| Username |
Post |
| diyalo |
Posted
on 24-Jul-02 10:18 PM
Va. Men Charged in Visa Scheme
By Tom Jackman
Washington Post Staff Writer
Thursday, July 25, 2002; Page A01
Federal agents swarmed into Arlington yesterday and shut down a massive immigration fraud scheme that allowed thousands of illegal immigrants to obtain permission to work in the United States – and made millions of dollars for an Arlington lawyer and his colleague – prosecutors said.
Samuel G. Kooritzky, 63, an immigration lawyer and owner of the Capital Law Centers, and Ronald W. Bogardus, 65, an engineer, had submitted nearly 2,700 phony applications since the beginning of last year for "labor certifications" from the state and federal government, according to a 60-page affidavit filed in federal court in Alexandria yesterday. The documents certify that an employer needs a foreign worker for a job because no U.S. citizens are available. Once the Department of Labor issues a certification for a worker, the immigrant can apply to the Immigration and Naturalization Service for permanent residency.
Kooritzky allegedly charged immigrants at least $8,000 to file the paperwork. The two men, who are each charged with one count of immigration fraud, raked in at least $11‚million, and as much as $21‚million, over the past 18 months, agents estimated.
"There's every reason to believe this is going on all over the country," said Ben Ferro, a former INS district director in Baltimore.
Ferro said the INS doesn't have enough agents to track internal visa schemes, particularly with increased border scrutiny and other changes in priorities since Sept. 11. "There are many, many areas of immigration law that, because INS doesn't have the ability or willingness to monitor and stamp them out, it goes unchecked," he said. "And when these things are found, they're usually only prosecuted when they reach the kinds of numbers you're talking about here."
Bogardus is accused of obtaining the names of local businesses for the paperwork, even though the businesses and their managers were unaware they were being used as "sponsors" for the immigrants.
As one example, Kooritzky allegedly filed 184 requests for labor certifications from a Silver Diner restaurant in Arlington for short-order cooks. None of the agencies reviewing the paperwork noticed the sudden demand for foreign workers from one restaurant.
An INS spokesman said last night that noticing such a scheme would depend on how many applications were filed in a certain time period. "It's certainly something we want to be on guard against, but there's no way to ensure, if the petitioners are coming forward with the proper determinations, that there are too many coming forward," spokesman Bill Strassberger said.
Kooritzky, who was released after a brief appearance before U.S. Magistrate Judge Welton Curtis Sewell yesterday, did not comment.
Bogardus said, "I'm an honest, law-abiding citizen." But Sewell ordered him held without bond after agents found him carrying $44,000 in cash when he was picked up outside his Arlington office. The judge also ordered the assets of both men frozen.
Investigators in Kooritzky's case said they were amazed that neither the Virginia Employment Commission nor the U.S. Labor Department noticed the volume of applications coming in from individual restaurants. In addition to the Silver Diner's petitions, 173 requests came from a Shoney's in Manassas; 184 from an Applebee's in the Alexandria area; 108 from an Outback Steakhouse in Arlington; and 230 from two Chili's restaurants, one in Springfield and another in the Alexandria area.
In each instance, the application said the potential cook would be paid $12.05 an hour, according to the affidavit written by Andrew H. Shea, a Labor Department special agent. When Shea visited the restaurants, managers at each said they had not filed for labor certifications and that they don't pay starting cooks that much.
When immigrants seek a labor certification, their applications are sent to the state employment agency to determine whether U.S. workers are available. The state agency sends the application to the federal Labor Department, which decides whether to issue a certificate. The immigrant then can take that certification to the INS.
Joyce Fogg, a spokeswoman with the Virginia Employment Commission, said, "The state's responsibility is to review it for completeness and see that the employer's requirements do not exceed what is normal for the occupation." She said the state also tests the labor market to see if U.S. workers are available. "If an employer has already tested the market by running newspaper ads, our people review that effort."
Shea's affidavit said Kooritzky and Bogardus placed ads in the Washington Times and submitted those as evidence that they had tried to hire local workers.
