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U.S. State Department pauses immigrant visa applications

wsj.com

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Re: U.S. State Department pauses immigrant visa applications

#761

Post by bubblethink »

hvb2 wrote: post #15

So for those that don't know, it's quite common for a visa renewal to be required to leave the country. Depending on the visa, you might have to do this every year. So just imagine, having a normal job in the US and you're asked to leave to renew your visa and this stuff happens. That's no more appointment, not even a new date and you're now very likely unable to work and possibly can't even enter the country to get…

>So just imagine, having a normal job in the US and you're asked to leave to renew your visa and this stuff happens.

You are confusing some terms. You are never asked to leave to renew the visa. Visa is an entry document. It only serves the purpose of granting you entry. When you are in the US, your stay is covered by your status. If you extend or change your status, you will continue to be in legal status in the US. That is, you are never asked to leave as long as you are in status. If you do leave on your own though, you will need a new visa if your old one has expired. So the TLDR is that if you leave on your own, you will get stranded.

Re: U.S. State Department pauses immigrant visa applications

#762

Post by EagnaIonat »

overfeed wrote: post #381
yodsanklai wrote: post #357

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I work in a global company. As an interviewer, I don't even know if the person I interview is a US citizen. I don't even know if they live in the US or another country, and I'm probably not allowed to ask. I just rate their performance. And everybody is paid the same. I think the situation is quite simple. Companies want the best candidates they can get, and the larger the recruitment pool, the better. If tomorrow yo…

> I just rate their performance. And everybody is paid the same. For some visa classes, the law says you should hire an American citizen if they can do the job - not if they rank first at whiteboards or fizz-buzz. > If tomorrow you were to tell (let say) Google they now need to hire only US citizens, would they lower their hiring bar Does it really matter? To a point, obviously, but a lot of people are good enough fo…

> you should hire an American citizen if they can do the job

I went for a job in the US back in the late 80's (Specialist on hardware).

California it was exceptionally strict. While I was more than qualified it took months of the company advertising in the US, and at the end of it all an American was hired.

The second job for another company in California, same deal except they only advertised in the local newspaper (which felt off), and when I finally got an interview they said they couldn't hire me but recommended places in Mexico to jump the border if I ever wanted a job. Noped out of that fast.

Did eventually get to a spend a couple of years in the US in the 90's. It was the same hoops to jump through as the first company. Wasn't easy or fast.

No idea what it is like now. But I had seen the racism of "They are an immigrant, so they were only hired because we can pay them cheap", not as bad as my Indian co-workers though.

Re: U.S. State Department pauses immigrant visa applications

#763

Post by kevmo314 »

hvb2 wrote: post #684
kevmo314 wrote: post #636

Earlier quoted context omitted.

They did make a decision? The current decision is no, that’s what it means to pause applications.

I don't think you understand anything about an immigration process. All these cases are meticulously documented. So not making a decision is not at all the same as a 'no'. A 'no' you can challenge, a pause not so much. They probably cannot and don't want to actually deny all those applications as they'll be in hot water really quick. So this is just the childish, not wanting to really own it, way of trying to achieve…

I'll pause on the response for now since the condescension is not warranted.

Re: U.S. State Department pauses immigrant visa applications

#764

Post by deadbabe »

hvb2 wrote: post #567
conductr wrote: post #223

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Not trying to make a political point at all and perhaps a controversial take. But, it’s specifically and maybe implicitly by design. Meaning they made this way precisely so you have to reapply so they can change their mind or block you out later. Nothing about getting a visa is permanent and you’re fully at risk when you move here with that type of status. If you evaluate the situation that’s always been the case.

The leaving part is not the issue, as you try to immigrate into a country you're subject to the rules that country sets. You're always free to not immigrate into that country (this is not about asylum). The issue here is that, if you just left the country to do everything the country asked you, you are now in limbo. For how long? No one can tell. Does this mean you lose your job? Maybe. And when you decide it's no lo…

Technically you should be taking your stuff with you when you leave the country, and not assume you will just be allowed back in.

If anything, there are services that can deliver your stuff back to you, so this is not the big deal it seems to be.

Re: U.S. State Department pauses immigrant visa applications

#765

Post by kaashif »

olivierlacan wrote: post #314
HippoBaro wrote: post #50

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This is specifically for immigrant visas. USCIS distinguishes two broad categories of visas: immigrants and non-immigrants. Tourists are part of the latter group.

That's not accurate. H-1B is a non-immigrant visa. It's not intended for tourists. From CBP's own website[1], emphasis is mine: An immigrant visa (IV) is issued to a foreign national wishing to live permanently in the United States. A nonimmigrant visa (NIV) is issued to a foreign national with permanent residence outside the United States but wishes to be in the United States on a temporary basis for tourism, medica…

But this seems to be in agreement with the comment you're replying to.

Tourist visas are nonimmigrant visas. So are H1B visas.

Was the comment edited?

Re: U.S. State Department pauses immigrant visa applications

#766

Post by Erem »

Georgelemental wrote: post #517
Mutinix wrote: post #501

Earlier quoted context omitted.

