SGP
04-03 06:53 AM
$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$GOOD MORNING GC$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$
Deadline = April 30th, 2011
Goal = 5000 votes on survey (see I-485 filing w/o current PD thread) and momentum to continue with this campaign.The survey is a platform to gather and push for launching action items. Based on response by 04/30/2011 - IV will decide whether to even proceed with initiative or not.
Actions - 1) Vote on survey.
2)Email ivcoordinator@gmail.com with PD, ph#,email & subject "I485 filing impacted�,
3)Print/Circulate Fliers and spread FB, wiki link (see "support thread")
This is a supporting thread to the "Want to File I-485 without Current Priority Date? Gather here" thread started by pappu.
As suggested by pappu/starsun, this supporting thread provides impacted members with additional information and tools to help the initiative.
Visit Immigration Voice Wiki (http://immigrationvoice.org/wiki/index.php/Employment_Based_Green_Card#Process_.28EB1.2C_EB2. 2C_and_EB3.29) - for overview of Employment Based - Green Card process
Visit I485 Filing w/o current PD Wiki (http://immigrationvoice.org/wiki/index.php/Current_Grass-Roots_Initiative_-_I-485_Filing_without_Current_Priority_Date) - for overview of this initiative
As pappu stated in the first post of the above referenced thread - some of the ongoing efforts include finding how many IV members would get benefit from such a provision and get basic details such as username/Priority Date of impacted members. Future action items might include drafting documents and letters to support this provision. There maybe actions such as sending emails etc. However we would not be able to open a public action item unless we can have thousands of our members willing to participate in a grassroots action item. This survey intends to understand the needs of our membership for this provision and collect grassroots information.
The fact is we have a dedicated group of volunteers (and we need more) who have been trying their best to spread the message about this initiative so that a strong grass-roots support can be created leading up to launch of the public action items. So far we have around 1100 people who have responded. Based on quick calculations carried out using PERM data, it is estimated that there are at least 60K-70K EB applicants waiting to file I-485/EAD/AP (this is a very conservative estimate..the actual number could be much more). Grass-roots initiatives require time and patience and we request maximum number of impacted folks to participate actively.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
What can you do to participate?
1) Vote on the poll/survey created by Pappu.
http://immigrationvoice.org/forum/forum14-members-forum/1599353-want-to-file-485-when-pd-is-not-current-gather-here.html
Then please send an email to ivcoordinator@gmail.com (starsun) with subject - "I485 filing without current PD - Impacted Member". Include your a) IV username b) Email address c) Phone #, d) State of Residence e) Priority Date - so that grassroot efforts can be coordinated
2) Print out below Flier and circulate at all asian/indian malls/groceries/theaters. Forward the flier to your friends/co-workers and ask them to do the same.
I485 Filing Initiative Flier (http://immigrationvoice.org/wiki/images/a/a8/Flier_I485_latest2.pdf)
3) Volunteers have created a facebook community and an Immigration Voice WIKI page to spread the message about this initiative. Please circulate these links among your friends/co-workers who will be helped.
Please "Share" and "Link" and "send to friend" the facebook community via your Facebook account. Also include these two links when you post on the IV forum.
Facebook - IV I485 filing w/o current PD initiative community (http://www.facebook.com/home.php#!/pages/Immigration-Voice-Grass-roots-Campaigns/150562351660693?v=info)
(Just FYI that you might have to be logged in for the above link to direct to the facebook community. Alternately, search for "Immigration Voice Grass-roots Campaigns" to find the community after logging in. Search "Immigration Voice" to go to the IV's main facebook page)
Immigration Wiki -
I485 Filing Initiative - IV Wiki (http://immigrationvoice.org/wiki/index.php/Current_Grass-Roots_Initiative_-_I-485_Filing_without_Current_Priority_Date)
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
PM these members for additional info:
nmdial ; geevikram ; vbkris77 ; ashwin_27 ; snathan
Dedicated members can also join the leaders group: http://groups.google.com/group/485-filing-iv-initiative
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Deadline = April 30th, 2011
Goal = 5000 votes on survey (see I-485 filing w/o current PD thread) and momentum to continue with this campaign.The survey is a platform to gather and push for launching action items. Based on response by 04/30/2011 - IV will decide whether to even proceed with initiative or not.
