Visa Reform

Introduction: According to an essay by Jack Runyan published online by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986 (IRCA) was passed by Congress and signed into law in an effort to control unauthorized immigration to the United States based on the belief that illegal immigration lowered wages in the U.S. and contributed to unemployment levels for U.S. citizens. Employer sanctions, increased appropriations for border patrol and enforcement, and the amnesty provisions of this Act were considered the three best ways to accomplish the objectives of the Act. IRCA has been amended several times and underwent major restructuring in 2003 as a result of the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001. The federal Immigration and Naturalization Act (INA) now provides the basic framework for regulating the flow of visitors, workers and immigrants to the United States (Runyan, 2001).

According to the U.S. Department of State's official website, the State Department is committed to facilitating the travel of visitors to the United States, but considers protection of national security the highest priority in matters relating to the issuance of visas. A citizen of a foreign country wishing to enter the United States generally must first obtain a visa. The two basic forms are a nonimmigrant visa for temporary stays, and an immigrant visa for individuals seeking permanent residence. A visa allows visitors to travel to a U.S. port-of-entry suc

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ool. Most visa applicants can expect to be interviewed and fingerprinted as part of the visa application process. In addition to being satisfied that the applicant intends to honor the terms of the visa by returning home, the consular officer must evaluate the security risk presented by the applicant. According to an article written by Jonathan Margulies and published in Chronicle of Higher Education (2002), visa processing delays are widespread and primarily affect males ages 16 through 45. The federal government is focusing even more attention on visa applications received from citizens of twenty six countries identified by the State Department as potential harbors for terrorism. Visa applications from these countries, including Iran, Syria, Malaysia, and Saudi Arabia must undergo an additional period of security screening and their applications are subject to greater scrutiny by U.S. officials before visas may be issued. Not surprisingly, the increased paperwork and lengthy delays have resulted in some visa applicants electing to travel to countries other than the United States. To the extent that the individuals denied visas or discouraged about the complexity of the visa application process possessed skills or experience

Category: Government - V