nik.patelc
02-18 08:39 PM
I just noticed that your PD date is Nov 2004 EB2. I am just curious that CIS is processing case with PD NOV 2004 in March but March 2009 bulletin show EB2 Feb 2004.
Would you share details when did you get GC interview?
Would you share details when did you get GC interview?
kondur_007
07-01 03:22 PM
It is a difficult scenario. Chances are that it would be very difficult for your mom to ever prectice in US (not to discourage, but tell you the fact).
first one has to pass USMLE step 1, Step 2 (CK and CS) and get ECFMG certification (info at ECFMG� | Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates (http://www.ecfmg.org))
Then apply for residency and get into the residency (which is extremely competitive, requires high USMLE scores and reference letters and if you are old grade, many programs do not consider you).
Then Do the three/four year residency and pass USMLE step 3, get the license.
Absolutely no way to practice medicine unless she goes through above path (experience and training in india does not matter; only thing that will matter is her MBBS (if from regonized college there) which will allow her to sit for USMLE).
Many doctors in your mom's situation come here and do some paramedical job (phelbotomist, physical therapist etc).
Good Luck.
first one has to pass USMLE step 1, Step 2 (CK and CS) and get ECFMG certification (info at ECFMG� | Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates (http://www.ecfmg.org))
Then apply for residency and get into the residency (which is extremely competitive, requires high USMLE scores and reference letters and if you are old grade, many programs do not consider you).
Then Do the three/four year residency and pass USMLE step 3, get the license.
Absolutely no way to practice medicine unless she goes through above path (experience and training in india does not matter; only thing that will matter is her MBBS (if from regonized college there) which will allow her to sit for USMLE).
Many doctors in your mom's situation come here and do some paramedical job (phelbotomist, physical therapist etc).
Good Luck.
sin94
11-11 01:09 AM
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
140 filed February 2007 via Nebraska service center (EB2 category)
Applied and received 485 receipt number in October 2007, went for finger printing in November, EAD cards arrived.
employer changed office space locations in March 2008 no update was provided to USCIS as we just shifted certain operations to a bigger space and older address still valid for receiving letters
May 2008 140 case transferred from Nebraska to Texas service center
September 2008 dreaded email from USCIS automated systems "RFE request for initial evidence case placed on hold"
waited 10 days no response Lawyers called 1st time to USCIS help line received response that about duplicate notice sent. re-verified addresses for both lawyers and employers
15th day from RFE notice employer called USCIS (applicate cannot speak as 140 cases pertain to employer)updated address for employer provided
20th day from RFE notice Lawyers called again help line same response indicating another notice sent. Lawyers also send letter out to Nebraska service center indicating not receiving of RFE letter
28th day from RFE notice employer calls again (this time 800 number found on immigration portal website belived to be the 800 number for Texas service center) same response. USCIS officials issue a tracking case # and indicate that employer would either receive email within 5 working days or notice within 2 weeks.
30th day from RFE notice Lawyer call USCIS again about not receiving the RFE documents. New letter drafted and sent to the Texas service center.
Lawyers ask for assistance from ALA (American Lawyers Associations) for determination of status of RFE
Today we stand at the 43rd from the date of email from USCIS about RFE and no letter has yet being received by either employer or Lawyers
what am I supposed to do? what are my options?
Please help if anyone has had a similar situation with delays of RFE notice and how they responded. If you request to reply privately please send me a Private message with contact detail and best time to call or contact
Sin
140 filed February 2007 via Nebraska service center (EB2 category)
Applied and received 485 receipt number in October 2007, went for finger printing in November, EAD cards arrived.
employer changed office space locations in March 2008 no update was provided to USCIS as we just shifted certain operations to a bigger space and older address still valid for receiving letters
May 2008 140 case transferred from Nebraska to Texas service center
September 2008 dreaded email from USCIS automated systems "RFE request for initial evidence case placed on hold"
waited 10 days no response Lawyers called 1st time to USCIS help line received response that about duplicate notice sent. re-verified addresses for both lawyers and employers
15th day from RFE notice employer called USCIS (applicate cannot speak as 140 cases pertain to employer)updated address for employer provided
20th day from RFE notice Lawyers called again help line same response indicating another notice sent. Lawyers also send letter out to Nebraska service center indicating not receiving of RFE letter
28th day from RFE notice employer calls again (this time 800 number found on immigration portal website belived to be the 800 number for Texas service center) same response. USCIS officials issue a tracking case # and indicate that employer would either receive email within 5 working days or notice within 2 weeks.
