adusumilli
10-16 06:23 PM
I had LUDs on 10/05/2007, 10/07/2007, 10/09/2007 on my I-485 application after my FP appointment. I do not know what it means though.
I had lud's on same dates after fp as yours, I really don't know what it means.
I had lud's on same dates after fp as yours, I really don't know what it means.
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maheshf
07-31 12:10 PM
FYI: Last year, my wife (Dependent) got her EAD before mine was approved. Like i said, if u start looking for trends (and something that makes sense) the way USCIS works, u will most likely be disappointed.
They just work randomly---there are so many June/July EAD filers who got their EADs approved in 3-4 weeks time frame, and then there are May filers (like me) who've just started seeing some approvals and some are still waiting with applications pending over 90 days.
You are right...It's random..just received �Card Production� notification for my wife as well..
They just work randomly---there are so many June/July EAD filers who got their EADs approved in 3-4 weeks time frame, and then there are May filers (like me) who've just started seeing some approvals and some are still waiting with applications pending over 90 days.
You are right...It's random..just received �Card Production� notification for my wife as well..
eb3_nepa
08-10 04:52 PM
Guys,
I am happy to share with you all that I applied my 485 on 1 week of June and it got approved today.
My PD was dec 2005. eb3. India.
Thought i would share with you all.:)
How is that even possible. How were you able to file with a Dec 2005 EB3 India PD in June 2007 when they were only accepting applications with PD of June 2003 for Eb3 India?????
I am happy to share with you all that I applied my 485 on 1 week of June and it got approved today.
My PD was dec 2005. eb3. India.
Thought i would share with you all.:)
How is that even possible. How were you able to file with a Dec 2005 EB3 India PD in June 2007 when they were only accepting applications with PD of June 2003 for Eb3 India?????
2011 2008 Scion TC White - $13900
kopra
05-08 03:38 PM
I Agree that a "professional model" is hard to find and they deserve to be in "Highly skilled" category. Thats the same with a Genuine "Java( or Any Technology) Expert". But those people are really hard to find these days
My opinion:
Well, can the Java Programmer walk the ramp and pull it off like a professional model? Their work is a lot harder than it appears on the outside taking into account the success rate among models. Considering that even school kids can write excellent java programs, if we still want to consider the Java programmer as "highly skilled", then so are models.
Giselle Bundchen is worth half a billion dollars or somewhere in that range.
Btw, I am in the programming line myself in case someone thinks I have a problem with programmers. But I wouldn't mind swapping places with a successful model ;)
My opinion:
Well, can the Java Programmer walk the ramp and pull it off like a professional model? Their work is a lot harder than it appears on the outside taking into account the success rate among models. Considering that even school kids can write excellent java programs, if we still want to consider the Java programmer as "highly skilled", then so are models.
Giselle Bundchen is worth half a billion dollars or somewhere in that range.
Btw, I am in the programming line myself in case someone thinks I have a problem with programmers. But I wouldn't mind swapping places with a successful model ;)
more...
qualified_trash
12-15 12:26 PM
Could you elaborate ? Did you mean I'll eventually get a 3 year extension after I run out of 6 year term (assuming the new company files perm and the retrogression is still there then..) OR did you mean I can get 3 years right now ?
yes you will eventually get a 3 year extension after you run out of 6 year term (assuming the new company files perm and the retrogression is still there and your I140 is approved then......)
yes you will eventually get a 3 year extension after you run out of 6 year term (assuming the new company files perm and the retrogression is still there and your I140 is approved then......)
gsc999
07-11 02:59 PM
/\/\/\/\/\
Indio:
Can you please change the San Jose rally link on main page to this thread
http://immigrationvoice.org/forum/showthread.php?t=6365
The old thread is from last week rally in San Jose. I have started a new thread with the updated info. on this one.
Indio:
Can you please change the San Jose rally link on main page to this thread
http://immigrationvoice.org/forum/showthread.php?t=6365
The old thread is from last week rally in San Jose. I have started a new thread with the updated info. on this one.
more...
newbie2020
06-25 02:29 PM
If you didn't receive any paycheck in 2007 you won't receive a W2 from your employer,
The amount will reflect in the 2008 W2.
You are fine with that one......Also i am not sure when they reported you as new hire, was it in 2007 or was it in 2008 ...?
The amount will reflect in the 2008 W2.
You are fine with that one......Also i am not sure when they reported you as new hire, was it in 2007 or was it in 2008 ...?
