Last week of Research

Hello,

This is my last week of research. I will be creating a slide show, and doing a 20 minute presentation. These three months have been very productive and entertaining. I traveled all over Arizona doing interviews with interesting individuals, collecting different facts and opinions. I know a lot more about how the immigration process works, and how my visa works. I believe that I will be able to provide insight and help to people who are interested in applying for a Green Card, such as my parents. Thank you for viewing my blog these past three months, and feel free to leave a comment. I will be sure to write back as soon as possible.

-Jenny

New Policies in the Past Decade

In the past decade there has been minor changed to visa policies. One example was the change with the TN visa. In the fall of 2008, the Obama administration increased the period of the visa from one year to three years. Meaning a TN holder can apply for three year extensions as opposed to one.
In the summer of 2008, the USCIS extended the time H-2B workers can stay in the U.S. H-2B workers are for agricultural and labor workers.


-Jenny

Arizona Senate Bill 1070

The most recent bill that greatly impacts Arizona is Arizona Senate Bill 1070. It requires all aliens 14 years and older, who intend on remaining longer than 30 days in the U.S, to carry necessary documents to prove that they are in the country legally. Many people have said that this causes racial profiling, because it allows boarder patrols to ask anyone who they suspect to be illegal aliens to take out their documentation. This bill has caused much uproar among the other states; It is considered controversial. I personally do not carry around my passports. Sometimes I don't even remember to take my wallet, so I have no identification documents on me except for my school books. It is unrealistic to always carry around my passport and visa. Also, I will be more likely to lose my documents if I always carry them around, thus increasing my risk of becoming an undocumented alien.

Jenny

Interview with a Person who Had a Green Card (is now a U.S citizen)

How long did it take for you to receive your Green Card?

3 years. It takes longer for some people, and shorter for others.

Did you hire a lawyer?

Yes

Did you apply for the Green Card through employment or family?

Employment

On a scale of 1-10, how hard do you think it is to get a Green Card?

9

Did you face any problems? If so, what were the problems?

The waiting time was too long, because of the quota for China. (*see interview with Ms. Huang)

What did you not like about the process?

The quota for Chinese people (which is country based), and the waiting time.

Is there an area of the process you would like to see improved?

The processing (by the INS, now National Security) took too long. It would be better if they were more efficient.

This interview was done through a survey given to a U.S citizen who had once gone through the Green Card process and received a Green Card.

-Jenny

Interview with Officer Holguin

Name: Officer Holguin
How long have you worked with the immigration system?


3 years as a field officer at this immigration office, five years as a custom and border patrol agent, and one and a half years at the Phoenix lock box (where people send in their applications).

Can you give a brief outline of your day to day work?


7-4:30: Provide accurate and timely information to customers, who are applying for a Green Card or naturalization. I give forms and information, but no legal advice.

What problems do applicants face?


Sometimes a Green Card cannot be delivered to the applicant because they failed to change their address (if they have moved). If the Green Card cannot be delivered, then it gets sent back to the headquarters in Lincoln, Nebraska. The delivery is then attempted two more times. If the Green Card is lost (not sent back to headquarters) then the applicant has to pay for a new one, which is $450. Usually the Green Cards are tracked because they are expensive.

If the Green Card is so hard to get, and so expensive, why is it mailed out. Wouldn't it be better for the applicant to come to the immigration center to get it?

It has always been mailed out. Now they are trying to convert everything into digital files. We called this new technology transformation immigration.

As for the Green Card applications, who decides who gets a Green Card and who does not?

A level 2 judicature decides by going through the person's files, checking their fingerprints, basically making sure the person is not a criminal. Then they check to see if the person meets the criteria to receive a Green Card, in which ever way they applied for one (i.e marriage, employment, family). It's all about the policies and law. The officer must follow a certain procedure. They do the checks and balances.

What do you like about the process?

It's a very fair process that treats people with respect. We try to process as many applications as possible. People are coming here for a better life. In order to better serve the people, we reserve every Thursday as a training day.

Field Trip to Downtown Phoenix

Last Tuesday my mentor, Mrs. Auer, took me on a field trip to downtown Phoenix. We went to interview an immigration officer, and went on a tour of ASU’s law school.  The immigration center was one story, and very modern. At first I thought it was a car dealership, because I imagined the immigration office to be a tall brown building. We had to go through security, which was similar to the airport security. They required you to go through a metal detector, as well as show your I.D and proof of a scheduled appointment with a field agent.  You were not allowed to bring water, food, or cell phone into the building.  We went into a large room, where people were preparing for their citizenship test. We met with a field officer named Veronica Holguin. She was very nice, and provided a lot of information and documents for me to review. I will post the interview with her in my next post.