30th day from RFE notice Lawyer call USCIS again about not receiving the RFE documents. New letter drafted and sent to the Texas service center.
Lawyers ask for assistance from ALA (American Lawyers Associations) for determination of status of RFE
Today we stand at the 43rd from the date of email from USCIS about RFE and no letter has yet being received by either employer or Lawyers
what am I supposed to do? what are my options?
Please help if anyone has had a similar situation with delays of RFE notice and how they responded. If you request to reply privately please send me a Private message with contact detail and best time to call or contact
Sin
GCWhru
03-26 02:10 PM
Do you have any source on this....I also had to amend my H1B last month. Its done without any issues..
My lawyer informed this. They instructed me not to travel while extension is pending. In case you have to travel, they suggest to do the extension after return back. I don't have any source for this information.
But it makes sense isn't it. Your extension is the extension of your last I94, however if you travelled after application, your extension have different i94 number and your recent i94 has different number. Just my opinion.
My lawyer informed this. They instructed me not to travel while extension is pending. In case you have to travel, they suggest to do the extension after return back. I don't have any source for this information.
But it makes sense isn't it. Your extension is the extension of your last I94, however if you travelled after application, your extension have different i94 number and your recent i94 has different number. Just my opinion.
more...
tinku01
07-22 07:26 PM
Bluez if dates move back then they will take effect from Sept 01 and you are already attending interview in Aug. Now as per law there no other bulletin can be issued for Aug again. If you rememebr same thing happend last year in July and then second bulletin had to be withdrawn. So don't worry have fun and enjoy.
Becks
02-17 04:51 PM
It has been discussed many many times in IV and most of us have expert (!) knowledge about this I guess. Anyway go for AC21 with H1 Transfer if your new company can transfer H1. Otherwise go for EAD since you wont have any option.
more...
kaylamarie
01-28 12:12 PM
Can any one please reply... 70 views and no replies
invincibleasian
03-02 12:22 PM
Hi All,
I have been following the postings on this forum. I appreciate all the hard work the core group is doing. I also appreciate the active participation by all members in answering/discussing the forum topics.
I have contributed a one time $200.00 in support and would contribute more and request every one to support in there capacity.
Every one needs PR status, but in my case, the need is more for my wife, because of the reason that she wants to pursue her medical residency here.
I sometimes wonder and sometimes I feel like going back to India, work for my present company for 1 year, come back here on a managerial/executive position on L1 along with my wife and apply for Perm in Eb1 cat...this said is all my thought!
This would enable my wife to get work permit as L1 dependent and an eventually a residency position in a good univ and a current 1-485 status.
Only thing though is my wife would need to attend interviews.
Any suggestions/feedback will help me and all other people in this situation.
Thank You,
The 116
Medical institutions will apply for a H1 for her. Dont waste any time. She can start applying ofr residency as soon as she completes her USMLE part 2 and then start preparing for part3 good luck!
I have been following the postings on this forum. I appreciate all the hard work the core group is doing. I also appreciate the active participation by all members in answering/discussing the forum topics.
I have contributed a one time $200.00 in support and would contribute more and request every one to support in there capacity.
Every one needs PR status, but in my case, the need is more for my wife, because of the reason that she wants to pursue her medical residency here.
I sometimes wonder and sometimes I feel like going back to India, work for my present company for 1 year, come back here on a managerial/executive position on L1 along with my wife and apply for Perm in Eb1 cat...this said is all my thought!
This would enable my wife to get work permit as L1 dependent and an eventually a residency position in a good univ and a current 1-485 status.
Only thing though is my wife would need to attend interviews.