2010 2008 Scion tC Base Bakersfield
smuggymba
10-18 03:13 PM
My wife's on EAP (OPT), which is valid till next year and will be going to texas DMV tomorrow.
any exp with texas DMV about giving DL to EAD OPT holders?
any exp with texas DMV about giving DL to EAD OPT holders?
more...
tiinap
02-01 06:33 PM
I've been trying to research this out of my own curiosity. All candidates speak in rather vague terms at this point in the campaing, but based on the candidates' own websites and media, here's what I've found:
Let's start with Obama:
(quotes from his campaign website):
"Obama believes we must fix the dysfunctional immigration bureaucracy and increase the number of legal immigrants to keep families together and meet the demand for jobs that employers cannot fill. (:))
Obama supports a system that allows undocumented immigrants who are in good standing to pay a fine, learn English, and go to the back of the line for the opportunity to become citizens. (presumably, that would include us, if we're lucky, can maybe even get in line before the illegals)
o Fix the Bureaucracy: Obama joined Rep. Luis Gutierrez (D-IL) to introduce the Citizenship Promotion Act to ensure that immigration application fees are both reasonable and fair. Obama also introduced legislation that passed the Senate to improve the speed and accuracy of FBI background checks. (:))
"Respect Families: Obama introduced amendments to put greater emphasis on keeping immigrant families together." (Does this include keeping temporary worker families together? :confused:
"In the most recent immigration debate on the U.S. Senate floor, Obama fought to improve and pass a comprehensive bill. Obama introduced amendments to put greater emphasis on keeping immigrant families together and to revisit a controversial new points system that never received a proper public hearing. Obama will continue to work for a comprehensive bill that fixes our broken immigration system." ( :))
BUT... Here is what Obama said on the Senate floor in June 2007 when the subject of points-based immigration system came up:
"�For decades, American citizens and legal permanent residents have been able to sponsor their family members for entry into our country. For decades, American businesses have been able to sponsor valued employees. The bill before us changes a policy that, while imperfect, has worked well and will replace it with a new, untested, unexamined system to provide visas to immigrants who look good on paper, but who may not have any familial or economic ties to our country.�
"..they support the amendment because the new points system shifts us too far away from the value we place on family ties and moves us toward a class-based immigration system.."
�Our current immigration system delivers the lion�s share of green cards � about 63% -- to family members of Americans and legal permanent residents, while roughly 16% of visas are allocated to employment-based categories. The bill before us would reduce visas allocated to the family system in order to dramatically increase the proportion of visas distributed based on economic �points.� Once implemented, these new economic points visas would then account for about 40% of all visas, while family visas would account for less than half of all visas, with the remainder going for humanitarian purposes.�
First of all, believes the current system has worked "well"! :D
Wants to see a continuation of the system where family-based immigration is given priority :mad:
Seems to be glad that only 16% of GC go to EB :mad:
Laments the fact that 40% may go to educated immigrants under the points system. :mad: More educated immigrants, oh the horror!
Votes: Voted in favor of amendment to cut proposed guestworker program in half in 2007 :mad:
He's making some vague but good promises about fixing the system, and seems to be aware key issues like FBI namechecks. But the track record of what he has done in the Senate is pretty horrible. The points system would have given a huge advantage to anyone working in the US currently and Obama played a big role in taking that off the agenda.
Let's start with Obama:
(quotes from his campaign website):
"Obama believes we must fix the dysfunctional immigration bureaucracy and increase the number of legal immigrants to keep families together and meet the demand for jobs that employers cannot fill. (:))
Obama supports a system that allows undocumented immigrants who are in good standing to pay a fine, learn English, and go to the back of the line for the opportunity to become citizens. (presumably, that would include us, if we're lucky, can maybe even get in line before the illegals)
o Fix the Bureaucracy: Obama joined Rep. Luis Gutierrez (D-IL) to introduce the Citizenship Promotion Act to ensure that immigration application fees are both reasonable and fair. Obama also introduced legislation that passed the Senate to improve the speed and accuracy of FBI background checks. (:))
"Respect Families: Obama introduced amendments to put greater emphasis on keeping immigrant families together." (Does this include keeping temporary worker families together? :confused:
"In the most recent immigration debate on the U.S. Senate floor, Obama fought to improve and pass a comprehensive bill. Obama introduced amendments to put greater emphasis on keeping immigrant families together and to revisit a controversial new points system that never received a proper public hearing. Obama will continue to work for a comprehensive bill that fixes our broken immigration system." ( :))
BUT... Here is what Obama said on the Senate floor in June 2007 when the subject of points-based immigration system came up:
"�For decades, American citizens and legal permanent residents have been able to sponsor their family members for entry into our country. For decades, American businesses have been able to sponsor valued employees. The bill before us changes a policy that, while imperfect, has worked well and will replace it with a new, untested, unexamined system to provide visas to immigrants who look good on paper, but who may not have any familial or economic ties to our country.�
"..they support the amendment because the new points system shifts us too far away from the value we place on family ties and moves us toward a class-based immigration system.."
