U.S. Immigration

Post Reply New Topic

Now usually I don't get entangled in political matters, but this one has affected me personally, and I feel the need to speak out about it.

The U.S. only permits a certain number of people from each country to get green cards (permanent residency status) each year. So for people born in China and India, where the population is huge, the wait for a U.S. green card can take many years, sometimes even up to 20 years. H.R. 3012, if passed, will give high-skilled immigrants faster access to a green card, shortening the wait and diminishing the negative consequences of not having a green card for many years. If this had passed earlier, none of the setbacks I'm going to describe below would have happened.

So here's a bit about me. I'm 18, and I've just graduated high school. I was born in China (with the rest of my family), and immigrated to Canada when I was 7. My parents and I became Canadian citizens five years later, and we were able to live in the U.S. after they got new jobs there. Six years after that, it was time for me to apply to college, and that was where the troubles began for me. Having gone to high school in the U.S. for all four years, I was convinced that I was just like the other kids - scholarships, financial aid, and the admissions process would be the same, and I would sail through it smoothly. But then I found out that without a green card, I was an international student - considered a foreigner and locked out of many standard procedures, even though I was essentially an American. Only a small percentage of each college's students is international, and the admission rate for international students is FAR lower than for domestic students (students who have at least a U.S. green card). For example, MIT's overall admission rate is about 10%, but its international admission rate is only 3-5%. Also, financial aid for international applicants are extremely limited, and this partially accounts for the low admission rate. I asked my parents fervently about when we were going to get our green cards. After a bunch of paperwork, they had their answer - we're not going to get our green cards until at least December 2012.

I was heartbroken. Not only could I not apply early action to MIT, my dream school, I also couldn't apply for financial aid, or they will certainly reject me. I was suddenly thrown into the colosseum with all the other international applicants, and the brutal battle would be a bloodbath. I would never survive, not unless I'd made some groundbreaking discovery or invention, or won some huge international award, which I could only dream of doing. I was also a semifinalist for the National Merit scholarship based on my PSAT scores, but alas, I didn't have the required immigration documents even for that. I called NMS, talked to my school counselor, even spoke to a state senator... nothing worked. I was locked out of an iron gate yet again.

In the end, I'm happy to say that I was admitted to MIT - for what reason, I still don't know, but it came as a surprise beyond my wildest dreams. I was rejected from all five of the Ivy League colleges I applied to, and I was even waitlisted at Rice. I was also denied a $20,000 scholarship at Case Western because I was "international".

Now, there are three options for me: make outrageous student loans, force my parents into bankruptcy, or some combination of the two. But no matter what, I am planning to stay in the US, and the only way I'd be able to do that is by working ridiculously hard and not depending on perks and benefits - it's not like I would get them anyways.

So, hate on immigration all you want. By seeing what my parents and I have gone through, I only have this to say: If you don't want the immigrants to take your jobs, you'd better stop whining, get off your lazy bums, and start working. Because this isn't the 1960s, and we've had to work so much harder to get the same benefits as yours.

So, you're a Canadian citizen and are complaining about not getting financial aid for US citizens?

Financial aid is not just for US citizens. International students can apply too, although it is harder to get.

Go do some more research before you comment.

I know this might sound abit odd but when in doubt I guess do as I do go to a community college to start off since community college is alot cheaper than a university then after getting an Assiosiates degree the next 2 years at a local university. Sure the university is still expensive but you will have a leg in the door. I wish I was in Cana to be honest because the Universitys are cheaper than here in the states If i filed for my duel citizenship and could afford to move I would go to BCU. Alas for now I am in silicon valley going to De Anza College.

So what are you complaining about? You don't get the aid as US Citizens? Too bad.

So you decide to troll? Too bad. I have no more words for you.

That is a good option in other times, but newly graduated students these days are having more trouble than ever finding jobs after graduation.

It's not trolling. You are a foreign national. Why do you think that the US tax payer wants to provide the same aid as they do to their own citizens? Shouldn't Canada be providing this aid?