Kathleen Harrington, a spokeswoman for the U.S. Department of Labor, said the agency's review program works to "ensure there is no adverse impact on the local labor market." She said the department would look at the allegations in the case and "evaluate how we do operate the program."
Of the nearly 2,700 applications filed by Kooritzky since January 2001, Shea wrote, he had investigated 1,436 and "did not find a single legitimate application." The inquiry was launched last spring after the Labor Department accidentally sent a certification to a Chili's restaurant, rather than Kooritzky, and the store manager notified authorities.
Investigators do not know how many of the labor certifications were approved or how many visas were issued. Officials said the INS could move to revoke the residency status of anyone who obtained a visa with a phony application.
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| Anu |
Posted
on 24-Jul-02 11:57 PM
Hi
You have brought forward good facts. I think all these people trying to get Green Card illegally should be caught and should be thrown out of the country. These low class labourers working in resturants should be sent back to nepal. They are working there giving a bad name to people working on professional position and people going to US with a motivation to study hard as a scholars and achieve a good career. Instead these low living creatures who cannot even speak proper nepalese forget about English are out there digging up soil for gold but what they find is just worms and nothing else. This is what happens to low level thinkers.
I hope these people get caught and are brought to justice.
Cheers
Anu
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| Bhenda |
Posted
on 25-Jul-02 05:53 AM
Anu ji,
you seem to be so insenstive towards our poor brothers and sisters, most of them came here to get educated too but could not because their parents did not have luteko dhan or ghoos khako dhan, or maybe their parents were not ban sacheebs or any other sacheeb who got a good chance to luto poor Nepali people.
Atleast they are not selling drugs in the streets, they are trying to make a living. I know so many people who work 60 hours a week and support their families back home. Ke garnoo I wish all of us were rich and lucky like you.
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| Satya |
Posted
on 25-Jul-02 06:13 AM
Dear Anuji,
Do you think only professionals like you have right to earn their living?
Om Hari Shiva ..........
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| Whatthef**k |
Posted
on 25-Jul-02 07:09 AM
Anu,
Do you realize what you are saying?
What a freak.
If you think you're that good/professional than mine your own business no one is going to give such a bad name.
You know what, forget it.
Get the hell out of here please!
Do not come back.
You sick bastard.
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| Anuko Dai |
Posted
on 25-Jul-02 07:13 AM
I agree with Bhenda.
Anu,
I am just replying because you are talking about low class working in restaurant bla..bla... May be you are from a rich family. You can support your study without doing any job.
For most of us, we need to do any kind of job to support our study. Haven't you seen or met any qualified person doing any kind of job they could grab ? Do you think you are far educated than that person who is just doing to support his/her study? After the completion of his/her study, you will see the difference.
FYI, those who are in US, UK, AUS are from middle or high class.
You should change your mentality towards these people.
I am in UK and I did those job when I was studying, at least that job supported me and my study. Did you get it?
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| Arlington |
Posted
on 25-Jul-02 08:02 AM
Very sad news espically for those who are out of status now.
I am from Arlington . I know last year 1000 of Nepalis come over here in capital law form (Samuel G. Kooritzky's law form) for sponsership. I am very sorry for those brother and sisters whose applications are going to messed up.
Tara dukka ko kua k bhane.....One local Nepali leader in Arlington worked as agent for Capital Law forum. I have heard from reliable source that he is making 5,00 $ from each application. Well...Nepali bata Nepali lai dhoka.
They deserve hell to spoil dream of hardworking people.
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| Hercules |
Posted
on 25-Jul-02 08:50 AM
Mr. Arlington,
I'm with all of you that it's very sad that lots of nepali people are going to be screwed up now.
"Tara dukka ko kua k bhane.....One local Nepali leader in Arlington worked as agent for Capital Law forum. I have heard from reliable source that he is making 5,00 $ from each application. Well...Nepali bata Nepali lai dhoka. "
What do you mean Nepali bata Nepali lai dhoka? Didn't you say he's an agent? Well how an agent will work without commission if you look from that point of view. If you're talking about illegal to take money because he's not a legal agent, then I'd say nobody in this business legal.Those people who desperately wants to get green card, they also know very well that it's all fake. Don't you agree with me? So why dhoka?