�Our current immigration system delivers the lion�s share of green cards � about 63% -- to family members of Americans and legal permanent residents, while roughly 16% of visas are allocated to employment-based categories. The bill before us would reduce visas allocated to the family system in order to dramatically increase the proportion of visas distributed based on economic �points.� Once implemented, these new economic points visas would then account for about 40% of all visas, while family visas would account for less than half of all visas, with the remainder going for humanitarian purposes.�
First of all, believes the current system has worked "well"! :D
Wants to see a continuation of the system where family-based immigration is given priority :mad:
Seems to be glad that only 16% of GC go to EB :mad:
Laments the fact that 40% may go to educated immigrants under the points system. :mad: More educated immigrants, oh the horror!
Votes: Voted in favor of amendment to cut proposed guestworker program in half in 2007 :mad:
He's making some vague but good promises about fixing the system, and seems to be aware key issues like FBI namechecks. But the track record of what he has done in the Senate is pretty horrible. The points system would have given a huge advantage to anyone working in the US currently and Obama played a big role in taking that off the agenda.
hair Super White 2007 Scion tC with
maco
08-10 11:09 AM
I got the info from my friends attorney.
i want to verify it with my attorney but he is not lifiting phone. he is too busy
i want to verify it with my attorney but he is not lifiting phone. he is too busy
more...
pasupuleti
02-13 05:04 PM
We met our san jose(CA) congressman Mike Honda (http://honda.house.gov/). We had good session with his staff. His office is in the process of writting a letter to Backlog centers asking them for speeding up approvals.Their office is well aware of backlog issues. Once they get a response back from DOL, they would let us know.
hot Video 1 is my 2008 Scion TC
WaitingForMyGC
04-30 10:40 AM
You are there for a long wait..mine was filed in dec and still pending.
more...
house Used Scion tC 2008 for sale
harrydr
06-29 06:32 PM
Hello,
Forum Gurus, i have a basic question. Currently i'm employed by a corporation and working full time for them under H1B. Now, i want to work for additional company as part time (approx. 20 hrs/week). This company cannot give me cash but only check. Is it possible to file additional H1B just for this company and start working for them under this new H1B?
My current status is: H1B approved with current company and I-140 approved.
Also, if the answer to my question above is yes, then could this affect my current H1B and approved I-140 in any ways. Thanks in advance.
Forum Gurus, i have a basic question. Currently i'm employed by a corporation and working full time for them under H1B. Now, i want to work for additional company as part time (approx. 20 hrs/week). This company cannot give me cash but only check. Is it possible to file additional H1B just for this company and start working for them under this new H1B?
My current status is: H1B approved with current company and I-140 approved.
Also, if the answer to my question above is yes, then could this affect my current H1B and approved I-140 in any ways. Thanks in advance.
tattoo 2008 Scion Tc Base Garland, Tx
indiancitizen77
09-27 09:00 PM
My lawyer had also said the same thing. You can get an extension of H based on your husbands approved I140.
Njdude26, Was the H extension your attorney mentioned for H4 or H1. Did the attorney elaborate any precedents for H1 extensions based on an approved I-140? Thanks
Njdude26, Was the H extension your attorney mentioned for H4 or H1. Did the attorney elaborate any precedents for H1 extensions based on an approved I-140? Thanks
more...
pictures 2008 Scion Tc Base Garland, Tx
alterego
02-12 01:13 PM
All the money you are sending to India, the Indian Gov't/Bank turns around and keeps right here in the good old USA. India now has over 300 billion of such green backs. Every country is doing the same. This is the reason that allows the US to remain financially robust. If this system does not maintain, and after the current shocks it is very much threatened in my view, then all will be gone, the almighty dollar we work for just might not be worth all the bother.
