How have Illegal Immigrants personally impacted you, good and bad?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Pros:

I can more easily afford fresh produce in part because of illegal immigration.

I don't have to mow my own lawn, a job I despise, thanks to illegal immigration (I'm making assumptions, but...).

My kids grew up with friends who weren't just UMC white kids, thanks to illegal immigration.

Cons:

Illegal immigration means I have to listen to unending sniveling from myopic racists.

You're telling me that if people didn't break our laws to come here illegally, your kids would never have come across brown-skinned people? There were no African-Americans in your kids' classes, or in your neighborhood? The only way for them to have experienced friendships with non-white people were if brown people broke the law to get here?

If that's the csse, what an awful message to send impressionable children: if the person is brown, he must be an illegal immigrant, because the only brown people I ever came across are illegal immigrants.

That is what you said.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Serious question: who sets the number of green cards allowed each year? Is it the Congress or the Executive Branch?

Green cards is not the thing that is limited. You are either eligible for a green card or not. The executive branch limits the amount of visas issued for all the different ways you can enter (other than tourism which isn't really limited). So executive branch limits # of refugees, # of H-1bs, # of H-2bs etc. Some statuses don't have limits, usually because they aren't used all the time like a K visa or a O visa.

If you are eligible to adjust to become a legal permanent resident you can apply for a green card but there isn't a cap on green cards in a specific year like there is a cap on other types of status.

I don't think you're right about this. I've seen a list of the number of green cards that can be issued - by country. Not sure which agency establishes that list.

Yes as I put in my follow up there are per country limits. But it not the same as the cap that certain statuses get. Per USCIS:

The maximum number of family-sponsored and employment-based preference visas that can be issued to citizens of any country in a fiscal year. The limits are calculated each fiscal year depending on the total number of family-sponsored and employment-based visas available. No more than 7 percent of the visas may be issued to natives of any one independent country in a fiscal year; no more than 2 percent may issued to any one dependency of any independent country. The per-country limit does not indicate, however, that a country is entitled to the maximum number of visas each year, just that it cannot receive more than that number. Because of the combined workings of the preference system and per-country limits, most countries do not reach this level of visa issuance.

So I guess if you add up all the per country limits you have the max # of greencards but we never really get there although a specific country might max out its visas.

o.k., thank-you. USCIS, is that some independent commission?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Serious question: who sets the number of green cards allowed each year? Is it the Congress or the Executive Branch?

Green cards is not the thing that is limited. You are either eligible for a green card or not. The executive branch limits the amount of visas issued for all the different ways you can enter (other than tourism which isn't really limited). So executive branch limits # of refugees, # of H-1bs, # of H-2bs etc. Some statuses don't have limits, usually because they aren't used all the time like a K visa or a O visa.

If you are eligible to adjust to become a legal permanent resident you can apply for a green card but there isn't a cap on green cards in a specific year like there is a cap on other types of status.

This is completely wrong. Immigrant visas (green cards) are indeed capped by Congress for everybody but IRs of US citizens. That’s why there is a waiting list to get a green card in preference categories. Some categories have short waits - like 2 1/2 years others are backlogged more than 20 years.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Serious question: who sets the number of green cards allowed each year? Is it the Congress or the Executive Branch?

Green cards is not the thing that is limited. You are either eligible for a green card or not. The executive branch limits the amount of visas issued for all the different ways you can enter (other than tourism which isn't really limited). So executive branch limits # of refugees, # of H-1bs, # of H-2bs etc. Some statuses don't have limits, usually because they aren't used all the time like a K visa or a O visa.

If you are eligible to adjust to become a legal permanent resident you can apply for a green card but there isn't a cap on green cards in a specific year like there is a cap on other types of status.

I don't think you're right about this. I've seen a list of the number of green cards that can be issued - by country. Not sure which agency establishes that list.

