More CIS news

From the Washington Post-

The Bush administration is considering proposals that would make it tougher for legal immigrants to gain U.S. citizenship.

The proposals being drafted by the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), a division of the Department of Homeland Security, could nearly double application fees, toughen the required English and history exams, and ask probing questions about an applicant's past, such as "Who is your current wife's ex-husband?"

What the @#%^! in regards to that question? The person is already a legal alien, what their spouse's former relationships have to do with citizenship I don't know.

As to the increase in fees, this is the same agency that has citizenship petitions years old they still aren't processing. Also note blogger GI in Korea's comment to an old post of mine. He can speak from personal knowledge about how messed up the process is.

In an interview yesterday, a USCIS spokesman said the contemplated changes are necessary to pay increased administrative costs and to standardize an application that is subjective and varies across the country.

But immigration rights advocates say the changes would amount to a second wall, a potential barrier against legal immigration that is as formidable as the newly authorized southern border fence is supposed to be against illegal migrants.

The interview process is irregular. A few questions about US history or the government are asked of the applicant. My wife was asked what are the 3 branches of government? What was the ship the Pilgrims came over on? I think the third was to name Florida's two Senators.

If I recall correctly, dear wife got 2 of 3 correct. I do seriously wonder if anyone is denied citizenship if they can't answer.

Uncooperative blogger has a differing opinion than my own.

I would make the test a requirement BEFORE you step foot in this country with a work or education Visa.

In an interview yesterday, a USCIS spokesman said the contemplated changes are necessary to pay increased administrative costs and to standardize an application that is subjective and varies across the country.

This is how it is done the immigrant pays the cost of processing. Congress does not appropriate money to pay the costs of processing citizenship applications; nor should they.

First of all why is a citizenship test necessary for someone to come here on a work or education visa?

Secondly, our embassies are not equipped to either do the classes UNB suggests or to administer tests to each person who would come in on those visas.

Thirdly, Congress appropriates money for the running of CIS. Among CIS jobs is to process immigrant's applicantions for citizenship.

Back to the Post article

“A fee review is underway,” Bentley said, “but no decision has been reached. I don’t know how they came about that.” He did not rule out the possibility that the fee could double, saying: “When we do the final analysis, we’re going where the math takes us. We have to recoup the costs of processing these applications.” Bentley noted that Congress does not appropriate money to pay the costs of processing citizenship applications.

Uncooperative Blogger replies-

Whatever it costs, the immigrant needs to pay it. We do not need to start off with welfare for people wanting citizenship; work for it.

The immigrants are paying for it through the $400 they send in. That isn't welfare at all. BTW the fees CIS charge has more than
quadrupled since I first did my wife's alien relative petition in 1989.

Does UNC ever think of the US servicemen who marry foreign nationals? $800 is a great deal of money to most of our fighting men and women. I have advocated in the past that our soldiers should get expedited service for their foreign born relatives. Some soldiers have to leave their wife and child behind when they PCS to their next duty station. The family being forced to live seperately for months or even a year. That often causes financial difficulty for the military member.

Disclosure- I met my wife while serving in the Navy. She had to remain in the Philippines for over two months after my seperation from the service.

In conclusion-

1- I do think a doubling of citizenship fees is uncalled for. A increase maybe, but I'd like to see CIS clean up its act first. This agency has a well documented history of wrongly enforcing the laws or just being bureaucratically incompetent.
2- The citizenship tests should be standardized.
3- Our military should get better treatment when dealing with CIS and Immigration. They are putting their lives on t he line for our freedom, and I feel helping their families is the least we can do. Immigrant relatives of these brave men and women shouldn't lose their rights if their spouse is killed in service of this country. That goes for ex-military also who work as contractors for the US government overseas. Like in Iraq.
4- I think much of the immigration debate is done by people who have little knowledge of how the immigration and citizenship processes work right now. Also the uproar over illegal immigrants is spilling over into legal immigration to America. Some of the changes that are being advocated, are unrealistic, unfair, will put burdens on both legal immigrants and people born in this country and are just pardon me, crazy. The illegal immigration issue does not yield itself to easy solutions. Much of the easy solutions being proposed, like ending birthright citizenship, are going to cause chaos for people these laws aren't intended for.

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