MEGATHREAD- What does a Trump Presidency mean for visas? (merged)

[zuluweta 250]

I'm actually married to a LPR. I'm thinking about when to enter US.

Get your immigrant visa now and wait after your second anniversary of date of marriage to enter the US. That way, you will get a 10-year green card instead of a 2-year conditional green card, for which you need to undergo another process to remove conditions to obtain a 10-year green card.

It would mean less expense and less hassle regarding your immigration green card if you enter the US after 2-year marriage anniversary.

[everywhereuwant2b 4]

I'm not sure if no one was ever arrested for terrorist-related activity under the Bush registry for muslims. Thousands got deported using that registry though. (most probably for immigration violations)

Someone who's a muslim who is legally present in the US, hasn't committed any crimes and is not engaged in terrorist activity or anything that can be construed as lending support to terrorist organizations shouldn't have anything to worry about with regards to deportation.

As for behavior by individual Americans towards muslim immigrants, that's a different story. Also, the US government can and may engage in systematic discrimination towards muslims by curtailing visas and making security checks much more difficult to pass.

Regarding your statement on muslim internment camps, I predict civil rights organizations (the ACLU being one) will be chomping at the bit to have a go at the Trump administration if any such proposal comes to fruition.

According to ACLU, no one was ever arrested in connection to terrorism.

Although I am concerned about the public's behavior towards Muslims, my concern was directed at the path down which the government seems to be going. History tells us something like the implementation of internment camps does not happen over night. It builds up over a period of time. It starts with hate speech and is then followed by political action in baby steps.

I consider the public announcement of the Muslim registry and mention of Japanese internment camps a baby step.

[millefleur 5,046]

According to ACLU, no one was ever arrested in connection to terrorism.

Although I am concerned about the public's behavior towards Muslims, my concern was directed at the path down which the government seems to be going. History tells us something like the implementation of internment camps does not happen over night. It builds up over a period of time. It starts with hate speech and is then followed by political action in baby steps.

I consider the public announcement of the Muslim registry and mention of Japanese internment camps a baby step.

Japanese internment camps were the direct result of an attack on a US naval base, which prompted the US to declare war on them. Wartime isn't normal. Yes, the internment of Japanese-Americans is a disgrace that the US government has many times over apologized for and admitted was wrong. The internment camps during WW2 had pretty much nothing to do with racism (the Japanese are not a race, they are a nationality) or hate speech. It was an unfortunate turn of events during an extremely chaotic wartime. Not comparable at all to today's situation, in my opinion. And actually, the camps and the anti-Japanese propaganda during WW2 did happen pretty much overnight....'the day that will live in infamy,' aka Pearl Harbor, December 7, 1941.

I agree with you that hate speech and the demonization and othering of certain ethnic groups are wrong and unsettling, especially as it seems on the rise and will probably grow under a Trump presidency, but Japanese internment camps have pretty much nothing in common with the affairs of the US today....thankfully.

[everywhereuwant2b 4]

Japanese internment camps were the direct result of an attack on a US naval base, which prompted the US to declare war on them. Wartime isn't normal. Yes, the internment of Japanese-Americans is a disgrace that the US government has many times over apologized for and admitted was wrong. The internment camps during WW2 had pretty much nothing to do with racism (the Japanese are not a race, they are a nationality) or hate speech. It was an unfortunate turn of events during an extremely chaotic wartime. Not comparable at all to today's situation, in my opinion. And actually, the camps and the anti-Japanese propaganda during WW2 did happen pretty much overnight....'the day that will live in infamy,' aka Pearl Harbor, December 7, 1941.

I agree with you that hate speech and the demonization and othering of certain ethnic groups are wrong and unsettling, especially as it seems on the rise and will probably grow under a Trump presidency, but Japanese internment camps have pretty much nothing in common with the affairs of the US today....thankfully.

This is wartime. The U.S. is at war with terrorism, which is in a way worse, because terrorism is not as clear-cut and defined as a nation state, like Japan, is.

I respectfully disagree with your comment regarding racism. Perhaps it was not the best choice semantically, but the existence of discrimination against the Japanese is indisputable. Anti-Japanese sentiment was present well before the WW2 and the intensity only worsened with the attack on Pearl Harbor.

I don't doubt that the internment camps happened overnight. My comment was more of a reference to the fact that such extreme actions normally progress from smaller actions and that we should be vigilant and not ignore too many of the smaller, seeming insignificant things like this because they can lead somewhere. For the time being, I agree that it not something likely to happen in the immediate future, but you have to admit that we are much closer to such a thing happening now than we were eight years go.

Regardless it's disturbing that Japanese internment camps were even brought up, by an incoming president's surrogate no less, and as a valid, legal precedent.

[Leo7777 243]

Note: This is not a hate message.

My spouse is on her two year green card and will have to go through the 10 year green card process starting next year.

My point is this:

Entry into USA (or any country), gaining permanent residence in any country and citizenship in any country is not the unconditional right of anyone.

For instance, I as a USA citizen cannot just simply go to Switzerland, declare my intention to stay there, demand that I be given permanent residency, citizenship, etc.

I cannot do it on my own or by marrying a citizen of Switzerland.