Yes as I put in my follow up there are per country limits. But it not the same as the cap that certain statuses get. Per USCIS:

The maximum number of family-sponsored and employment-based preference visas that can be issued to citizens of any country in a fiscal year. The limits are calculated each fiscal year depending on the total number of family-sponsored and employment-based visas available. No more than 7 percent of the visas may be issued to natives of any one independent country in a fiscal year; no more than 2 percent may issued to any one dependency of any independent country. The per-country limit does not indicate, however, that a country is entitled to the maximum number of visas each year, just that it cannot receive more than that number. Because of the combined workings of the preference system and per-country limits, most countries do not reach this level of visa issuance.

So I guess if you add up all the per country limits you have the max # of greencards but we never really get there although a specific country might max out its visas.

o.k., thank-you. USCIS, is that some independent commission?

JFC. You have opinions on immigration and don't know that USCIS is the Unites States Citizenship and Immigration Services agency? The sister agency to ICE and CBP that administers benefits? This is why it is so difficult to take people seriously in this debate.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Serious question: who sets the number of green cards allowed each year? Is it the Congress or the Executive Branch?

Green cards is not the thing that is limited. You are either eligible for a green card or not. The executive branch limits the amount of visas issued for all the different ways you can enter (other than tourism which isn't really limited). So executive branch limits # of refugees, # of H-1bs, # of H-2bs etc. Some statuses don't have limits, usually because they aren't used all the time like a K visa or a O visa.

If you are eligible to adjust to become a legal permanent resident you can apply for a green card but there isn't a cap on green cards in a specific year like there is a cap on other types of status.

This is completely wrong. Immigrant visas (green cards) are indeed capped by Congress for everybody but IRs of US citizens. That’s why there is a waiting list to get a green card in preference categories. Some categories have short waits - like 2 1/2 years others are backlogged more than 20 years.

Green cards are not 'immigrant visas.' Green cards are proof of permanent legal residence. It means you can stay here forever. There are waiting lists for certain kinds of visas and different amounts of times certain kinds of visas have to wait before they are eligible to apply for a green card. So you are completely wrong and apparently don't even know what a green card is.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Serious question: who sets the number of green cards allowed each year? Is it the Congress or the Executive Branch?

Green cards is not the thing that is limited. You are either eligible for a green card or not. The executive branch limits the amount of visas issued for all the different ways you can enter (other than tourism which isn't really limited). So executive branch limits # of refugees, # of H-1bs, # of H-2bs etc. Some statuses don't have limits, usually because they aren't used all the time like a K visa or a O visa.

If you are eligible to adjust to become a legal permanent resident you can apply for a green card but there isn't a cap on green cards in a specific year like there is a cap on other types of status.

I don't think you're right about this. I've seen a list of the number of green cards that can be issued - by country. Not sure which agency establishes that list.

Yes as I put in my follow up there are per country limits. But it not the same as the cap that certain statuses get. Per USCIS:

The maximum number of family-sponsored and employment-based preference visas that can be issued to citizens of any country in a fiscal year. The limits are calculated each fiscal year depending on the total number of family-sponsored and employment-based visas available. No more than 7 percent of the visas may be issued to natives of any one independent country in a fiscal year; no more than 2 percent may issued to any one dependency of any independent country. The per-country limit does not indicate, however, that a country is entitled to the maximum number of visas each year, just that it cannot receive more than that number. Because of the combined workings of the preference system and per-country limits, most countries do not reach this level of visa issuance.

So I guess if you add up all the per country limits you have the max # of greencards but we never really get there although a specific country might max out its visas.

o.k., thank-you. USCIS, is that some independent commission?

JFC. You have opinions on immigration and don't know that USCIS is the Unites States Citizenship and Immigration Services agency? The sister agency to ICE and CBP that administers benefits? This is why it is so difficult to take people seriously in this debate.

? I didn't express an opinion. I just asked whether it was Congress or the Executive Branch that establishes the number of green cards. I didn't know the answer. Now we have two different answers. One poster says Congress and another says the USCIS.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Serious question: who sets the number of green cards allowed each year? Is it the Congress or the Executive Branch?

Green cards is not the thing that is limited. You are either eligible for a green card or not. The executive branch limits the amount of visas issued for all the different ways you can enter (other than tourism which isn't really limited). So executive branch limits # of refugees, # of H-1bs, # of H-2bs etc. Some statuses don't have limits, usually because they aren't used all the time like a K visa or a O visa.

