The dream faces reality, and woman returns to the DR voluntarily

IslandCabby

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Jan 7, 2017
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I find that something is missing here. Being requested by a family member, fiancée or spouse (IR, F, CR and K visas) is not the same as saying you want to immigrate to the US of your own volition and independently. What people usually refer to as legal immigration half the time isn't actually permanent (student/work visas). Right now there is no way for a person not of means or extreme luck from the DR to do it, even baseball recruits are signed to substantial deals before this happens. Applying to move the US to work hard and make it out of poverty isn't an option.

Temporary and your employer sponsors you:
H-1B is a Quota based Visa. You need to both excel, get a job offer and be lucky. Technically you should only get one when there's absolutely NOBODY else available state-side for that job.
L-1 is an I have a job with a US company already and am getting transferred to the NY office Visa
O-1 is an I am not just good at what I do but recognized publicly at it Visa. You're either well to do or lucky/gifted.

Temporary and either you have your own money or your parents/college of choice/US sponsor sponsors you:
F-1 Student Visa - LOTS of money required, it's college with everything included or an off-campus sponsor.
J-1 Exchange Visa (They call it Summer work or Exchange Student in the DR) - You have to have some connections and some money.
M-1 Student Visa - Just different because it's vocational instead of academic.

Permanent and your employer sponsors you:
EB-2: is the same as the O-1 but a residence permit (green card) instead of a visa and you have to have a Master's degree or be extremely gifted.
EB-3: Same as the H1-B but again, a green card.

If you have a LOT of money:
EB-5 Investor Visa - Think 800,000 or more just to invest in the business, that does not include what it costs for you to move and live.

DR can't participate in the Green Card lottery process, which is the only way for you to apply as a regular, non-extraordinary, non-college graduated-in-a-specific-skill, non-rich-by-any-reasonable-means person to immigrate. When people talk about quotas, this and the H1-B visa quotas is what they are referring to.

That's it. Everything else is show up at the border and request asylum (not illegal btw, which is kinda funny.) You might get approved, or not. If you're not you're sent home. This one get's confused with illegal entry because it's the person's status instead of the person's arrival method. You can apply after you're in as long as you do it within a year.

TPS, DACA, T and U visas are unlucky or tenuous. You're basically either living in a life threatening zone so you can get it but your status can be revoked anytime, or you're already in danger of being deported at any time but being protected because you basically only know the US and are going to be a supporting member of society if you're allowed renew every 2 years once you become an adult, or you were trafficked or a victim of some other very serious situation and agreed to risk your life to help law enforcement.
 
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aarhus

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Jun 10, 2008
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I find that something is missing here. Being requested by a family member, fiancée or spouse (IR, F, CR and K visas) is not the same as saying you want to immigrate to the US of your own volition and independently. What people usually refer to as legal immigration half the time isn't actually permanent (student/work visas). Right now there is no way for a person not of means or extreme luck from the DR to do it, even baseball recruits are signed to substantial deals before this happens. Applying to move the US to work hard and make it out of poverty isn't an option.

Temporary and your employer sponsors you:
H-1B is a Quota based Visa. You need to both excel, get a job offer and be lucky. Technically you should only get one when there's absolutely NOBODY else available state-side for that job.
L-1 is an I have a job with a US company already and am getting transferred to the NY office Visa
O-1 is an I am not just good at what I do but recognized publicly at it Visa. You're either well to do or lucky/gifted.

Temporary and either you have your own money or your parents/college of choice/US sponsor sponsors you:
F-1 Student Visa - LOTS of money required, it's college with everything included or an off-campus sponsor.
J-1 Exchange Visa (They call it Summer work or Exchange Student in the DR) - You have to have some connections and some money.
M-1 Student Visa - Just different because it's vocational instead of academic.

Permanent and your employer sponsors you:
EB-2: is the same as the O-1 but a residence permit (green card) instead of a visa and you have to have a Master's degree or be extremely gifted.
EB-3: Same as the H1-B but again, a green card.

