Vatives galleries

Dont even think about it unless you are a quant and have resources that can compete with the Hedge funds. Commodities do not behave like stocks, you need to be able to model prices using multi variate models. Then there is jumps. You should be familiar with jump diffusion/step functions etc. To be able to model these you will need to use a factor model like the Pilipovic model. Even then it will only be an approximation.

Commodities are purchased as futures. Futures are derivatives and you will need to hedge them. A perfect hedge for a future is 1:1 in the spot. Since there is no arb here you will have to use options. To model the price of an option you will have to be a master of Black-Scholes option pricing model or a similar method like monte carlo simulation. Even if you figure all this out you will have to delta hedge. Delta hedging commodity options is very expensive, you will bleed money. Look up Hodges-Nuberger model for delta hedging options on derivatives.

I suggest a book by Daragana Pilipovic called "Energy Risk", buy it and read it. After that if you still feel you can take on hundreds of computers running parallel with teams of quants modelling prices and programs trading algarithimic models; then Good luck!!

Trade stocks as modelling stocks is comparitively easy. Stocks have drift (mu). If you are saturated with stocks look into options and Fixed income. Leave all these complicated stuff to the pros. You have better chance of hitting a jackpot in a casino than making money in trading commodities.


Hello IVians,
As we all await our GCs, I thot we can explore some investment vehicles.

Does anyone here have experience with commodity trading?
Can we trade in commodities on H1 or L1 status?
Is it too risky like forex trading?
Who are the online brokers offer commodity trading?
Is there a minimum account balance / trade required every month or so?

Pls share your experience. Thanks!

hey linux boy, you weren't supposed to change the original hardware at all.

Thanks for the tip. Posted to FB.

Shared on my Facebook page.

Freinds, Its easy to share from Pappu's post. Just use bookmark at the bottom of the post and it will give you options to pick.

Bill Frist Website
http://frist.senate.gov/index.cfm?FuseAction=Columns.Detail&Column_id=82


AMERICA MUST NURTURE HOMEGROWN HIGH-TECHNOLOGY WORKFORCE
--Op/Ed in San Jose Mercury News--


Senator Frist listens as Dr. James Wingate, President of LeMoyne-Owen College in Tennessee, expresses support for the inclusion of the SMART Grant program in this week's Senate budget reconciliation bill, 11/2/05
February 2006 - Every time I visit Silicon Valley I'm reminded of a simple fact: American businesses lead the world because they employ talented people. From the top executives at companies like Apple and Cisco to the science and engineering students I'll speak with Monday at San Jose State University, Americans sit on the cutting edge of technology.

We have less than 5 percent of the world's population but produce almost a quarter of its wealth and enjoy the highest per capita income of any large industrial economy. Americans receive more patents than the citizens of any other country, have the world's best university system, do most of the world's basic research, and take home the lion's share of Nobel Prizes in the sciences.

As many people working in Northern California's technology sector have realized, however, we can't afford complacence. China and India together now produce at least twice as many engineers as the United States. Both have fast growing populations and high-quality universities. In search of profits, companies have begun to outsource more low- and medium-skilled jobs to these nations.

No amount of funding, furthermore, would allow the United States to catch -- much less exceed -- China and India's combined production of scientific personnel. We just don't have enough people. Even at our own universities, foreigners earn an ever-increasing percentage of degrees in the hard sciences. Some remain, but many end up taking their valuable skills back home. American companies, meanwhile, have thousands of scientific and engineering openings that they can't fill.

If we hope to remain the world's pre-eminent economic power,/ we need to produce more scientists and engineers and train them better. One recent study, indeed, found that 85 percent of income growth stems from technological change.

While every American deserves a high-quality education, we need to target additional resources on the most talented students to ensure America retains its competitive edge. In particular, we need to provide an incentive to all of America's bright, driven low-income students who want to pursue careers in the sciences. Right now, far too many talented students from poor backgrounds drop out of college or shift away from hard science because of the expense. It's bad for the country.

One program that the president signed into law earlier this year takes the first major step toward fixing the problem. The SMART Grant program, which I developed, will focus assistance on students in science, math and strategic foreign languages who earn B averages or better during their junior and senior years of college. Next year, the California State University system estimates, more than 3,000 students systemwide -- including many at San Jose State -- will benefit from the program. Many will have their tuition payments eliminated entirely and the numbers will rise in coming years as the program attracts more people into the sciences. Thousands more students in the University of California system will also benefit.

Of course, tuition subsidies alone can't ensure that we'll have enough talented workers. In the coming months, Congress will consider the president's proposals to improve K-12 math education, increase funding for basic research, support high-risk/high-reward applied science projects, and make the research and development tax credit permanent. Fiscal realities, of course, will play a role in any final decision as Congress examines these proposals.

