IV tracker: getting started

[pappu]

Please update your profiles and help us make this tracker popular. Here are some tutorials to help you get started

Getting Started: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L9mE1L5HWm8&fmt=18
Basics: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PFDccTmrMfY&fmt=18
Finding and Filtering: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vf_1yqAGZYs&fmt=18


FAQs:http://immigrationvoice.org/wiki/index.php/IV_TRACKER


We urge everyone to input correct profile details so that we can help each other. Please also politely nudge each other to enter correct profile details when you see an incorrect data. We need the analysis as charts and graphs of this data for a presentation we will do to lawmakers for recapture bill this year and any possible admin fixes.
Correct data will also help everyone track cases better on IV tracker.

Let us all help in this effort.

[WaitingForMyGC]

How reliable is this Tracker(or any) data? I don't think all the registered people who gets their GC would come back and change the status of their application to 'Approved' in the Tracker. Though its better than nothing but still data is too vague to derive any real conclusion.

[hopefulgc]

I would certainly come back to update it... and i am sure there would be more than a few who would do the same.
After all, its a good way to put the fitting GC pain to rest.

Originally Posted by WaitingForMyGC

How reliable is this Tracker(or any) data? I don't think all the registered people who gets their GC would come back and change the status of their application to 'Approved' in the Tracker. Though its better than nothing but still data is too vague to derive any real conclusion.

[pappu]

We will be sending emails after sometime so that that people can keep updating it. IN order for this data be reliable, the effort must start from each one of us.

We should regularly update our data and also urge others to do the same. These days I am first looking at the data of the user before replying to the post. If the data is not there, it is ok. We do not force anyone who does not have data to update the profile. Their data will anyways not show on the tracker. In the coming days we will add more filters in the tracker to clean up such people who have incomplete or zero data.

But we definitely need to nudge people who have put incorrect data to correct it. Incorrect data will hurt the reliability of the tracker and the advocacy effort we plan to do.

[sanju]

Originally Posted by WaitingForMyGC

How reliable is this Tracker(or any) data? I don't think all the registered people who gets their GC would come back and change the status of their application to 'Approved' in the Tracker. Though its better than nothing but still data is too vague to derive any real conclusion.

Here are two quotes from the Greatest thinker of all times -

'The quality of the output of any system is as good as the quality of the input'
- by sanju on IV in 2009

'Any system is as good as the humans operating that system'
- by sanju on IV in 2009



I guess it means we all have to continously do our little part.



.

[h1techSlave]

this is a good suggestion from the admins and each and every one of us should spend a couple of minutes to update our profile with correct info.

[ghost]

Pappu - Can we also ask all the users to update the amount of taxes they've paid in 2008 (now that everyone is filing for their returns)? There seems to be a negative campaign against us that somehow we don't need to pay taxes and we are a burden on local entities.

Also, if possible, can we track how many of us are willingly capable of purchasing a home as a bargain chip for GC. I believe that we are capable of stimulating this economy and it'll be for everyones good, including US Citizens.

Cheers
Praveen

[jsb]

Originally Posted by ghost

Pappu - Can we also ask all the users to update the amount of taxes they've paid in 2008 (now that everyone is filing for their returns)? There seems to be a negative campaign against us that somehow we don't need to pay taxes and we are a burden on local entities.

Also, if possible, can we track how many of us are willingly capable of purchasing a home as a bargain chip for GC. I believe that we are capable of stimulating this economy and it'll be for everyones good, including US Citizens.

Cheers
Praveen

"Temporary Workers" have to pay not only Federal and State taxes, but Medicare and Social Security taxes too, which for a true temporary worker is just a donation for who live or will live permanently in the US.

It is a double standard. You are a temporary worker with limited rights, but when question of paying taxes comes, IRS considers H1, L1 etc. as "US Person", which means they have to declare their world income and pay taxes to the US govenment on all of it. Moreover, if you don't contribute to SS for 40 quarters (10 years), you get nothing back when you retire. You pay for Medicare, but will get nothing unless you are a legal resident when you are eligible for medicare.

[Pagal]

Yes, one of the founding principles of USA "No taxation without representation" has gone down the drain for all 'temporary' workers...

Some countries have tax treaties with USA whereby, their citizens are not required to pay medicare/social security taxes, wonder if India can have such a treaty...

[jsb]

Originally Posted by Pagal

Yes, one of the founding principles of USA "No taxation without representation" has gone down the drain for all 'temporary' workers...

Some countries have tax treaties with USA whereby, their citizens are not required to pay medicare/social security taxes, wonder if India can have such a treaty...

I think you still need to pay, but if and when you file tax in your country (with which US has a treaty), you can get credit for these payments. For example, if a Canadian works here (and maintains Canada's residential status), he/she has to pay all US taxes, SS, medicare etc, but while filing Canadian taxes (where he is not required to pay SS but has to pay income and other taxes), he/she can get credit for US payments. Therefore, if he/she returns back to Canada without completing 40 quarters, not only his/her US SS/medicare contributions are lost (barring some payments, which are nothing more than a pocket allowance, based on another treaty), he/she did not make contributions to Canadian system, thus lowering future Canadian payouts.

I am a CDN citizen, so I know it a bit better.

[Pagal]

Originally Posted by jsb

I am a CDN citizen, so I know it a bit better.

I believe you... for me tax treaty is a 'nice-to-have', but the dual standards of taxation vs living status is my issue.

Taxation on consumption is my preference, but of course, that would be too logical for politicians and bureaucrats...

See www.fairtax.org for details.