After my interview with Officer Holguin, Mrs. Auer had to drop by ASU’s law school. ASU’s law school recently moved to a new building. It is now located in a brown building, with around nineteen stories. We went up to the fifteenth story. They recently built some new mock court rooms, which had big glass windows that overlooked Phoenix. They are still setting up microphones and computer monitors.  The facilities were pretty good. Finally my field trip ended with a funeral precession. It was the first funeral precession I have ever encountered, and it held us up for ten minutes. I never knew there was such a law in the United States, now I know. Read my next post for the interview with Officer Holguin.

-Jenny 

My Two Cents on Society's View of Immigrants

I agree with Mr. Burns that America is a country of immigrants. It is also true that some Americans view immigrants negatively, even going as far as treating them as a subclass of humans. Before I say anything, I want to admit that I am biased; I am Canadian, and as a first generation immigrant, I do feel empathy towards immigrants. Without further ado, here is a short synopsis of my view on society and immigration.

Humans, and animals, tend to feel uncomfortable or even suspicious of foreign entities in their normal habitats.  It is a natural instinct. Thus the attitudes towards immigrants can be linked to a primitive trait. History also tends to prove that foreign involvement does not end well for the old inhabitants, just ask the Mayans or the Aztecs. However, the United States is an exception. American could not have improved so fast without the continual help of immigrants. Technological advances happened thanks to the help of immigrants. America’s culture of freedom was cultivated by immigrants, who were all seeking a better life. Immigrants came to this land, they nurtured it, they raised it, and they settled their family down on it. Immigrants now are still following that idea, chasing their dreams to America.

I cannot speak for all immigrants, but my family came to North America to build a better life. Most immigrants travel away from their home to a foreign land to do the same. They only harbor the best intentions, the greatest hopes, and the greatest fears. It takes a lot to go to a new country where you don’t even know how to say “can you help me.” So thank your ancestors for getting you past the hard part.

Now I will discuss the view on the other side of the fence. The U.S is growing. The population is booming. More people mean more competition for resources, jobs, and a style of life. Over populated places can be dangerous, uncomfortable, and annoying. Because many immigrants have succeeded in catching up to their American Dream, more and more people are waiting to do the same. That is why immigration quotas were established in the early 1900s. This way, the U.S won’t overpopulate as fast as some other countries, like China; however, immigrants are still slowly trickling into the U.S, and current residents of the U.S view the new members of their country as a threat.

Whenever there is a problem, the immigrants are blamed. You hear more often than not people blaming the immigrants for their unemployment. Whenever something goes wrong, there always has to be a scapegoat, and immigrants are the perfect scapegoats: they don’t understand anyways. Immigrants are adding to the population, they are taking jobs, but do the unemployed really want to do the jobs some immigrants have to do to survive? Of course, we cannot just ignore this point. This is why I believe the quota is not a bad idea. I will further research ways that will not harm the livelihoods of U.S citizens, while being fair to incoming immigrants.

Some immigrants become bad, and do bad things. They are exceptions and should be punished by the law; however, do not let them influence your view of all immigrants. Sometimes the way some immigrants act may be foreign, it may even be vulgar (in your eyes), but you have to remember that they were not raised in the same environment as you. Some of them had to really struggle to survive, and their difficult lives have made them less sensitive to the little things. Now that they are already here this country to build their dream, why not lend them a hand instead of looking down on them and trying to punish them. Of course, I am biased, but this is my two cents on society’s view of immigrants.  I hope I said something worthy of contemplation. As Mr. Burns said, if you want to do something (as an U.S citizen), read about the proposed bills, and vote for a representative who remembers their roots, and the purpose of the United States.

Interview with Gerald Burns

This week an immigration lawyer named Gerald Burns provided his experience and insights. Here is the interview breakdown with paraphrases of what Mr. Burns said.

How long have you worked with immigration law?

Mr. Burns has worked with immigration law for 13 years. He is the Arizona Chapter Chair of American Immigration Lawyers Association, as well as the Chair of the ALA Family Immigration Committee.

What are the most common ways you have seen people apply for a Green Card?

Through family relationships, as in marriage and family sponsored immigration, where the family sponsor is an U.S citizen.

How long does it generally take?

3-6 months to 6-7 years, depending on the circumstance.

What are the success rates?

It is very fact dependent.

What common problems do the applicants face?

It may be a burdensome process with lots of requirements. The applicant may need legal help. They may not be eligible. The cost may be a huge factor.

What problems have you faced?

It can be hard to defend clients who are under removal proceedings (deportation).

What do you not like about the process?

The amount of paperwork, and how immigrants are placed in a negative light.

Why do you think immigrants are placed in a negative light?

It may be due to politics and the economy. Many people view immigrants as a threat to their ability to find a job, because they believe immigrants will steal their job.

How can we change that view and improve the immigration process?

We have to remember that we are a country of immigrants. This is not an old lesson, but an ongoing lesson for all of us. Elect congress persons who remember their roots of immigration, and who will not proposed laws that punish immigrants.

I would like to thank Mr. Burns for his time and valuable input.
Stay tuned for another interview next Tuesday!

-Jenny