Posted on 09/30/2008 7:57:08 AM PDT by 3AngelaD
WASHINGTON — US immigration officials on Monday announced moves to ease and speed up visa-processing for HIV-positive visitors to the United States, months after a 21-year entry ban on people with the virus was lifted. Under the new rules, US consular offices overseas will have the authority to grant temporary, non-immigrant visas to HIV-positive applicants who meet "all of the other normal criteria for the granting of a US visa," the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) said in a statement.
Previously, people with HIV were banned from entering the United States unless they obtained a special waiver.The ban on HIV-positive foreigners entering the United States had been in place since 1987
"We're also accelerating the process by providing an additional avenue for temporary admission while maintaining a high level of security at our borders," Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff said...
President George W. Bush signed legislation in July which removed HIV from a list of diseases "of public health significance" that effectively barred any person infected with the virus that causes AIDS from entering the United States.
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(Excerpt) Read more at afp.google.com ...
Our HIV population numbers getting too low and we need to import?
bush again.......(sigh)
President George W. Bush signed legislation in July which removed HIV from a list of diseases “of public health significance”
Kerry or not this line says it all..........Ridiculous.
What’s next? Removing leprosy as a disease of “public health significance?
What a disappointment this guy is.
Last I checked, Magic Johnson was still around, and I remember him going public with his HIV status nearly twenty years ago.
No, apparently we need to pay for more people’s humongous medical bills.
Legacy Building 101
Some legacy.
Another brilliant move by one of the most incredibly stupid presidents in history. Does anyone really wonder why gun/ammunition sales are skyrocketing? We’re gonna need em.
As a result of a tuberculosis outbreak and resultant scandal, Canada became extremely rigid regarding foreigners coming to Canada to work.
I had a summer job in Canada a couple years ago that required that I provide to Canadian immigration authorities prior to my arrival:
A recent chest x-ray (two views)
results of recent TB tine test
Physical exam findings from my physician including...
Statement from physician that I was not an alcoholic
Statement from my physician that I was not a mental defective
Circumference of my head in centimeters (my doctor hated that because he had to get the calculator out to do the conversion)
I had to go through this nonsense every year for a lousy 6 week seasonal job. Cost my employer hundreds of extra bucks. Plus, I'm not to keen on getting two chest x-rays every year.
Not one question though about my HIV status.
And how many of these visa holders with HIV will apply for refugee (and Medicaid) status, saying they can’t get effective treatment in their home countries and being forced to return would be a death sentence?
The list of policies (legacy building) Jorge has abandoned in his final years gets longer: I guess buying into global warming is about the biggest 180 - so far.
Yes, apparently our government feels we do not have enough of them. What a way to help spread HIV to Americans. Just one more way to harm this country.
Perhaps the U.S. government can embark upon an ad campaign to encourage more HIV patients to come on over here?
Don’t worry; it’ll get worse.
Huh? Is Canada trying to keep out fatheads or pinheads? Or maybe you just get a free hat when entering Canada and they need your hat size?
“”We’re also accelerating the process by providing an additional avenue for temporary admission while maintaining a high level of security at our borders,” Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff said...”
High level of security at our borders? What country is he talking about?
The Somalis dragged the bodies of our soldiers through their streets. In response, this country started importing Somalis. In India, Christians are being attacked, so we of course import more Indians. Obama, McCain, Hillary, Lindsay Graham and others voted against the Cronyn amendment - they voted against barring terrorists and violent gang members from this country.
Clearly, this is just the latest example of the road to hell paved with good intentions. Bush wants a legacy. He wants to look like a “humanitarian.” So he pushes the global AIDS relief bill which is basically an incredibly big chunk of U.S. taxpayer-provided cash for Africa, something like $50 billion. He did not want to veto it, and nobody in the administration thought it was worth a single political chit to insist the Kerry amendment be removed before he would sign the legislation. So....he signed it, and this is the result. And of course with the State Department administering the visas, the new rule will be treated to the most generous, liberal interpretation possible. The only small saving grace is if they obtain a visa and enter our country WITHOUT declaring their infection, the are subject to immediate deportation. It remains to be seen if that will be enforced.
He’s not evil.
Just not the guy we thought he was. He’s a big government, big spending,country club Republican.
Maybe he’s trying to get the media to like him on the way out. Maybe he’ll pardon a few bad guys and leave Ramos and Campeon in jail.
This ain’t the guy I voted for in 2000.
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