Obama on Spousal Immigration,Discuss

[malvika 1]

This is a very good idea, thanks for the link. I'm about one month into the process of waiting on my NOA2 and based on the CR-1 timelines for Ghana, this could be a 1 1/2 year process via VSC for us to be joined together again as a family.

Why not leave your comments on this site at Obama's public liaison site, I did. Maybe if enough of us do then we might see some change.

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

I agree with browneyedgirl,

First of all thanks for bringing this matter. Let us do our part and leave rest on god. If significant number of people put their opinion on this website http://www.whitehouse.gov/agenda/immigration/ Obama and his senators will have to think about it.

We never say that there's shouldn't be waiting time for spouse visa at all, but it should be reasonable. for instant, LPR has to wait almost 5 yrs. to be able to bring his/her spouse to the USA. I also think that Immigration visa quota should be increased for spouse of LPR.

Lets raise the voice guys. I am gonna put my thoughts in there.

Good Luck,

[luv2uallday 1]

I know Obama has alot on his plate but in general,what do we all think his impact will be in regards with spousal immigration ?

Will he look at it and say no married man nor woman should have to be apart for 6 months not alone a year and a half to two years in many cases ? Therefore decreasing the "waiting time" for lawfully married madly in love couples

Will he since he is the voice and spirit of change ,make the uscis ,nvc and u.s embassys and all "buck up" to helping married couples either with kids or without instead of getting in the way and increasingly make it harder

What IMPACT will he have,what are your thoughts and feelings ,the only thing I have read about his comments on spousal immigration is that he is somewhat open to allowing same sex couples to go through and be allowed to go through the spousal immigration process !

I know nothing will change overnight and their has to be some laws to of course show a valid relationship and marriage but when you hear that it only normally takes uscis 15 mins to look at case the only reason the wait is so long is to put couples off ,no fraud relationships etc

What do we all think Guys ???

I tell you what he's gonna do for people who are in yours and My boat. Nothing... The only people who he cares to help are those who have have stolen their place in line and cut in front of everybody who is waiting and suffered to come here which is illegal aliens. His policies are going to be formed and made for that singular interest alone... You see.. the illegals have countless interest groups on their side but the legal immigrants have none. So why should he care about you or I? You haven't wined and dined his party haven't made favors with his party? so why should he help you ease yours suffering? You see as in politics if you want help you must be dishonest bring your loved one through the border and just wait for amnesty and you will get all the help you need.. But if your honest and law abiding you are condemned to suffer. Because those fools in capitol hill do not care one bit for you or those who suffered long waits without the onse they love doing it the right way. and they will bend over backwards to help those who disrespected us and took it upon themselves to have what millions suffered to be a part of........

If you are hoping for a day when the legal side of immigration will be taken care of by our president or any other president or congress then you live in a dream that will end to reality..... and when reality arrives. All you will see is a TOTALLY unfair system. that is lopsided and turned upside down and that's why i'm sooooooooo angry.........

[corinne from oz 0]

… Where we can reunite families, we should. Where we can bring in more foreign-born workers with the skills our economy needs, we should."

-- Barack Obama, Statement on U.S. Senate Floor

May 23, 2007

Obama is saying what should be done. But what I want to know is what 'Will' be done?

I believe that Obama will bring a positive change to the USA and he needs to be afforded the chance to do so. Let him settle in, give him some time and let's see if he is a man of his word. By the time there is reform in this area, I am sure we will all be reunited with our loved ones. I guess we can only hope future generations do not encounter the same as we have.

Go on Obama, you wanted to be President and you got it. So now show us what you can and will do and if you will do what you say should be done.

[pushbrk 13,011]

… Where we can reunite families, we should. Where we can bring in more foreign-born workers with the skills our economy needs, we should."

-- Barack Obama, Statement on U.S. Senate Floor

May 23, 2007

Obama is saying what should be done. But what I want to know is what 'Will' be done?

I believe that Obama will bring a positive change to the USA and he needs to be afforded the chance to do so. Let him settle in, give him some time and let's see if he is a man of his word. By the time there is reform in this area, I am sure we will all be reunited with our loved ones. I guess we can only hope future generations do not encounter the same as we have.

Go on Obama, you wanted to be President and you got it. So now show us what you can and will do and if you will do what you say should be done.

I think you can expect that what will be done is the status quo will continue. We already have a system to reunite families. It works, slowly.

[rin and john 71]

The issue lies within the differences between the State Department and the Department of Homeland Security. If you are a visitor to the USA, you can enter either via a visa or the VWP, depending on the country of your citizenship. For the visa route, the State Dept issues them and, in the vast majority of cases, the DHS 'accepts' them at the POE with the knowledge that the individual is 'visiting' the USA and will 'most likely' depart (although there are some that do not!).