Actions - 1) Vote on survey.
2)Email ivcoordinator@gmail.com with PD, ph#,email & subject "I485 filing impacted�,
3)Print/Circulate Fliers and spread FB, wiki link (see "support thread")
This is a supporting thread to the "Want to File I-485 without Current Priority Date? Gather here" thread started by pappu.
As suggested by pappu/starsun, this supporting thread provides impacted members with additional information and tools to help the initiative.
Visit Immigration Voice Wiki (http://immigrationvoice.org/wiki/index.php/Employment_Based_Green_Card#Process_.28EB1.2C_EB2. 2C_and_EB3.29) - for overview of Employment Based - Green Card process
Visit I485 Filing w/o current PD Wiki (http://immigrationvoice.org/wiki/index.php/Current_Grass-Roots_Initiative_-_I-485_Filing_without_Current_Priority_Date) - for overview of this initiative
As pappu stated in the first post of the above referenced thread - some of the ongoing efforts include finding how many IV members would get benefit from such a provision and get basic details such as username/Priority Date of impacted members. Future action items might include drafting documents and letters to support this provision. There maybe actions such as sending emails etc. However we would not be able to open a public action item unless we can have thousands of our members willing to participate in a grassroots action item. This survey intends to understand the needs of our membership for this provision and collect grassroots information.
The fact is we have a dedicated group of volunteers (and we need more) who have been trying their best to spread the message about this initiative so that a strong grass-roots support can be created leading up to launch of the public action items. So far we have around 1100 people who have responded. Based on quick calculations carried out using PERM data, it is estimated that there are at least 60K-70K EB applicants waiting to file I-485/EAD/AP (this is a very conservative estimate..the actual number could be much more). Grass-roots initiatives require time and patience and we request maximum number of impacted folks to participate actively.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
What can you do to participate?
1) Vote on the poll/survey created by Pappu.
http://immigrationvoice.org/forum/forum14-members-forum/1599353-want-to-file-485-when-pd-is-not-current-gather-here.html
Then please send an email to ivcoordinator@gmail.com (starsun) with subject - "I485 filing without current PD - Impacted Member". Include your a) IV username b) Email address c) Phone #, d) State of Residence e) Priority Date - so that grassroot efforts can be coordinated
2) Print out below Flier and circulate at all asian/indian malls/groceries/theaters. Forward the flier to your friends/co-workers and ask them to do the same.
I485 Filing Initiative Flier (http://immigrationvoice.org/wiki/images/a/a8/Flier_I485_latest2.pdf)
3) Volunteers have created a facebook community and an Immigration Voice WIKI page to spread the message about this initiative. Please circulate these links among your friends/co-workers who will be helped.
Please "Share" and "Link" and "send to friend" the facebook community via your Facebook account. Also include these two links when you post on the IV forum.
Facebook - IV I485 filing w/o current PD initiative community (http://www.facebook.com/home.php#!/pages/Immigration-Voice-Grass-roots-Campaigns/150562351660693?v=info)
(Just FYI that you might have to be logged in for the above link to direct to the facebook community. Alternately, search for "Immigration Voice Grass-roots Campaigns" to find the community after logging in. Search "Immigration Voice" to go to the IV's main facebook page)
Immigration Wiki -
I485 Filing Initiative - IV Wiki (http://immigrationvoice.org/wiki/index.php/Current_Grass-Roots_Initiative_-_I-485_Filing_without_Current_Priority_Date)
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
PM these members for additional info:
nmdial ; geevikram ; vbkris77 ; ashwin_27 ; snathan
Dedicated members can also join the leaders group: http://groups.google.com/group/485-filing-iv-initiative
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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Blog Feeds
01-20 08:10 AM
A fat report and one with some helpful recommendations and statistics. Here are some of the more interesting items I found - - Of the top 150 H-1B employers, 24 were deemed H-1B dependent (a high percentage of workers on the H-1B) and 9 had prior H-1B violations. - Real earnings growth for US workers in occupations with proportionately more H-1B workers - particularly IT - was actually much stronger than the general US worker. - Engineers and IT professionals on H-1Bs were more than twice as likely as their US counterparts to have advanced degrees. - The proportion of...
