What is the current path to citizenship now

[muzzlebrake]

Not to derail the Kasich thread (or AJ TP's 1million smileys), what is the current path to citizenship? If I were an immigrant, what would I be required to do to become a legal US citizen?

Just tell them you intend to vote democrat. Eliminates all the paperwork and gets you a dead persons' SS#

[Deers & Beers]

How so?

Steps seemed fairly straight forward to me? Where is difficulty?

It's definitely expensive, my friend just went through it.. Cost about $6k in filing and attorney fees, and that's just for VISA renewal.. 3 years down the road there will be quite a bit more money involved.. Seems like not too much money but alot of people don't have $6k laying around to blow

[Mike D]

What is the current path to citizenship now

Boo – hoo. Cry me a River. I have absolutely no problem with any of the rebuttal points pointed out above. Anyone who wants to come to this country needs to have some skin in the game and prove they really want to be here for the right reasons.

[Artos]

I've had good friends from Mexico (middle to middle upper income) almost throw in the towel because of the nonsense it takes...ask Farmdog about it. I'm not going to go through it here because most don't care anyway.

Guys, we are creating our own mess!! Ask yourselves why they would pay a coyote the same or more $$$$$ & risk death / misery to cross illegally if it's so freak'n simple with 10 steps. Fact is, if we don't streamline it into a reasonable process, we are never going stop the madness.

I'm not saying it should be simple, but right now, you can be uber rich & come right on it or be in class of people like central americans & Syrians (depending on the group of the day the admin wants to screw us with) to bypass the whole system, but yet millions of hard working folks that would make fine US civis cannot get past the starting line, so they slip on in. It's not going to stop with the way it's set up right now.

[Mike Javi Cooper]

I've had good friends from Mexico (middle to middle upper income) almost throw in the towel because of the nonsense it takes...ask Farmdog about it. I'm not going to go through it here because most don't care anyway.

Guys, we are creating our own mess!! Ask yourselves why they would pay a coyote the same or more $$$$$ & risk death / misery to cross illegally if it's so freak'n simple with 10 steps. Fact is, if we don't streamline it into a reasonable process, we are never going stop the madness.

I'm not saying it should be simple, but right now, you can be uber rich & come right on it or be in class of people like central americans & Syrians (depending on the group of the day the admin wants to screw us with) to bypass the whole system, but yet millions of hard working folks that would make fine US civis cannot get past the starting line, so they slip on in. It's not going to stop with the way it's set up right now.

I'll ask my friend how much it costs him, I know I had to write a letter for him.

[Artos]

It's not just the cost Mike...like I said, good people are paying equal or more to come illegally.

Your friend, like mine likely had a good paying job working for a US company like a maquilla...the others have to have a stable job waiting & the system doesn't really allow biz owners to hire illegals. Ask him how long from start to finish.

For those with help / muscle from a US company supporting / sponsoring them, it's still a PITA...what about those who don't have that.

[Mike Javi Cooper]

It's not just the cost Mike...like I said, good people are paying equal or more to come illegally.

Well unlike the good invaders he came legally. I know he doesn't have a lot of money and no special skills.
Unless press brake operator is a special skill.

[Farmdog]

Your peeing into the wind Pablo

[TX CHICKEN]

The system is a joke. My fathers (grown up) step daughter has lived here her whole life (her mom was living here legally on a visa and went home to see her mom and the daughter was born a month early in mexico). She has been trying for 15 year to become a citizen and it's a joke...she graduated SMU with honors a few years ago and after not being able to find employment due to her citizenship status she was forced to move to Mexico to get a real job. She has never spent more than a few weeks at a time in Mexico until now. She is the perfect example of someone we should want to become legal. My father even hired an expensive immigration attorney and he couldn't get it done.

[wes122984]

i didn't think it was all that hard. did it for my wife without the use of attorney.

-get some sort of visa for legal entry
-apply for permanant residency
-apply for citizenship

total cost was about $3500, the website is pretty clear as to how to file, where to file and step by step instructions on how to fill in the forms.