QUESTION FOR US RESIDENTS, VISA HOLDERS, ETC.

[billiedance]

This is a legitimate question - I'm not being sarcastic.

When reading this board I notice that immigrants are very concerned/anxious about getting their permanent resident status and also naturalization.

My question is: Once people are in the US why is it so important to get the different status? If you're already in the country legally I don't understand the "rush".

THIS QUESTION IS ONLY FOR MY EDUCATION PURPOSES. As a US Citizen I really don't know what it's like for those who aren't and since my fiance will be here soon I need to know.

Thanks for all your information and replys.

[billiedance]

This is a legitimate question - I'm not being sarcastic.

When reading this board I notice that immigrants are very concerned/anxious about getting their permanent resident status and also naturalization.

My question is: Once people are in the US why is it so important to get the different status? If you're already in the country legally I don't understand the "rush".

THIS QUESTION IS ONLY FOR MY EDUCATION PURPOSES. As a US Citizen I really don't know what it's like for those who aren't and since my fiance will be here soon I need to know.

Thanks for all your information and replys.

[Seham]

Hi Billiedance,

As you have taken the time to respond to my post, I would also like to take the time and hopefully help you with yours.

I am speaking from the knowledge and the experience I have gained from being with my Fiance for 3 and 1/2 years and all of the research in which I have done.

I feel the eagerness for the quick status and naturalization stems from being able to make more choices once they are here and being accepted more into our society as a whole instead of being looked at as an immigrant who is doing nothing but trying to feed off of us. It is easier for them to find a job and not as many questions are asked once they are accepted and legal. Also, the process is a very long and drawn out one in which you have to be very careful in doing everything right and ON TIME or the case could be drawn out even longer.

I don't know if this helps any, but hopefully it does and I do hope others will respond from their own knowledge for this is a very informative question in regards to helping others understand also.

Good Luck to you and your Fiance!

[billiedance]

Thank you for responding. It's difficult for me sometimes to think from the other viewpoint. I work for a government agency and we employee so many residents that I guess it didn't occur to me that others would not. In fact, it's usually only those of us who see the paperwork that know they are not "citizens".

I took a great class many years ago on "cultural sensitivity" and the presenter made a very good point: Some people will change with more information and education and "some people just have to die" - meaning, of course, that as the older generations who hold more prejudice die off things will get better. I know everyone has a right to their opinion I just hate to see people judged because of the color of their skin or the country of their birth or because they sit in a wheelchair. I'll get off my bandstand now - have a great day. Thanks

[marmaduk]

I'll answer from the economic perspective. Most visa holders have certain restrictions on them when it comes to employment. EAD holders has to renew theirs every year, and when the underlying petition is rejected, they're out of option. As for GC holder, some job requires USC and USC only (usually more related to government & military related job). Once you become USC, things like this won't matter anymore.

Another thing is safety & freedom. You can't revoked USC (well, you can for naturalized ones, but its close to impossible) while GC holder, H1-B, EAD, etc can be revoked at the whim of USCIS and denied entry to US.

[billiedance]

Thank you Marmaduk. Your response was very helpful. I can certainly understand the fear of being removed from the country.

I appreciate your response. Take care

[Pasha Patel]

Hi billiedance,

I would like to give my opinion here .... When people come here legally, there are lots of way to enter the country in legal way ... like visitor visa, work visa, marriage etc etc ... but there is no guarantee even after coming here legally that there wont be any problem in future with their status ... so still this is kind of a risk in person's heart ...
Visitors who gets married to USC ... they do some kind of crime by doing such but still they want to stay here ... so they think if they get some legal status they will be at some kind of peace ....

Work visa ... there is always risk that company might give them lay off ... so there is hurry to get approved petition for green card and get legal status that wont affect their chance of staying here in future

People who come through marriage ... they need to apply for removal of condition and if something goes wrong in marriage .... Waivers don't get approved in many cases ... so there is hurry to get PR without conditions on them ....

Asylum cases are uncertain .... So they always wants approval and get some kinda legal status .....

And at last people with PR ... want to become citizen ... coz with PR status certain limitations do apply .. like staying out of country without AP / Reentry permit ... some job opportunities and PR can be still denied of entry to US at any airport but if person is USC nothing like this might happen ... so there is hurry for becoming citizen ...