If you are eligible to adjust to become a legal permanent resident you can apply for a green card but there isn't a cap on green cards in a specific year like there is a cap on other types of status.

This is completely wrong. Immigrant visas (green cards) are indeed capped by Congress for everybody but IRs of US citizens. That’s why there is a waiting list to get a green card in preference categories. Some categories have short waits - like 2 1/2 years others are backlogged more than 20 years.

Green cards are not 'immigrant visas.' Green cards are proof of permanent legal residence. It means you can stay here forever. There are waiting lists for certain kinds of visas and different amounts of times certain kinds of visas have to wait before they are eligible to apply for a green card. So you are completely wrong and apparently don't even know what a green card is.

o.k., but from what I read above the U.S. has more visas available than there are takers. Did I read that correctly?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Serious question: who sets the number of green cards allowed each year? Is it the Congress or the Executive Branch?

Green cards is not the thing that is limited. You are either eligible for a green card or not. The executive branch limits the amount of visas issued for all the different ways you can enter (other than tourism which isn't really limited). So executive branch limits # of refugees, # of H-1bs, # of H-2bs etc. Some statuses don't have limits, usually because they aren't used all the time like a K visa or a O visa.

If you are eligible to adjust to become a legal permanent resident you can apply for a green card but there isn't a cap on green cards in a specific year like there is a cap on other types of status.

I don't think you're right about this. I've seen a list of the number of green cards that can be issued - by country. Not sure which agency establishes that list.

Yes as I put in my follow up there are per country limits. But it not the same as the cap that certain statuses get. Per USCIS:

The maximum number of family-sponsored and employment-based preference visas that can be issued to citizens of any country in a fiscal year. The limits are calculated each fiscal year depending on the total number of family-sponsored and employment-based visas available. No more than 7 percent of the visas may be issued to natives of any one independent country in a fiscal year; no more than 2 percent may issued to any one dependency of any independent country. The per-country limit does not indicate, however, that a country is entitled to the maximum number of visas each year, just that it cannot receive more than that number. Because of the combined workings of the preference system and per-country limits, most countries do not reach this level of visa issuance.

So I guess if you add up all the per country limits you have the max # of greencards but we never really get there although a specific country might max out its visas.

o.k., thank-you. USCIS, is that some independent commission?

JFC. You have opinions on immigration and don't know that USCIS is the Unites States Citizenship and Immigration Services agency? The sister agency to ICE and CBP that administers benefits? This is why it is so difficult to take people seriously in this debate.

? I didn't express an opinion. I just asked whether it was Congress or the Executive Branch that establishes the number of green cards. I didn't know the answer. Now we have two different answers. One poster says Congress and another says the USCIS.

It's both. White house can make caps for national security reasons like refugees but congress legislates certain immigrant category caps like h-1b but the administration (executive branch) is heavily involved in how it is executed, ie, given via lottery? There isn't a grand pumba of immigration, a lot of interlocking players

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Serious question: who sets the number of green cards allowed each year? Is it the Congress or the Executive Branch?

Green cards is not the thing that is limited. You are either eligible for a green card or not. The executive branch limits the amount of visas issued for all the different ways you can enter (other than tourism which isn't really limited). So executive branch limits # of refugees, # of H-1bs, # of H-2bs etc. Some statuses don't have limits, usually because they aren't used all the time like a K visa or a O visa.

If you are eligible to adjust to become a legal permanent resident you can apply for a green card but there isn't a cap on green cards in a specific year like there is a cap on other types of status.

This is completely wrong. Immigrant visas (green cards) are indeed capped by Congress for everybody but IRs of US citizens. That’s why there is a waiting list to get a green card in preference categories. Some categories have short waits - like 2 1/2 years others are backlogged more than 20 years.

Green cards are not 'immigrant visas.' Green cards are proof of permanent legal residence. It means you can stay here forever. There are waiting lists for certain kinds of visas and different amounts of times certain kinds of visas have to wait before they are eligible to apply for a green card. So you are completely wrong and apparently don't even know what a green card is.

o.k., but from what I read above the U.S. has more visas available than there are takers. Did I read that correctly?

