which are approved after publication of the final rule must file the I-140 petitions within 45 days from the date of certification.
The DOL could have changed part of the proposed rules in the final rule and the readers are cautioned to wait for the release of the final rule before they jump into any conclusion and take a misguided action.
more...
house Karachi University Physics
somegchuh
07-27 04:04 PM
I am seriously thinking of PMP. If I don't do that I think I will have nothing to show even if I do get GC (which seems unlikely at the moment).
somegchuh..yeah...let's go get ourself a PMP cert???? Maybe we (and others who are interested) can start a PMP study group and get it done soon!!! Then by the time we all get our GC, we can work as a PM making at least 150K a year? Sounds good??? :D (sigh..trying to humor myself in such depressing moment!)
va_labor2002...good for u man..made 100K on ur old house! I wish..I wish....!
somegchuh..yeah...let's go get ourself a PMP cert???? Maybe we (and others who are interested) can start a PMP study group and get it done soon!!! Then by the time we all get our GC, we can work as a PM making at least 150K a year? Sounds good??? :D (sigh..trying to humor myself in such depressing moment!)
va_labor2002...good for u man..made 100K on ur old house! I wish..I wish....!
tattoo Physics, math philosophy
sanju
09-24 12:30 AM
I did not use to word wrong, so dont try to setup strawman arguments. I used the word unfair. And using the reverse argument that you use. It ain't "right" just become you support it.
And yes, it is unfair, because it is unfair for all those promised the current system, not because I think it is unfair.
Well, I could read out for you what you wrote. You wrote that - "I am EB3-India, yet I dont support the removal of per country limits, as there is a reason for the diversity rule, Indians and Chinese are currently on the wrong side of the equation so it seems "fair" to remove the quota."
Does that ring any bell?
And, if everybody was promised the current system, then there should never be any change, ever, because whenever you make any change, it will be unfair to the people who are waiting at that time, right? Even the increase in numbers or recapture is unfair because when we applied, we did not know if recapture will happen, right? So why change. There should be absolutely no change because my galactically stupid friend sc3 thinks he was "promised" something. Open your eye, there was no promise made to you or to anybody else, the system has evolved and will continue to evolve while we continue to wait for approval. Its ok if you don't believe in evolution theory, maybe that evolution thing is also "unfair" and "wrong". You see as we all continue to learn, we all continue to improve ourselves and our surroundings from that process of learning, but there are some who do not want to improve anything, inspite of learning. Here you can argue that learning process is at different level/speed for different people. So that would be quite understandable.... you know what I mean
And yes, it is unfair, because it is unfair for all those promised the current system, not because I think it is unfair.
Well, I could read out for you what you wrote. You wrote that - "I am EB3-India, yet I dont support the removal of per country limits, as there is a reason for the diversity rule, Indians and Chinese are currently on the wrong side of the equation so it seems "fair" to remove the quota."
Does that ring any bell?
And, if everybody was promised the current system, then there should never be any change, ever, because whenever you make any change, it will be unfair to the people who are waiting at that time, right? Even the increase in numbers or recapture is unfair because when we applied, we did not know if recapture will happen, right? So why change. There should be absolutely no change because my galactically stupid friend sc3 thinks he was "promised" something. Open your eye, there was no promise made to you or to anybody else, the system has evolved and will continue to evolve while we continue to wait for approval. Its ok if you don't believe in evolution theory, maybe that evolution thing is also "unfair" and "wrong". You see as we all continue to learn, we all continue to improve ourselves and our surroundings from that process of learning, but there are some who do not want to improve anything, inspite of learning. Here you can argue that learning process is at different level/speed for different people. So that would be quite understandable.... you know what I mean
more...
pictures The Chemistry and Physics
tonyHK12
04-20 06:47 PM
Congrats. Keep those boots hanged up :)
Like I said I have never attacked anybody first, unless I was provoked.
Like I said I have never attacked anybody first, unless I was provoked.
dresses Equations+wallpaper
cal_dood
10-10 01:35 PM
In the end it comes downs to your risk profile and expected rate of return. For example Gold is supposedly safe, but is this a good time to buy ? It is at an all time high (Around $850-900 an ounce. It was around $250 an ounce in 2000). Will it go further up, most probably, but nobody can say how much. Will it come down - you bet.
My take is - all the things in the list are vehicles of diversification. In a portfolio you should have some gold, real estate, stocks, bonds etc. and you need to constantly re-balance your portfolio as per your situation.
