immigration reform deal reached: winners and losers

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By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Published: May 17, 2007
Filed at 1:14 p.m. ET

WASHINGTON (AP) -- A bipartisan group of senators reached agreement with the White House Thursday on an immigration overhaul to grant quick legal status to millions of illegal immigrants already in the U.S. and fortify the border against new ones.

One of the key negotiators, Sen. Edward M. Kennedy, D-Mass., said he expects President Bush to endorse it.

The deal came after weeks of painstaking closed-door negotiations that brought the most liberal Democrats and the most conservative Republicans together with Bush's Cabinet officers to produce a highly complex measure that carries heavy political consequences.

It set the stage for what promises to be a bruising battle next week in the Senate on one of Bush's top non-war priorities.

The key breakthrough came when negotiators struck a bargain on a so-called ''point system'' that would for the first time prioritize immigrants' education and skill-level over family connections in deciding how to award green cards.

The proposed agreement would allow illegal immigrants to come forward and obtain a ''Z visa'' and -- after paying fees and a $5,000 fine and returning to their home countries -- ultimately get on track for permanent residency, which could take between eight and 13 years.

They could come forward right away to claim a probationary card that would let them live and work legally in the U.S., but could not begin the path to permanent residency or citizenship until border security improvements and a high-tech worker identification program were completed.

A new temporary guest worker program would also have to wait until those so-called ''triggers'' had been activated.

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I am not sure if the year provision is included in the new agreement or not; we will see when the draft becomes availible to the public;

Want: I didn't want to make a point; but trying to see people's analysis as to who will benefit or lose out on the reform;

The the only thing I am keeping on eye is the four year provision; that provision is included in the bill; then I will consider myself among the winners; reduction of one year; if that provision is not included, then will not lose or win; Just will be happy for those millions of illegals who will at least get some status to stay and work here;
 
faysal said:
I am not sure if the year provision is included in the new agreement or not; we will see when the draft becomes availible to the public;

Want: I didn't want to make a point; but trying to see people's analysis as to who will benefit or lose out on the reform;

The the only thing I am keeping on eye is the four year provision; that provision is included in the bill; then I will consider myself among the winners; reduction of one year; if that provision is not included, then will not lose or win; Just will be happy for those millions of illegals who will at least get some status to stay and work here;
Click to expand...

I think all the legal immigrants lose in this one. If they give all illegals z visa right? What will they do with their spouses/kids(if out of country) of the illegals? Will they bypass all quotas as set for LPR spouses?

So in theory the "back in the line" theory goes out of the window for all illegal immigrants? Also they will 'limit' visas for parents of US Citizens...why? WHy do U.S citizens have to have their parents wait an extra year or two for the sake of illegal immigrants? Also us citizen brother/sister or kids older than 21 have to pass a point system....that makes no sense to me.

THey should FIRST fix the immigration problems that already exist..for instanece LPR spouse wait time(7 years), application wait time, GC wait time...Wht about H-1 who have been sponsored? They have to wait 5 years to get a GC based on per country quota...

i do feel bad for illegal immigrants like care2much but I think this bill hurts more than helps. What good does 4 year citizenship do if to process it, it will take them 2 years?

How will they process 20 million illegals when they cant even give you a freaking travel document in less than 6 months..
 
OMG, the wait times are going be looong. And why are they eating into Visa's for parents of US Citizens?:confused:


"Family connections alone would no longer be enough to qualify for a green card — except for spouses and minor children of U.S. citizens. Strict new limits would apply to U.S. citizens seeking to bring foreign-born parents into the country."

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070517/ap_on_go_co/immigration_congress
 
Last edited by a moderator:
This is what they would do:

They would eliminate the visas for adult children of American citizens and siblings for American citizens.

Parents of American citizens would no longer be immediate relatives but would be subject to a visa cap (a potential long wait).

They would create new non immigrant visas for parents of citizens to enable them visit their children here temporarily.

They would end the visa lottery.

And for the next eight years they would use the visas that would have gone to the people mentioned above for the benefit of family reunification (meaning spouses of green card holders I guess???? I need to read the actual bill).
 
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This is complete BS.
I hope it does not pass.
Ignoring the need of families to be together is not just wrong, it's unamerican.
If you count all the years I've already spent away from my parents (who are old and getting older) it will be almost 14 years before we can unite.
I will most likely leave the US once I become a USC because I need to take care of them. I'll probably settle in Europe where I can live regularly.

This is bad news for me at least!!!
 
Hi guys!

I have one question regarding the bill. Does it apply to illegal immigrants only or it applies to people who are legal in the US (visitor visa) that entered before Jan. 2007?
 
we have at least 25 to 30 million people. Not by the southern border, they are all over the place. a lot of students and visitor those are over stayed.
One way the other, no benefit for us at all, unless make the citizenship faster.

We all know, this is another business for the Gov. to make money.
They will charge all of them for application fee + taxes + processing fee + their money market + etc. x 30 million Illegals = billion and billion of dollars in only few months. Thats a very good deal. Heck with the rest of legals, they will be naturlized anyway and they will join their family anyway. Who cares?huh???!!
 