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theMan
05-24 01:04 PM
Only last week I saw an article that said something to the effect that " Want US GC, get Masters". At that time, we all laughed at how these reports are compiled and brushed them off as tabloids.
Unfortunately , this time IV has got the right message and the publicity, but how will an average reader decide which article is saying the truth. People will understand/interpret the news the way their minds wants it to be , regardless of what the absolute truth is.
Regardless , a step in the positive direction for us
Unfortunately , this time IV has got the right message and the publicity, but how will an average reader decide which article is saying the truth. People will understand/interpret the news the way their minds wants it to be , regardless of what the absolute truth is.
Regardless , a step in the positive direction for us
more...
makeup Super White Scion tC in 2008
americandesi
11-17 03:04 PM
Why are we always in an approval seeking mode when it comes to U.S? This still shows that we didn�t come out of our slave mentality ever since independence. We are happy whenever something Indian gets recognized in US. We are also happy to associate ourselves with America and call our film industry as Bollywood, Kollywood, Tollywood etc..
Do Americans give a damn about Halloween celebrations in India? In fact they didn�t even know that an outside world exists until 9/11. They built a strong economy from its grass roots by believing in their self worth, there by becoming the greatest country in this world. America didn�t seek approval from any country throughout its history and this is what one need to learn from this country.
Most of us are here are 2nd and 3rd generation Indians since Independence and for God�s sake let�s stop this weakling attitude right now and not pass this on to our children. Feel good about you and your culture from your heart and don�t let anyone or anything to influence that.
�Show me a man without an ego and I will show you a loser� � Donald Trump - Real Estate billionaire
Do Americans give a damn about Halloween celebrations in India? In fact they didn�t even know that an outside world exists until 9/11. They built a strong economy from its grass roots by believing in their self worth, there by becoming the greatest country in this world. America didn�t seek approval from any country throughout its history and this is what one need to learn from this country.
Most of us are here are 2nd and 3rd generation Indians since Independence and for God�s sake let�s stop this weakling attitude right now and not pass this on to our children. Feel good about you and your culture from your heart and don�t let anyone or anything to influence that.
�Show me a man without an ego and I will show you a loser� � Donald Trump - Real Estate billionaire
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pappu
06-09 10:28 AM
My $50 (3626-8870-3772-9306) for this effort.
Thank you everyone for the contributions. While have still not met our target, we need to continue this funding drive for some time. We have to pay several outstanding bills associated with this event. It can only be done if all members contribute. Now that the event is over you can see the work we have done, see the photos and hear from others that came to DC how successful it was.
Let us push this thread and keep it on top.
Thank you everyone for the contributions. While have still not met our target, we need to continue this funding drive for some time. We have to pay several outstanding bills associated with this event. It can only be done if all members contribute. Now that the event is over you can see the work we have done, see the photos and hear from others that came to DC how successful it was.
Let us push this thread and keep it on top.
hairstyles 2008 Scion tC in White Plains,
Dhundhun
07-16 02:27 PM
I am not sure how important the processing dates update, If you look in , there are many approvals whose mailed/application dates are well beyond Jul 17 (for TSC). This makes me question what is the processing date updates mean?
"Processing Date" means thay have touched all the files before that - from approval point of view (this is not just FP or Name Checks). This could be like - officer has seen every page of application and put his remarks related to approval.
They also continue to work beyond Processing Dates - our experience with EAD proves that.
"Processing Date" means thay have touched all the files before that - from approval point of view (this is not just FP or Name Checks). This could be like - officer has seen every page of application and put his remarks related to approval.
They also continue to work beyond Processing Dates - our experience with EAD proves that.
snathan
06-25 10:38 AM
Hi all,
I got my H1-B approved last year (through the lottery) and my start date was 10/01/07. My company was not doing well and so did not hire me until end of Nov. I have been continuously working since then. I did not receive any pay in 2007 and my company has been lagging behind on pay checks.
Problem: I have received pay checks only till Dec 15th, 2007. Till date, I have not received my W2 for 2007. My husband has filed a tax extension and we have time until 10/15 to file our tax now.
Questions:
1: Can my company issue a W2 for 2007 now ?
2: What are the impacts of not getting a W2 in a year, even though you have legally worked for a company ?
3: My husband has filed for his GC and is currently waiting for his I-140 and I-485 (both filed concurrently last summer). Will there be any problems in my I-485 because of my W2 issue ?