Also, if like most people, you don't know how to time the market, dollar-cost averaging is a good option. If you want to add gold to your portfolio, don't buy all of it today. Buy it at intervals - a friend of mine had a very good way to do it. He bought a gold coin at every family occasion - Birthday, Anniversary etc.
If you are not in india, then you are somewhere to earn more than you do than in india. So investment is safe if you can afford to invest in that property without a loan. If you are taking a loan you are getting ripped off. STOP there.
to me agricultural land is next to investment in gold. agri land always holds value(sale value) or appreciates over time. Always you can get decent return by farming something there. So my belief is you always get 6%+ return on investment over short/long period of time.
city properties are just a ripp off. So get only one property if you want to live for yourself.. Investment of say 50 lacs on a flat(condo), may give you a good rent. But for how long? and what % of interest you pay on that loan? And what will the aging affect be on that flat!!...
that way land | house is better choice!
To me below are investment items first the highest safety + return(decreasing order or preference)
1. gold(other precious metals)
2. treasary bonds../govt assured accounts
2. agri land(either in india or US, in is labor is higher)
3. city independent houses
4. select mutual funds
5. stock market
6. Condos
My take is - all the things in the list are vehicles of diversification. In a portfolio you should have some gold, real estate, stocks, bonds etc. and you need to constantly re-balance your portfolio as per your situation.
Also, if like most people, you don't know how to time the market, dollar-cost averaging is a good option. If you want to add gold to your portfolio, don't buy all of it today. Buy it at intervals - a friend of mine had a very good way to do it. He bought a gold coin at every family occasion - Birthday, Anniversary etc.
If you are not in india, then you are somewhere to earn more than you do than in india. So investment is safe if you can afford to invest in that property without a loan. If you are taking a loan you are getting ripped off. STOP there.
to me agricultural land is next to investment in gold. agri land always holds value(sale value) or appreciates over time. Always you can get decent return by farming something there. So my belief is you always get 6%+ return on investment over short/long period of time.
city properties are just a ripp off. So get only one property if you want to live for yourself.. Investment of say 50 lacs on a flat(condo), may give you a good rent. But for how long? and what % of interest you pay on that loan? And what will the aging affect be on that flat!!...
that way land | house is better choice!
To me below are investment items first the highest safety + return(decreasing order or preference)
1. gold(other precious metals)
2. treasary bonds../govt assured accounts
2. agri land(either in india or US, in is labor is higher)
3. city independent houses
4. select mutual funds
5. stock market
6. Condos
more...
makeup Helmets, quantum physics
senthil1
06-11 09:13 AM
I think it should have minimal or no impact on your GC process. Somehow you can get gc. But what is the impact of case in your personal life that is more important. If you have an asset or money those are under risk. But if you have very less savings what they are going to achive by sueing you. Also did you have Insurance? Then they might put you and your Insurance company in lawsuit. Then your Insurance company may fight for you. If they win the case and court ask you to pay 1 million dollars then you can file bankruptsy protection and come out if you have very less money. Fighting is always better option than giving up. But again it is individual's decision. As you have option of going to India. But no such option for Americans
Hi Gurus,
I need an advice from you.
The situation:
-- Involved in a collision few months back. As I had rear ended the vehicle, as per the investigation, it was found it was my fault(80% mine - 20% others)
-- Now after more than 18 months, I get a law suit for 3.25 million dollars(. This was served against ppl who were involved. Right now my I have my EAD and AP and maintaining H1 status.
So what are my options now?
1. Check with attorney and start defending..?
2. pack the bags and go back to my country ? If so, will there be any issues in coming back again, say after 3,4 years?
3. What about my GC?
Any help would be greatly appreciated and I guess it would be a biggest decision of my life ..
Thx,
PD is Nov 2006.
Hi Gurus,
I need an advice from you.
The situation:
-- Involved in a collision few months back. As I had rear ended the vehicle, as per the investigation, it was found it was my fault(80% mine - 20% others)
-- Now after more than 18 months, I get a law suit for 3.25 million dollars(. This was served against ppl who were involved. Right now my I have my EAD and AP and maintaining H1 status.
So what are my options now?
1. Check with attorney and start defending..?
2. pack the bags and go back to my country ? If so, will there be any issues in coming back again, say after 3,4 years?
3. What about my GC?
Any help would be greatly appreciated and I guess it would be a biggest decision of my life ..