If you have a LOT of money:
EB-5 Investor Visa - Think 800,000 or more just to invest in the business, that does not include what it costs for you to move and live.

DR can't participate in the Green Card lottery process, which is the only way for you to apply as a regular, non-extraordinary, non-college graduated-in-a-specific-skill, non-rich-by-any-reasonable-means person to immigrate. When people talk about quotas, this and the H1-B visa quotas is what they are referring to.

That's it. Everything else is show up at the border and request asylum (not illegal btw, which is kinda funny.) You might get approved, or not. If you're not you're sent home. This one get's confused with illegal entry because it's the person's status instead of the person's arrival method. You can apply after you're in as long as you do it within a year.

TPS, DACA, T and U visas are unlucky or tenuous. You're basically either living in a life threatening zone so you can get it but your status can be revoked anytime, or you're already in danger of being deported at any time but being protected because you basically only know the US and are going to be a supporting member of society if you're allowed renew every 2 years once you become an adult, or you were trafficked or a victim of some other very serious situation and agreed to risk your life to help law enforcement.
Good point. You actually can't go there.
 
Jan 9, 2004
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I find that something is missing here. Being requested by a family member, fiancée or spouse (IR, F, CR and K visas) is not the same as saying you want to immigrate to the US of your own volition and independently. What people usually refer to as legal immigration half the time isn't actually permanent (student/work visas). Right now there is no way for a person not of means or extreme luck from the DR to do it, even baseball recruits are signed to substantial deals before this happens. Applying to move the US to work hard and make it out of poverty isn't an option.

You are mixing immigrant and non-immigrant visas.

Student, work and other visas are of the non-immigrant type.

Immigrant visas, the type issued to people who actually come here to live cover many categories as you have ouitlined. But note also, that each country is assigned a quota of allowable per year immigrant migration.


Respectfully,
Playacaribe2
Temporary and your employer sponsors you:
H-1B is a Quota based Visa. You need to both excel, get a job offer and be lucky. Technically you should only get one when there's absolutely NOBODY else available state-side for that job.
L-1 is an I have a job with a US company already and am getting transferred to the NY office Visa
O-1 is an I am not just good at what I do but recognized publicly at it Visa. You're either well to do or lucky/gifted.

Temporary and either you have your own money or your parents/college of choice/US sponsor sponsors you:
F-1 Student Visa - LOTS of money required, it's college with everything included or an off-campus sponsor.
J-1 Exchange Visa (They call it Summer work or Exchange Student in the DR) - You have to have some connections and some money.
M-1 Student Visa - Just different because it's vocational instead of academic.

Permanent and your employer sponsors you:
EB-2: is the same as the O-1 but a residence permit (green card) instead of a visa and you have to have a Master's degree or be extremely gifted.
EB-3: Same as the H1-B but again, a green card.

If you have a LOT of money:
EB-5 Investor Visa - Think 800,000 or more just to invest in the business, that does not include what it costs for you to move and live.

DR can't participate in the Green Card lottery process, which is the only way for you to apply as a regular, non-extraordinary, non-college graduated-in-a-specific-skill, non-rich-by-any-reasonable-means person to immigrate. When people talk about quotas, this and the H1-B visa quotas is what they are referring to.

That's it. Everything else is show up at the border and request asylum (not illegal btw, which is kinda funny.) You might get approved, or not. If you're not you're sent home. This one get's confused with illegal entry because it's the person's status instead of the person's arrival method. You can apply after you're in as long as you do it within a year.

TPS, DACA, T and U visas are unlucky or tenuous. You're basically either living in a life threatening zone so you can get it but your status can be revoked anytime, or you're already in danger of being deported at any time but being protected because you basically only know the US and are going to be a supporting member of society if you're allowed renew every 2 years once you become an adult, or you were trafficked or a victim of some other very serious situation and agreed to risk your life to help law enforcement.
 

keepcoming

Moderator - Living & General Stuff
May 25, 2011
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I find that something is missing here. Being requested by a family member, fiancée or spouse (IR, F, CR and K visas) is not the same as saying you want to immigrate to the US of your own volition and independently. What people usually refer to as legal immigration half the time isn't actually permanent (student/work visas). Right now there is no way for a person not of means or extreme luck from the DR to do it, even baseball recruits are signed to substantial deals before this happens. Applying to move the US to work hard and make it out of poverty isn't an option.