Silicon Valley companies already do an excellent job recruiting America's best and brightest. Now the government needs to build on its efforts to increase the ranks of homegrown scientists and engineers.

I agree.. you should be suing the other party in front of you for injuries since they were the ones who stopped and as the person said - offense is the best defense .

If I remember correctly the first car in front of you had already collided with the car number 2 and hence all the accidents. I don't know how they can put you at fault . So let the lawyers handle it and go all the way .

Best of luck.

I sort of disagree. In accidents like this, most often the person who will be ticketed will be the one driving behind, the reason being that in the eyes of the law the person driving behind should maintain safe distance from the vehicle in front of him even accounting for the fact the guy at front might stop suddenly. This is a lesson for people tail-gaiting too close�.

Ok. I agree with everything you say but you still haven't explained why EB-2 China hasn't moved. They never were Unavailable, which means they haven't used their quota but are still retrogressed. Why absolutely no relief for them? Not even a month forward movement?

Here is my theory and I may be wrong. Until last month China EB-2 was still not U. Maybe over this month (March) the usage of EB-2 China was so high that they were at the verge of U or maybe something like 12/01/2002. So now when the excess EB-2 visas from ROW are getting spilled over to oversubscribed countries, i.e., China and India, both of them are and will be, going forward, moving at the same pace.

As I said just a theory. Let's wait for a better explanation.

Was the H1B through a body shopper? I"ve heard of reopening all old cases of a company if they find a dubious H1B sponsorship, or if a company gets blacklisted.

If your company is solid and your case is genuine... you probably have nothing to worry about.
The H1B which was approved a year ago and has now been re-opened was not with a body shopper but an US Insurance firm....They had the best of lawyers and company is still going strong....

Hello:

The company I am working with doing business for 40 years (less than 40 employee) and as per my lawyer, financially very good. I hired the lawyer and employer directly gave him financial docs. I am only one person with H-1 in this company's history and working for 4 years. Got labor approval on PERM EB2 (MS+1) and did concurrent filing with I-140 premium processing.

I received RFE regarding company's ability to pay. We sent tax files for FY 2005 (contains oct '05 to Oct '06) for being PD of Nov '06 and W2 for 2006 which showed 6k more than offered wage. Company started paying me offered wage one week after the PD and offered wage is 3k more than prevailing wage. RFE specified to show ability to pay by showing 2006 tax return or audited financial statement by 12 weeks. Any of this will not work as tax file will be prepred on Nov '07 for FY 2006 and audited finan. stat. costs a lot of money. My company has no clue and just planning to write a letter that they will not able to provide before Nov 07 and already submitted tax file upto Oct 06 which could be enough to find the financial status. They talk to their CPA and he advised to do so.

I am really not very fimilar with all these issues. What should I do as company is not able to provide above 2 things that USCIS asked for? Can I send my paychecks even started getting paid offered wage after one week?

Appreciate you feedback. Thanks,

But aren't there sufficient applications received in July-Aug 2007 to use up all the numbers ?!? That's the loophole in your analysis. As per official reports, I believe close to 300k applications were received in those two months for AOS, true ?!?

I think it's just a game played by DHS and don't see any other reason to it. If any, the backlog center cases that were approved in Aug/Sep/Oct of 2007 are the only ones who couldn't apply in last year fiasco. But then since EB2 dates have come to Jun 2004 last month, many of those late approved filers may have already filed for their 485s leaving only those folks whose PDs are between June 2004 and May 2006 ... a guesstimate on this number might be around few hundreds at the most, possible ?!?

Ok, with the latest developements, I have applied for my 485, EAD and AP this week. My current H1 expires in June 2008.
If I get married before June 2008, I can still bring my wife to US on dependent (H4) visa. My question is, for my wife
to be able to file for 485 then, do the visa numbers have to be current at that time? And if they do, and say the numbers are not current at that time, and then my H1 expires come June 08, will she be out of status and can she remain in US? What are our options then? How does this work??
Can anyone explain PLEASE? :confused:

Thanks!

It took me around 4 years. EB2 India, started as a scientist later physician and endless headaches ...... but its over now. Got my card yesterday. Its an amazing stress relief and confidence booster.

I could have tried EB1 too but wasnt sure how it would turn out hence stuck to EB2.

PD Dec 2005, EB2, RD for 485 Sept 2007. Welcome notice August 5 2008.

For some odd reason I got a red on this forum. I dont know who did that and why. But I dont care.....

For those who are waiting: Keep pushing and thinking of new ways of making this work. if you are EB3 try to become EB2 and even EB1. In the end all that matters is getting the card.