More... (http://blogs.ilw.com/gregsiskind/2011/01/government-accountability-office-releases-report-on-h-1b-program.html)
More... (http://blogs.ilw.com/gregsiskind/2011/01/government-accountability-office-releases-report-on-h-1b-program.html)
eb3retro
08-05 06:12 PM
This question is for those who are residing in TX and renewed their AP. Recently I applied (efiling) for AP renewal for my spouse, the online system directed me to mail the supporting documents to Nebraska. I am thinking this is because our 485 is pending in Lincoln, NE. Did anyone who renewed their parole sent the supporting documents to TX. I have a wierd feeling that TX service center is much faster in EAD and AP renewals compared to NE. Can someone advice. Also, if doing a paper filing, can I send it to TX service center since I reside in TX? Thanks in advance.
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snakesrocks
02-02 01:01 PM
Hi I just graduated last year as an accounting major. I recently got an offer for a Property Accountant position at a real estate company. So it's not a pulic accounting firm. I was wondering if I'm eligiable to apply for H1B without a CPA?
Thanks a lot!
I had an accounting major degree and got H1B in 2002 without a CPA in a private firm
Thanks a lot!
I had an accounting major degree and got H1B in 2002 without a CPA in a private firm
more...
green2007
09-25 03:38 PM
I just wandering, how long would it takes get decision in I 485 after FP (background check Cleared)?
I just not make sense to me, that a lot of people file on May and June () are getting approval on September 17, 2007, but latest processing time in NSC for I 485 is December 21, 2006. If that case, my I 485 was filed on July 2, 2007, and it will got approve by the end of this year.
Can someone explain to me how this work or how USCIS make a decision for I 485?
RD: July 2,2007
ND: September 8, 2007
FP: October 11, 2007.
Thanks:p
I just not make sense to me, that a lot of people file on May and June () are getting approval on September 17, 2007, but latest processing time in NSC for I 485 is December 21, 2006. If that case, my I 485 was filed on July 2, 2007, and it will got approve by the end of this year.
Can someone explain to me how this work or how USCIS make a decision for I 485?
RD: July 2,2007
ND: September 8, 2007
FP: October 11, 2007.
Thanks:p
cowboyqb
04-07 04:00 PM
Hello all:
Applied for 140 transfer in June '07. Its been 21 months and no news on my 140 transfer.
- Any reason for concern?
- How can I check my 140 transfer status?
- Inputs from anyone who applied during that time frame?
Many Thanks!
Applied for 140 transfer in June '07. Its been 21 months and no news on my 140 transfer.
- Any reason for concern?
- How can I check my 140 transfer status?
- Inputs from anyone who applied during that time frame?
Many Thanks!
more...
engineer
01-20 02:49 PM
My understanding is that by using AC21 portability (when I140 is approved and i485 is pending for > 180 days),
one can work for current or any employer provided that new job is 'similar' (per DOL definition) to job listed in labor certification. In this case even if employer revokes 140 petition, 485 petition remains valid
and
One can used AC21 and continue to work for new employer on H1b (even if it is in 7th year extension stage) and doesn't have to use EAD,
Is my understanding correct? if yes,
1. Does one need to notify USCIS/ DOL after invoking AC21 ?
2. If one leaves current company due to better job, life changing event or layoffs what does companies doe generally? Do they revoke 140 petition?
What are other pros and cons of using AC21 ?
one can work for current or any employer provided that new job is 'similar' (per DOL definition) to job listed in labor certification. In this case even if employer revokes 140 petition, 485 petition remains valid
and
One can used AC21 and continue to work for new employer on H1b (even if it is in 7th year extension stage) and doesn't have to use EAD,
Is my understanding correct? if yes,
1. Does one need to notify USCIS/ DOL after invoking AC21 ?
2. If one leaves current company due to better job, life changing event or layoffs what does companies doe generally? Do they revoke 140 petition?
What are other pros and cons of using AC21 ?
