From
the Editor's Desk
We do not know what is it that has affected
the immigration system in the US so badly
but one of the things is sure the root cause
is the economy. Both the US immigrants and
temporary residents feel that US is in a need
for immigration reform.
Recently, immigrant rights advocates gathered
at a Northglenn church to show their support
for federal legislation that would offer a
path to legalize millions of illegal immigrants.
Pointing to the hardship current immigration
laws pose for many families, including separating
families through deportation, dozens of immigrants
said the country is in need of comprehensive
immigration reform.
The meeting at the Immaculate Heart of Mary
Church was attended by Congressman Jared Polis,
D-Boulder, as well as by Illinois Democrat,
Congressman Luis V. Gutierrez. The "Familias
Unidas" immigration reform tour was part of
a national effort, including 22 major cities.
"The United States has always been a beacon
of hope and opportunity for immigrants, and
our newest Americans continue to be a constant
source of innovation and cultural renewal,"
said Polis prior to the event. "But by tearing
apart hard-working families and forcing millions
of immigrants into the shadows, our broken
immigration system weakens our nation."
President Barack Obama has signaled his support
for immigration reform that includes a path
to citizenship for as many as 12 million illegal
immigrants. Bipartisan committees have assembled
to develop legislation that is expected to
be brought forward by as early as the fall.
Critics, however, say legalizing at least
12 million illegal immigrants would lead to
population explosions that would lower wages
for American workers and drain the nation's
resources. The nation's illegal immigrant
population has been estimated to be as high
as 25 million.
"You bring in these 20 million illegal aliens,
they then get citizenship, they then become
part of the workforce legally, and every American
will see his or her wages go down because
these people will work at any level," Frosty
Wooldridge, a Louisville author and outspoken
critic of expanding immigration, told the
Denver Daily News in a recent interview. "All
it's going to do is literally break this country
financially in half. It will lower the standard
of living for all middle class Americans …
you and me, we're screwed."
The "Familias Unidas" stop in Northglenn
was also attended by Denver Archbishop Charles
J. Chaput. The idea of the tour is to bring
political and religious communities together
to discuss the need for comprehensive immigration
reform. The meeting Saturday was part prayer
vigil, part town hall meeting, during which
many immigrants spoke of hardship experienced
as a result of current immigration laws.
Julie Gonzales, spokeswoman for the Colorado
Immigrant Rights Coalition, pointed out that
many immigrant families are mixed-status,
meaning some are documented citizens and others
are not. She said the pain of splitting those
families apart can be tremendous.
"When the other side is talking about deporting
12 million people, a lot of the time what
they're talking about is breaking up 12 million
families. That's not a solution, that's not
workable at all," said Gonzales. "What we're
proposing is a pathway to citizenship that
keeps families together, and that's going
to help keep our economy back on track, and
that's going to keep families together."
Polis added that with the current state of
the economy, now is the perfect time for immigration
reform.
"As we face growing economic and environmental
challenges, we need immigration reform now
more than ever to compete and thrive in the
global economy," he said.
Reid Said We'll Fight For Immigration Reform
This Year
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev.,
said Thursday he would work to pass comprehensive
immigration reform this year, adding to an
already busy congressional agenda.
Senate Reid is promising immigration will
be one of three major legislative priorities
this year (the other two are health care reform
and energy). Speaking at a press conference
about Supreme Court Justice nominee Sonia
Sotomayor, Reid identified immigration, health
care and climate-change reform as the three
main policy goals of Congress.
So, let us hope that when the immigration
reform repairs all the broken immigration
systems in the US.
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Get geared up for an exciting year
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News Bulletin
Reid:
We'll Fight For Immigration Reform This Year
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev.,
said Thursday he would work to pass comprehensive
immigration reform this year, adding to an
already busy congressional agenda.
Senate Reid is promising immigration will
be one of three major legislative priorities
this year (the other two are health care reform
and energy). Speaking at a press conference
about Supreme Court Justice nominee Sonia
Sotomayor, Reid identified immigration, health
care and climate-change reform as the three
main policy goals of Congress.
Read More News
Featured Article
Defining
the Word Temporary for the H2B Visa Workers
The employers find it extremely burdensome
and confusing to prove the temporariness of
an occupation when it comes to hire foreign
workers on H2B visa to meet their temporary
work requirement. The temporary employment
for H2B workers should not be confused with
part-time employment which does not qualify
for temporary labor certification. This article
helps you understand the meaning of the word
'temporary' under the H2B visa program.
Read
Full Article | Read
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Questions and Answers
I came in the states with H2B. My
employers on the documents are in Destin FL.
I've never seen them; they are my employer
only on the documents. The agency who helped
me to come here told me to come in Charleston.
When I came here I understood I must to work
about a contractor (this is a person who find
job and take 2$ per hour from my money. I
have got a SSN. The hotel where I am working
now wants to be my employer but they are scare
to have troubles. I want to extend my H2B
visa. Is it possible or not. My contractor
told me I can't extend H2B visa, I only can
apply to other kind of visa. Pls tell me what
I can do in this situation?
Ans: H-2 visas allow
businesses to bring in seasonal or temporary
workers. When you entered the United States
you are expected to work for the employer
that sponsored you. The fact that you never
did will be held against you. (Although I
am sure the Citizenship & Immigration Services
would like to find out about all the people
involved in this fraud.) In fact you are in
violation of your H-2 status for not working
for the company that sponsored you. If your
violation was discovered by the USCIS you
could be removed from the United States and
not be allowed another visa for a VERY LONG
time.
To obtain a change from one visa to another
without leaving the United States (assuming
that you qualify to change visas categories)
you may be requested to submit to the USCIS
proof that you worked for the company that
sponsored you. Obviously, you have no proof
to offer.
Leaving the United States may not be what
you want to do but it may be the best thing
that you can do if you want to come back to
the United States some day. Your situation
is a difficult one and there may be other
options for you based on your education, work
experience, or family ties to the United States.
You may want to speak to a qualified attorney
in your city.
More
Q&A
H2B Myths and Reality
Myth: If there are unemployed
Americans then there is no need for non-immigrant
workers.
Reality: H-2B positions
are short-term positions. These jobs seldom
lead to full-time, gainful employment. A presently
unemployed person accepting one of these positions
will more than likely be unemployed again
within 3-6 months because the job has ended.
The point of a job search is to find an opportunity
where an individual will remain employed.
In addition, a professional, who has been
recently laid off, more than likely does not
want to work for three months at the beach
hot dog stand. Unemployed individuals are
searching for circumstances that are similar
to their previous work environments. Finally,
many H-2B positions are in areas where unemployed
individuals are not. For example, resort communities
seldom have high unemployment rates because
these are very transient communities. At most
beach and ski resorts the actual population
in these towns is very low, leaving not enough
individuals to cover the peak workload. Furthermore,
there are many other H-2B jobs that are located
in remote areas of the country (i.e. the forests
of Maine, the coast of Alaska). The bottom
line is this: H-2B employers want to hire
as many Americans as possible.
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