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Health & Fitness

Immigration Reform & Visa Alphabet Soup Continued

The US House of Representatives adjourned for their summer break on August 2, 2013 at 2:57 PM.  The House will reconvene on September 9, 2013 at 2:00 PM.

 

The US House of Representatives has a bi-partisan “Gang of Seven” which is ready to push through its version of 2013 Comprehensive Immigration Reform.  The Gang of Seven is hopeful that the House will be able to have a Bill in place by October.  Democratic Representative Luis Gutierrez (D-Illinois) says that he’s already signed off on the measure and is anxiously waiting to introduce the Bill, which should take place in October. 

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“I’ve already signed off on the document.  I’m ready to go.  I’m ready to make an announcement.  I’m ready to have a bipartisan deal.  If we don’t work with this group of seven, then we will find another group of either, but we’re going to find another group of something that’s going to bring us to a solution in the House of Representatives.  We refuse to let the people down.  We refuse to lose.  We’re going to continue to fight.”

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Some parts of the House Bill are similar to the US Senate Bill and some provisions are worse, some are the same.  There are provisions for legal immigration, for reducing illegal immigration, for keeping families together, and for stopping the deportation of so many people who have deep roots in the US.

 

Hints are that there are already between 40 to 50 House Republicans in support, with 185 to 190 Democrats in favor.  218 votes are needed to pass the Bill.  “We already have a majority.  It exists.  We’ve fought for it.  But they won’t allow us to vote.  Now they say that a majority of the majority must first make an agreement before we can all vote,” says Gutierrez.

 

Call your US Representatives.  Let them know that you want to see Comprehensive Immigration Reform in October!

 

On another note, did you know that in the alphabet soup of nonimmigrant visas, a C1/D Visa exists?  This is a crewmember/transit visa for people coming to the US as a passenger to join a vessel or aircraft.  The C1/D1 visa is for a crewmember serving aboard a vessel (except a fishing vessel) or aircraft that is scheduled to land in the US, or to enter the US.  People on this visa may be admitted up to 29 days.  The C1/D2 visa is for crewmembers aboard fishing vessels with a home port or base of operation in the US, and may stay in the US up to 6 months.  Crewmembers may include foreign pilots, air stewards, flight attendants, seaman, or other employees aboard a vessel.  These visas do not include family members. 

 

Some C1 crewmember visa holders come to the US from a foreign country to join a passenger cruise line, as workers, aboard lines such as Norwegian Cruise Lines, Cunard, Carnival Cruise Lines, etc.  Some of these workers never report for work aboard the ship, or end up “jumping ship” once inside the US.  There are severe sanctions for C1 visa holders who “jump ship”.  For instance, they are not allowed, by law, to become permanent residents inside the US.  

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