The Department of Education has had its fair share of problems lately, including being perpetually understaffed. So a decade ago, the DOE attempted to recruit teachers from the Caribbean with the promise that they could earn permanent residency in the US. But years later, just 276 of the 700 immigrants have become permanent residents, leaving many living on cultural-exchange visas they need to renew every year. "We just need not to feel like we were used and thrown out," third grade teacher Shirleth Johnson-Scott told the Daily News.
Immigration rules limit the number of green cards given to company sponsored workers every year, and since the federal government had given out all available work visas, the remaining teachers had to get J-visas, which can't be used to apply for green cards based on work status. Therefore they have to renew them every year and wait even longer for the chance at a green card. On top of that, the Homeland Security has denied some of the city's applications because the feds weren't convinced the city needed to recruit teachers from overseas.
Math teacher Vernon Innis moved from Guyana with his family, but died in 2008 while waiting for his green card. Now his widow's and children's statused have "died with him," according to their lawyer. His widow would move back to Guyana, but with two sons thriving in high school, she doesn't want to move "These kids came when they were 6 and 8. How can you just uproot us?," she asked. The DOE said they're working on securing permanent residency for all the teachers they recruited, but right now the best bet might be investing in the Brooklyn Navy Yard.