It is very frustrating to see a visitor get a visa issued by the State Dept in a few days (in this case from a country such as Thailand - see link);

http://travel.state.gov/visa/temp/wait/tem...;x=102&y=17

and then have a spouse from the same country take six months (in my case) to over a year in recent cases. So the State Department can issue a tourist or business visa (almost 14 million in 2007) and provide preliminary security checks in an acceptable fashion for most non-immigrants. Then additional security checks are done at the POE by DHS. But the State Dept is incapable of doing the same for family based 'non-immigrants'. Why not do the K1-K4's the same way? Another 50,000 entrants added to the 14 MM is insignificant. It would free up time at USCIS for AOS processing.

Some would argue that the visitor is planning to leave and the K visa entrant is planning to stay. Agreed. But the reality is that a far greater number 'visit' the USA and subsequently apply for AOS; for these individuals it is not substantially different from entering on a non-immigrant K visa and applying for AOS.

The majority of AOS filings for spouses are for individuals who entered the USA with no intent to marry and ended up getting married and then filing AOS. Doing a little math from the attached DHS reports:

http://www.dhs.gov/xlibrary/assets/statist..._ni_fr_2007.pdf

Table 1

http://www.dhs.gov/xlibrary/assets/statist...LPR_FR_2007.pdf

Table 2

In 2007, 274,000 spouses of USC received greencards (Table 2). An additional 103,000 children of USC (must be stepchildren to have filed AOS) also received greencards.

In 2007, 38,500 fiance(e)s and children entered the USA on K-1/K-2 visas. Another 18,500 entered on K-3/K-4 visas. (Table 1).

So 57,000 entered as K-1 to K-4 and 377,000 adjusted status as a spouse or child of a USC. That's only 15% of all spouses/children entering on a K-1 to K-4 visa. Certainly there are a number of individuals that are CR-1/IR-1 and DCF, but if VJ is any indication, that number is fairly low.

So over 75% of family based immigration occurs via VWP (or other entries) followed by marriage and AOS (suggesting K visas are not the most common route to AOS).

The 'red tape' could be significantly reduced without any increased threat to national security (since the State Dept would issue visas within the same guidelines it currently uses) and little impact on immigration fraud. It would simply mean the spouse would be waiting inside the USA instead of their home country.

[KandD 1]

I agree with you.

[chavelle 6]

I know Obama has alot on his plate but in general,what do we all think his impact will be in regards with spousal immigration ?Will he look at it and say no married man nor woman should have to be apart for 6 months not alone a year and a half to two years in many cases  ? Therefore decreasing the "waiting time" for lawfully married madly in love couplesWill he since he is the voice and spirit of change ,make the uscis ,nvc and u.s embassys and all "buck up" to helping married couples either with kids or without instead of getting in the way and increasingly make it harder What IMPACT will he have,what are your thoughts and feelings ,the only thing I have read about his comments on spousal immigration is that he is somewhat open to allowing same sex couples to go through and be allowed to go through the spousal immigration process !I know nothing will change overnight and their has to be some laws to of course show a valid relationship and marriage but when you hear that it only normally takes uscis 15 mins to look at case the only reason the wait is so long is to put couples off ,no fraud relationships etc What do we all think Guys ???  [/quoI tell you what he's gonna do for people who are in yours and My boat. Nothing... The only people who he cares to help are those who have have stolen their place in line and cut in front of everybody who is waiting and suffered to come here which is illegal aliens. His policies are going to be formed and made for that singular interest alone... You see.. the illegals have countless interest groups on their side but the legal immigrants have none. So why should he care about you or I? You haven't wined and dined his party haven't made favors with his party? so why should he help you ease yours suffering?  You see as in politics if you want help you must be dishonest bring your loved one through the border and just wait for amnesty and you will get all the help you need.. But if your honest and law abiding you are condemned to suffer. Because those fools in capitol hill do not care one bit for you or those who suffered long waits without the onse they love doing it the right way. and they will bend over backwards to help those who disrespected us and took it upon themselves to have what millions suffered to be a part of........   If you are hoping for a day when the legal side of immigration will be taken care of by our president or any other president or congress then you live in a dream that will end to reality..... and when reality arrives.  All you will see is a TOTALLY unfair system. that is lopsided and turned upside down and that's why i'm sooooooooo angry.........

Why are you "so angry?" Obama has just taken office a few days ago.The economy is more of a priority at this point! Hundreads have lost their jobs,hence their homes,therefore are receiving unemployment.I agree that the waiting time is ridiculous but Obama has nothing to do with that as for now.I strongly believe in giving people a chance to prove themselves.Some of what you have said points to  personal attack on Obama Why is his inauguration party mentioned ? I have read a lot of the comments and I have to say that they are just hoping for a change ,not personally attacking President Obama.

Chavelle.

[frali 2]

Bad economy and spouses being away is a bad combination.

No shoulder to even cry on.