4: Is there a problem if my husband files a joint return without my W2 ? Is it even possible ? I do have my SSN and that is the only info that is being asked about me while filing the tax.
Thanks in advance.
You company must provide you the W2. Otherwise its illegal. Ask them to give you the W2 or contact IRS/DOL
I got my H1-B approved last year (through the lottery) and my start date was 10/01/07. My company was not doing well and so did not hire me until end of Nov. I have been continuously working since then. I did not receive any pay in 2007 and my company has been lagging behind on pay checks.
Problem: I have received pay checks only till Dec 15th, 2007. Till date, I have not received my W2 for 2007. My husband has filed a tax extension and we have time until 10/15 to file our tax now.
Questions:
1: Can my company issue a W2 for 2007 now ?
2: What are the impacts of not getting a W2 in a year, even though you have legally worked for a company ?
3: My husband has filed for his GC and is currently waiting for his I-140 and I-485 (both filed concurrently last summer). Will there be any problems in my I-485 because of my W2 issue ?
4: Is there a problem if my husband files a joint return without my W2 ? Is it even possible ? I do have my SSN and that is the only info that is being asked about me while filing the tax.
Thanks in advance.
You company must provide you the W2. Otherwise its illegal. Ask them to give you the W2 or contact IRS/DOL
eastindia
05-14 02:15 PM
Many blame immigration pressures for young man’s suicide - The Boston Globe (http://www.boston.com/news/education/k_12/articles/2010/05/10/many_blame_immigration_pressures_for_young_mans_su icide/)
MARLBOROUGH � In the grief-stricken search for answers, one thing was clear: Gustavo Rezende had hit a wall. He had dreamed of joining the military, getting a driver�s license, and becoming an American citizen.
But the 19-year-old Brazil native was in the country illegally, a hard fact that put his dreams out of reach.
At Marlborough High School, he was popular, a talented artist. Then his friends went off to college and Rezende stayed behind, stocking bottles of soda at a sports complex. He got into trouble with the law and feared deportation to a country he hardly knew.
On March 4, weeks before Rezende�s 20th birthday, police found him hanging from a tree in the woods near his house, next to Marlborough District Court.
The stunning public act, within sight of court clerks and commuters, has shaken a community and triggered an anguished cry for help from his family and friends, who believe Rezende killed himself in despair over his immigration status.
�He always said, �I�ve been here 11 years and I have no rights. . . . I have no right to a driver�s license, no right to continue studying, I have no rights to anything,��� said his mother, Deusuita, weeping on her couch, near an array of photographs of her son. She added, �I don�t want what happened to my son to happen to someone else.��
Immigrant groups have invoked Rezende�s death in the heated debate over illegal immigration. They have increasingly been pushing for Congress to pass the Dream Act, federal legislation pending since 2001 that would allow immigrant youths to apply for legal residency if they arrived in the United States before they turned 16, lived here for five years, and enrolled in college or the military.
�The story about Gustavo Rezende is one of the most compelling cases for immediate federal action to end suffering in our communities,�� said Kyle de Beausset, a 24-year-old activist who said he met last Sunday with Senator Scott Brown to urge him to support the legislation.
Others say Rezende�s death should not factor into the debate, since nobody can say why he took his own life. Though friends and family said he often worried about his immigration status, he didn�t mention it in a note he left at home saying where they could find him.
�It�s exploiting the dead,�� said Mark Krikorian, executive director of the Center for Immigration Studies in Washington, which favors stricter controls over immigration. �You can�t second-guess that stuff because suicide is not a rational response that you can somehow adjust policy to address.��
Colin Reed, a Brown spokesman, said the senator confirmed the meeting with de Beausset and would review the Dream Act. Reed said Brown told de Beausset that he favors streamlining the process for legal immigrants but remains opposed to amnesty for those here illegally.Continued...
Health care workers say suicide is usually the result of more than one issue, such as undiagnosed depression, mental illness, or drug and alcohol problems. But, they say, undocumented youths may be at greater risk because they are ineligible for many programs that might help them.
Rezende, nicknamed �Goose,�� was born in the Brazilian state of Mato Grosso and came to the United States when he was 9 with his parents and younger sister on visas they later overstayed.
In 2000, his mother applied for legal residency through work � she cooked for a Brazilian restaurant � but was denied, she said, because her boss was underpaying taxes. She vowed to continue trying, though her marriage ended because her husband wanted to go back to Brazil.