Even if I or another person could obtain permanent residency or citizenship in Switzerland under current rules, Switzerland has the complete right to change the rules at any time.

Sure anyone can complain, join complaint groups, write congressmen, etc., but isn't it a little bit presumptuous to feel that the USA or any country cannot have the rules that it wants and change the rules at any point that it wants?

Again, even as I have a spouse that will be subject to whatever conditions exist in future, it is more than a little bit annoying to citizens of USA and other countries to have intending immigrants feeling that they deserve accommodation by the USA.

And, while I am on this rant, it is also extremely annoying to have newcomers start telling me how our country needs to change many laws and procedures regarding taxes, health care, education, etc., etc., to make the USA more like 'back home.' I hear this all the time.

[Durant200 2]

Donald Trump’s Long To-Do List for Day 1

"He has said he also plans on Day 1 to suspend immigration from “terror-prone” countries, and to impose “extreme vetting” on others. "

So there you have it, confirmation that visas from "terror-prone" countries will be suspended. Prepare for huge delays in your visa process starting January 21, 2017. France may even be on the "terror-prone" list considering the widespread publicity around terrorist attacks in France in the past couple years.

Source: New York Times

That is uncertainty at its best now My POE is 3 weeks after Trump's first day in the office. I guess he could totally send back people at the border coming with a visa especially if they are from "terror-prone" countries then. With my lack of knowledge in American politic I guess such a thing would be absolutely possible ...

[sparkles_ 456]

All this talk of freezing 'terror prone' country immigration, so what happens to those of us with spouses from MENA countries who are already in process and in the country? In theory, I mean. Because this is really scary stuff....we are pending an AOS interview in the next few months

[leroyleviticus 80]

I would believe that if he and his wife had acknowledged and admitted that she broke immigration law. They haven't. If everyone strictly followed US immigration law, she would have her citizenship revoked if the US goverment bothered to investigate her case. Luckily they don't seem to have much interest in that. And yes, it would be awful if she had it revoked. Nobody deserves that! US immigration law desperately needs reform but not the ludicrous reform that Trump has in mind. Melania Trump's immigration history wouldn't bother me in the least, if Trump wasn't so adamant about cracking down on immigration. What this shows me is the exact opposite of what you claim. It shows me that he has a worrying lack of understanding of the US immigration process AND that he's a hypocrite.

Actually this shows how Trump can/will understand how the tourist visa the HIB Visa the family visa can all be taken advantage of, he will probably have the most understanding of US Immigration then any President before him. We have a business man taking over the USA, not a career politician.

Edited November 17, 2016 by leroyleviticus

[Dutchster 1,107]

All this talk of freezing 'terror prone' country immigration, so what happens to those of us with spouses from MENA countries who are already in process and in the country? In theory, I mean. Because this is really scary stuff....we are pending an AOS interview in the next few months

You'll be fine. What do you expect? Him freezing everything right when he gets in the office? He won't make this his very first priority.

[sparkles_ 456]

You'll be fine. What do you expect? Him freezing everything right when he gets in the office? He won't make this his very first priority.

Considering all his 'day one in office' or 'first 100 days' hype talk, which sometimes includes that in veiled sentiments.....yea, it is in my mind. Or I expect him to possibly do something like that in a few months and maybe we are still pending an interview.

[leroyleviticus 80]

That man has changed his mind so many times that I feel dizzy and slightly nauseous. I wouldn't trust anything that comes out of his mouth.

Update: This is regarding Trumps latest position on same-sex. I would say good news for those doing K-1 who are same same.

http://www.cnn.com/2016/11/14/politics/trump-gay-marriage-abortion-supreme-court/index.html

[Diamond507 10]

I'm talking about freezing the greencards and a lot of people still need to get their unconditional greencard after their conditional one. I was referring to the moment of freezing the issuance of greencards and those who still need to get their 10y greencard. What's he going to do? Kicking out all of those legal permanent residences because they can't get their greencard renewed? That'd be something. So I was more leaning on to the fact of freezing greencards is not really going to happen.

I really hope that you are right. I'll have to file for ROC next year to get my 10-year green card. While I also think that freezing the issuance of 10-year green cards won't be likely to happen, we don't know anything for sure yet and a lot of controversial things has been said about the future of legal immigration.

[sparkles_ 456]

I really hope that you are right. I'll have to file for ROC next year to get my 10-year green card. While I also think that freezing the issuance of 10-year green cards won't be likely to happen, we don't know anything for sure yet and a lot of controversial things has been said about the future of legal immigration.

Or those who still need even the conditional GC :/

[jeharpatel31 6]

Get your immigrant visa now and wait after your second anniversary of date of marriage to enter the US. That way, you will get a 10-year green card instead of a 2-year conditional green card, for which you need to undergo another process to remove conditions to obtain a 10-year green card.

It would mean less expense and less hassle regarding your immigration green card if you enter the US after 2-year marriage anniversary.

I was thinking the same thing! Let's just now hope that Trump doesn't do anything about the freeze before that! I hope he doesn't freeze GC's at all! He has said so many different things over the time that it's hard to judge what's going to happen!

[Anitafeliz 1,133]

One week two days later

This is still a debate.