As regards this forum. I never contributed but found this to a good source of information.

bye bye:)

Folks,

I am taking an MBA part time at Babson College (#1 in entrepreneuship). This is how i see it: With only technical skills you will hit a roof at some point, with business skills there is no roof... it is all up to you what you can do.

As far as online MBA or offline MBA. I recommend you go to class. One of the most iimportant assets of taking an MBA is the network you build during the 3-5 years (if part time).

Unfortunatelly i wanted to start a business here in the US (that is the reason for choosing Babson) but being in the GC process doesn't let me do it... according to my lawyer i am only allowed to work for my sponsor while on H1B.

Contributed $100 through paypal. I will try and give one more contribution before this deadline.

1. I was wondering how this rule would affect people like me. My labor has been approved and its been about 50 days. I will be applying for I-140 this week. Will this 45-day rule affect me?

2. If what is stated in immigrationportal about the labor substitution is true, then we don't have any real benefit from the this rule, because all labors certified before the implementation of this rule are not bound by the 45-days time constraint?!? All the so called desi companies may not sell the labors, but would not spend money to cancel it either. So those old labors are going waste as they are still active.

The cut-off date is determined by #485, not LC.

I have started taking printouts of the instructions and handing it to people - hoping that will increase the probability of them calling.

Great idea. Thanks for doing this. As we know from our admin fix campaign, our own members sometimes do it as soon as you hand out a hard-copy!

Also folks please don't feel shy to speak to these reps or their aides. On the other hand, please know that they respect you a lot for taking the time to call them and let them know what you feel about an issue.

They are slow

"Victory is always possible for the person who refuses to stop fighting." - Napoleon Hill


I would say ignore. If the hosts dont even use 'controversial' to describe him it's pointless trying to call in - its going to be an 'immigrant hate-fest' whether you call in or not and you are not going to win hearts or change minds. I remember 4 or 5 years ago he was raging against the H1 on air as usual and turned around to his staff and asked if CNN too was using the H1program - and the answer unsurprisingly was 'yes'. He has no sense of shame or a modicum of decency - none of his staff members either. And IV is ill-positioned and too narrowly focussed to take him on in any meaningful way given how a core member spoke against the z-visa (for illegals) to some n.carolina newspaper. But again I could be wrong so someone could give it a shot

The 1st of July is about a month from now.

OOps my bad.... i read it as June for some reason. Still dont know if i want to do this or not.

^

Is this situation only in Chennai consulate or in all consulates in general? I have not heard of any trouble at other consulates. I am taking an appointment this week and will choose a consulate that may work faster (Delhi or Cal).

Any feed back will be appreciated.

vfs received my passport today i.e., Dec 18th. Dec 6th 1400 hrs was the H1b appointment.

Here's an extract from Mr.Aytes
>>>
PIMS (Petition Information Management System)

Under PIMS, every consul must see information of an I-129 petition on the system before issuing a visa. As background information, we reproduce the following from an advisory on AILA Infonet:


�Under PIMS, I-129 petitions requesting consular notification as the procedural benefit are sent to KCC (Kentucky Consular Center) after approval. KCC enters key data from the petition into PIMS and scans in key documents such as I-129 form, employer support letter, and identification documents of beneficiary. KCC also performs some database checks looking for evidence of fraud, violations, or other adverse history and records (including from SEVIS) and records its findings in PIMS. When a post is ready to grant a visa based on a petition (and apparently this includes derivatives), it must confirm the petition in PIMS before issuance. DOS knows that USCIS has not been sending change of status or extension of stay petitions to KCC at all, and we expect that interagency discussions are underway about changing that. We know also that even some consular notification petitions have not been sent to KCC. Any petition not sent to KCC will not show up in PIMS, and there may be other reasons why a petition sent to KCC does not show up in PIMS. When a post does not find a petition in PIMS, it must email to KCC, which unlike posts has direct access to USCIS' CLAIMS3 system where USCIS records petition approvals. KCC will record the fact of the petition approval and any other information it chooses, and when posts check PIMS they can find the information on which visa approval can be based. But until the post sees the petition in PIMS, the visa cannot be granted.�


Mr. Aytes acknowledged that PIMS caught consuls by surprise. Every client must be warned of a wait of 2-4 working days before being issued a visa at an overseas consular post. It is likely that an I-129 petition filed as a change or extension of status will result in further delays as USCIS does not send information on those petitions to the KCC.
>>>

Looks like things are going down there now.. due to Current American economy status.




India facing ripple effect of global crisis, will act fast: FM

http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/India_facing_ripple_effect_of_global_crisis_FM/articleshow/3575032.cms