The thing you're not understanding is, we immigrants pay the same taxes as US citizens. Unless immigrants are illegal and undetected (and I'm NOT an illegal immigrant), they MUST pay taxes.
I'm talking about the immigrants who WANT to become citizens, but can't even take the first step because of massive backlogs. Believe me, we'd all be citizens if we had the chance.

Well I was born here and I couldn't afford to go to college, so I'm not sure why you think you have it so hard, besides which you're confusing the issue and I'm not sure why: First you say it's so much harder for people from China or India to get green cards, but then you tell us you're a Canadian citizen.

No sympathy from me, sorry. I have heard stories of problems with immigration that I think are genuine, and I know our immigration system isn't perfect. But if everyone who wants to come here was allowed to come here, we'd have such an influx that it would be crazy for everyone - in a country where business is outsourcing its jobs elsewhere as it is. It's difficult for Americans to get into good schools or get good jobs. I personally feel that if they're our schools they should first be available to American students. Call me crazy.

Anyway, I think you need an attitude adjustment about this. You may have gone to high school here. But according to our laws that doesn't make you a citizen, and you'll have to adapt to our laws in order to stay. There are lots of citizens having to take out expensive student loans in order to get higher education, many of us who are citizens don't like that either. I think you're being rather ungrateful and snotty about the whole situation. Why don't you go camp out on Wall Street and tell them your problems? Or why don't you go to college in Canada? In all the time you've gone to school here, and as you say, considered yourself an American, did you ever bother to apply for American citizenship?

Fair enough. It's required of all immigrants to apply for a green card before they apply for citizenship. We've started applying for our green cards ever since we've decided to move to the US. What prevents me from getting a green card earlier is the fact that I was BORN in China. That's right - my Canadian citizenship does nothing. The law prevents people who were merely BORN in China or India, even if they are not currently citizens, from getting their green cards in a timely manner.

I agree that it's a relatively small issue compared to more prominent things like gay rights and abortion. But it's still limiting opportunities for a lot of people. Isn't America supposed to be based on diversity? I wonder as I type this.

Can you provide a source or two which says illegal and undocumented immigrants don't pay taxes in the United States? Anecdotes don't count.

This is one of the biggest myths about immigration in the United States. See this story.

There are many foreign nationals in US universities. They pay out of state rates though. (US citizens also pay out of state rates if they attend universities in a state that they are not a resident of ). The key is that they have to pay or get aid from other sources (like a stipend from a teaching assistant position while working on a PhD).

The USA has many US citizens that cannot afford college. If we increased aid more to foreign nationals, there would be a political firestorm. It becomes a question of why are we paying aliens to get a college education instead of our own citizens.

On a tit-for-tat note, I don't qualify for immigrating to Canada. Since I only have a BS, don't speak French (the points calculator seems to require high proficiency in a second language), don't have a job offer, and don't have family or a spouse. It sounds like they don't want singletons that only speak English (the only 2 languages lists on the calculator are French and English for primary and secondary languages) and don't have a job offer lined up to immigrate. That doesn't apply for refugees though.

I think you might need to do some research on this but eh.

Some countries (I'm not sure if the U.S. is one) will give minors citizenship if they have been in the country for 2 or 4 years, sometimes less, or if their parents or guardians are native born.

I've had this happen with every country I have moved to (including the US) - they almost always have separate laws for minors.

I'm not sure how it will apply to your situation though. As I understand it this law applies to those whose parents / guardians are US citizens. The fact that your parents are not that may mean you do not qualify under that law, but check it out anyway.

Last edited by Kjas on 01 Jul 2012, 5:58 pm, edited 2 times in total.

So they do. That only furthers my point.

You talked down to someone about not researching before posting, so don't get mad at me. Looking at a paycheck from a reputable business will give you a breakdown of the taxes they took out (Social Security, FICA, etc.) right on it. You can't miss it. They have to explain to you why you don't get the full money you earned for the pay period

FAFSA applications begin after January 1, 2013. If you get your green card December 2012, why can't you get the green card and next month fill out the documents? There's a couple important things you haven't told us yet, and I cannot ask to disclose your income bracket of course. FAFSA documents need to be filled out every year for you to get aid, so I don't understand why you cannot wait a couple months.