Any suggestions/feedback will help me and all other people in this situation.
Thank You,
The 116
Medical institutions will apply for a H1 for her. Dont waste any time. She can start applying ofr residency as soon as she completes her USMLE part 2 and then start preparing for part3 good luck!
more...
Bhadwaj
07-15 07:48 PM
Thank you GC28262,
I also presume that there is no need to file I-539 either. However, what would be the right approach here..
File for H4, while she continues to work on EAD. The benefit with this approach is that she would have a new I-94
OR
File for AP - but then she won't have a new I-94 till such time that she reenters US.
Please advice.
I also presume that there is no need to file I-539 either. However, what would be the right approach here..
File for H4, while she continues to work on EAD. The benefit with this approach is that she would have a new I-94
OR
File for AP - but then she won't have a new I-94 till such time that she reenters US.
Please advice.
jthomas
07-05 05:52 PM
Most of the active members would have done their calls to lawmakers and the list of provided. What's next. Can somebody keep it moving.
more...
dealsnet
07-13 10:52 AM
If you are filed in EB2, you can file I-485 and I-140 concurent after getting the PERM approval using cross charge. (EB2 ROW is always current). If you are in EB3, you need to wait 3-4 years to file I-485. (Long wait).
Hi
My wife is on H4 and is planning to convert to F1 before joining graduate school to get scholarship. At same time my PERM is filed and once approved i was planning to use cross chargebility to file under my wife country of birth quota (UAE). i wanted to know following
a) if she applied for conversion for F1 today, can she get scholarship before she gets ssn or she has to wait till she gets ssn
B) If during her F1 processing time or grauate studies on F1, if my PERM gets approved, can i file for I-140 and I485 using cross chargebility with her being on F1 or i would have to wait for her to conert to H4? If there any risk to our green card processing
C)If she continues on H4 visa, can she still get scholarship? if not once she graduates would she be in special US master degree quota for H1B?
Any help on these would be great
Thanks
Hi
My wife is on H4 and is planning to convert to F1 before joining graduate school to get scholarship. At same time my PERM is filed and once approved i was planning to use cross chargebility to file under my wife country of birth quota (UAE). i wanted to know following
a) if she applied for conversion for F1 today, can she get scholarship before she gets ssn or she has to wait till she gets ssn
B) If during her F1 processing time or grauate studies on F1, if my PERM gets approved, can i file for I-140 and I485 using cross chargebility with her being on F1 or i would have to wait for her to conert to H4? If there any risk to our green card processing
C)If she continues on H4 visa, can she still get scholarship? if not once she graduates would she be in special US master degree quota for H1B?
Any help on these would be great
Thanks
hopefulgc
12-30 12:55 AM
Even though we have a very honest agenda at heart which at its very core aims to help America be more competitive in the global scene, apparently, we need to have the financial clout to be able to turn heads and thus have our voices heard.
Here is an idea: say we have roughly 500 members out of this vast array of 35000+ members who have the heart and the will to contribute. we get $2000 from each and place it in an escrow trust account that does not release money for expenditure unless we reach $1 mln
why? because the first 10 or 50 contributers are the most elemental in getting such a campaign off the ground and we need to give them a guarantee that its an ALL or NOTHING DEAL. If for some reason we stop at $10k because only 5 members contributed and no more are ready to contribute (unlikely), those 5 members can get their money back.
now is $2000 a huge amount?.. absolutely... but maybe we could tweak this amount or do some payback if we have more people stepping forward in excess of 500. and the amount of payback depends on how early your contributed to the campaign. The first 50 guys could even get a substantial part of their contribution back.
People, we gotta swing for the fences, the next time we go to play.
It has taken us some time to understand how the lobbying game is played.. but this time "Lets play to win"
As evident from current campaigns (http://immigrationvoice.org/forum/showthread.php?p=210276#post210276), we need to be a big fish.. a million $+ whale to be taken seriously.
Lastly, i'm just presenting an idea .. its not endorsed by IV core.. and I maybe overlooking some finer points of non-profit corporate taxation and finance.
