Immigration Reform - Economic Benefits

Two years ago, a very thorough analysis made by Dr. Raul Hinojosa-Ojeda about the economic benefits that an immigration reform would bring to the already weakened United States' economy, reveal astonishing numbers:

Comprehensive immigration reform that includes a legalization program for unauthorized immigrants would stimulate the U.S. economy. 

• Immigration reform would increase U.S. GDP by at least 0.84 percent. This would translate into at least a $1.5 trillion cumulative increase in GDP over 10 years, which includes approximately $1.2 trillion in consumption and $256 billion in investment.

• The benefits of additioComprehensive immigration reform that includes a legalization program for unauthorized immigrants would stimulate the U.S. economy. Immigration reform would increase U.S. GDP by at least 0.84 percent. This would translate into at least a $1.5 trillion cumulative increase in GDP over 10 years, which includes approximately $1.2 trillion in consumption and $256 billion in investment. The benefits of additional GDP growth would be spread broadly throughout the U.S. economy, but immigrant-heavy sectors such as textiles, electronic equipment, and construction would see particularly large increases. The higher earning power of newly legalized workers would mean increased tax revenues of $4.5-$5.4 billion in the first three years. Higher personal income would also generate increased consumer spending—enough to support 750,000–900,000 jobs in the United States. Experience shows that legalized workers open bank accounts, buy homes, and start businesses, further stimulating the U.S. economy. Comprehensive immigration reform increases all workers’ wages. The real wages of less-skilled newly legalized workers would increase by roughly $4,405 per year, while higher-skilled workers would see their income increase $6,185 per year. The wages of native-born high skill and low skill U.S. workers also increase modestly under comprehensive immigration reform because the “wage floor” rises for all workers.. Legalized workers invest more in their human capital, including education, job training, and English-language skills, making them even more productive workers and higher earners. Mass deportation is costly, lowers wages, and harms the U.S. economy. Mass deportation would reduce U.S. GDP by 1.46 percent, amounting to a cumulative $2.6 trillion loss in GDP over 10 years, not including the actual costs of deportation. The Center for American Progress has estimated that mass deportation would cost $206 billion to $230 billion over five years. Wages would rise for less-skilled native-born workers under a mass deportation scenario, but higher-skilled natives’ wages would decrease, and there would be widespread job loss. Studies from various researchers with divergent political perspectives confirm these findings. A report by the libertarian CATO Institute using a similar CGE model came to startlingly similar conclusions. CATO found that legalization would yield significant income gains for American workers and households. Legalization would boost the incomes of U.S. households by $180 billion in 2019. CATO also concluded that tighter restrictions and a reduction in less-skilled immigration would impose large costs on native-born Americans by shrinking the overall economy and lowering worker productivity. A study by the national dairy industry confirmed the essential role of immigrant labor in that sector. A loss of just 50 percent of immigrant dairy workers would lower dairy farm sales by $6.7 billion and reduce total economic output by $11.2 billion. Removing all immigrant dairy workers would cost nearly 133,000 U.S. jobs, affecting both immigrant and native-born workers. An analysis by the farm credit system in the Northeast found that an enforcement-only regime would result in jobs lost, farms closed, and farmland converted to other uses. Approximately 800 farms would be at high risk in New York alone; this would cost $700 million in lost production, 7,000 on-farm jobs, and nearly 16,000 off-farm but farm dependent jobs. A new study from the University of Southern California concludes that legalizing California’s unauthorized Latino immigrants would boost California’s economy. California’s unauthorized Latino population would have earned $29.6 billion last year if they had been legal—this is $2.2 billion more than they actually earned. This growth would spur direct consumption spending by approximately $1.75 billion, which would ripple throughout the state economy generating an additional $1.5 billion in indirect local spending. This increase would generate over 25,000 additional jobs in the state, $310 million in additional state income taxes, and $1.4 billion in additional federal income taxes. Published On: Mon, Jan 11, 2010nal GDP growth would be spread broadly throughout the U.S. economy, but immigrant-heavy sectors such as textiles, electronic equipment, and construction would see particularly large increases.