Overall this is like a videogame where children play and they want to complete all stages step by step and when they finish all those steps ... they are just happy .... Have a good day...Pasha

[Seham]

Excellent job, Pasha!

[billiedance]

Pasha, thank you so much for your information. As a US citizen - who has been comfortable in this country since birth - I was unaware of all these situations. I really appreciate your answer and with that information I will make certain my fiance gets all his paperwork done in a timely manner to protect his status and rights. Thanks again to everyone who answered - it's been most helpful.

[Pasha Patel]

My pleasure billiedance .... If I can be any of help

[sup]

In my humble opinion US born Citizens take a lot of things for granted.

Even GC holders sometimes feel like second class citizens (not to mention non-immigrant visa holders and illegals) that's why there's an ultimate goal to naturalize.

In most cases the life in immigrant's home country won't award the quality of life and the opportunities to succeed in life like in the U.S. I know a lot of people who would rather become illegal aliens then go back to their home countries.

I've been to the most parts of the world and everywhere there's this fascination with the U.S. that, in my opinion, stems from the Hollywood movies. People know much more about life in the U.S. (especially young ones) than Americans know about the rest of the world. The problem is that movies don't say anything about the importance of having a good education, language skills, steady job, credit history, a pile of bills at the beginning of every month, a rat-race to keep up with Jones next door etc.

I wonder what all Americans' fiances think about life in their new chosen home country? I heard opinions that all they gotta do is make it to the U.S. and the rest will work out by itself. They don't have to speak English, have a decent education, steady job, so on. Do they realize what a hard work it is to have a good, satisfying middle-class life in the U.S.?

[Pasha Patel]

Well sup ...

You are 100 % right ... People who come here I meant most of them ... don't have a clue and think that $$$$ grow on trees in USA... but eventually they find reality and get used to it ....

[BronzeLady]

I don't think USC's take their citizenship for granted. I don't think you think much about that much in the same way that most people do not give much thought to the fact that they are black or white, etc. It is who you are....it was something you were born to. Does someone from England walk around appreciating they are British? Does a Frenchman contemplate the benefits to being from France on a daily basis? Of course not. Just a thought.

[billiedance]

BronzeLady I have to say that, as a USC, I take my citizenship for granted. I take all the freedoms I have for granted. When I travel to Cuba I realize how fortunate we are to live in this country but when I'm home I walk around free, safe that I won't be sent out of the country and enjoy many rights.

I don't know what race or ethnicity you are but I can assure you people with different skin colors or appearance DO think about it a lot. If you're black and are in the company of mostly black people you don't think about it, however, if you're black in a room or place of employment with predominantly white people you think about it (I'm white by the way).

It's what's commonly referred to as "White Privilege". A lot of white people are oblivious that they even have it but others are well aware it exists. It's kind of that way with being a USC. Many times people of different races/colors are expected to behave like white people to be accepted, hired, etc. How many times have you heard people say "they need to speak English they're in America"? Americans have a huge sense of "entitlement" and a lot of times don't want others to "step on our lawn".

My point is the people disagreeing with you are coming from a different experience. Many of my friends are black/latin and I see their life experiences totally different than mine and I am treated differently when I'm with them than when I'm by myself.

I'm not trying to critize what you said - only shed a little light from a different side of the street. Have a good day.

[Pasha Patel]

Well...

I don't know much about USC taking citizenship for granted as I am not a USC but sure I agree in lot of ways with billiedance ... people who go from here to 3rd world countries .... They act like they are everything and get lot more respect and attention ( just like / or may be more than a doc/surgeon/well educated person) even if they work here on gas station or just handle register in some shop .... And that is so true... I have seen that couple of times...

About Race / color of skin ... if depends on individual and the way they look at the situation ... but lot of people still feels it inside be it racism or something else... the roots of this problem are very deep inside peoples' mind and heart ... so even if law protects people from this ...still its hard for most of people to overcome in their unconscious mind ....

Pasha

[This message was edited by Pasha Patel on January 18, 2004 at 02:03 PM.]