Working in Restaurant when you're student is different. Coming aboard just to work as a labor from Nepal is different. We have both type so please do not mix up.
Now those people who leave Nepal for labor work pays anywhere from 3 Lakhs to 10 lakhs in Nepal to the agents. If you have that much money why do you come to US, Japan or UK to work as labor. Why don't you just start your own business Nepal? However same person goes aboard and will work anything doesn't matter whether it's janitorial job, resturant job etc.
You know what, the real problem is Nepali people do not want to work low job in Nepal because Ijjat ko sawal chha. Nepali people are like, you don't have food at home to eat but outside you have to show all kinds of Phurti.
We have to learn how to respect people who work hard not who have money.
My suggestion is Naramro kaam garera kahile sano hundaina. Naramro kaam (Illegal) nagarnu. Sakchhau bhane jaagir khanu bhanda aafnai business (kaam) garnu.
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| times have changed |
Posted
on 25-Jul-02 09:52 AM
if people want to live and work in other countries, they should do so legally, REGARDLESS (anu) of whether they hold white- or blue-collar jobs. nepalis illegally in other countries jeopardize not only their own futures, but also the opportunities for others coming after them, which is really inconsiderate, selfish, and inexcusable.
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| Hercules |
Posted
on 25-Jul-02 10:41 AM
Correction:
My suggestion is kaam garera kahile sano hundaina. Naramro kaam (Illegal) nagarnu. Sakchhau bhane jaagir khanu bhanda aafnai business (kaam) garnu ramro.
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| LA |
Posted
on 25-Jul-02 10:54 AM
Anuji,
You may be married to some f...king american dude ..and talk shith about Nepali people..
You may be a millionaire's daughter but we aren't...
We came here to get education but doesn't seem possible without working illegally..Even Americans work to pay their tuition and work in strip bars..we are Nepali and that too living under poverty line..What else do u think we can do>>.
Jai hoos
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| Bhenda |
Posted
on 25-Jul-02 12:06 PM
I know, what do you mean low jobs Anu ji?? Even Americans do that to support themselves and go to school. Haven't you seen an American working in a gas station or a restauarant??
Some people are so stuck up.
But I dont think lots of people knew that being sponsored like that was illegal. The lawyers were very smart they were trying to make some money. The lawyers promised that they would look for a sponsor also, and these Nepalese thought how wonderful. Imagine, mari mari kam gareko paisa pani gayo and no greencard also. Thats sad.
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| Sanjay |
Posted
on 25-Jul-02 12:21 PM
Dear mitra haruu,
this thread looks very interesting to me,, but seems Anu's posting created some confusion. I don think Anu means to blame the students who are making money to pay their tution (though she has mentioned scholars only,, and i think only a very small % of nepalese coming to study abroad are scholars).
my idea is we must encourage nepalese students who come to study abroad in their own risk, but must discourage those people who mean to come here with illegal papers and seek big dreams. This might put the right people into problem. I think most of the ppl who come abroad to claim citizenship are from well to do families in Nepal,, they pay lots of money to dalal (they suld be deported back),, some often come with more than one passports (this means they have capacity to influence the CDOs to issue multiple passports).
I agree with Anu that the activity of these bad guys (keti pani hai) create problem to legal ones also,, .. I hope we all sajha mitras are aware that many nepalese (nepal ma dhani) are paying to dalal, coming abroad and applying for asylum. Few years ago, Germany rejected many nepalese ,, UK and Belgium has a very big problem of nepalese applying for asylum. From a very reliable source, i heard that very recently one dalal took a group of six nepalese to Norway and they applied for asylum as moobadi pidit (thats not true,, all are rich ppl from Nepal,,). Looking at the severity of the problem, recently EU comission visited nepal and came back with a report that these nepalese are not Political refugees ,, but economic refugees. Looking at the problem of maobadi in nepal,, it has become a bit easy for nepalese to apply for asylum here. I heard that one nepali sold his passport to a pakistani guy,, who finds easy to make working papers with nepali passport.
so i think there must be action against some of our nepalese but for sure not for our bidharthi mitras..