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yawkabore
01-28 11:46 AM
Please I need advice. I am currently preparing to file I-140/I-485 concurrent application and do not want to include the names of my children who are US citizens on the application. This is because I do not want the name of their mom to come up since I don't want to add her name too to the application. Although we got married outside the US, and I mistakenly wrote that with her name on my B1/B2 application I still will want to file this application as single. She has some issues to clear with USCIS and I do not want to complicate matters by adding her name to my application. I truly will appreciate your advice on this matter before I submit my application. Thank you
more...
gsc999
06-12 04:16 PM
:confused: anybody has idea/answers abt this issue?
Please review some of the earlier posts. This issue has been discussed recently.
Thanks
Please review some of the earlier posts. This issue has been discussed recently.
Thanks
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pamposh
08-05 02:19 PM
I sent my application to vermont based on the USCIS answering system on June 30th that folks with approved I-140s should send 485 applications to the center where it was approved. Any ideas, if there is a problem with that and if the app gets transferred how much time it will take.
anyone else in the same boat?
anyone else in the same boat?
more...
ita
11-19 04:59 PM
I requested for a document that got returned as undeliverable to be resent.
I first requested CSR and she gave me a referrral#.
Same day I spoke with IIO and she made the request again for me(before I could tell her I spoke with CSR)
Today I spoke with a CSR and gave her the referral# that the CSR gave me last week and this lady says she didn't find any information related to this referral# .She did say it does surprise her. She also said she will open a new request .
I was concerned if that will be kind of duplication of the work done by CSR & IIO last week and she said there is no need for such concern.
What does all this mean?
They open a request , give you a referral# and tell you the document will get mailed in 3-5 business days .
IIO says she has placed a request.
You go back after a week , and referral# has no information attached to it and this CSR says she 'll open new request.
Anybody has any idea?
Edit/Delete Message
I first requested CSR and she gave me a referrral#.
Same day I spoke with IIO and she made the request again for me(before I could tell her I spoke with CSR)
Today I spoke with a CSR and gave her the referral# that the CSR gave me last week and this lady says she didn't find any information related to this referral# .She did say it does surprise her. She also said she will open a new request .
I was concerned if that will be kind of duplication of the work done by CSR & IIO last week and she said there is no need for such concern.
What does all this mean?
They open a request , give you a referral# and tell you the document will get mailed in 3-5 business days .
IIO says she has placed a request.
You go back after a week , and referral# has no information attached to it and this CSR says she 'll open new request.
Anybody has any idea?
Edit/Delete Message
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PD1006
08-03 04:21 PM
Hasnt this report been out for a few days now?
PD1006
PD1006
more...
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GKBest
10-11 02:01 PM
I-485A is the Section 245 (i) right?
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SGP
10-11 10:31 AM
I got really good news... EB3 moved for 1 week...... its 22nd Jan 2002 now...:rolleyes:
Something is better than nothing. See today's forum for bill S.1085.
Have you voted for forum "Want to file I-485 without PD being current"?
God helps those who help themselves.:p
Something is better than nothing. See today's forum for bill S.1085.
Have you voted for forum "Want to file I-485 without PD being current"?
God helps those who help themselves.:p
more...
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mrudul_hr
07-19 12:04 PM
No, the H1 6 yrs period will apply only when for the period when your Payrolls where generated using H1 visa.
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Blog Feeds
02-15 08:40 PM
Maybe Joe has his own special Constitution.
More... (http://blogs.ilw.com/gregsiskind/2010/02/arpaio-i-have-the-inherent-right-to-enforce-immigration-laws.html)
More... (http://blogs.ilw.com/gregsiskind/2010/02/arpaio-i-have-the-inherent-right-to-enforce-immigration-laws.html)
more...
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tslee
04-22 11:34 AM
Dear all:
May I ask what I should do in the following situation?
I hold F1 visa and my new job starts on Sept 1. The int'l student office of my current university mistakenly set my OPT start date on May 6. My OPT has been approved and EAD card arrived.
That is, I will have 120-plus "unemployment" days accumulated by early August, which will then violate the "90-day unemployment rule" of OPT.
I am under tremendous pressure and really want to hear your opinions.
Many thanks in advance!
May I ask what I should do in the following situation?
I hold F1 visa and my new job starts on Sept 1. The int'l student office of my current university mistakenly set my OPT start date on May 6. My OPT has been approved and EAD card arrived.