• The higher earning power of newly legalized workers would mean increased tax revenues of $4.5-$5.4 billion in the first three years.

• Higher personal income would also generate increased consumer spending—enough to support 750,000–900,000 jobs in the United States.

• Experience shows that legalized workers open bank accounts, buy homes, and start businesses, further stimulating the U.S. economy.

Comprehensive immigration reform increases all workers’ wages. 

• The real wages of less-skilled newly legalized workers would increase by roughly $4,405 per year, while higher-skilled workers would see their income increase $6,185 per year. The wages of native-born high skill and low skill U.S. workers also increase modestly under comprehensive immigration reform because the “wage floor” rises for all workers..

• Legalized workers invest more in their human capital, including education, job training, and English-language skills, making them even more productive workers and higher earners.

Mass deportation is costly, lowers wages, and harms the U.S. economy. 

• Mass deportation would reduce U.S. GDP by 1.46 percent, amounting to a cumulative $2.6 trillion loss in GDP over 10 years, not including the actual costs of deportation. The Center for American Progress has estimated that mass deportation would cost $206 billion to $230 billion over five years.

• Wages would rise for less-skilled native-born workers under a mass deportation scenario, but higher-skilled natives’ wages would decrease, and there would be widespread job loss.

Studies from various researchers with divergent political perspectives confirm these findings. 

• A report by the libertarian CATO Institute using a similar CGE model came to startlingly similar conclusions. CATO found that legalization would yield significant income gains for American workers and households. Legalization would boost the incomes of U.S. households by $180 billion in 2019. CATO also concluded that tighter restrictions and a reduction in less-skilled immigration would impose large costs on native-born Americans by shrinking the overall economy and lowering worker productivity.

• A study by the national dairy industry confirmed the essential role of immigrant labor in that sector. A loss of just 50 percent of immigrant dairy workers would lower dairy farm sales by $6.7 billion and reduce total economic output by $11.2 billion. Removing all immigrant dairy workers would cost nearly 133,000 U.S. jobs, affecting both immigrant and native-born workers.

• An analysis by the farm credit system in the Northeast found that an enforcement-only regime would result in jobs lost, farms closed, and farmland converted to other uses. Approximately 800 farms would be at high risk in New York alone; this would cost $700 million in lost production, 7,000 on-farm jobs, and nearly 16,000 off-farm but farm dependent jobs.

• A new study from the University of Southern California concludes that legalizing California’s unauthorized Latino immigrants would boost California’s economy. California’s unauthorized Latino population would have earned $29.6 billion last year if they had been legal—this is $2.2 billion more than they actually earned. This growth would spur direct consumption spending by approximately $1.75 billion, which would ripple throughout the state economy generating an additional $1.5 billion in indirect local spending. This increase would generate over 25,000 additional jobs in the state, $310 million in additional state income taxes, and $1.4 billion in additional federal income taxes.

DACA Initiative - Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals

It means: children that were brought here illegally by their parents or their legal status has terminated before June 15, 2012, are eligible to apply for a limited time for "DACA".
"Deferred action" is a discretionary decision of the Department of Homeland Security not to pursue enforcement against a person for a specific period. In this case it's two years. After that, nothing is guaranteed. THIS IS NOT AN AMNESTY.
To be eligible to apply for DACA, an individual must demonstrate that:
1) Was under age of 31 as of June 15, 2012;
2) Came to US before reaching his/her 16th birthday;
3) Has continuously resided in the US since June 15, 2007, up to the present time;
4) Was physically present in the US on June 15, 2012, and at the time of application to USCIS;
5) Entered without inspection before June 15, 2012, or lawful immigration status expired as of June 15, 2012;
6) Is currently in school, has graduated or obtained a certificate of completion from high school, has obtained a GED, or is an honorably discharged veteran of the US Coast Guard or the US Armed Forces; and
7) Has not been convicted of a felony, a "significant misdemeanor", three or more other misdemeanors, or does not otherwise pose a threat to national security or public safety.

