Immigration Reform

[Desi Dude]

huhh? this is not election campaign..it is part of the proposed bill..

and you do know that these 11 million are already here for decades not paying taxes and they are not in DHS system, right?

You didn't answer me question - How do you prove or disprove that someone came here after 2011 or before?

[cap-gap]

You didn't answer me question - How do you prove or disprove that someone came here after 2011 or before?

one of my pet peeves here is when people ask for information to be spoon fed...have you read or followed any discussion on CIR?

[maverick41]

6/4/14: In his opening remarks on the Senate floor today, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) made it clear that immigration reform would be coming to the Senate floor next week: "Even if we we've not completed action on the farm bill or the student loans proposals, we're going to bring immigration to the floor next week. Immigration is broken, it needs to be fixed."

(Source: AILA.org)

The House Judiciary Committee plans to approve multiple immigration bills and send them to the full chamber for votes, as GOP leaders move toward a piecemeal approach to reform rather than a comprehensive bill. In an interview with The Hill, Chairman Bob Goodlatte (R-Va.), the GOP leadership’s point man on immigration, said he would begin marking up his bills “in the not-too-distant future.”

(Source: The Hill)

[Desi Dude]

Desi Dude,since you have been asking all the questions let me ask you one- so what do you propose Congress do about immigration and the 11 million plus undocumented individuals living here?

Most of the 20 million illegal aliens are already working, have houses, get medicaid benefits and emergency services, free education for children. Most of their children are citizens anyways, most of them will be able to sponsor their parents in 10-15yrs (which is almost the same duration parents of any legal immigrant have to go through). Most illegals are fine with the status qua, they know they broke the law and they are still getting more benefits. Its just the political parties and groups that are shouting for political reasons, to get votes.

Trust me, if you leave the situation as it is, everyone will be satisfied (except for a political party and certain groups). The Congress should concentrate on preventing future illegals, apply laws that are already on the books. Implement a biometric system.

[maverick41]

6/6/13: "The bipartisan group in the House working on immigration reform suffered a blow late Wednesday after Rep. Raul Labrador, R-Idaho, left the team over policy disagreements.The group was close to finalizing its legislation but Labrador said the House "Gang of Eight" could not agree on a provision involving health care for undocumented workers, according to a statement his office issued Wednesday night."

(Source: CNN)

Labrador told reporters after an hour-long meeting that he was leaving the group because of concerns that the bill would not sufficiently protect taxpayers from footing the healthcare bill of undocumented immigrants. “I’m just going to move on and work with other members of the House Judiciary Committee to try to craft legislation that can actually pass the House,” Labrador said.

(Source: The Hill)

[omshiv]

Most of the 20 million illegal aliens are already working, have houses, get medicaid benefits and emergency services, free education for children. Most of their children are citizens anyways, most of them will be able to sponsor their parents in 10-15yrs (which is almost the same duration parents of any legal immigrant have to go through). Most illegals are fine with the status qua, they know they broke the law and they are still getting more benefits. Its just the political parties and groups that are shouting for political reasons, to get votes.

Trust me, if you leave the situation as it is, everyone will be satisfied (except for a political party and certain groups). The Congress should concentrate on preventing future illegals, apply laws that are already on the books. Implement a biometric system.

I like to agree you on this...basically its like this - You are a criminal..but depending on the nature of the crime I'm giving you a bail....so henceforth people would be willing to risk in doing lesser crimes in order to get bail(Citizenship)

[maverick41]

6/11/13. Senate debates Immigration Reform Bill

 

Live streaming available on C-Span- http://www.c****************

[Desi Dude]

You forgot to mention that Steve King has threatened to block the bill in the House. Any thoughts on what will happen if Steve King succeeds?

[maverick41]

You forgot to mention that Steve King has threatened to block the bill in the House. Any thoughts on what will happen if Steve King succeeds?

Steve King is a key member of the house sub committee on immigration and border security. Only time will tell what happens with his views. That being said, the House GOP leadership including Boehner  is on board with immigration reform- though they prefer a piecemeal approach.

 

On a side note, Rep King's views are sometimes outlandish- a little over a year ago he claimed that Muslims and unions had infiltrated the Justice department and are calling the shots there :)

[rms82]

Hi

 

If this new immigration bill is passed, people with masters in STEM from US and a job offer would get GC right away. Will it also help immigrants who have done an MBA here. My husband did his MBA from **********, Rochester. His GC is in process (labor approved). Will his GC process get expedited because of this bill getting passed. If so, when should we expect the GC, Please reply.