Great! more applications burdening the USCIS from these illegals. As if they weren't busy already. This is BS! Now we will see extremely long waits for legals' processes because the USCIS will be overwhelmed with all these "Z" visa applciations. Then this country will become a mexican colony. No offense since I'm a spanish speaker myself but this country is gonna change alot. We will see more corruption, spanish being forced down people's throats, bad driving and job requirements that a person speak spanish. If you don't believe me go to Miami, FL and live there for a bit. Anyways I always hoped America would stay America and I did my best to adapt. Another reason to look to Canada for PR. At least there they enforce their immigration laws fiercely, or at least better than here.
 
star19 said:
Hi guys!

I have one question regarding the bill. Does it apply to illegal immigrants only or it applies to people who are legal in the US (visitor visa) that entered before Jan. 2007?
Click to expand...

We don't (at least I don't) know the boundries. We are just talking about the possibilities. They may do some unexpected carzy thing as usuall.

God knows..
 
most likely this bill will be killed by the hardliners in the house of representatives, tomorrow morning millions of americans will flood their senators and represantatives by phone calls and emails urging them to kill the

bill, this bill will wipe out the republican party and make america one party rule, the democratic party, imagine in the next 20 years over 20 million people

will be legalized, and of course they will vote for the democrats, the party of entitlements and affirmative actions, this bill is a threat to the white majority,

this is why i predict it will be killed by republicans and democrat hardliners
 
Now imagin that you are going on vacation out of the US. Then on the way back, at the POE is going to be a carzy line of people + 20 more secondary rooms with these frustrated officers that they are tired more than ever. ( Good for airline, since they will make more money too. Because these people have not been back home for the long time). More job opportunity for people at immigration facilities. HIRING NOW. I hope before they get in action, they issue all the asylees their GC.
I don't know where we are going to fit all these poeple, developers are happy too, since more people = need of more houses. We have planty of empty land here in San Diego. They are just building and building toward the desert.
What if you guys guess who else would get rich out of this process? Since we have nothing else to do here besides watching this nice show which we have already paid for the ticket and you don't like the show..,
 
Let's be honest about another thing. Someone already said it but america will change a lot if this goes through.

Spanish cultures, mediterranean cultures have a lot of superlative customs but they usually lack good work ethics. Corruption is not a defining trait among anglo saxon countries, or northern countries in general for that matter.
The US will become just another latin country where people will dance salsa all day and forget about going to work.
I say this without the desire to offend anyone. If it serves to get my point, I come from one of the most corrupted nations on earth myself.
 
star19 said:
Hi guys!

I have one question regarding the bill. Does it apply to illegal immigrants only or it applies to people who are legal in the US (visitor visa) that entered before Jan. 2007?
Click to expand...

Previous versions of this said that only people who were illegal could apply. We will have to wait for the actual legislation before we can know for sure.
 
kalvar said:
Let's be honest about another thing. Someone already said it but america will change a lot if this goes through.

Spanish cultures, mediterranean cultures have a lot of superlative customs but they usually lack good work ethics. Corruption is not a defining trait among anglo saxon countries, or northern countries in general for that matter.
The US will become just another latin country where people will dance salsa all day and forget about going to work.
I say this without the desire to offend anyone. If it serves to get my point, I come from one of the most corrupted nations on earth myself.
Click to expand...

I think whats going to happen is right now most mexicans that are illegals are in hiding.you see them work etc but you dont really see them on airports or train stations etc. This will put strain on everything as someone pointed out the POE line would be out the door.

What they need to do is this, #1)If any illegal doesnt know english, then can't apply for this visa, #2)All of them should be enrolled in to get a degree or they can't get a green card.

These illegals breed unskilled after unskilled. IF a parent doesn't go to college, neither does his kid or doesnt choose to. Maybe I am wrong but thats waht I have seen in mexican communities.
 
We all see the problems differently. Some are bad drivers, some don't know much of the english(like me) but already naturlized. WANT is very right.
Education in general is a must for all the people especially those have been hiding out of the system. They have to get back on it, it should become a must for them then problems will be less and a productive country will be a goal. I feel bad for them in this situation. Everybody have their own reason. I had/have the fear of persecution, they have problems in their home country to raise their kids, bad system, unknown fears that is hard to proove and get Refugee status and etc...
Something which is hard for me to understand, how they will stop new commers? Imagine if they have adjusted all of us and all of them with no problem at all. Will they stop issueing Tourist visa? Temporary work visa? Student Visa? or they will identify the violater of the immigration laws and send them back?
Where is the Green light?
 
thankful said:
This is what they would do:

They would eliminate the visas for adult children of American citizens and siblings for American citizens.

Parents of American citizens would no longer be immediate relatives but would be subject to a visa cap (a potential long wait).

They would create new non immigrant visas for parents of citizens to enable them visit their children here temporarily.

They would end the visa lottery.

And for the next eight years they would use the visas that would have gone to the people mentioned above for the benefit of family reunification (meaning spouses of green card holders I guess???? I need to read the actual bill).
Click to expand...


I agree with you but this is all political. I am sure you realize that.
 
I am really disappointed with this bill. I don't think is fair to award illegals and do nothing for all those people who struggled over the years to mantain a legal status in this country. I personally know mnay people who are so called legals in this country, but they are limited in their actions.
For example, there is one lady who came to this country with a medical visa for her son 18 years ago and if she goes in vacation ouside of US, she is gone for real. She has work permit, pays taxes...how is this fair? I mean, it seems that this country is awarding illegals and punishing legals. It's outrageous!
To make myself clear, I have nothing against illegals, but there are certain things that should't be ignored by our government.
It is still unclear to me, is the 4-year waiting period included in this bill?
 
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