EASY for ILLEGALS... DIFFICULT for LEGALS!!!
@whiteheather39 (24403)
United States
March 15, 2007 8:49am CST
This latest news just blows my mind increasing the application fees for citizenship. When I applied my daughter also applied as she was over 18 and had to apply separately but we could do it at the same time so that we could be sworn in together and each of us paying approx $400.00. All the necessary paperwork was completed and we studied like crazy learning all about American history, all the political questions and answers i.e. how many members in the senate, congress, etc, how long is a term for each, including presidents, how many terms can one have, etc.,etc. then the big day came and I was given a date to appear at the immigration office in Atlanta. However the request for only for me and not my daughter we figured it was just a slip in the mail so we both flew to Atlanta (another few hundred dollars). After sitting in a waiting rooms for a coupe of hours we finally got someone to check my daughter's application and found it was till sitting in Texas. Of course we asked WHY no-one knew. To make a long story short someone suggested that when we racked our brains what did she do wrong she admitted she had not said that at 16 years of age she got a speeding ticket for driving 10 miles over a 35 mph limit road. As of this date, seven years later, she has never heard one single word from immigration why her application died, was refused, lost... What was the $400.00 used for? To pay for all the benefits illegal aliens receive in this country. This why she is still living here with her green card and as a legal alien.
Now the government intends to change the application fee and make it more difficult for honest immigrants to become citizens! An application for citizenship, including biometric encoding, would climb to $675 from $400 while an application to become a permanent resident would ascend to $985 from $395.
Thank heavens BARACK OBAMA IS TRYING TO FIGHT IT. Here is the link
http://abclocal.go.com/wls/story?section=local&id=5102746
6 people like this
13 responses
@demonichackers (15)
• United States
16 Mar 07
I think that is absolutely ridiculous. Ever since my 5th grade teacher told us the story about his process of immigrating from England, I realized how tough it was for immigrants to get in the perfectly legal way. Since then I have been a big enemy of illegal immigration. I know they have problems in their lives, I know they need money, but so do all the people who struggle to get in legally. The fact that they would make it cheaper for illegal immigrants is absolutely ridiculous. Nice picture by the way =).
2 people like this
@irisheyes (4370)
• United States
15 Mar 07
Wow, Heather, you probably know more about American history than most Americans. I'm always embarrassed when Jay Leno goes on the streets and asks the simplest questions and gets the stupidest answers. (eg. Who was the first president?...Answer: Abraham Lincoln)Of course, he's in LA and I'm outside Philadelphia. We take that stuff seriously here.
As for the fees, I guess I'm really out of the loop here. I didn't think you had to pay for anything more than a small processing fee. Those are really steep. Maybe We should re-think the lines on the statue : Bring me your not so poor, your credit card carrying, your huddled bank accounts"
2 people like this
@lloydanthony111 (4698)
• United States
16 Mar 07
That is the first thing that I thought of. She knows more about American history and the workings of our government than many Americans.
Lloyd
1 person likes this
@lonewolfnan (4366)
• Canada
16 Mar 07
Since it seems every few years the US government allow the illegal immigrants a chance to register so they are legally allowed to stay in the US,what are the advantages of going thru the hoops and paying money when amnesty is free??You get to pay taxes for a few years more??I think the US immigration policy needs a major overhauling.
@Lakota12 (42600)
• United States
15 Mar 07
this is something I didnt know that you got charged for trying to get citizenship! I dont think it is taught in schools. BUt then alot is not taught in schools now like it used to be and I might have missed that class ha ha .
I do that one person that was taking the test when asked who was president of the country he replied John Wayne!
he had to do it all over again . Sorry that your daughter has had so much trouble and I dont think they need to raise the price thats silly
2 people like this
@emeraldisle (13139)
• United States
15 Mar 07
That is wrong that they never contacted her or let her know what was happening. Has she called them? Written them to try and find out what is happening with it?
In regards to the raised fees I saw the amounts within the last few weeks and I did a check. We were actually running way lower then many other countries for immigration fees. I checked England and Canada and they were both around what the new prices are going to be. When you consider that England's money is worth more then ours it really is still a lot more then what the US wants to charge.
The thing is those that come in illegally will more then likely still come in that way no matter if they keptt the fees the same or cut them in half. What you and your daughter did was the legal way, the way people should be doing it. I'm just sorry your daughter is getting the short end of the stick with it. However that does not mean that just because screw ups happen others should be able to break the laws to suit themselves.
2 people like this
@jennybianca (12912)
• Australia
16 Mar 07
Wow! That is so much money, and all for no benefit now for your daughter. That is so bad. Is there an organisation you can complain to?
And you have to learn all that history! They have made that a rule now for citizenship in Australia, that people have to sit a test. A lot of it is history, which many Australians wouldn't know anyway.
It's quite unfair for people who are obviously contributing to the Country.
2 people like this
@claudia413 (4280)
• United States
16 Mar 07
I found out what immigrants have to go through to become a US citizen last year when a friend (originally from Canada) went through the process. Several of us helped her study for the exam, and it really wawsn't that easy. We did learn or re-learn a lot of American history while we helped her study.
As far as I'm concerned, your daughter deserved better treatment and a response from the government as to why her application was never acted upon. My friend also had a few problems with hers getting "lost". Give me a break...isn't everything on computers now? Of course, it's the old GIGO (garbage in, garbage out) in a lot of cases.
As for the higher fees, I think you hit it on the head: It will make it more expensive and difficult for honest immigrants to become citizens. I'm really sick of the way all the illegal immigrants are being catered to and given benefits that legal citizens can't even get when they need them. But that's another post.
@ishqvishq (1021)
• India
16 Mar 07
some time thats happen but not for every time
1 person likes this
@danishcanadian (28955)
• Canada
16 Mar 07
That's an outrage!!!!! I am in love with an American, and we have agreed to retain our birth citizenship, and to just be "landed immigrants," if necessary. I want to be a Canadian forever.
1 person likes this
@tad1fan (3367)
• Canada
18 Mar 07
All I have to say here,and it's been said here for many years in Canada.....my mother use to use it against here 5 siblings......It only takes one bad apple to spoil the bunch.....and I'm sorry heather,that's what has happened here,there are too many immigrants that can't be trusted and it works the same in a family......think about it!
@jsph88ster (9)
• India
16 Mar 07
Your caption is true........
It is far more easier for a person to win by lies........but the person who says truth but still losses the war...... is capable of living in the society with dignnity........
But for the other person , better to hang himself..... (telling u from experience)
1 person likes this
@whiteheather39 (24403)
• United States
16 Mar 07
I another of my postings you said you did not understand what I was trying to say now I do not understand what you are trying to say. (-)