 

[rahul412]

Hi

 

If this new immigration bill is passed, people with masters in STEM from US and a job offer would get GC right away. Will it also help immigrants who have done an MBA here. My husband did his MBA from **********, Rochester. His GC is in process (labor approved). Will his GC process get expedited because of this bill getting passed. If so, when should we expect the GC, Please reply.

You have wait till this bill has been passed. No one can say when your husband will get the GC at this moment, but if this is passed STEM graduates will have some benefits.

[maverick41]

6/12/13: "On Wednesday, Sen. Dan Coats (R-IN) and Sen. Charles Grassley (R-IA) spoke on the Senate floor about their amendments to secure the U.S. borders. Sen. John McCain (R-AZ), a member of the "Gang of 8" which put together the immigration bill, claimed that the bill addresses border security and argued that Coat's amendment would only sideline the reform act. As of Wednesday afternoon, bill managers were negotiating over which amendments to debate and when to schedule votes."

 

(Source: C-SPAN)

[Desi Dude]

"Senate kills strict GOP border security amendment to immigration bill"

 

It seems Harry Reid doesnt want border security in the bill. This will eventually kill the bill. What's wrong with having Border Security? Who disagrees with that? It seems the Democrats don't want to pass the bill and put the blame on Republicans. Thats why they are pushing for citizenship. Illegals dont care about citizenship, they just want to be legal and work.

[Attorney_23]

"Senate kills strict GOP border security amendment to immigration bill"

 

It seems Harry Reid doesnt want border security in the bill. This will eventually kill the bill. What's wrong with having Border Security? Who disagrees with that? It seems the Democrats don't want to pass the bill and put the blame on Republicans. Thats why they are pushing for citizenship. Illegals dont care about citizenship, they just want to be legal and work.

 

There are a plethora of border security enhancements in the bill. In fact, Title I of the Act deals exclusively with border security, including additional fencing along the southern border, additional funding, more training, necessary equipment, and a number of relatively strict security requirements that must be met in order for the RPI provisions to kick into effect.

 

The proposed amendment was not to actually make the border any more secure; it simply would have made it much more difficult for the RPI provisions to ever go into effect. The amendment wasn't opposed by just Democrats. The entire 'Gang of 8' urged that the amendment be rejected, including the 4 Republicans.

[JoeF]

The proposed amendment was not to actually make the border any more secure

Indeed. It was a "poison pill" to kill the whole thing.

[maverick41]

Looks like there is a push by a lot of conservatives to pass immigration reform:

 

Rubio thinks immigration bill in good shape; Graham says a GOP block would add to party’s 'death spiral'
(Source: Fox  News)

 

The former governors Jeb Bush of Florida and Haley Barbour of Mississippi, two of the Republican Party’s most outspoken advocates of overhauling the nation’s immigration laws, urged conservatives on Thursday to “change the conversation” on immigration by arguing that immigrant workers, both high-skilled and low-wage, are essential for economic growth.

(Source: NY Times)

 

Former Nevada Gov. Robert List and other top Nevada Republicans are calling on Congress to approve an immigration plan that provides a route to citizenship for the 11 million people who are in the country illegally.

(Source: Las Vegas Review- Journal)

[maverick41]

6/17/13. House Judiciary to mark up series of immigration bills this week:

"The Judiciary panel will attempt to send two proposals to the chamber floor. The first, which is designed to bolster the enforcement of immigration laws in the nation's interior, will be marked up Tuesday; the second, which relates to the guest-worker program catering to the nation's agriculture industry, will follow.The piecemeal approach runs counter to the strategy employed by the Senate, which this week began floor action on a comprehensive immigration reform package."

(Source: The Hill)

 

 

6/18/13. Full Committee

10:00 a.m. in the 2141 Rayburn House Office Building

Markup of: H.R. 2278, the "Strengthen and Fortify Enforcement Act" (The SAFE Act)

 

 

6/19/13. Full Committee

10:00 a.m. in the 2141 Rayburn House Office Building

Markup of: H.R. 1773, the "Agricultural Guestworker Act"

 

[maverick41]

6/18/13: The House Judiciary Committee approved (party line vote of 20-15)  the SAFE act late Tuesday that would make it a federal crime for illegal immigrants to be in the United States. The Republican-backed proposal also would permit state and local governments to draft their own immigration laws, as long as they are consistent with federal statutes.