To equate immigrants who have followed due process to a homeless person insisting on staying in a property owner's living room is appalling. It's understandable for everyone to have varying views on immigration and immigrants, but this sort of rhetoric is a vile, racist and xenophobic dog whistle.

An immigrant who has followed due process is equivalent to a homeless person who has convinced the property owner to willingly let the homeless person stay in the property owner's living room. The property owner is allowed to change their mind about the arrangement at any point, unless and until the person obtains part ownership of the property (citizenship).

This is a vile analogy, whose implication so twists the American tradition that I blush with shame to read it from a possible countryman.

What American tradition? I'll let Lincoln speak, since you have already given voice to his opposition.

"As a nation, we began by declaring that 'all men are created equal.' We now practically read it 'all men are created equal, except negroes.' When the Know-Nothings get control, it will read 'all men are created equal, except negroes, and foreigners, and Catholics.' When it comes to this I should prefer emigrating to some country where they make no pretense of loving liberty – to Russia, for instance, where despotism can be taken pure, and without the base alloy of hypocrisy."

Re: U.S. State Department pauses immigrant visa applications

#767

Post by jmward01 »

This is cruel. This is stupid. But more broadly important to this group, this will continue to push skilled workers out of the US and into friendlier countries. It will continue to erode our soft power since countries will have fewer economic ties with the US and fewer personal ties to the US. There are no redeeming aspects to this that I can see. This is a bad move in the short term and the long term.

Re: U.S. State Department pauses immigrant visa applications

#768

Post by codingisfreedom »

rdevsrex wrote: post #736
hvb2 wrote: post #15

So for those that don't know, it's quite common for a visa renewal to be required to leave the country. Depending on the visa, you might have to do this every year. So just imagine, having a normal job in the US and you're asked to leave to renew your visa and this stuff happens. That's no more appointment, not even a new date and you're now very likely unable to work and possibly can't even enter the country to get…

There is no human right to have a US visa interview; everything is a privilege that can be withdrawn.

Agreed. People seem to hold views that getting visas to the US is a human right.

It’s no fun, but these are adults (and often very privileged adults) that decided to move to a new country for more upside at the cost of no residency.

Conflating this with “inhumane” is just a basic misunderstanding of immigration and the contract these people signed up for.

Very uncomfortable, yet a risk these people took, and hopefully a conscious one.

Re: U.S. State Department pauses immigrant visa applications

#769

Post by TheDong »

itake wrote: post #666
ab8 wrote: post #646

Earlier quoted context omitted.

(a) The WSJ article is talking about "immigrant visas" a.k.a. green cards, not H1-Bs. (b) Even if we are talking about H1-Bs, it takes someone in India 10-15 years of waiting in line to get a green card. If someone were to buy a house in the interim, it doesn't seem so irrational to me. Its easy to blame the victim and say they should have known.

(a) I responded to OP's comment about H1-Bs, not the article itself. Even then, presumably, they paused processing new visa and the people that have already obtained them may continue to stay. If they fail to renew GC during this time, I agree that is a dark issue. (b) If I enter China on a temporary work permit visa, with a 15 year plan to obtain Chinese citizenship, no one will have sympathy for me if that plan is…

> If I enter China on a temporary work permit visa, with a 15 year plan to obtain Chinese citizenship, no one will have sympathy for me if that plan is interrupted

I would have sympathy for you if it was interrupted by suddenly changing the requirements through no action of your own.

Like, if you commit a crime, are a belligerent drunk, or whatever and they don't renew your visa over that, I have no sympathy.

If you're unable to secure employment for an extended period of time, and they don't renew your visa, I also have less sympathy since that's part of the bargain you knew going in.

If you play by the rules, but they reject a visa renewal for a reason like "we have too many immigrants from $x country, so we're rejecting y% of renewals" , well that's legally within the government's rights to do, but I'll have sympathy for you and think that you're morally in the right and China's failing its duty to its foreign residents.

Likewise, this US one is a case of capricious rejection, the US government is not holding up its end of the deal you both thought you were agreeing to. Like, the deal with a work visa, even if it's not permanent, is "if you follow the rules and keep good steady employment, you can live here, but yes it's conditional on the work thing".

I have sympathy for this hypothetical you, and also I have sympathy for those holding american visas who are impacted.

Re: U.S. State Department pauses immigrant visa applications

#770

Post by danmaz74 »

conductr wrote: post #223
hvb2 wrote: post #15

So for those that don't know, it's quite common for a visa renewal to be required to leave the country. Depending on the visa, you might have to do this every year. So just imagine, having a normal job in the US and you're asked to leave to renew your visa and this stuff happens. That's no more appointment, not even a new date and you're now very likely unable to work and possibly can't even enter the country to get…

Not trying to make a political point at all and perhaps a controversial take. But, it’s specifically and maybe implicitly by design. Meaning they made this way precisely so you have to reapply so they can change their mind or block you out later. Nothing about getting a visa is permanent and you’re fully at risk when you move here with that type of status. If you evaluate the situation that’s always been the case.

Yes, but that should be on a case by case basis. Blocking everybody is just an ideologically stupid choice, besides being inhumane.
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