Our mission
Founded in August 2007 by a group of Silicon Valley engineers, Legal Immigrant Association (LIA) is a non-profit organization dedicated to the social well-being of employment-based (EB) immigrant professionals. Since then LIA membership has expanded beyond Silicon Valley across the nation, with most members holding U.S. advanced degrees. LIA is currently working to reduce the green card backlog that has troubled the high-skilled immigrant community.
The high-skilled immigrants have been recognized not only as a workforce indispensable to American economy, but also as law-abiding, tax-paying and self-dependent individuals. However, behind this model image, there are numerous untold miserable green card stories. Under the current immigration system, it can take up to ten years for an employment-based immigrant to get his/her permanent residency, who is also required to work for the same employer without promotion throughout this period. Such career immobility is talent-suffocating and makes the green card applicants very vulnerable to work abuse. Running one's own business is also out of the question without green card.
LIA wants to change these people's life by advocating new immigration policies to reduce the green card backlogs and to improve government efficiency. History has already proved that that these high-skilled immigrants will become more productive contributors to U.S. economy with their entrepreneurship unleashed and their full potential realized.
Our history
On July 14, 2007 and September 18, 2007, LIA, along with Immigration Voice, organized demonstrations in San Jose, CA and Washington DC respectively in order to facilitate new legislations to relieve immigrant visa backlog.
On October 1, 2007, LIA, allied with American Families United, arranged a series of member visits to law makers’ offices in Washington DC in order to initiate administrative and legislative measures to improve the name check process at the FBI.
Currently, LIA, assisted by its lobby firm, is actively promoting new legislations to relieve name check delay and to recapture unused EB visa numbers during the past years. Within three months after its establishment in August 2007, LIA has had more than 500 registered members and thousands of supporters.
Legal Immigrant Association
www.legalimmigrant.org
TEL: (800)556-7065
FAX: (866)459-2570
PO Box 2082
Santa Clara, CA, 95055
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