Here is an idea: say we have roughly 500 members out of this vast array of 35000+ members who have the heart and the will to contribute. we get $2000 from each and place it in an escrow trust account that does not release money for expenditure unless we reach $1 mln
why? because the first 10 or 50 contributers are the most elemental in getting such a campaign off the ground and we need to give them a guarantee that its an ALL or NOTHING DEAL. If for some reason we stop at $10k because only 5 members contributed and no more are ready to contribute (unlikely), those 5 members can get their money back.
now is $2000 a huge amount?.. absolutely... but maybe we could tweak this amount or do some payback if we have more people stepping forward in excess of 500. and the amount of payback depends on how early your contributed to the campaign. The first 50 guys could even get a substantial part of their contribution back.
People, we gotta swing for the fences, the next time we go to play.
It has taken us some time to understand how the lobbying game is played.. but this time "Lets play to win"
As evident from current campaigns (http://immigrationvoice.org/forum/showthread.php?p=210276#post210276), we need to be a big fish.. a million $+ whale to be taken seriously.
Lastly, i'm just presenting an idea .. its not endorsed by IV core.. and I maybe overlooking some finer points of non-profit corporate taxation and finance.
more...
gauravster
04-30 07:48 PM
Wall Street Journal has a article about the Greenspan's testimony. The comments seem to be taken over by the anti's. Please comment if you can.
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB124112017018574119.html
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB124112017018574119.html
LC2002
04-14 11:08 AM
COngratulations on finishing the long journey !! Keep visiting IV :)
Thanks, sure. Can't resist to come back as it has become old habit and old habits die hard!!
Thanks, sure. Can't resist to come back as it has become old habit and old habits die hard!!
more...
Lasantha
01-25 09:21 PM
You can create a new account with a new email address and then use that to point to the same case numbers. This would be the best approach if you don't have the contact numbers.
abracadabra102
08-27 06:07 PM
but if i go through a regular divorce process is that okay for the USCIS?
You are not getting it. If you file for divorce, your spouse won't get GC, whichever way you want to twist it.
You are not getting it. If you file for divorce, your spouse won't get GC, whichever way you want to twist it.
more...
BharatPremi
07-22 01:55 AM
My H1-B visa expired on June 16, 2007. Extension (I-129) has been filed in May 2007 (before expiration). It has not been approved yet. It's still pending. My LC has been approved on July 09, 2007 and my PD is April 2004. My question is: Can I file concurrently I-140 and I-485? Will my application be rejected or will an RFE be issued?
Thanks for your input.
Solong:confused:
Yes you can file your 485. Just tell your lawyer not to forget to attach the H1 extension application receipt.
Thanks for your input.
Solong:confused:
Yes you can file your 485. Just tell your lawyer not to forget to attach the H1 extension application receipt.
psaxena
06-25 01:31 PM
^^^
GCeffect
02-09 05:22 AM
Last week i received a RFE against my I485 application. My PD is not current yet. I''m kind of confused about the RFE. I need some help from you guys...
Check out the RFE letter comment at the following:
"""""USCIS records indicate that you began your employment with compnay A in October 2005. However, the record indicates that the i-129, H1b, granting your authorization to work for company A was not filed until aug, 2006. Submit documentatary evidence that you were authorized to work for compnay A when you began your employment in Oct 2005.""""
Now let me explain my situation.
I had my first H1b from compnay B, for three years (oct 2002 to oct 2005). Then I started my renewed my H1b under another company C. (oct/2005 to oct 2008). Then i received my PERM labor from another company A (the company they USCIS mentioned in their RFE). Both the company C and compnay A was owned by one person. So even i was working with the company C, my payroll was under Company A. Right after I received my labor certificate from Compnay A, my lawyer suggested my transfer my H1b from Compnay C to company A. Then i received my h1b approval for compnay A in Jan 2007 to october 2008. In 0ctober 2008 i renewed my h1b from compnay A again for one year. But in november compnay A terminted me and withdraw my H1b. I got a new job and moved to a new compnay in december 2008. Everything is normal after that until i received the RFE. I have to get back to USCIS in by the end of this month with the evidence. I has the legal status all the time i worked for all those companies.