�The kids didn�t want to go,�� she said. �They liked it here as if it were their country.��
In Marlborough, a small city of tidy houses centered on two scenic lakes, Rezende grew from a chubby boy into a fit and charming teenager who loved to draw, listen to music, and hang out with friends. He and one of his best friends, Kyle Hedin, planned to open an animation company someday.
During most of his schooling, Rezende did not face questions about his immigration status because a 1982 Supreme Court ruling allows undocumented students to attend public schools. But that protection ends after high school, making him ineligible for financial aid for college.
Even before graduation, Rezende felt the pressure of his family�s predicament. He helped his mother clean offices at night, leaving little time for homework. He fell behind in school. When he was 17, police were called to his house after he argued with his sister and punched a hole in a door.
After he graduated in 2008, he tried to find work at a supermarket and fast-food restaurants � but most turned him down because he didn�t have a green card. Finally, through a friend, he found work at an ice skating complex. He also got a part-time cleaning job.
Kyle Hedin said Rezende wished he could have the same opportunities as his former classmates.
�He always said, �These kids go to school. They go to college, and they complain about it and they don�t do anything worthwhile,� �� Hedin said. �He was saying he would trade shoes with them in a heartbeat.��
In February, Marlborough police found Rezende trying to change a flat tire, while allegedly intoxicated. Police arrested him on misdemeanor charges of driving under the influence and driving without a license.
The March 17 hearing in the case weighed on his mind. He had been caught with a fake driver�s license from Brazil, and his mother said he feared he would be deported.
He had talked about suicide in the past, including in the weeks before his death, according to friends and the police report filed after his death.
�He had a hard time asking for help for himself,�� said Jane Hedin, Kyle�s mother. �That�s what�s heartbreaking. . . . He had so many friends he didn�t reach out to. Everybody loved him.��
Mario Rodas of the Student Immigrant Movement, an advocacy group, said immigrant youths often fear deportation if they talk about their problems. The group regularly holds support groups to help the students.
�We tell them not to give up,�� Rodas said.
Two days before he died, his mother said, Rezende couldn�t sleep. He was nauseous and called in sick to work.
The next day, his grandmother arrived for a visit from Brazil, the first time he had seen her since he left in 1999. In the early evening, Rezende hugged his grandmother, kissed his sister, and left the house carrying a rope, according to police, saying only that he �needed it.��
Police found him the next morning about 150 feet into the woods, in a tree he used to climb, a dusting of snow on the ground.
About six weeks after his death, Rezende received a letter from the US government telling him to register for the draft. It wasn�t a mistake: Federal law requires that all men ages 18-26 register with the Selective Service System, including illegal immigrants who cannot serve in the military, said agency spokesman Patrick Schuback.
Registering could help illegal immigrants if they ever apply for legal residency, he said, because it would show that they followed the law.
At home, his mother clutched the letter and wept.
�If that letter had arrived before, he would have been so happy,�� she said.
Maria Sacchetti can be reached at msacchetti@globe.com.
MARLBOROUGH � In the grief-stricken search for answers, one thing was clear: Gustavo Rezende had hit a wall. He had dreamed of joining the military, getting a driver�s license, and becoming an American citizen.
But the 19-year-old Brazil native was in the country illegally, a hard fact that put his dreams out of reach.
At Marlborough High School, he was popular, a talented artist. Then his friends went off to college and Rezende stayed behind, stocking bottles of soda at a sports complex. He got into trouble with the law and feared deportation to a country he hardly knew.
On March 4, weeks before Rezende�s 20th birthday, police found him hanging from a tree in the woods near his house, next to Marlborough District Court.
The stunning public act, within sight of court clerks and commuters, has shaken a community and triggered an anguished cry for help from his family and friends, who believe Rezende killed himself in despair over his immigration status.
�He always said, �I�ve been here 11 years and I have no rights. . . . I have no right to a driver�s license, no right to continue studying, I have no rights to anything,��� said his mother, Deusuita, weeping on her couch, near an array of photographs of her son. She added, �I don�t want what happened to my son to happen to someone else.��
Immigrant groups have invoked Rezende�s death in the heated debate over illegal immigration. They have increasingly been pushing for Congress to pass the Dream Act, federal legislation pending since 2001 that would allow immigrant youths to apply for legal residency if they arrived in the United States before they turned 16, lived here for five years, and enrolled in college or the military.