That is, I will have 120-plus "unemployment" days accumulated by early August, which will then violate the "90-day unemployment rule" of OPT.
I am under tremendous pressure and really want to hear your opinions.
Many thanks in advance!
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sounakc
05-27 11:46 AM
Dear Friends,
I am traveling to canada for a conference. My H1-B is stamped on my old passport valid till 2012. In January 2010 I obtained a new passport from the indian embassy chicago as my old passport was getting expired. I will be traveling with both the passports.
Is it mandatory to transfer the visa from old to new pasport ?
Please help,
sounak
I am traveling to canada for a conference. My H1-B is stamped on my old passport valid till 2012. In January 2010 I obtained a new passport from the indian embassy chicago as my old passport was getting expired. I will be traveling with both the passports.
Is it mandatory to transfer the visa from old to new pasport ?
Please help,
sounak
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kanshul
01-30 12:01 PM
When you use EAD it does not matter if the company got any money under the TARP program or not.
You should not even bring this to the attention to your HR. Go and use EAD as if the company is just any other company, make sure that the job is "same / similar" and get a lawyer for using AC21 portability.
You should not even bring this to the attention to your HR. Go and use EAD as if the company is just any other company, make sure that the job is "same / similar" and get a lawyer for using AC21 portability.
freedom1
05-22 01:02 PM
This is the scenario:
1. Husband becomes a LPR this year.
2. Wife still undocumented.
3. Wife was working long time ago, but became a housewife for the past 6 years, so no work.
How would the wife adjust her status under the new CIR if she was not working for the past 6 years?
Would she have to wait until the husband is able to petition her through other regular means?
Any ideas or is it too early to tell how USCIS will issue it's regulations about CIR?
Freedom1 :confused:
1. Husband becomes a LPR this year.
2. Wife still undocumented.
3. Wife was working long time ago, but became a housewife for the past 6 years, so no work.
How would the wife adjust her status under the new CIR if she was not working for the past 6 years?
Would she have to wait until the husband is able to petition her through other regular means?
Any ideas or is it too early to tell how USCIS will issue it's regulations about CIR?
Freedom1 :confused:
Macaca
12-02 09:18 AM
Business Lobby Presses Agenda Before �08 Vote (http://www.nytimes.com/2007/12/02/washington/02lobby.html?hp) By ROBERT PEAR | NY Times, December 2, 2007
WASHINGTON, Dec. 1 � Business lobbyists, nervously anticipating Democratic gains in next year�s elections, are racing to secure final approval for a wide range of health, safety, labor and economic rules, in the belief that they can get better deals from the Bush administration than from its successor.
Hoping to lock in policies backed by a pro-business administration, poultry farmers are seeking an exemption for the smelly fumes produced by tons of chicken manure. Businesses are lobbying the Bush administration to roll back rules that let employees take time off for family needs and medical problems. And electric power companies are pushing the government to relax pollution-control requirements.
�There�s a growing sense, a growing probability, that the next administration could be Democratic,� said Craig L. Fuller, executive vice president of Apco Worldwide, a lobbying and public relations firm, who was a White House official in the Reagan administration. �Corporate executives, trade associations and lobbying firms have begun to recalibrate their strategies.�
The Federal Register typically grows fat with regulations churned out in the final weeks of any administration. But the push for such rules has become unusually intense because of the possibility that Democrats in 2009 may consolidate control of the White House, the Senate and the House of Representatives for the first time in 14 years.
Even as they try to shape pending regulations, business lobbies are also looking beyond President Bush. Corporations and trade associations are recruiting Democratic lobbyists. And lobbyists, expecting battles over taxes and health care in 2009, are pouring money into the campaigns of Democratic candidates for Congress and the White House.
Randel K. Johnson, a vice president of the United States Chamber of Commerce, said, �I am beefing up my staff, putting more money aside for economic analysis of regulations that I foresee coming out of a possible new Democratic administration.�
At the Transportation Department, trucking companies are trying to get final approval for a rule increasing the maximum number of hours commercial truck drivers can work. And automakers are trying to persuade officials to set new standards for the strength of car roofs � standards far less stringent than what consumer advocates say is needed to protect riders in a rollover.
