New Obama Immigration Reform

[JimVaPhuong 4,863]

- If you identify fraud at an early stage, waiting time gets reduced for the "real applicants"

- If fraud is less, it would allow a switch in resource allocation towards application processing rather than fraud investigation, I see that as a win/win situation

I think this is the way the system is currently designed to work. They provide plenty of motive to use the fiance(e)/spousal visa system fraudulently, and then they spent an enormous amount of time trying to weed out the fraudsters from the sincere applicants. If it were possible to look inside someone's head and determine what their real intentions were, then it would certainly be a lot easier to identify fraud quickly and early in the process. Since I don't believe this will ever be possible, I think the only solution that will both reduce fraud and also make it faster and easier for sincere applicants is to dramatically reduce the incentive for those who want to commit fraud.

The current system provides a strong motive to use the fiance(e)/spousal visa system fraudulently because it provides much faster route to enter the US and gain resident status than other types of family visas. My proposal would eliminate the time advantage for gaining residency in most cases. Fraudsters could still get into the US much more quickly, but they'd have to endure a decade in a sham marriage, in many cases pretending to love their spouse, with no hope of getting residency unless they wait out the full term.

[BenC 0]

I know President Obama is working to reform our immigration system.

Have anyone experience any different so far? Or heard of anything in regard to speeding up the immigration visa process?

Here is the current Administration statement regarding Immigration reform

http://www.whitehouse.gov/issues/immigration/

President Obama believes that our broken immigration system can only be fixed by putting politics aside and offering a complete solution that secures our border, enforces our laws, and reaffirms our heritage as a nation of immigrants. He believes our immigration policy should be driven by our best judgment of what is in the economic interest of the United States and what is in the best interest of the American worker. President Obama recognizes that an orderly, controlled border and an immigration system designed to meet our economic needs are important pillars of a healthy and robust economy.

Strengthen Border Control

President Obama will protect the integrity of our borders by investing in additional personnel, infrastructure, and technology on the border and at our ports of entry.

Improve Our Immigration System

President Obama will fix the dysfunctional immigration bureaucracy and enable legal immigration so that families can stay together.

Remove Incentives to Enter Illegally

President Obama will remove incentives to enter the country illegally by preventing employers from hiring undocumented workers and enforcing the law.

Bring People Out of the Shadows

President Obama supports a system that allows undocumented immigrants who are in good standing to pay a fine, learn English, and go to the back of the line for the opportunity to become citizens.

Work with Mexico

President Obama will promote economic development in Mexico to decrease the economic desperation that leads to illegal immigration.

Not surprisingly, most of the focus is on illegal immigration. But note that there is some attention given to addressing "the dysfunctional immigration bureaucracy".

What everyone needs to understand is that the Administration can only propose candidate bills, or target legislation.

It will be up to Congress to see if we get any kind of immigration bill at all, or what measures it will contain.

Both the House and Senate will need to pass a bill and get it before the President for signing to make this happen.

Whether this can happen this year - or in any year of Obama's first term - is really anybody's guess.

There are so many priorities going on - health care reform, Sotomayor confirmation hearings, Guantanamo closure, 2010 budget, ... Congress is going to be up to its eyeballs in legislative measures this year. The likelihood of a bicameral bill on Immigration is slim-to-possible. The contents of such a bill are just speculation until we see draft legislation.

All of us who are interested in reform.. the right thing to do is get involved. Write or call your Congressman and Senators. Let them know you want to see a measure THIS YEAR to address "the dysfunctional immigration bureaucracy" and to streamline the reunification of families.

Yes, this is the quote that I was referring to.

"President Obama will fix the dysfunctional immigration bureaucracy and enable legal immigration so that families can stay together."

If Obama Administration can streamline the process to bring the family together, in theory, the K1 or K3 process shall become faster.

[scandal 951]

Yes, this is the quote that I was referring to.

"President Obama will fix the dysfunctional immigration bureaucracy and enable legal immigration so that families can stay together."

If Obama Administration can streamline the process to bring the family together, in theory, the K1 or K3 process shall become faster.

One can hope. Please remember that it will take Congress - a majority in both the House and Senate - to want to make this a priority. Obama alone cannot do anything.