President Obama is pushing for changes in Immigration reform. One of the suggested amendments is what is known as “The Dream Act”. This is an idea put forward by a few people including Senators Lugar & Durbin from Indiana and Illinois respectively.

The Dream Act proposes that certain individuals be allowed to gain eligibility for U.S. citizenship if stipulated criteria are met. The act aims to allow the children of illegal immigrants who have received education in U.S. schools to become permanent residents of the country. To achieve this they should have entered the country before they turned 16 and lived there for a minimum of 5 years without any interruption. They should also possess a good command of the English language.

Once these criteria are satisfied, the next step is to enroll in higher education or the U.S. Military. At this point, the candidate can apply for conditional residency. To progress to the next stage they must obtain an associate’s degree; if they fail to do so, they can still progress if they obtain a two year equivalent within a six year period starting from the initial application date. The act suggests that 65,000 applicants be allowed to become conditional residents every year with every chance of them receiving permanent residency and citizenship thereafter.

The proposal is designed to help those who were brought over to the U.S. when they were very young and have no desire to return to their own country, due to living a better part of their lives in the U.S. and being accustomed to the way of life they are now living.

The history of the United States Border Patrol stretches as far back as 1928. Even then, illegal immigration was a problem and Congress decided to take action against it by passing an act that created the Border Patrol. The initial mandate given to this force was to put a stop to illegal immigrants, a mandate that exists to this date. The Border Patrol comes under the command of the U.S. Customs and Border Protection, which in turn, is part of the Department of Homeland Security.

Although it started with only 450 officers, it has now grown into a 12,000 strong force and is still expanding. The goal is to reach 18,000 officers, which is the current number in active duty. The short fall of 6,000 guards is made up of National Guard troops until such time that the Border Patrol is able to fill the void. Currently, it is a good time to join the Border Patrol, as they are on a drive to recruit more officers. However, it is not an easy task to join the force especially when it comes to the initial exam. Statistics denote that only 40 % pass this exam and only 3.3 % of entrants make it through to the Border Patrol Academy.

If you are serious about joining, you should put some effort into researching the various requirements outlined by the Border Patrol. One crucial exam you might want to concentrate on is the Artificial Language Test, which has a high rate of failure associated with it.

The E3, H1B or L1 Visas are the usual types of visas under which people apply for employment purposes. As long as the potential employer has agreed to sponsor the candidate, the rest of the visa process is generally a walk in the park. Occasionally though, the interview hits a snag and the term “administrative processing” rears its ugly head.

The snag could be something as simple as forgetting to bring some documents or having insufficient cash to pay relevant fees. However, these problems can be sorted out by scheduling another interview with the consular officer after finding the necessary material. However, condition 221(g) which takes care of these administrative processing cases will be harsh on candidates who have lied about their experience, qualifications, circumstances of employment, etc. Such dishonesty will only lead to an instant denial of a visa.

Bu there are many cases where the candidate has not lied but administrative processing has caused them to not receive their visa. This is because condition 221(g) is not a clear cut directive. The office can deny a visa based on:

1. Doubts due to the company not having issued sponsorship to any foreign national before.

2. Doubts about the suitability of the candidate for the job if the candidate is overqualified for it. (e.g.: The candidate possesses a degree but the job requires a non-professional.)

3. Doubts raised by the candidate’s character, missing documents, body language, lack of confidence in answers, etc.

4. Doubts about the dependents submitted on the visa application form.

This is where the U.S. Immigration systems falls short and becomes unfair for those who try to get into the country in a legal manner. Therefore, a revamp of the system should be looked at to avoid such grey areas and to speed up processing and be more accountable for decisions. All this will only go towards aiding the halt of illegal immigration.

The story around town seems to be that illegal immigrants or undocumented workers receive social security benefits. The story doing the rounds is false. Talk show hosts such as Rush Limbaugh and Michael Savage not only seem to be part of spreading the untrue piece of information, it also leads to the message being passed around by word of mouth, via emails and online petitions.

Illegal immigrants apparently get in on the Social Security’s administrative system and receive benefits. Not true. Undocumented workers will never be entitled to claim social security benefits. Illegal immigrants are known to provide false social security numbers in order to prove they are documented workers, thus giving them to chance to start working. In October 2005, the earnings on which workers contribute towards Social Security racked up $520 billion.

However, people still seem to believe that illegal immigrants are entitled to Social Security benefits. One fact that probably pushed the rumour is the vote in 2006 for an amendment to immigration reform laws. Even though the amendment was passed by Senate with a 50-49 vote, the bill died and there ended the amendment. Therefore, the truth is that illegal immigrants will only have a right to Social Security once they are granted amnesty, and when that does happen, they will have a right to Social Security benefits for prior work done in the country.

Undocumented workers also contribute towards Social Security taxes - the figure stands at a whopping $6 billion annually. The National Immigration Law Center says the money is directed towards the Earnings Suspense File, which is a repository for Social Security taxes which are paid by illegal immigrants who have either used false identities, forged document or incorrect Social Security numbers.

Illegal immigrants are a problem in many nations around the world, with the United States being one of them. The current number of illegal immigrants in the United States stands at a staggering 300 million people regardless of the fact that legislation regarding legal entry does exist.

‘Immigration Law and Procedure in a Nutshell’ by David S. Weissbrodt and Laura Danielson; West Group Publishing Company (2005) is a recommended book to read on the subject. Containing over 650 pages, the book is said to cover all topics and puts across the US immigration laws as fairly rational and within reason. Politicians attempting to paint a ‘rosier’ picture claim the presence of a ‘mere’ 12 million illegal immigrants in the US, but take into consideration that any nation has a right to decide who is allowed into the country.

President Barrack Obama’s view on immigration laws have been met with much opposition as has his attempt to change the said legislation. An unclassified report released by the Department of Homeland Security states that right wing extremists could go onto become home grown terrorists who “Oppose[s] the policies of President Obama regarding immigration,” while the reports also says that this is an ideal method of spotting a right-wing extremist.

Some blame the report on a left-wing leaning communist or socialist type author who does not seem to show much care for the future of the United States. However, the book by Weissbrodt and Danielson outlines the basics and legislation regarding immigrant law and we can only hope that work will be done towards improving on this legislation rather than bestowing citizenship to those having ‘broken into’ the country.

The Federation for American Immigration Reform (FAIR), founded in 1979, is a non-profit organization focused on changing immigration policies in the country. Since its inception, it has become one of the forerunners in the exercise with very strong opinions.

Immigration affects practically every aspect of our daily lives. The US immigration and policies influence factors such as education, employment, government budgets, healthcare, and even the environment. Because of the increasing movement of people to the United States, whether through legal means or otherwise, such factors have to change in order to accommodate the increasing population.

In relation to an increase in immigrant numbers, FAIR says their goals are to improve aspects such as border security, end illegal immigration, and to promote levels of migration that would be beneficial to the country.
Their website states that an ideal number for immigration would be an annual figure of 300,000 as opposed to the current figure of one million.

FAIR proposes a complete suspension of immigration with the exception of spouses and minor children of US citizens and a limited number of refugees in order to commence a change of policy on the subject of immigration. FAIR insists it is the way forward and one that would encourage public debate on the issue in order to draw up a complete reform strategy.

While many arguments agree and also contradict with such thoughts, FAIR’s stance remains the same: that illegal immigration could be ended through humane methods that are acceptable on current democratic ideals and laws. FAIR believes in the development of a policy that is non-discriminatory, and one that takes the social, economic, and environmental needs of the country into consideration. Some insist that FAIR has its own agenda, but, with an issue such as this, it has to start somewhere!