Thx,
PD is Nov 2006.
girlfriend batman wallpaper 1920,
indianindian2006
12-09 10:21 AM
Can somebody please explain what does LUD stand for ? Thanks in advance.
lud--last updated date
lud--last updated date
hairstyles 3D illustration, ackground
desi3933
01-29 01:01 PM
desi - from your posts - you always seem to look at things from all sides and your perspectives and views tend to look like "perfect law in perfect world"
Not sure if you are a lawyer or you have a lot of insight into things, but in real world, even lawmaking is unique and vague. Courts and judges go by how best the case is presented and how and in what angle it can be viewed from and how similar things were dealt with in past.
Litigation experts also look at the psychological aspect of stuff. what I want to say is, the entire process of litigation is a huge animal and we can never judge or assess that.
One of my cousin sister is a criminal lawyer in India and when we get to hear the inside scoop of how stuff is handled in courts you will be surprised that your common knowledge about the law is just not good enough.
There are a lot of factors that go into the so caled legal world and mere book knowledge may not be sufficient.
Your views are good, but they definitely are "bookish" in nature.
I am not a lawyer, however I have been studying immigration laws for couple of years. I have gone thru manay AAO and BIA decisions to understand the laws and more important, their current interpretation.
One can learn a lot what arguments staffing companies have put in when their I-129 (H1-B) and I-140 petitions are denied.
My views may be *bookish*, but they are based on lot of experience behind them.
BTW, I work full time for Fortune-50 company (Finance area).
_______________________
US citizen of Indian origin
Not a legal advice.
Not sure if you are a lawyer or you have a lot of insight into things, but in real world, even lawmaking is unique and vague. Courts and judges go by how best the case is presented and how and in what angle it can be viewed from and how similar things were dealt with in past.
Litigation experts also look at the psychological aspect of stuff. what I want to say is, the entire process of litigation is a huge animal and we can never judge or assess that.
One of my cousin sister is a criminal lawyer in India and when we get to hear the inside scoop of how stuff is handled in courts you will be surprised that your common knowledge about the law is just not good enough.
There are a lot of factors that go into the so caled legal world and mere book knowledge may not be sufficient.
Your views are good, but they definitely are "bookish" in nature.
I am not a lawyer, however I have been studying immigration laws for couple of years. I have gone thru manay AAO and BIA decisions to understand the laws and more important, their current interpretation.
One can learn a lot what arguments staffing companies have put in when their I-129 (H1-B) and I-140 petitions are denied.
My views may be *bookish*, but they are based on lot of experience behind them.
BTW, I work full time for Fortune-50 company (Finance area).
_______________________
US citizen of Indian origin
Not a legal advice.
trevor
01-14 02:39 PM
filed a WoM (writ of Mandamus) in New York..what a joke..FBI Name check delay for 5 years !!!!
Time to wake up FBI/USCIS
Time to wake up FBI/USCIS
sobers
02-22 09:51 AM
Bill Frist Website
http://frist.senate.gov/index.cfm?FuseAction=Columns.Detail&Column_id=82
AMERICA MUST NURTURE HOMEGROWN HIGH-TECHNOLOGY WORKFORCE
--Op/Ed in San Jose Mercury News--
Senator Frist listens as Dr. James Wingate, President of LeMoyne-Owen College in Tennessee, expresses support for the inclusion of the SMART Grant program in this week's Senate budget reconciliation bill, 11/2/05
February 2006 - Every time I visit Silicon Valley I'm reminded of a simple fact: American businesses lead the world because they employ talented people. From the top executives at companies like Apple and Cisco to the science and engineering students I'll speak with Monday at San Jose State University, Americans sit on the cutting edge of technology.
We have less than 5 percent of the world's population but produce almost a quarter of its wealth and enjoy the highest per capita income of any large industrial economy. Americans receive more patents than the citizens of any other country, have the world's best university system, do most of the world's basic research, and take home the lion's share of Nobel Prizes in the sciences.
As many people working in Northern California's technology sector have realized, however, we can't afford complacence. China and India together now produce at least twice as many engineers as the United States. Both have fast growing populations and high-quality universities. In search of profits, companies have begun to outsource more low- and medium-skilled jobs to these nations.
No amount of funding, furthermore, would allow the United States to catch -- much less exceed -- China and India's combined production of scientific personnel. We just don't have enough people. Even at our own universities, foreigners earn an ever-increasing percentage of degrees in the hard sciences. Some remain, but many end up taking their valuable skills back home. American companies, meanwhile, have thousands of scientific and engineering openings that they can't fill.