So, bidyarthi mitras,, i emotionally support ur effort to work , make money for tution and seek a glorious future. hope Anu jee agrees with it also.b
take care hai,,,
sanjay
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| LA, where from you? |
Posted
on 25-Jul-02 01:08 PM
LA-jyu,
please be careful to calling "f*ing" amrikan this and that here. some kuires might visit and find the offensive enough to go telling to LA MIGRA about our dirty little nepalese secret here in the hamrika. also how many illegal status peoples do you want back home in nepal? you are maybe have the hariyo patta all ready but think about the poor bhai-bhahini and student without good status. san already knows these talks on his site for how to get illegal status. and maybe their carnevor from fbi is already in use for sajha? anyhow, of coarse you say what you want in free country.
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| Believer of working hard |
Posted
on 25-Jul-02 01:45 PM
Dear Anu,
Are u out of your leftover peanut size mind? Why the F... do you have problem people working in restaurants? Are you jealous because they are getting paid on cash and some are getting sponsored for GC? You are just like one of the Nepali BITCHES Hercules Mentioned" Nepali people are like, you don't have food at home to eat but outside
you have to show all kinds of Phurti. " Are you one of those Nepali who works alone at secular place or at night for money and feel shame to see or find felow Nepali working at restaurent when dining out with your friend????
I doubt that u are rich girl because rich girls in foreign country, usually, don't have time
and give a shit how other Nepali making money because they very will know that their parents in Nepal may not have earned the money they are spending here legally. They usually keep their mouth shut. And, I also, doubt you are a professional person because the way u write and most of the Nepali propessional don't go around to criticize other Nepali's work.
SOOO, u must be one of those BITCH who want to make it happen in AMERICA either looking for someone to take care of you or sleeping with some sugar daddy rather than working hard.
I feel sorry for you woman. Please don't lose your Nepaliness.........
Sanjay,
PLEEEAAAAGEEEEE....
What is the different between, adult person working illegally in restaurant to make money for his/her family and students working illegally to pay his tuition? And, please don't tell me all the Nepali students in USA are from poor family? Matter of the fact, I have not met single one of them except some with scholarship. 99% of the students who come to USA to study on SO CALLED self FINANCE are from somewhat well of family. The money their parents spend sending them here could easily be enough to get higher degree from Inida or other nebhoring country without woking while going to school.
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| Dr,Dre |
Posted
on 25-Jul-02 02:08 PM
i guess u must be only stupid gal in this whole world,juess help her,so sad,so sad, bichari.
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| Good Nepali Student |
Posted
on 25-Jul-02 02:28 PM
Hi All,
Yes we are all from one of the poorest country in the world-NEPAL but we love her dearly. And there are no opportunites back home for a good solid education meaning no good colleges nor universities exists compared to American Universities. And even if they are "good" ones then it's all corrupted, or politically infected, and also the never ending strikes and bandhs makes it worse for a Nepali Student to get a good education.
And when these same students come to America, we come looking for an opportunity to study and support ourselves. What can we do other than work and survive? Even if our parents have tons and tons of money it's hardly of any use because of the currency devaluation. It's impossible for most of the nepali students to support themselves. But it's admirable that many of us come here, struggle and get the best education here and graduate.
I think the American government should consider the fact that the students from even the poorest countries come here, study, and try to make a difference here in the states. Naturally we don't want to go back because of the limited or none opportunity back home. So, I think people who tried to adjust their status did nothing wrong because all these Americans came as immigrants too. It may not them then it was their fore fathers who came as immigrants legal or illegal. Instead of the government catching these poor students and deporting them, I think the government should think for a moment and address these issues. America is the land of opportunites, so naturally people want to come here. I say why play the lottery and select people who are illeterate, or have no interest to come here instead give the DV lottery's to students like us who want to study, work and live here da!!