Business groups generally argue that federal regulations are onerous and needlessly add costs that are passed on to consumers, while their opponents accuse them of trying to whittle down regulations that are vital to safety and quality of life. Documents on file at several agencies show that business groups have stepped up lobbying in recent months, as they try to help the Bush administration finish work on rules that have been hotly debated and, in some cases, litigated for years.
At the Interior Department, coal companies are lobbying for a regulation that would allow them to dump rock and dirt from mountaintop mining operations into nearby streams and valleys. It would be prohibitively expensive to haul away the material, they say, and there are no waste sites in the area. Luke Popovich, a vice president of the National Mining Association, said that a Democratic president was more likely to side with �the greens.�
A coalition of environmental groups has condemned the proposed rule, saying it would accelerate �the destruction of mountains, forests and streams throughout Appalachia.�
A priority for many employers in 2008 is to secure changes in the rules for family and medical leave. Under a 1993 law, people who work for a company with 50 or more employees are generally entitled to 12 weeks of unpaid leave to care for newborn children or sick relatives or to tend to medical problems of their own. The Labor Department has signaled its interest in changes by soliciting public comments.
The National Association of Manufacturers said the law had been widely abused and had caused �a staggering loss of work hours� as employees took unscheduled, intermittent time off for health conditions that could not be verified. The use of such leave time tends to rise sharply before holiday weekends, on the day after Super Bowl Sunday and on the first day of the local hunting season, employers said.
Debra L. Ness, president of the National Partnership for Women and Families, an advocacy group, said she was �very concerned that the Bush administration will issue new rules that cut back on family and medical leave for those who need it.�
That could be done, for example, by narrowing the definition of a �serious health condition� or by establishing stricter requirements for taking intermittent leave for chronic conditions that flare up unexpectedly.
The Chamber of Commerce is seeking such changes. �We want to get this done before the election,� Mr. Johnson said. �The next White House may be less hospitable to our position.�
Indeed, most of the Democratic candidates for president have offered proposals to expand the 1993 law, to provide paid leave and to cover millions of additional workers. Senator Christopher J. Dodd of Connecticut was a principal author of the law. Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton of New York says it has been �enormously successful.� And Senator Barack Obama of Illinois says that more generous family leave is an essential part of his plan to �reclaim the American dream.�
Susan E. Dudley, administrator of the White House Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs, said, �Research suggests that regulatory activity increases in the final year of an administration, regardless of party.�
Whoever becomes the next president, Democrat or Republican, will find that it is not so easy to make immediate and sweeping changes. The Supreme Court has held that a new president cannot arbitrarily revoke final regulations that already have the force of law. To undo such rules, a new administration must provide a compelling justification and go through a formal rule-making process, which can take months or years.
Within hours of taking office in 2001, Mr. Bush slammed the brakes on scores of regulations issued just before he took office, so his administration could review them. A study in the Wake Forest Law Review found that one-fifth of those �midnight regulations� were amended or repealed by the Bush administration, while four-fifths survived.
Some of the biggest battles now involve rules affecting the quality of air, water and soil.
The National Chicken Council and the U.S. Poultry and Egg Association have petitioned for an exemption from laws and rules that require them to report emissions of ammonia exceeding 100 pounds a day. They argue that �emissions from poultry houses pose little or no risk to public health� because the ammonia disperses quickly in the air.
Perdue Farms, one of the nation�s largest poultry producers, said that it was �essentially impossible to provide an accurate estimate of any ammonia releases,� and that a reporting requirement would place �an undue and useless burden� on farmers.
But environmental groups told the Bush administration that �ammonia emissions from poultry operations pose great risk to public health.� And, they noted, a federal judge in Kentucky has found that farmers discharge ammonia from their barns, into the environment, so it will not sicken or kill the chickens.
On another issue, the Environmental Protection Agency is drafting final rules that would allow utility companies to modify coal-fired power plants and increase their emissions without installing new pollution-control equipment.
The Edison Electric Institute, the lobby for power companies, said the companies needed regulatory relief to meet the growing demand for �safe, reliable and affordable electricity.�
But John D. Walke, director of the clean air program at the Natural Resources Defense Council, said the rules would be �the Bush administration�s parting gift to the utility industry.�
If Democrats gain seats in Congress or win the White House, that could pose problems for all-Republican lobbying firms like Barbour, Griffith & Rogers, whose founders include Gov. Haley Barbour of Mississippi, a former chairman of the Republican National Committee.
