We welcome immigrants who respsct the legal process and desire assimilation. Unfortunately those types are becoming increasingly rare.
“We welcome immigrants who respsct the legal process and desire assimilation. Unfortunately those types are becoming increasingly rare.”
What is the legal process?
*Invest half a million dollars——ok that’s great but there aren’t a lot of people with that kind of money in other countries
*Marry an American? If you’re outside the country, it’s pretty difficult to build a long term relationship with an American. But it happens, ok.
*Win the green card lottery? There is only 1 chance in 200 to win, so good luck with that.
*Get a temporary work visa? First you gotta find an employer from oversees that agrees to sponsor you at the right time (only one day possible for the H1B visas per year) and pay the fees without even knowing you. Then you gotta pray to enter in the quota (the quota is reached in only one day each year; actually they get too many applications in one day, so they decided that a lucky draw will design the lucky winners who will be able to come in the US temporarily). After that? well, you have to go to the embassy and swear that you want to stay in the US only for 18 months or 3 years (for those with a college degree) and then return to the country of origin. So this isn’t really immigration.
Today’s rules of immigration are not the same as they were 100 years ago. It’s way more difficult and impossible for a lot of people. Even for those who want to respect the legal process and desire assimilation.
I’m not defending the illegal immigrants but there should be a POSSIBLE legal way for people to immigrate to the US for those who like the US enough to learn English and maybe learn a bit about US History and the Constitution.
The problem with that statement is that it's just not true from the perspective of someone on the outside. The legal process treats anyone seeking to move to the US as a suspect person and it raises roadblocks and obstacles at every turn to dissuade anyone from even trying. I'm saying this as someone who's actually gone through it. After working for several years in the US (legally under temporary work-visas) I decided I wanted to move permanently to the US. I had found a good job, made lots a very good friends and I felt very appreciated by the people around me. I gave up on this during the green-card process after I got tired of having to constantly defend myself and my motives for wanting to move to the US in front of various beaurocrats, as if an active willingness to live in the US was, in itself, something suspect. I'm a well educated person, an experieced professional in an industry that was screaming for skilled people in that part of the US, I'm perfectly fluent in English AND I had an employer sponsoring me 100%. I can't even begin to imagine how this process is for someone who doesn't have all that.
What I'm saying is, of course it's your prerogative set the bar as high as you like for admitting people in to your country. Many americans feel it should be considered a privilege to be allowed residence in the US, which is a fair sentiment as well. But you're driving away people who WANT to move the the US because they honestly like it and you're left with people who might not like the US but all their other options are worse. As much as I liked America and all the lovely people I've met there, this feeling was not reciprocated by the US government. And I don't want to live with a government that actively dislikes me and I suspect most people feel the same way if they have a choice.