So, stop backlashing at students who are hard working and are studying. Yeah, some of us were very lucky to have nice fortunate parents who supported our education. So Please think before venting our hearts out irrrationally!
Well Wisher
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| MR. T |
Posted
on 25-Jul-02 02:34 PM
ANU , I THINK U COULDN'T GET GREENCARD SO YOU ARE JEALOUS OF IT, SO SAD , SO SAD. KEEN ON TRYIN' BABE.
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| Believer of working hard |
Posted
on 25-Jul-02 03:16 PM
Folks,
I just want to add and clarify that I have nothing against any students working to pay for their tuition. I just wanted to let Sanjeev know that for me, it doesn't make any difference if you r student or adult working to support your self or your family. All of us, who are in America either as student or adult working illegally, probably can make it and survive anywhere in the world but we have chosen to come here just like other immigrant American did for betterment of our lives.
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| UNCLE SAM |
Posted
on 25-Jul-02 03:39 PM
GUY'S IT'S TOTALLY DIFFERENT CASE THAN OTHER RESTAURANT THING.SO DON'T HAVE TO WORRY ,BE COOL ,NOTHING GONNA HAPPEN.TAKE CARE
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| anu |
Posted
on 25-Jul-02 04:10 PM
Thanks for supporting me Sanjay. Everything you have expressed is exactly what I meant. These people on the forum are so abusive. I cannot believe it. I think they are really furstrated with life. I did not mean to hurt anyones feeling and was just sharing my view.
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| Who love Nepal? |
Posted
on 25-Jul-02 04:19 PM
Look at ! How corrupted people and their families are dying to immigrate foreign land.
Do you think Nepal poor by nature? or Thoese corrupted people made Nepal into poor condition today?
They talk great, walk great and looks great but behind the big black curtain these same people and their families or relatives are invlove in bad activities.
Am I right?
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| FOXY |
Posted
on 25-Jul-02 04:32 PM
WHO LOVE NEPAL?
i agree, i am still curious to know what really happened during the killings of our royal family? i heard stories where during those times, people couldn't even say a word about the incident. what a load of $hit
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| BETTER SORRY THAN SAFE |
Posted
on 25-Jul-02 04:32 PM
don't worry, ain't nothing gonna happen, until it happens. ain't no dude or dudette ain't gonna sing like a stool pigeon during interrogation after "nothing" happens to them. ain't no students gonna get busted after no pizza delivery guy gets hauled in after being pulled over trying to earn a quicker buck by breakin' the speed limit. ain't ignorance bliss?!
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| h ehe |
Posted
on 25-Jul-02 10:25 PM
indeed its real problem. does anybody has idea how to legalise illegal works. students can get work permit from INS with request that one is from lower income and can't afford to finance study. what about others...
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| legal |
Posted
on 26-Jul-02 10:48 AM
Why you guys focusing on illegals? Those who applied are not only illegals. Legals can also apply for GC in that category (based on future employment). I believe majority of them are leagals because illegals who are working at restaurants don't need to find out a fake sponsor. So, those of you who are bashing on illegals, think twice.
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| Mr.T |
Posted
on 26-Jul-02 02:18 PM
legal you are 100% right coz legal person don't have to look for sponsor.people who don't any f@@king idea abt it are tryin' to be so smart are just S@@t for me.shame on you guys.
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| LA |
Posted
on 26-Jul-02 03:26 PM
Hey Anuji,
Well what u wrote sounded llike u are trying to scold Nepalese working here..U haven't specified..who?...And when u write be specific..to which group u are referring to..cause i am a student too and i am working too..so while going through what u wrote...my brain was upside down and i couldn't resist..
Don't think that u are the only smarter Nepali..who may be didn't have to work and pay for ur tuition..
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| dirty hari |
Posted
on 26-Jul-02 04:47 PM
http://www.ins.usdoj.gov/graphics/howdoi/illegal.htm
"you've got to ask yourself one question, do i feel lucky? well, do ya, punk?"
clint baby
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