It is our strong opinion that no one should apply for this status before consulting with an immigration attorney for the following reasons:
1) immigration law is a highly specialized legal field, very complex, and the legal language is always subject to interpretation and only an attorney is equipped to find the right interpretation through legal research and other resources;
2) if an individual does not qualify, he/she exposes herself and even his/her family to deportation;
3) be aware of "notarios" or any other non-lawyer offering to help and promising guaranteed results, because the situation arises too often when these people have ruined lives, even when they did it with good intention.
Call us today to receive the answers you are looking for, at: (678) 615-8529.

Interesting Numbers about Non-Immigrant Admissions to US

According to the Department of Homeland Security's Annual Flow Report of July 2012:
"During2011, there were 159 million nonimmigrant admissions to the United States according to DHS work-load estimates.2 These admissions included tourists and business travelers from Canada, Mexican nationals with Border Crossing Cards, and I-94 admissions.3 I-94 admissions accounted for 33 percent (53.1 million) of the total admissions (see Figure 1). The majority (87 percent) of I-94 admissions were temporary visitors for business and pleasure, while 6.4 percent were tempo-rary workers and families and 3.4 percent were students. The leading countries of citizenship for I-94 admissions were Mexico, the United Kingdom, and Japan."

Immigration Law is, in the end, still Federal Law: Arizona v. United States

On June 25th, 2012, the United States Supreme Court decided upon the constitutionality of the anti-immigration laws enacted first by the state of Arizona and followed by other states, in the decision Arizona v. United States. The court has struck down important provisions of the infamous law and has basically concluded that immigration law is (still) a federal law and thus any state law that interfere with the federal provisions in this area of law is unconstitutional. And since the immigration law is a federal law, it must be enforced by federal agencies. Thus, it is unconstitutional and illegal for the local police to racially profiling people and make stops based on their suspicion that the person might be "illegal". Unless the police stops every single car and verify the legal status of every single person, they would not be able to prove the legality of these stops.
This decision represent a great defeat of the anti-immigration state laws that have been enacted in the last year by several other states. Georgia has also enacted a similar law with Arizona's in 2011.

Deffered Action for the DREAMERs

Who are the DREAM-ers? 

They are people (not "aliens"...) who were brought in United States as minors, without their consent, who lived continuously in United States for a period of at least five years, attended the schools here, graduated from US high schools, some attended US colleges. They also have to be lucky enough to be under the age of thirty at the time when the law (that is suppose to protect them) will be enacted. They look, act and dream like any other young American of a good future for their lives. 

This memorandum recommending to the US Department of Homeland Security to defer removal action (postpone the deportation procedures) against these young people who are present illegally in United States, is only that: a recommendation. It is not a law. It is not mandatory. It does not bind anyone. Even more, postponing the deportation procedures for these young people does not confer to them any legality, nor does it absolve them of any previous or subsequent periods of unlawful presence. They can however be eligible to receive employment authorization (the legal right to work in United States) provided they can demonstrate "an economic necessity for employment". So this is that.

The information below comes from the United States Immigration and Citizenship Service website:


What is deferred action?

Deferred action is a discretionary determination to defer removal action of an individual as an act of prosecutorial discretion. Deferred action does not confer lawful status upon an individual. In addition, although an alien granted deferred action will not be considered to be accruing unlawful presence in the United States during the period deferred action is in effect, deferred action does not absolve individuals of any previous or subsequent periods of unlawful presence.
Under existing regulations, an individual who has been granted deferred action is eligible to receive employment authorization for the period of deferred action, provided he or she can demonstrate “an economic necessity for employment.” Deferred action can be terminated at any time at the agency’s discretion or renewed by the agency.

Pursuant to the Secretary’s June 15, 2012 memorandum, in order to be eligible for deferred action, individuals must:

1. Have come to the United States under the age of sixteen;
2. Have continuously resided in the United States for at least five years preceding June 15, 2012 and are present in the United States on June 15, 2012;
3. Currently be in school, have graduated from high school, have obtained a general education development certificate, or are honorably discharged veterans of the Coast Guard or Armed Forces of the United States;
4. Have not been convicted of a felony offense, a significant misdemeanor offense, multiple misdemeanor offenses, or otherwise pose a threat to national security or public safety;
5. Not be above the age of thirty.