If we hope to remain the world's pre-eminent economic power,/ we need to produce more scientists and engineers and train them better. One recent study, indeed, found that 85 percent of income growth stems from technological change.
While every American deserves a high-quality education, we need to target additional resources on the most talented students to ensure America retains its competitive edge. In particular, we need to provide an incentive to all of America's bright, driven low-income students who want to pursue careers in the sciences. Right now, far too many talented students from poor backgrounds drop out of college or shift away from hard science because of the expense. It's bad for the country.
One program that the president signed into law earlier this year takes the first major step toward fixing the problem. The SMART Grant program, which I developed, will focus assistance on students in science, math and strategic foreign languages who earn B averages or better during their junior and senior years of college. Next year, the California State University system estimates, more than 3,000 students systemwide -- including many at San Jose State -- will benefit from the program. Many will have their tuition payments eliminated entirely and the numbers will rise in coming years as the program attracts more people into the sciences. Thousands more students in the University of California system will also benefit.
Of course, tuition subsidies alone can't ensure that we'll have enough talented workers. In the coming months, Congress will consider the president's proposals to improve K-12 math education, increase funding for basic research, support high-risk/high-reward applied science projects, and make the research and development tax credit permanent. Fiscal realities, of course, will play a role in any final decision as Congress examines these proposals.
Silicon Valley companies already do an excellent job recruiting America's best and brightest. Now the government needs to build on its efforts to increase the ranks of homegrown scientists and engineers.
http://frist.senate.gov/index.cfm?FuseAction=Columns.Detail&Column_id=82
AMERICA MUST NURTURE HOMEGROWN HIGH-TECHNOLOGY WORKFORCE
--Op/Ed in San Jose Mercury News--
Senator Frist listens as Dr. James Wingate, President of LeMoyne-Owen College in Tennessee, expresses support for the inclusion of the SMART Grant program in this week's Senate budget reconciliation bill, 11/2/05
February 2006 - Every time I visit Silicon Valley I'm reminded of a simple fact: American businesses lead the world because they employ talented people. From the top executives at companies like Apple and Cisco to the science and engineering students I'll speak with Monday at San Jose State University, Americans sit on the cutting edge of technology.
We have less than 5 percent of the world's population but produce almost a quarter of its wealth and enjoy the highest per capita income of any large industrial economy. Americans receive more patents than the citizens of any other country, have the world's best university system, do most of the world's basic research, and take home the lion's share of Nobel Prizes in the sciences.
As many people working in Northern California's technology sector have realized, however, we can't afford complacence. China and India together now produce at least twice as many engineers as the United States. Both have fast growing populations and high-quality universities. In search of profits, companies have begun to outsource more low- and medium-skilled jobs to these nations.
No amount of funding, furthermore, would allow the United States to catch -- much less exceed -- China and India's combined production of scientific personnel. We just don't have enough people. Even at our own universities, foreigners earn an ever-increasing percentage of degrees in the hard sciences. Some remain, but many end up taking their valuable skills back home. American companies, meanwhile, have thousands of scientific and engineering openings that they can't fill.
If we hope to remain the world's pre-eminent economic power,/ we need to produce more scientists and engineers and train them better. One recent study, indeed, found that 85 percent of income growth stems from technological change.
While every American deserves a high-quality education, we need to target additional resources on the most talented students to ensure America retains its competitive edge. In particular, we need to provide an incentive to all of America's bright, driven low-income students who want to pursue careers in the sciences. Right now, far too many talented students from poor backgrounds drop out of college or shift away from hard science because of the expense. It's bad for the country.
One program that the president signed into law earlier this year takes the first major step toward fixing the problem. The SMART Grant program, which I developed, will focus assistance on students in science, math and strategic foreign languages who earn B averages or better during their junior and senior years of college. Next year, the California State University system estimates, more than 3,000 students systemwide -- including many at San Jose State -- will benefit from the program. Many will have their tuition payments eliminated entirely and the numbers will rise in coming years as the program attracts more people into the sciences. Thousands more students in the University of California system will also benefit.
Of course, tuition subsidies alone can't ensure that we'll have enough talented workers. In the coming months, Congress will consider the president's proposals to improve K-12 math education, increase funding for basic research, support high-risk/high-reward applied science projects, and make the research and development tax credit permanent. Fiscal realities, of course, will play a role in any final decision as Congress examines these proposals.
Silicon Valley companies already do an excellent job recruiting America's best and brightest. Now the government needs to build on its efforts to increase the ranks of homegrown scientists and engineers.
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