New law introduced calling for immigration reform

On Tuesday, December 15, Congressman Luis V. Gutierrez introduced a proposed law, called the Comprehensive Immigration Reform for America’s Security and Prosperity Act of 2009 (CIR ASAP). While CIR ASAP has many provisions dealing with immigration reform, here are some of the more hopeful and beneficial features of this proposed law:

• Reduces backlogs or waiting times for visas by adding visas (or “recapturing” unused visas from past years.)

• Spouses and children of Lawful Permanent Residents (LPR) will be treated the same as US citizens, meaning F-2A spouses and children would be immediately eligible for visas, vs. a 5 or more year wait.

• Special treatment or expedited processing of green cards for children of Filipino WWII veterans

• Skilled workers could file for adjustment of status, even if the priority date on their employment based petition is not yet current.

• No requirement that a stepchild be under 18 at time of their parent’s marriage, in order to be petitioned by a U.S. citizen stepparent.

• TNT parents of US citizen children can be protected from removaldeportation if the immigration judge believes that removal would not be in child’s best interest. Thus, having a US citizen child could protect a parent from deportation.

• New “PUM visa” (Prevent Unauthorized Migration) for people outside the US. Under PUM, 100,000 visas would be available through a lottery system, leading to green cards in 3 years for people outside the US who are non-college graduates.

• Earned legalization for people inside the US.

— Must be in US on December 15, 2009. So make sure you can document or save proof that you were in the US on that date.

— Grants conditional non-immigrant status for 6 years for illegal aliens.

— They can legally work, and travel outside the US during the 6 years, without triggering the 310 year bar.

— They are protected from removaldeportation while in conditional status.

— Must make contributions to US through work, education, military service, community service, etc.

— Can apply for a green card after that 6 year period.

I want to emphasize that this is only a PROPOSAL, and is not yet a law. There could be changes, additions, and deletions of some provisions. But you can help make it a law. You should write to your Senator and Congressman, voicing your support, and urging them to support immigration reform. Remember, Congress listens to voters, and if only people who want strict laws write to Congress, then only they will be heard. So raise your voice for compassionate immigration reform, and let your elected officials know that you support this law.

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