Visa Interview Waiver Program Expands to Bucharest, Romania

Embassy of the United States, Bucharest, Romania

VISA RENEWAL
Expedited Visa Renewal Pilot Program
Effective January 19, 2012, certain visa applicants meeting the requirements below may utilize the new procedure to renew their visa. The program applies to the following visa categories:
B1/B2 (Business/Tourism) Visa Applicants:
Who have a previously issued B1/B2 visa which is either still valid or has expired within the last 48 months and have been interviewed after January 1, 2008.
Visa applicants with the age of 80 or more are also entitled to use this program.
F, J*, M (Students and Exchange Visitors) Visa Applicants:
Who have a previously issued F, J*, or M visa which is either valid or has expired within the last 48 months, have been interviewed after January 1, 2008, and will continue participation in the same program or attendance at the same institution as in the previous visa.
*(Does not apply to Summer Work Travel. See Below.)
C1/D (Crew Members) Visa Applicants:
Who have a previously issued C1/D visa which is either still valid or has expired within the last 48 months and have been interviewed after January 1, 2008.
Please note that:
Visa applicants who changed their name after marriage/divorce are not eligible for this program. They will have to come to the visa interview.
J Summer Work Travel visa applicants are not eligible for this program. They will have to come to the visa interview.
If your previous passport with a U.S. visa was lost/stolen, and you meet all requirements for the visa renewal program, please submit a police report stating that your passport was lost/stolen, in addition to the required documents.
Visa applicants wishing to take advantage of this service should ensure they send their application and supporting documents to the Embassy by mail/courier services, or drop them off Monday through Thursday between 2.00 pm and 3.00 pm. All passports will be returned to the applicant via Sameday Courier as quickly as possible. When submitting your application and supporting documents, please allow time for the mail/courier service and the adjudication by a Consular Officer. Please note that we reserve the right to call applicants for an in-person interview for any reason deemed necessary by the adjudicating Consular Officer.

The following documents are mandatory for all non-immigrant applicants regardless of visa type:
a valid passport;
the original MRV fee bank receipt from Banca Transilvania; 
one photograph (See Photo Requirements); and
the DS-160 application form. 

This site is managed by the U.S. Department of State. External links to other Internet sites should not be construed as an endorsement of the views or privacy policies contained therein.

Why Hire An Immigration Attorney? Protect Yourself. Avoid Scams

Like with "politics" and "cooking", many people claim to be "experts" in immigration issues. As an immigrant myself, I have often encountered other immigrants who have received themselves or have known of someone else who has received the "help" of a friend or an acquittance  that claimed to be an "expert" in preparing the immigration applications for them. And while some of them were lucky enough not to suffer any negative consequences of such "help", there were unfortunately too many who were not so lucky. And their life has changed forever because of it.
Going to the wrong place for help, with such an important task - applying for an immigration benefit with the immigration government agency - may have extremely serious consequences for the life of the applicant as well as his or her family .Some of these "experts" practicing unauthorized law, often charged their victims more money then a highly trained  legal practitioner would have charged in the first place. And even in cases where they have meant well,  such "friends" have managed to disqualify the applicant of their rights, or have exposed the applicant and/or his family to deportation, in the most dramatic cases.
Most of these people practicing law without a license will lure their victims with promises of guaranteed results and "lower" costs for the process. But what is the cost if they are wrong? What is really the cost when such help is not only leaving your pockets empty but your dreams shattered as well? Is this cost worth paying?
Someone once said that immigration law is similar in complexity with the IRS code. And it surely is. It takes a lot of time and effort on the part of a legal practitioner to keep up with all the changes in the law and to make sure that the best service is provided to her clients. In the end, it is the client's life at stake. Would you rather be operated on by a "friend" or by a surgeon?
Do not let anyone steal your money and dreams away! Your  future and your family's future is worth investing in! Talk with an authorized legal professional and be sure to receive the legal help that you need and deserve.

(Please click on the title of this post so you can read more on this topic).