He is among an estimated hundreds of thousands of legal
immigrants who won't be getting a share of the stimulus package
because of a provision aimed at preventing illegal immigrants from
getting rebates.
"I would have fed this economy as well," said Shelat, an Indian
chemical engineer living with his wife and two children in the
Buffalo, N.Y.-area. "We live within this economy, work, pay taxes, do
everything by the book. Whatever the reasons for giving this economic
stimulus package, they apply to us as well."
And many of the 600,000 to 800,000 highly skilled immigrants on work
visas in the U.S., like Shelat, have found themselves in the same
position, having married a foreigner.
"My friends, my co-workers, everyone is getting this, but not me,"
said Ranjeet Kumar, a software engineer who has been working in
Silicon Valley for eight years.
Kumar's wife is in the U.S. legally but her status still doesn't allow
her to work or apply for a Social Security number. The couple filed
taxes jointly but won't qualify for the $1,200 rebate other eligible
couples would get.