Because of per country limits this isn't exactly correct. Maybe we max out on visas (complicated word because it means a lot of different things) from China but not on visas eligible for Estonians. And i do not believe per country limits apply to green cards, they apply to family based and employment visas which has a trickle down effect on green cards but is not ACTUALLY per country limits ON green cards.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Serious question: who sets the number of green cards allowed each year? Is it the Congress or the Executive Branch?

Green cards is not the thing that is limited. You are either eligible for a green card or not. The executive branch limits the amount of visas issued for all the different ways you can enter (other than tourism which isn't really limited). So executive branch limits # of refugees, # of H-1bs, # of H-2bs etc. Some statuses don't have limits, usually because they aren't used all the time like a K visa or a O visa.

If you are eligible to adjust to become a legal permanent resident you can apply for a green card but there isn't a cap on green cards in a specific year like there is a cap on other types of status.

This is completely wrong. Immigrant visas (green cards) are indeed capped by Congress for everybody but IRs of US citizens. That’s why there is a waiting list to get a green card in preference categories. Some categories have short waits - like 2 1/2 years others are backlogged more than 20 years.

Green cards are not 'immigrant visas.' Green cards are proof of permanent legal residence. It means you can stay here forever. There are waiting lists for certain kinds of visas and different amounts of times certain kinds of visas have to wait before they are eligible to apply for a green card. So you are completely wrong and apparently don't even know what a green card is.

o.k., but from what I read above the U.S. has more visas available than there are takers. Did I read that correctly?

Because of per country limits this isn't exactly correct. Maybe we max out on visas (complicated word because it means a lot of different things) from China but not on visas eligible for Estonians. And i do not believe per country limits apply to green cards, they apply to family based and employment visas which has a trickle down effect on green cards but is not ACTUALLY per country limits ON green cards.

well. like I said above I don't think you are right about that because I've seen lists of available green cards by country - but at least you're trying to answer the question, which I appreciate.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Serious question: who sets the number of green cards allowed each year? Is it the Congress or the Executive Branch?

Green cards is not the thing that is limited. You are either eligible for a green card or not. The executive branch limits the amount of visas issued for all the different ways you can enter (other than tourism which isn't really limited). So executive branch limits # of refugees, # of H-1bs, # of H-2bs etc. Some statuses don't have limits, usually because they aren't used all the time like a K visa or a O visa.

If you are eligible to adjust to become a legal permanent resident you can apply for a green card but there isn't a cap on green cards in a specific year like there is a cap on other types of status.

This is completely wrong. Immigrant visas (green cards) are indeed capped by Congress for everybody but IRs of US citizens. That’s why there is a waiting list to get a green card in preference categories. Some categories have short waits - like 2 1/2 years others are backlogged more than 20 years.

Green cards are not 'immigrant visas.' Green cards are proof of permanent legal residence. It means you can stay here forever. There are waiting lists for certain kinds of visas and different amounts of times certain kinds of visas have to wait before they are eligible to apply for a green card. So you are completely wrong and apparently don't even know what a green card is.

o.k., but from what I read above the U.S. has more visas available than there are takers. Did I read that correctly?

Because of per country limits this isn't exactly correct. Maybe we max out on visas (complicated word because it means a lot of different things) from China but not on visas eligible for Estonians. And i do not believe per country limits apply to green cards, they apply to family based and employment visas which has a trickle down effect on green cards but is not ACTUALLY per country limits ON green cards.

Ok I just looked into it more. You can apply for a green card VIA a temporary employment visa (ie, come in on an H-1b and try to adjust status). There are 140,000 employment based green cards available in a given year. These green cards have per country limits. But this is just employment based green cards. There are other ways to apply for a green card so this is not indicative of the full green card picture. We gave out about a million green cards last year, for reference.

These employment based per country green cards are particularly hot as a topic because employers don't want to have their people have to move back to their home country and there are limits to how many temporary employement visas you can have or extend generally.

