Immigration bill in progress?

4 months had past since I last talked about immigration. Since then, a lot of things had happen, we had this sequester thing, the gun control and health care act issue. I thought we already forgotten, or at least me, the immigration bill the president promised to create during his first term. During that 4 months, the Senate has created a group they called the “Gang of 8”, that drafted immigration reform bill.

Last January, the President and the Senate Democrats talked about creating a new reform bill that will give “probationary legal status” to those eligible undocumented immigrants. Now that the “gang of 8” has drafted this reform bill they want, let's talk about what's inside this bill.

 

I personally looked and downloaded the copy of the reform bill (I got the copy in CNN.com). I will not claim that I fully understand everything, but when I read it, it doesn't clearly stated how undocumented immigrants can legally gain naturalization. Not until it started to talk about the fines, years and exception. The "gang of 8" stipulates that illegal immigrant won't be able to see path for legal residency not until the “Southern Boarder” will be secure. But how far America is in securing the boarder? Not so far. Just last month, Sen. John McCain, along with Sen. Chuck Schumer, Sen. Michael Bennet, and Sen. Jeff Flake who are all part of “Gang of 8”, witnessed a lady jumping over the 18 foot fence separating Nogales Arizona to Sonora Mexico. Sen. McCain tweeted this at the same time, admitting that there is something wrong in keeping the boarder secure.

We can expect that clear path from legal residency for undocumented immigrants will take a lot of work, money, and some time. But what the bill offers? The bill offers two pathways for legal residency that is neither attainable by boarder security and those who are eligible by the DREAM act. Undocumented immigrants can apply for Registered Provisional Immigrant (RIP) that will allow them to work legally and can leave and go back in America freely. This RIP is good for only 6 years, but before they can apply for this, undocumented immigrant should pass the requirements first. They have to pay a $500 penalty, and also pay taxes as part of attaining provisional consideration. Also undocumented immigrants should not have any criminal records or any act of misdemeanor. After 6 years, one can re-apply for RIP, paying the same penalty and owned tax. After 10 years in RIP status, one can apply to become a lawful permanent  resident, but they have to follow the set of guidelines same as immigrants who wish for green card. At the same time, a fee of $1000.

 

To get a legal residency status is pricey, but in the end, I still have question. I know that undocumented immigrants are not allowed to work, and we all know that even the law say they can't, most of them still have work, but that is only a low paying job. Maybe $10 for an hour, or even lower, but how can they pay the penalty if they earned so little? I don't know, maybe they can work their magic. The only thing I wish, is in the end, this people will be able to get a normal life. Not a life in secrecy. I am a international student, and I worked a lot and payed so much just to get approved to study. Even though this is will be my last semester studying here in America, I hope that this people will eventually get naturalization and be called  as AMERICANS.