In year 2000, during his election campaign, Mr. Bush said
"If we are a nation that believes in family values, we need to help husbands and wives and children of permanent residents be allowed to visit while the INS is handling their paperwork."
Six years since, the wait is on...
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In all the debate about Immigration, the issue of Family Unification Issue of Legal Immigrants gets brushed under the carpet.
A foreign spouse of a US permanent resident must wait for an immigrant visa before entering the US. This can take in excess of five years. Meanwhile, the spouse cannot enter the US on a student/visitor visa.
The proposal for reviving the 'V visa' is based on something that has little controversy - family unity. And there is a bill in the congress H.R. 1823 (HR 1823). However, the voice of Tax-Paying, Legal Permanent Residents in not reaching those on the Capitol Hill...
WHY?????
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- MB (Author is a member of Unitefamilies.org)[http://www.unitefamilies.org/]
Legal Permanent Residents who have opted to get married to foreigners are unable to be united with their spouses and young families. The foreign spouse of a US Green Card holder must wait for approval of an 'immigrant visa' from the State Department before entering the US. Due to a backlog in processing, such visas can take a upwards of five years to be approved. In the interim, the spouse cannot enter the US on any other visas, or as visitors. LPRs are in a uniquely disadvantaged situation:
- Visitors and non-immigrants coming to the US on temporary visas for work, business or studies (including on H1, L1, B, and F1 visas) can sponsor their dependant spouses to travel along with them.
- American Citizens can sponsor their spouses to come to the US in non-immigrant status and then convert to an immigrant status (K-VISA)