PLease let me know what you guys think about the whole situation.
Thanks ahead about your concern ......
EB3 (ROW)..PD May 2006
Check out the RFE letter comment at the following:
"""""USCIS records indicate that you began your employment with compnay A in October 2005. However, the record indicates that the i-129, H1b, granting your authorization to work for company A was not filed until aug, 2006. Submit documentatary evidence that you were authorized to work for compnay A when you began your employment in Oct 2005.""""
Now let me explain my situation.
I had my first H1b from compnay B, for three years (oct 2002 to oct 2005). Then I started my renewed my H1b under another company C. (oct/2005 to oct 2008). Then i received my PERM labor from another company A (the company they USCIS mentioned in their RFE). Both the company C and compnay A was owned by one person. So even i was working with the company C, my payroll was under Company A. Right after I received my labor certificate from Compnay A, my lawyer suggested my transfer my H1b from Compnay C to company A. Then i received my h1b approval for compnay A in Jan 2007 to october 2008. In 0ctober 2008 i renewed my h1b from compnay A again for one year. But in november compnay A terminted me and withdraw my H1b. I got a new job and moved to a new compnay in december 2008. Everything is normal after that until i received the RFE. I have to get back to USCIS in by the end of this month with the evidence. I has the legal status all the time i worked for all those companies.
PLease let me know what you guys think about the whole situation.
Thanks ahead about your concern ......
EB3 (ROW)..PD May 2006
ysnraju
12-05 11:01 PM
In my case I have only one LUD after fingerprinting and then on 30 Nov 2007
again LUD I485 Card production ordered.
same with my spouse also.
_______________________
LUDs on Current Status of I485:
30 Nov 2007 : Card production ordered .
02 Dec.2007 : Card production ordered .
04 Dec 2007 : Approval notice sent.
For Both Self and Spouse.
Labor Filing Date: 27 Feb 2004
Service Center: Nebraska
Category: EB2
Application Mailed: 04 Jun 2007
USCIS Received Date: 05 Jun 2007
USCIS Notice Date: 14 Jun 2007
Filing Type: non-concurrent
I-140 Processing: regular
I-140 Approval Date: March 02, 2007
Fingerprinting Date : 15 Aug 2007
RFE: no
EAD Approval Date: 08 Sep 2007
AP Approval Date: 13 Sep 2007
Nationality: India
again LUD I485 Card production ordered.
same with my spouse also.
_______________________
LUDs on Current Status of I485:
30 Nov 2007 : Card production ordered .
02 Dec.2007 : Card production ordered .
04 Dec 2007 : Approval notice sent.
For Both Self and Spouse.
Labor Filing Date: 27 Feb 2004
Service Center: Nebraska
Category: EB2
Application Mailed: 04 Jun 2007
USCIS Received Date: 05 Jun 2007
USCIS Notice Date: 14 Jun 2007
Filing Type: non-concurrent
I-140 Processing: regular
I-140 Approval Date: March 02, 2007
Fingerprinting Date : 15 Aug 2007
RFE: no
EAD Approval Date: 08 Sep 2007
AP Approval Date: 13 Sep 2007
Nationality: India
zerozerozeven
05-07 12:00 AM
Time to get our voices heard
http://www.time.com/time/politics/article/0,8599,1896482,00.html?cnn=yes
The first tweet the White House Twittered was not about the weather. It had nothing to do with how the President was feeling, what he was doing or what he wanted for lunch. The First Dog, Bo, failed to receive even an oblique mention.
Instead, the Obama Administration jumped with both feet into the 140-character Twitterverse on May 1 with a one-sentence post on how Americans can learn about swine flu directly by joining social networks with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). "We wanted to use these tools to some end, some effect, some public good," said Macon Phillips, the White House Director of New Media. (See the best social-networking applications.)