[Anonymous]

^ we give out a million gren cards, about 140,000 of which are employment based. o.k. Is it Congress or the Executive that can raise the number of green cards than can be given out? Apparently there aren't enough green cards (permanent resident visas) available since there are so many immigrants here illegally.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Did anyone read the article in the Wash Post on companies losing money on the Eastern Shore? It was very interesting. No matter who much is paid, Americans will not apply to be crab pickers. They've tried everything. Now, the companies are just losing money.

Except Americans used to do those jobs. Maybe employers need to pay what's necessary, and be willing to hire and train people to do the job. Using a group of people who are easily exploited because they're not here legally is wrong. If that's what it requires for crab, then people should stop eating crab.

What does “no matter what they pay” mean to you?

NP, it means some folks are easily fooled. No way are they paying enough: let’s be honest here, that’s phrased as if they’ve tried to pay substantial wages and no one showed up. BS! Notice the lack of actual $$$ figures!

Companies whose business models rely on screwing people should fail. I’d prefer crabbing returned to cottage industry status and wasn’t ruled by large players. Really strange living long enough to see Democrats standing up for blood suckers in agriculture and related industries.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Did anyone read the article in the Wash Post on companies losing money on the Eastern Shore? It was very interesting. No matter who much is paid, Americans will not apply to be crab pickers. They've tried everything. Now, the companies are just losing money.

Except Americans used to do those jobs. Maybe employers need to pay what's necessary, and be willing to hire and train people to do the job. Using a group of people who are easily exploited because they're not here legally is wrong. If that's what it requires for crab, then people should stop eating crab.

What does “no matter what they pay” mean to you?

NP, it means some folks are easily fooled. No way are they paying enough: let’s be honest here, that’s phrased as if they’ve tried to pay substantial wages and no one showed up. BS! Notice the lack of actual $$$ figures!

Companies whose business models rely on screwing people should fail. I’d prefer crabbing returned to cottage industry status and wasn’t ruled by large players. Really strange living long enough to see Democrats standing up for blood suckers in agriculture and related industries.

Are you high? These crabbing companies are small family owned Maryland companies. Not sure what blood sucking companies you are referring to. It's hard work. They used to use temporary visas for employees, not illegal immigrants. Trump administration decreased them to the point that they couldn't get guest workers. Funny because Trump seemed to get enough for his company.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Serious question: who sets the number of green cards allowed each year? Is it the Congress or the Executive Branch?

Green cards is not the thing that is limited. You are either eligible for a green card or not. The executive branch limits the amount of visas issued for all the different ways you can enter (other than tourism which isn't really limited). So executive branch limits # of refugees, # of H-1bs, # of H-2bs etc. Some statuses don't have limits, usually because they aren't used all the time like a K visa or a O visa.

If you are eligible to adjust to become a legal permanent resident you can apply for a green card but there isn't a cap on green cards in a specific year like there is a cap on other types of status.

This is completely wrong. Immigrant visas (green cards) are indeed capped by Congress for everybody but IRs of US citizens. That’s why there is a waiting list to get a green card in preference categories. Some categories have short waits - like 2 1/2 years others are backlogged more than 20 years.

Green cards are not 'immigrant visas.' Green cards are proof of permanent legal residence. It means you can stay here forever. There are waiting lists for certain kinds of visas and different amounts of times certain kinds of visas have to wait before they are eligible to apply for a green card. So you are completely wrong and apparently don't even know what a green card is.

Oh my gosh. The low information on display here is appalling. A green card holder is an immigrant. To get a green card it to immigrate. All those other visas you are talking about are called “non-immigrant visas.” A green card is valid for usually ten years, not forever. If the immigrant maintains eligibility and is not inadmissible, they can renew at that time. Immigrant visas are capped for the preference categories. Some, not all, non-immigrant visas are also capped like the H visas. Others are not.

Take a look at the visa bulletin and get smart. https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/legal/visa-law0/visa-bulletin/2018/visa-bulletin-for-august-2018.html

Now tell me there is no cap. On second though, just go away and keep your bad info off the board.