Temporary and your employer sponsors you:
H-1B is a Quota based Visa. You need to both excel, get a job offer and be lucky. Technically you should only get one when there's absolutely NOBODY else available state-side for that job.
L-1 is an I have a job with a US company already and am getting transferred to the NY office Visa
O-1 is an I am not just good at what I do but recognized publicly at it Visa. You're either well to do or lucky/gifted.

Temporary and either you have your own money or your parents/college of choice/US sponsor sponsors you:
F-1 Student Visa - LOTS of money required, it's college with everything included or an off-campus sponsor.
J-1 Exchange Visa (They call it Summer work or Exchange Student in the DR) - You have to have some connections and some money.
M-1 Student Visa - Just different because it's vocational instead of academic.

Permanent and your employer sponsors you:
EB-2: is the same as the O-1 but a residence permit (green card) instead of a visa and you have to have a Master's degree or be extremely gifted.
EB-3: Same as the H1-B but again, a green card.

If you have a LOT of money:
EB-5 Investor Visa - Think 800,000 or more just to invest in the business, that does not include what it costs for you to move and live.

DR can't participate in the Green Card lottery process, which is the only way for you to apply as a regular, non-extraordinary, non-college graduated-in-a-specific-skill, non-rich-by-any-reasonable-means person to immigrate. When people talk about quotas, this and the H1-B visa quotas is what they are referring to.

That's it. Everything else is show up at the border and request asylum (not illegal btw, which is kinda funny.) You might get approved, or not. If you're not you're sent home. This one get's confused with illegal entry because it's the person's status instead of the person's arrival method. You can apply after you're in as long as you do it within a year.

TPS, DACA, T and U visas are unlucky or tenuous. You're basically either living in a life threatening zone so you can get it but your status can be revoked anytime, or you're already in danger of being deported at any time but being protected because you basically only know the US and are going to be a supporting member of society if you're allowed renew every 2 years once you become an adult, or you were trafficked or a victim of some other very serious situation and agreed to risk your life to help law enforcement.
Visas for "baseball recruits" do not require that they are signed to "substantial deals". There are different visa categories for athletes and for baseball players their employer (MLB team) is the sponsor. It used to be that there were different visa categories for a minor league player vs a major league player. But money has nothing to do with it.
 

IslandCabby

Member
Jan 7, 2017
64
34
18
You are mixing immigrant and non-immigrant visas.

Student, work and other visas are of the non-immigrant type.

Immigrant visas, the type issued to people who actually come here to live cover many categories as you have ouitlined. But note also, that each country is assigned a quota of allowable per year immigrant migration.


Respectfully,
Playacaribe2
@Playcaribe2, thank you for your reasoned reply.
I was making that exact point. That people confuse temporary with immigrant visas when addressing DR immigration to the US, particularly when stating that people from the DR "prefer" the illegal route instead of "getting in line". There aren't any immigrant visas accessible to a regular DR person, no "line" to get in to. The quota system for green cards forgoes the DR completely and the remaining options are highly skilled/qualified and recognized, investment, close family or marriage. The temporary ones I listed were to make the distinction and also to show that the only pathways to trying to get a qualified exemption through recognition based on education and achievements down the line also have a substantial financial barrier in front of them. That's also one of the reasons why there are so many children being put through baseball training camps, many without any real preparation for anything else if they don't get signed.

The asylum route is one that applies to few people in the DR because your life has to be in danger so a lot of applicants will get returned, but is the only avenue open to a poor Dominican.
 

IslandCabby

Member
Jan 7, 2017
64
34
18
Visas for "baseball recruits" do not require that they are signed to "substantial deals". There are different visa categories for athletes and for baseball players their employer (MLB team) is the sponsor. It used to be that there were different visa categories for a minor league player vs a major league player. But money has nothing to do with it.
Substantial is relative and refers to money, time and expectations. Clubs, minor or major are hoping for ROI. What I meant is that you have to be substantially good and land a solid deal in order to get to where you need to in order to get a green card. Basically P-1 then EB-1A if you're elite or EB-2/EB-3 if you're good enough for the team to sponsor you, then you file for a change of status. If you're approved you get a "real" green card and after 5 years you can apply for citizenship.
 

CristoRey

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The asylum route is one that applies to few people in the DR because your life has to be in danger so a lot of applicants will get returned, but is the only avenue open to a poor Dominican.
What about marriage?
 
Jan 9, 2004
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@Playcaribe2, thank you for your reasoned reply.
I was making that exact point. That people confuse temporary with immigrant visas when addressing DR immigration to the US, particularly when stating that people from the DR "prefer" the illegal route instead of "getting in line". There aren't any immigrant visas accessible to a regular DR person, no "line" to get in to. The quota system for green cards forgoes the DR completely and the remaining options are highly skilled/qualified and recognized, investment, close family or marriage. The temporary ones I listed were to make the distinction and also to show that the only pathways to trying to get a qualified exemption through recognition based on education and achievements down the line also have a substantial financial barrier in front of them. That's also one of the reasons why there are so many children being put through baseball training camps, many without any real preparation for anything else if they don't get signed.

The asylum route is one that applies to few people in the DR because your life has to be in danger so a lot of applicants will get returned, but is the only avenue open to a poor Dominican.
Again, trying to clarify a couple of points. There is a so-called green card lottery that excludes some countries, the DR being one of those. But I disagree that there are no immigrant visas accessible to "a regular DR person."

Many have emigrated without benefit of a special situation i.e., spouse and minor child, father, mother, brother, sister, aunt or uncle of a citizen or green card holder. As are the rules, applicable to all countries, the decisions on those without family ties are made as to what the immigrant can ultimately do for the US and that decision is based on many factors, not just financial ones.


Respectfully,
Playacaribe2
 

CristoRey

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Good point. When we got engaged, Mr AE had a tourist visa, I applied for a K-1 visa for him. It took about 3 months. After two years, he needed a bunch of blood tests and proof we were still together, then it was permanent residency. Citizenship followed after 5 years.
Blood tests?
I've heard about them asking for wedding photos and bank statements but never blood test, lol.
 

IslandCabby

Member
Jan 7, 2017
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Again, trying to clarify a couple of points. There is a so-called green card lottery that excludes some countries, the DR being one of those. But I disagree that there are no immigrant visas accessible to "a regular DR person."

Many have emigrated without benefit of a special situation i.e., spouse and minor child, father, mother, brother, sister, aunt or uncle of a citizen or green card holder. As are the rules, applicable to all countries, the decisions on those without family ties are made as to what the immigrant can ultimately do for the US and that decision is based on many factors, not just financial ones.


Respectfully,
Playacaribe2
To clarify are you saying that you are aware of a process that is open to everyone to apply for but that only some people will get approved for, that is for permanent migration? I wasn't able to find one outside of the green card lottery and, as you've affirmed, it's not open to the DR. Also, I'm saying that being in a financially favorable position is one of the main pre-requisites so someone trying to migrate in order to work to get out of poverty is exactly the type of person who has little to zero chance of being able to. My DR friends had a joke about 20 years ago where they'd say "you have to prove to the bank that you don't need a loan in order to get one", and it's the same for migrants who want to come to the US. Basically unless you have a family member here or someone who's interested in marrying you you're only migrating here if you don't actually need to. In fact it's a huge scam in the DR with attorneys promising people that's possible. I've gotten so many "lend me x because attorney y is telling me he can get my paperwork done." ;)
 
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Jan 9, 2004
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To clarify are you saying that you are aware of a process that is open to everyone to apply for but that only some people will get approved for, that is for permanent migration?
Yes. Two ways and perhaps more that I might be unaware of. First is a sponsor who might also need to provide an Affidavit of Support (And you do not need to be a family member). The second is employment based. A job offer with an Affidavit of Support by the employer also works. And before people think of strictly highly skilled jobs............many Jamaicans have entered the US legally through that route picking fruit and later on applying for and receiving their permanent residency and later naturalization.

Respectfully,
Playacaribe2
I wasn't able to find one outside of the green card lottery and, as you've affirmed, it's not open to the DR. Also, I'm saying that being in a financially favorable position is one of the main pre-requisites so someone trying to migrate in order to work to get out of poverty is exactly the type of person who has little to zero chance of being able to. My DR friends had a joke about 20 years ago where they'd say "you have to prove to the bank that you don't need a loan in order to get one", and it's the same for migrants who want to come to the US. Basically unless you have a family member here or someone who's interested in marrying you you're only migrating here if you don't actually need to. In fact it's a huge scam in the DR with attorneys promising people that's possible. I've gotten so many "lend me x because attorney y is telling me he can get my paperwork done." ;)
 

IslandCabby

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Yes. Two ways and perhaps more that I might be unaware of. First is a sponsor who might also need to provide an Affidavit of Support (And you do not need to be a family member). The second is employment based. A job offer with an Affidavit of Support by the employer also works. And before people think of strictly highly skilled jobs............many Jamaicans have entered the US legally through that route picking fruit and later on applying for and receiving their permanent residency and later naturalization.

Respectfully,
Playacaribe2
Thks. I'd understood that Affidavits of Support outside of family/spouse were only allowed if the primary (related) sponsor did not meet the full financial requirements and then a 3rd party could step in. I know the DR used to get offers for agricultural/mining/oil rigs 1-3 year H-2A/2B visas and you could file for a change of status after getting an EB-3 with sponsorship near the end but hadn't seen those in decades.
 

Big

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non-citizens can join the U.S military (as an enlisted not an officer) and they get great legal consideration.
 
Jan 9, 2004
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non-citizens can join the U.S military (as an enlisted not an officer) and they get great legal consideration.

Correct. However, they have to be in the country legally.

Moving closer to the topic of the OP, a move that is gaining some traction is a program for illegal non criminals to self deport, wait two years, then apply, be vetted and allowed back into the country.

This is likely the only way that President Trump can have any major successes involving deportations.

Respectfully,
Playacaribe2
 

keepcoming

Moderator - Living & General Stuff
May 25, 2011
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Substantial is relative and refers to money, time and expectations. Clubs, minor or major are hoping for ROI. What I meant is that you have to be substantially good and land a solid deal in order to get to where you need to in order to get a green card. Basically P-1 then EB-1A if you're elite or EB-2/EB-3 if you're good enough for the team to sponsor you, then you file for a change of status. If you're approved you get a "real" green card and after 5 years you can apply for citizenship.
Not exactly, as the process is a bit more complicated. But at one time immigration was a bit more willing to give well known players permanent residency after a few years. Not so much anymore.
 

keepcoming

Moderator - Living & General Stuff
May 25, 2011
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Good point. When we got engaged, Mr AE had a tourist visa, I applied for a K-1 visa for him. It took about 3 months. After two years, he needed a bunch of blood tests and proof we were still together, then it was permanent residency. Citizenship followed after 5 years.
My spouse had a visa when we met, I was able to apply for US residency while he was in the US (we had been married for a couple of years already). Same process, blood tests, chest x-ray, photos of us, etc. The whole appointment took about 15 minutes at the most. Never even looked at all the stuff I brought. The officer's boyfriend who was also an adjudication officer knew my spouse, so the appointment was more like sitting around chit chatting about people they knew. Definitely a different experience than what I was expecting.