So it has gone in the first few months of the Obama Administration. At the new President's urging and by his example, the entire Federal Government has bounded into the world of social-networking. Twenty-five agencies now have YouTube channels. The Library of Congress has begun posting thousands of free historical photos on Flickr. In the past week alone, about 30 agencies, including the White House, have joined Facebook.
"The whole pondering process � Should we do it? Should we not do it? � has been truncated because the White House is doing it," says Theresa Nasif, director of the Federal Citizen Information Center, which helps coordinate Web outreach. "It's very exciting to be in government."
The federal technology transformation remains very much a work in progress, with several agencies just beginning to grapple with allowing employees to even access social-networking sites. The White House communications team, for instance, is not able to access the government's Facebook postings and Twitter feeds, let alone those of reporters from the press corps, because of filters installed at the White House. (The White House New Media team, which posts on the networks from four old speech-writing rooms in the Eisenhower Executive Office Building, has been able to win an exemption from this policy.)
Still, the Administration has already made great strides in opening up to technological innovation. On Jan. 21, his first full day in office, Obama signed an Executive Order calling for all departments and agencies to "establish a system of transparency, public participation and collaboration." At the same time, White House lawyers, working with other federal agencies, sought to create new "terms of use" agreements with private companies that would allow government to sign up for social networks like MySpace, YouTube and Facebook as if they were just another person. What was once the sole domain of adventuresome government agencies and officials soon became standard policy.
At present, government lawyers have drafted agreements with 10 private social-networking companies. (The tailored agreements take into account certain federal privacy statutes and require that disputes be settled in federal court, not state courts.) Six other private-sector products, including iTunes, are being considered for further expansion, potentially clearing the way for easy iPod downloads of Obama Administration messages.
At some agencies, like the White House, other considerations had to be taken into account. To comply with the Presidential Records Act, every Twitter and Facebook posting, for instance, generates an e-mail record that can be stored with other records. Citizen responses to the White House postings are also sampled and archived for the sake of history. On Monday, to coincide with the announcement of a crackdown on corporate overseas tax havens, the White House Twitter feed asked followers � who now number more than 40,000 � for their reaction. Jason Furman, deputy director of the White House National Economic Council, responded to three of the questions in a follow-up posting, which was linked to the White House blog. The questions, far from softballs, led to a discussion of the difference between statutory and effective tax rates, among other things. (See the 50 best websites of 2008.)
Other areas of government have had success on a far greater scale. The CDC, which began experimenting with social media three years ago, has created a raft of YouTube videos, podcasts, webpage widgets and Twitter-size feeds to inform the public about the latest news on the H1N1 virus, also known as swine flu. Between April 22 and May 4, the CDC received 1.2 million views of flu-related material on YouTube and 46.6 million Web-page views, and attracted 99,000 followers on its Twitter feed "CDCemergency," which provides breaking updates on health issues. Janice Nall of the CDC's Center for Health Marketing says the agency is interested in employing any social media that people use. As for Twitter, she added, "It just happens to be sexy right now."
Several agencies have been struggling to free themselves of bureaucratic restraints, like filtering software that bars employees from accessing social networks from work computers. In recent months, both the Department of Energy and the Department of Housing and Urban Development have opened up employee access to social-networking tools. The Defense Department has also been going online, with a new Air Force Twitter page and a Facebook page for General Ray Odierno, the U.S. commander of multinational forces in Iraq.
Nonetheless, the entire project of making the government social-network-friendly remains in its infancy. As it stands, the government controls about 24,000 websites but is only beginning to utilize the social-networking sites on which citizens are spending an increasing amount of their time. Yet the historic bureaucratic resistance to adapting to new media has clearly begun to fade, says Bev Godwin, director of Online Resources and Interagency Development at the White House. "I think you will see a huge increase in use across the government of social-networking tools," she says.
http://www.time.com/time/politics/article/0,8599,1896482,00.html?cnn=yes
The first tweet the White House Twittered was not about the weather. It had nothing to do with how the President was feeling, what he was doing or what he wanted for lunch. The First Dog, Bo, failed to receive even an oblique mention.
