While I'm outsite of the US, I try to keep informed about what is going on there, the hot topics, pop culture and such, so that way I'm not completely out of touch when I get back. The news became important to me while I was in college, news around the US and world news as well. There has been a case in Florida of a teen girl overstaying her visa and it was ruled she and her sister are to be deported. From my understanding, she was there on a visitors visa and stayed without renewing it (and I'm pretty sure visitors visas have time limits, such as you can only stay for so many months and then you have to leave and come back). So now a community in Florida is fighting for her to get to stay.
I am getting ready to go through the visa process for a fiancee visa. It is a long process that takes time, money, and a ton of documents. Would it be easier for us to get a visitors visa for my fiancee to come to the states? Yes, it probably would. It would take less time, money, documents, and headache. But that is not the type we're going to file for because we want to stay there and it's lying. I've had people tell me to just get that type, go to the states, get married, and then file for him. That's untruthful and not right, so we're going to go for the type of visa we want and need, even if it is more work.
You may wonder how these two cases fit together. I'm in a different country and we're going for a different type of visa; however the end result will be the same. She wants to stay in the states, but her mom did not get her the right type of visa to stay there. We are working hard on the correct type of visa because we want to be able to stay there. Since I have been here, I've heard dozens of stories about people being turned down for even visitors visas or student visas for one reason or another. I've heard stories of people who have masters degrees that would like to stay in the states, but are unable to. If this girls mom files the right type of paperwork, I have no issue with her staying, but there are people in her home country that are going through the correct methods to get the correct visa to come to the states. My question is this: why should you be the exception and jump in front of everyone when you disobeyed the rules?
Now I am all for uping the quotas so that way more people are able to come to the states legally. But I think this debate about making people who came into the states illegally legal takes a whole different turn when you know people trying to get to the states legally.
What do you think?
I think you have hit on what really frustrates the average US Citizen. There are ways to enter our country legally. There are ways to enter illegally. While I can empathize with the young lady who doesn't want to leave the US - I also believe that the best example for her of how the US (should) work- is to show her that "sad story" or not, if you break the law, or if someone on your behalf breaks the law, there are still consequences to be paid. Once the consequences are paid - come in the right way - and stay for LIFE! Of course - this is just my humble opinion.
ReplyDeleteThanks Aunt Joyce! It is really frustrating! I haven't heard the outcome of her story, but I totally agree with you!
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