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This week in the work site, we've had many budget-related discussions. This state is going through a budget crunch. They blame it on the crash in oil price and this state's dependency on oil industry and their money, but who knows?
I heard that budgets for state Universities would be halved in 2 years. It is not even funny. There are many memos and budget revisions.
Science is not a work that floats up in the air. It is a very budget-constrained business (unless you find yourself in highly prestigious positions such as the Howard Hughes research scholar and equivalents). Writing a grant is basically an attempt to obtain government contract to carry out research and make money for the lab and the University from out of state. Salary component is usually the biggest part in the budget. Although there are some differences from for-profit business, there are many similarities to any other small business. Money matters.
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This month marks 5 months until my Green card expires 10 years after initial issue. So I began renewal paperwork. I am eligible to naturalize, and considering finance (401k, social security, etc), I may have passed the point of no return already. But I decided not to apply for American citizenship as long as my parent(s) live in Japan. They are my attachment to the country. Since Japan does not accept dual citizenship, I got to choose.
It is easy to produce proof of work for my line of work (science, medical research), because publication is a part of the work. I checked out my professional work in past 10 years, prepared CV, collected other papers and filed renewal application online.
The renewal application process seems to be going smoothly. I initiated the process on 4/5, completed the file uploading and paid the fee on 4/7, and got biometric appointment on 4/25. I went to USCIS office to take biometrics on Monday (4/25). I do not think renewal will take too long.
[USCIS OKC office]