Instead, the Obama Administration jumped with both feet into the 140-character Twitterverse on May 1 with a one-sentence post on how Americans can learn about swine flu directly by joining social networks with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). "We wanted to use these tools to some end, some effect, some public good," said Macon Phillips, the White House Director of New Media. (See the best social-networking applications.)
So it has gone in the first few months of the Obama Administration. At the new President's urging and by his example, the entire Federal Government has bounded into the world of social-networking. Twenty-five agencies now have YouTube channels. The Library of Congress has begun posting thousands of free historical photos on Flickr. In the past week alone, about 30 agencies, including the White House, have joined Facebook.
"The whole pondering process � Should we do it? Should we not do it? � has been truncated because the White House is doing it," says Theresa Nasif, director of the Federal Citizen Information Center, which helps coordinate Web outreach. "It's very exciting to be in government."
The federal technology transformation remains very much a work in progress, with several agencies just beginning to grapple with allowing employees to even access social-networking sites. The White House communications team, for instance, is not able to access the government's Facebook postings and Twitter feeds, let alone those of reporters from the press corps, because of filters installed at the White House. (The White House New Media team, which posts on the networks from four old speech-writing rooms in the Eisenhower Executive Office Building, has been able to win an exemption from this policy.)
Still, the Administration has already made great strides in opening up to technological innovation. On Jan. 21, his first full day in office, Obama signed an Executive Order calling for all departments and agencies to "establish a system of transparency, public participation and collaboration." At the same time, White House lawyers, working with other federal agencies, sought to create new "terms of use" agreements with private companies that would allow government to sign up for social networks like MySpace, YouTube and Facebook as if they were just another person. What was once the sole domain of adventuresome government agencies and officials soon became standard policy.
At present, government lawyers have drafted agreements with 10 private social-networking companies. (The tailored agreements take into account certain federal privacy statutes and require that disputes be settled in federal court, not state courts.) Six other private-sector products, including iTunes, are being considered for further expansion, potentially clearing the way for easy iPod downloads of Obama Administration messages.
At some agencies, like the White House, other considerations had to be taken into account. To comply with the Presidential Records Act, every Twitter and Facebook posting, for instance, generates an e-mail record that can be stored with other records. Citizen responses to the White House postings are also sampled and archived for the sake of history. On Monday, to coincide with the announcement of a crackdown on corporate overseas tax havens, the White House Twitter feed asked followers � who now number more than 40,000 � for their reaction. Jason Furman, deputy director of the White House National Economic Council, responded to three of the questions in a follow-up posting, which was linked to the White House blog. The questions, far from softballs, led to a discussion of the difference between statutory and effective tax rates, among other things. (See the 50 best websites of 2008.)
Other areas of government have had success on a far greater scale. The CDC, which began experimenting with social media three years ago, has created a raft of YouTube videos, podcasts, webpage widgets and Twitter-size feeds to inform the public about the latest news on the H1N1 virus, also known as swine flu. Between April 22 and May 4, the CDC received 1.2 million views of flu-related material on YouTube and 46.6 million Web-page views, and attracted 99,000 followers on its Twitter feed "CDCemergency," which provides breaking updates on health issues. Janice Nall of the CDC's Center for Health Marketing says the agency is interested in employing any social media that people use. As for Twitter, she added, "It just happens to be sexy right now."
Several agencies have been struggling to free themselves of bureaucratic restraints, like filtering software that bars employees from accessing social networks from work computers. In recent months, both the Department of Energy and the Department of Housing and Urban Development have opened up employee access to social-networking tools. The Defense Department has also been going online, with a new Air Force Twitter page and a Facebook page for General Ray Odierno, the U.S. commander of multinational forces in Iraq.
Nonetheless, the entire project of making the government social-network-friendly remains in its infancy. As it stands, the government controls about 24,000 websites but is only beginning to utilize the social-networking sites on which citizens are spending an increasing amount of their time. Yet the historic bureaucratic resistance to adapting to new media has clearly begun to fade, says Bev Godwin, director of Online Resources and Interagency Development at the White House. "I think you will see a huge increase in use across the government of social-networking tools," she says.
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