�The story about Gustavo Rezende is one of the most compelling cases for immediate federal action to end suffering in our communities,�� said Kyle de Beausset, a 24-year-old activist who said he met last Sunday with Senator Scott Brown to urge him to support the legislation.
Others say Rezende�s death should not factor into the debate, since nobody can say why he took his own life. Though friends and family said he often worried about his immigration status, he didn�t mention it in a note he left at home saying where they could find him.
�It�s exploiting the dead,�� said Mark Krikorian, executive director of the Center for Immigration Studies in Washington, which favors stricter controls over immigration. �You can�t second-guess that stuff because suicide is not a rational response that you can somehow adjust policy to address.��
Colin Reed, a Brown spokesman, said the senator confirmed the meeting with de Beausset and would review the Dream Act. Reed said Brown told de Beausset that he favors streamlining the process for legal immigrants but remains opposed to amnesty for those here illegally.Continued...
Health care workers say suicide is usually the result of more than one issue, such as undiagnosed depression, mental illness, or drug and alcohol problems. But, they say, undocumented youths may be at greater risk because they are ineligible for many programs that might help them.
Rezende, nicknamed �Goose,�� was born in the Brazilian state of Mato Grosso and came to the United States when he was 9 with his parents and younger sister on visas they later overstayed.
In 2000, his mother applied for legal residency through work � she cooked for a Brazilian restaurant � but was denied, she said, because her boss was underpaying taxes. She vowed to continue trying, though her marriage ended because her husband wanted to go back to Brazil.
�The kids didn�t want to go,�� she said. �They liked it here as if it were their country.��
In Marlborough, a small city of tidy houses centered on two scenic lakes, Rezende grew from a chubby boy into a fit and charming teenager who loved to draw, listen to music, and hang out with friends. He and one of his best friends, Kyle Hedin, planned to open an animation company someday.
During most of his schooling, Rezende did not face questions about his immigration status because a 1982 Supreme Court ruling allows undocumented students to attend public schools. But that protection ends after high school, making him ineligible for financial aid for college.
Even before graduation, Rezende felt the pressure of his family�s predicament. He helped his mother clean offices at night, leaving little time for homework. He fell behind in school. When he was 17, police were called to his house after he argued with his sister and punched a hole in a door.
After he graduated in 2008, he tried to find work at a supermarket and fast-food restaurants � but most turned him down because he didn�t have a green card. Finally, through a friend, he found work at an ice skating complex. He also got a part-time cleaning job.
Kyle Hedin said Rezende wished he could have the same opportunities as his former classmates.
�He always said, �These kids go to school. They go to college, and they complain about it and they don�t do anything worthwhile,� �� Hedin said. �He was saying he would trade shoes with them in a heartbeat.��
In February, Marlborough police found Rezende trying to change a flat tire, while allegedly intoxicated. Police arrested him on misdemeanor charges of driving under the influence and driving without a license.
The March 17 hearing in the case weighed on his mind. He had been caught with a fake driver�s license from Brazil, and his mother said he feared he would be deported.
He had talked about suicide in the past, including in the weeks before his death, according to friends and the police report filed after his death.
�He had a hard time asking for help for himself,�� said Jane Hedin, Kyle�s mother. �That�s what�s heartbreaking. . . . He had so many friends he didn�t reach out to. Everybody loved him.��
Mario Rodas of the Student Immigrant Movement, an advocacy group, said immigrant youths often fear deportation if they talk about their problems. The group regularly holds support groups to help the students.
�We tell them not to give up,�� Rodas said.
Two days before he died, his mother said, Rezende couldn�t sleep. He was nauseous and called in sick to work.
The next day, his grandmother arrived for a visit from Brazil, the first time he had seen her since he left in 1999. In the early evening, Rezende hugged his grandmother, kissed his sister, and left the house carrying a rope, according to police, saying only that he �needed it.��
Police found him the next morning about 150 feet into the woods, in a tree he used to climb, a dusting of snow on the ground.
About six weeks after his death, Rezende received a letter from the US government telling him to register for the draft. It wasn�t a mistake: Federal law requires that all men ages 18-26 register with the Selective Service System, including illegal immigrants who cannot serve in the military, said agency spokesman Patrick Schuback.
Registering could help illegal immigrants if they ever apply for legal residency, he said, because it would show that they followed the law.
At home, his mother clutched the letter and wept.
�If that letter had arrived before, he would have been so happy,�� she said.
Maria Sacchetti can be reached at msacchetti@globe.com.
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