Loren Monroe, chief operating officer of the Barbour firm, said: �If the right person came along, we might hire a Democrat. And it�s quite possible we could team up in an alliance with a Democratic firm.�
Two executive recruiters, Ivan H. Adler of the McCormick Group and Nels B. Olson of Korn/Ferry International, said they had seen a growing demand for Democratic lobbyists. �It�s a bull market for Democrats, especially those who have worked for the Congressional leadership� or a powerful committee, Mr. Adler said.
Few industries have more cause for concern than drug companies, which have been a favorite target of Democrats. Republicans run the Washington offices of most major drug companies, and a former Republican House member, Billy Tauzin, is president of their trade association, the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America.
The association has hired three Democrats this year, so its lobbying team is split evenly between Republicans and Democrats.
Loren B. Thompson, a military analyst at the Lexington Institute, a policy research organization, said: �Defense contractors have not only begun to prepare for the next administration. They have begun to shape it. They�ve met with Hillary Clinton and other candidates.�
WASHINGTON, Dec. 1 � Business lobbyists, nervously anticipating Democratic gains in next year�s elections, are racing to secure final approval for a wide range of health, safety, labor and economic rules, in the belief that they can get better deals from the Bush administration than from its successor.
Hoping to lock in policies backed by a pro-business administration, poultry farmers are seeking an exemption for the smelly fumes produced by tons of chicken manure. Businesses are lobbying the Bush administration to roll back rules that let employees take time off for family needs and medical problems. And electric power companies are pushing the government to relax pollution-control requirements.
�There�s a growing sense, a growing probability, that the next administration could be Democratic,� said Craig L. Fuller, executive vice president of Apco Worldwide, a lobbying and public relations firm, who was a White House official in the Reagan administration. �Corporate executives, trade associations and lobbying firms have begun to recalibrate their strategies.�
The Federal Register typically grows fat with regulations churned out in the final weeks of any administration. But the push for such rules has become unusually intense because of the possibility that Democrats in 2009 may consolidate control of the White House, the Senate and the House of Representatives for the first time in 14 years.
Even as they try to shape pending regulations, business lobbies are also looking beyond President Bush. Corporations and trade associations are recruiting Democratic lobbyists. And lobbyists, expecting battles over taxes and health care in 2009, are pouring money into the campaigns of Democratic candidates for Congress and the White House.
Randel K. Johnson, a vice president of the United States Chamber of Commerce, said, �I am beefing up my staff, putting more money aside for economic analysis of regulations that I foresee coming out of a possible new Democratic administration.�
At the Transportation Department, trucking companies are trying to get final approval for a rule increasing the maximum number of hours commercial truck drivers can work. And automakers are trying to persuade officials to set new standards for the strength of car roofs � standards far less stringent than what consumer advocates say is needed to protect riders in a rollover.
Business groups generally argue that federal regulations are onerous and needlessly add costs that are passed on to consumers, while their opponents accuse them of trying to whittle down regulations that are vital to safety and quality of life. Documents on file at several agencies show that business groups have stepped up lobbying in recent months, as they try to help the Bush administration finish work on rules that have been hotly debated and, in some cases, litigated for years.
At the Interior Department, coal companies are lobbying for a regulation that would allow them to dump rock and dirt from mountaintop mining operations into nearby streams and valleys. It would be prohibitively expensive to haul away the material, they say, and there are no waste sites in the area. Luke Popovich, a vice president of the National Mining Association, said that a Democratic president was more likely to side with �the greens.�
A coalition of environmental groups has condemned the proposed rule, saying it would accelerate �the destruction of mountains, forests and streams throughout Appalachia.�
A priority for many employers in 2008 is to secure changes in the rules for family and medical leave. Under a 1993 law, people who work for a company with 50 or more employees are generally entitled to 12 weeks of unpaid leave to care for newborn children or sick relatives or to tend to medical problems of their own. The Labor Department has signaled its interest in changes by soliciting public comments.