 

The bill also gives state and local law enforcement authorities more power to arrest and charge immigrants for overstaying visas or entering the U.S. illegally — and makes such agencies eligible for new federal grants to enforce the immigration laws.

(Source: Washington Post) 

 

[maverick41]

6/24/13. After a day of behind-the-scenes negotiations on Friday, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) set the stage for a key vote today that is aimed at advancing a new border security amendment to the immigration overhaul bill. The vote is set for 5:30pm. (watch the debate live on C-SPAN 2) 

 

The new language, sponsored by Sens. Bob Corker (R-TN) and John Hoeven (D-ND) proposes to double the number of border agents and to spend $3.2 billion on equipment in a bid to strengthen the nation’s southern border. Sen. Reid says he is determined to finish work on the bill by the start of the chamber’s Fourth of July recess.

(Source: C-SPAN)

 

 

[maverick41]

6/24/13. The Senate agreed, by a vote of 67 - 27, to advance the border security amendment to the immigration bill.

[BATHIJA]

question :

 

does the immigration reform have any provision for LPR to bring spouse to the USA and sponsor their green card just like  a USC ( without any quota ) ?

[maverick41]

Section 2305. Reclassification of spouses and minor children of lawful permanent residents as immediate relatives

This section amends the definition of `immediate relative' to include a child or spouse of an alien admitted for lawful permanent residence. This allows for the automatic conversion to immediate relative designation for pending petitions filed on behalf of a spouse or child of a lawful permanent resident.

 

This section provides allocations for family-based immigrant visas for the period beginning on the date of enactment until 18 months after enactment. It caps unmarried sons or daughters of lawful permanent residents at 20 percent of the worldwide family-sponsored level; caps immigrant visas for married sons and daughters of U.S. citizens; and caps immigrant visas for brothers and sisters of U.S. citizens at 40 percent of the worldwide family-sponsored level.

 

Within 180 days of enactment, the Secretary of Homeland Security and the Secretary of State shall adopt a plan to broadly disseminate information to the public regarding termination of the registration of aliens who evidenced an intention to become lawful permanent residents but who fail to adjust status within a year of notification that an immigrant visa is available. Termination can be overturned with two years, if the individual establishes good cause.

 

The section provides for the retention of priority dates for family-based and employment-based petitions by establishing that the priority date for a petition is the earliest priority date based on any petition filed on an alien's behalf, regardless of the category of subsequent petitions. For children who turn 21 during the course of processing of the parent's visa such that the child is no longer eligible to adjust as a minor child, that child would have his or her petition automatically convert to a petition for an unmarried son or daughter of an LPR upon the parent's admission as a resident. The child would retain the priority date established by the original petition.

 

This section also provides that VAWA self-petitioners may receive work authorization within 180 days of filing an application, or on the date such status is approved, whichever is earlier. There are other technical and conforming amendments included in this section.

 

 

The short answer based on my understanding of the text is- yes to spouses and there is no quota. 

[pregas]

Somewhere in the content i read that if the immigration reforms becomes law, the US will stop siblings category (family based green card). Is it true?

My elder brother will become US citizen by next year March. He was planning to file for my green card, but based on the reforms it might not happen.

Could someone throw some light on this.

[permaudit]

Somewhere in the content i read that if the immigration reforms becomes law, the US will stop siblings category (family based green card). Is it true?

My elder brother will become US citizen by next year March. He was planning to file for my green card, but based on the reforms it might not happen.

Could someone throw some light on this.

 

I am in a similar situation. My brother is has recently become a US Citizen and is planning to file for me. Is it suggestible to file now? (I do have my employment based green card in process too) Given the situation that it would take for ever to have the family based petition for Siblings to be approved, if the reform eliminates this category, what will happen to all the petitions that were filed prior to Oct 1 2014(considering the bill be made legislation on this date)?

[maverick41]

The bill does not do away with the sibling category (Family -4th preference) but it is going to take much longer to get a green card. 

 

The caps, based on the worldwide family-sponsored level, are as follows:

• 20 percent for unmarried sons or daughters of U.S. citizens;
• 20 percent for unmarried sons or daughters of LPRs;
• 40 percent for brothers and sisters of U.S. citizens.

(Source: http://www.rpc.senate.gov/legislative-notices/legislative-notice-s-744_the-border-security-economic-opportunity-and-immigration-modernization-act)