The proposed immigration reform bill has caused a lot of disagreement between party leaders, but the president is still committed to pass comprehensive immigration legislation. The immigration reform bill will create a pathway to citizenship for current illegal immigrants while tightening security at the U.S. border.

The bill was created with bipartisan participation, but it’s contriversy has divided the GOP. Conservative senators believe the proposed immigration reform bill will provide amnesty for illegal immigrant workers. President Bush disagrees with this view because the bill will require illegal immigrants to pay a penalty for breaking the law and undergo a lengthy
process of gaining citizenship.

The Z visa is part of the immigration reform measure and would require illegal immigrants here before January 1, 2007 to apply for a Z visa as part of the pathway to gaining citizenship in the United States. Illegal immigrants would have to pay a fine, hold a job in the U.S. legally while paying taxes, learn English, then leave the country while their application is being processed and reenter the United States legally, after which they
may apply for citizenship.

The immigration reform measure was pulled from the floor by Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) because it fell short the 15 votes of the number needed to move the measure onto final passage. Reid is hoping the president can deliver the Republican votes necessary to the return the bill to the floor for further discussion.

U.S. senators have reached an agreement in the discussion of immigration reform with a measure that would secure the U.S. borders and legalize undocumented immigrant workers; the bill could legalize illegal aliens already in the U.S. The proposed immigration reform is not an amnesty, but a possible solution for the undocumented workers in the United States.

A new visa called a Z visa will be issued to undocumented immigrant workers allowing immigrants to live and work in the U.S. legally until their cases are reviewed. Only workers with proof of arrival in the states before January 1, 2007 may apply for a Z visa.

The Z visa is only part of the immigration reform bill still being debated in the U.S. senate. The proposed immigration bill has been praised by Mexican authorities; Mexico has the largest number of undocumented workers in the United States and this could be a major step in immigration reform and border control.

Although the Z visa may lead to permanent residency it comes with a fine of $5,000 per person and a return trip to their home country in order to be legally admitted to the U.S. Only the head of the family of undocumented workers has to return home for what can be up to five years before their case is complete and they can legally enter the United States. The time between the Z visa and the return trip can be up to two years during which the undocumented worker may live and work legally in the states.

After the individual’s application has been approved and has passed the background check then they may legally return to the United States and eventually obtain U.S. citizenship, a process that can take anywhere between 8 to 13 years.

With the current immigration reform debates the question of amnesty has often come up. Amnesty is more than just a pardon, it removes all legal remembrance of the offense and restores any persons guilty of an offense to the position of innocence.

The proposed immigration reform measure will not provide amnesty for those currently residing and working illegally in the United States. The Z visa will require illegal immigrants who want to stay in the United States to pay a penalty for breaking the law. Illegal immigrants will pay their debt to society by paying taxes, learning English, and work in a job for a number of years.

After meeting the requirements of the Z visa individuals may apply for citizenship. The Z visa is not amnesty, as it does not restore innocence to illegal immigrant workers, but it will allow those who have broken the immigration laws to prove themselves to be good citizens by working hard to follow the immigration reform measure being debated.

Welcome, visitors from San Bernardino! Our immigration law office is located about 35 miles west of San Bernardino. Whether you need assistance obtaining a work visa, green card or full citizen status, our law offices can help.