The National Association of Manufacturers said the law had been widely abused and had caused �a staggering loss of work hours� as employees took unscheduled, intermittent time off for health conditions that could not be verified. The use of such leave time tends to rise sharply before holiday weekends, on the day after Super Bowl Sunday and on the first day of the local hunting season, employers said.
Debra L. Ness, president of the National Partnership for Women and Families, an advocacy group, said she was �very concerned that the Bush administration will issue new rules that cut back on family and medical leave for those who need it.�
That could be done, for example, by narrowing the definition of a �serious health condition� or by establishing stricter requirements for taking intermittent leave for chronic conditions that flare up unexpectedly.
The Chamber of Commerce is seeking such changes. �We want to get this done before the election,� Mr. Johnson said. �The next White House may be less hospitable to our position.�
Indeed, most of the Democratic candidates for president have offered proposals to expand the 1993 law, to provide paid leave and to cover millions of additional workers. Senator Christopher J. Dodd of Connecticut was a principal author of the law. Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton of New York says it has been �enormously successful.� And Senator Barack Obama of Illinois says that more generous family leave is an essential part of his plan to �reclaim the American dream.�
Susan E. Dudley, administrator of the White House Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs, said, �Research suggests that regulatory activity increases in the final year of an administration, regardless of party.�
Whoever becomes the next president, Democrat or Republican, will find that it is not so easy to make immediate and sweeping changes. The Supreme Court has held that a new president cannot arbitrarily revoke final regulations that already have the force of law. To undo such rules, a new administration must provide a compelling justification and go through a formal rule-making process, which can take months or years.
Within hours of taking office in 2001, Mr. Bush slammed the brakes on scores of regulations issued just before he took office, so his administration could review them. A study in the Wake Forest Law Review found that one-fifth of those �midnight regulations� were amended or repealed by the Bush administration, while four-fifths survived.
Some of the biggest battles now involve rules affecting the quality of air, water and soil.
The National Chicken Council and the U.S. Poultry and Egg Association have petitioned for an exemption from laws and rules that require them to report emissions of ammonia exceeding 100 pounds a day. They argue that �emissions from poultry houses pose little or no risk to public health� because the ammonia disperses quickly in the air.
Perdue Farms, one of the nation�s largest poultry producers, said that it was �essentially impossible to provide an accurate estimate of any ammonia releases,� and that a reporting requirement would place �an undue and useless burden� on farmers.
But environmental groups told the Bush administration that �ammonia emissions from poultry operations pose great risk to public health.� And, they noted, a federal judge in Kentucky has found that farmers discharge ammonia from their barns, into the environment, so it will not sicken or kill the chickens.
On another issue, the Environmental Protection Agency is drafting final rules that would allow utility companies to modify coal-fired power plants and increase their emissions without installing new pollution-control equipment.
The Edison Electric Institute, the lobby for power companies, said the companies needed regulatory relief to meet the growing demand for �safe, reliable and affordable electricity.�
But John D. Walke, director of the clean air program at the Natural Resources Defense Council, said the rules would be �the Bush administration�s parting gift to the utility industry.�
If Democrats gain seats in Congress or win the White House, that could pose problems for all-Republican lobbying firms like Barbour, Griffith & Rogers, whose founders include Gov. Haley Barbour of Mississippi, a former chairman of the Republican National Committee.
Loren Monroe, chief operating officer of the Barbour firm, said: �If the right person came along, we might hire a Democrat. And it�s quite possible we could team up in an alliance with a Democratic firm.�
Two executive recruiters, Ivan H. Adler of the McCormick Group and Nels B. Olson of Korn/Ferry International, said they had seen a growing demand for Democratic lobbyists. �It�s a bull market for Democrats, especially those who have worked for the Congressional leadership� or a powerful committee, Mr. Adler said.
Few industries have more cause for concern than drug companies, which have been a favorite target of Democrats. Republicans run the Washington offices of most major drug companies, and a former Republican House member, Billy Tauzin, is president of their trade association, the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America.
The association has hired three Democrats this year, so its lobbying team is split evenly between Republicans and Democrats.
Loren B. Thompson, a military analyst at the Lexington Institute, a policy research organization, said: �Defense contractors have not only begun to prepare for the next administration. They have begun to shape it. They�ve met with Hillary Clinton and other candidates.�
