I had blogged about "Legal Immigrants, subprime mortgage crisis" a while back. It is sad to see the financial situation worsening for Americans [Homes facing foreclosure more than doubled in 1Q from 2007].

Wonder why lawmakers cannot come to grips with the simple idea that granting visas to spouses of Legal Permanent Residents (who are eventually going to enter the US anyways) going to help the economy?!

New York Times ran a story on how Legal Immigrants Rally at Capitol to Protest Backlog The immigrants, including doctors, medical technicians and computer engineers from India and China, came from as far as California and Washington State to call on Congress to provide more permanent visas for highly educated immigrants and more resources for the overburdened immigration system.

A similar group of Immigrants, many of them professionals await their spouses who are waiting outside the US due to backlogs in the processing of F2A family immigration visas. UniteFamilies.org website says "These are mostly young families — a husband or wife, separated from their spouse and young child.  They are waiting for their I-130 petitions (petition for relative) to be approved.  The current waiting time is 5 years."

This issue seems to have been sidelined in the immigration debate. Wonder why spouses of law-abiding permanent residents are destined to wait outside the borders for over 5 years!

Could Legal Immigrants help get us out of the subprime mess?

Like many America residents, I find the downturn in housing market and the ensuing subprime mortgage crisis disturbing. The quintessential American Dream – husband, wife with kids living in a house in the suburbs – is fading away for many, hitting the American economy and financial sector hard. Beyond observing the trends, reading and contemplating about it, I have also been asking myself the question: I am a well paid technocrat and a legal permanent resident who doesn’t (yet) own a home in America; what can I do to help? The answer is obvious: This would be an opportunity or me to go ahead contribute my bit by investing my savings to buy into the ‘American Dream’.

Here is a link to a letter being drafted by UniteFamilies and American Families United, to be mailed out to US Senators. This is to request support of Clinton-Hagel-Menendez ammendment that would allow nuclear families and spouses of Legal Permanent Residents to the US.

Please click and support this petition.

Thanks to folks who commented on my blog on this topic yesterday.

News today: Clinton, Hagel, Menendez Introduce Measure to Remove Barriers to Reunification for Immigrant Families

Washington, DC - Senators Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-NY), Chuck Hagel (R-NE) and Robert Menendez (D-NJ) today introduced an amendment to the Border Security and Immigration Reform Act of 2007 that would remove barriers to reunification for the nuclear families of lawful permanent residents. The amendment would reclassify the spouses and minor children of lawful permanent immigrants as "immediate relatives," thereby exempting them from the visa caps.

Folks, thanks to those who commented on my earlier blog on the need for spouses of Legal Permanent Residents to be united.

Senator Clinton plans to offer an amendment to exempt spouses and minor children of lawful permanent residents from the yearly cap.

Now, the Million $ question: What can I do further to ensure this moves forward?
(Prayer alone won't work I suppose)

I had posted on this topic "Legal and Illegal Immigrants" yesterday. Firstly, Thanks to those who empathized and posted their responses. Here is an update based on my weekend readings.

Washington Post Editorial says "In addition, spouses and minor children of legal permanent residents, who already faced a five- to 10-year delay to immigrate, would have to wait up to 20 years."

A New York Times editorial says "The deal badly erodes two bedrock principles of American immigration: that employers can sponsor immigrants to fill jobs and that citizens and legal permanent residents have the right to sponsor family members — young children and spouses, of course...."

I had posted a diary entry yesterday wondering if US Lawmakers would be considering the plight of spouses of Legal Permanaent Residents. Looks like the 'grand immigration agreement' shafts nuclear families and spouses. As one of my friends in UniteFamilies discussion forums posts:

Hi guys

I am fuming, now i am wishing that my fiance should have stayed here illegally and not bother going back to england. Are all hopes gone now. As always the illegals win!! Can Legal Immigrants not do ANYTHING to influence the discussions among lawmakers?

While the knowledgeable lawmakers of this great democracy continue to debate the meaning of Family in the immigration debate: I wonder if the prayers this Legal Permanent Resident to allow his wife to come to the US be answered anytime soon?

I have written on the issue of uniting NUCLEAR families (spouses) of taxpaying LEGAL Permanent residents in this and other blogs before.  
this. I have also written repeated to my Senators (a Democrat and Republican).

meaning of Family

I have blogged on this and other forums in the past about lobbying to request the U.S government to allow spouses and minor children of legal permanent residents (Green Card Holders) to come to the US while awaiting their immigration petition (I-130). I have repeatedly written to my lawmakers and to the media with little response.  

Following is an interesting exchange among members of the UniteFamilies group, who are working on a grassroots effort to lobby Lawmakers.

Issue is simple: Most lawmakers are not aware that spouses of Legal Permanent Residents (Green Card Holders) are not eligible to get a Visa to come to the US while they await an immigrant Visa. And an Immigrant Visa is taking over 6 years to process.

More on the issue at:  http://www.unitefamilies.org/...

I am yet to hear much about the Democrats Immigration Agenda. I was wondering if  include family unity for LPRs (Legal Permanent Residents)? More about the challenge on UniteFamilies website

The issue is about differential treatment ONLY for Green Card Holders (Legal Permanent Residents)...who are highest in the Naturalization queue, on the way to become American Citizen. This is a simple but profound issue that we at UniteFamilies.org are trying to highlight.

The issue is that even temporary visa holders [H1, L1, J1, F1, B1] workers, students, those on business, exchange etc can sponsor their spouses and minor children to be with them in America Immediately.
The issue is about uniting Spouses of Legal (with a capital `L') permanent residents.

Interesting blog note. Quotes the study, report  commissioned by the National Venture Capital Association

Dear Congressman and Congresswoman,

Let me be among the first to congratulate you on your election victory. And my congratulations to the Democratic party for regaining controlof the House and the Senate.

You had been supportive of our cause (lengthy separation faced by lawful permanent residents from their spouses and children) for a number of years. Your support has been crucial to the continuation of UniteFamilies. org. Your cosponsorship of various bills that offer relief, such as H.R. 1823, is evidence that you care about family unification.

I have blogged about this before but here is a recap: Legal Permanent Residents have to wait for over 6 years for the immigrant visas of their spouses to be processed. Wouldn't it then be easier for LPRs to apply for Naturalization after 4 years 9 months and then sponsor their spouses?

I had posted the following query to members of UniteFamilies on why the situation is so crazy?

I asked: Wonder who really benefits from the dates being back at 2001... wouldn't folks really DESPERATE to get their spouses to the US...assuming they filed for spouse visa in 2001 be smart enough to apply for Naturalization and get them without wait?
One response "theory" follows

Dear Letisia,
I wish this were true. I am with UniteFamilies.org a group of Legal Permanent Residents (LPRs) who are working hard to have the plight of LPRs separated from their spouses heard by lawmakers.

The issue is simple: Foreigners who are in the US on temporary visas (H1, L1, F1 etc) are allowed to sponsor dependent visas for their spouses to come and live with them in the US. However, due to a legal loophole, Permanent Residents (Green Card Holders) do not have this privilege.

For example, my wife who is educated will not be able to come to the US for the next 6 years or so while she awaits processing of her immigrant visa. In the meantime, I cannot leave the US for extended periods of time since I may loose my residency and Green Card.

I have been posting about the challenge faced by Legal Permanent Residents [LPRs].Here is a gist of a debate going on in UniteFamilies.org   discussion forum in response to a member's query that Legal Immigrants are afraid to speak out to the media, public and to lawmakers for fear of retribution. People are worried about two kinds of action.
The first scenario is where the spouse's or child's case could be delayed by an officer.
The second is where the LPR himself/herself suffers. The officers can get the LPR in two ways:
a) At the port of entry. When the LPR re-enters, send them to secondary and harassing them about their intent to abandon residency.
b)  During naturalization. Delaying the application or FBI name check.

In either case, I don't think the officer would state anything to the effect that they are retaliating. They could just make it tougher and no one can point a finger at the cause.

Here is a real exchange of mails of people in UniteFamilies Group who are desperate to be united with their families...desperate enough to want to give up the `coveted' American Green Card because the lawmakers don't recognize that Families come first!

-----------------------------------------
Dear Dr. ZZZ
The process you are talking about is called "relinquishing" a Green Card

Yours is a very valid question and I was in a similar dilemma sometime last year. My employer's corporate attorney had suggested the option but also warned that I would have to be back in the queue and given the current processing times, it could be very long wait before I got my GC (after 140, 485 etc). the flip side is that I would be living with my wife in the US while waiting.

- continued -