VTMBH Article: Body
Recently, Mr. Han, a 30-year-old resident of Woodside, Queens, was awakened by a loud telephone ring early in the morning. It was a call from his wife in Korea. I am hearing news that the United States may limit its tourist visa to only 30 days. What can we do now? Hearing the his wifes complaint, Mr. Han could do nothing but sigh.
According to the Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS), more than 800 spouses of U.S. permanent residents apply for family immigration visas each year in Korea. It is no secret that many more married couples simply quit applying for immigration visas because of difficult hurdles that they must jump.
In Korea, spouses of U.S. permanent residents routinely wait for immigration visas for five years or more. Whats more, after applying for immigration visas, many dont even get tourist visas to visit briefly with their spouses in the United States temporarily the waiting period. According to U.S. immigration laws, every foreign national must convince that he or she has no intention of permanently staying in the United States before applying for non-immigration visas. The U.S. embassy in Korea strictly followed immigration laws and internally decided that spouses of U.S. permanent residents may very well end up staying in the United States.
Because of difficulties reuniting with their U.S.-based family members, many Korean spouses do not even apply for immigration visas. Instead, they come to the United States on tourist visas, which may be changed to longer-term student visas once in the country. Then, many spouses simply wait for their husbands or wives to become naturalized U.S. citizens. When the U.S. government announced it was considering limiting visa stays and prohibiting status changes within the country, those Korean spouses became very unsettled.
Mr. Han is in exactly this situation. His wife is trying to enter the United States on a tourist, not on an immigration visa. Her tourist visa was already rejected once last year. She applied again this year, but Mr. Han added that his wife might be rejected again.
Mr. Han says he has no options. He cannot unite with his wife now. He also does not want to wait five more years to become naturalized. Mr. Han does not understand why students or spouses of those with work permits can come to the United States, but spouses of permanent residents, like himself, cannot.
Last year, the government instituted so-called V visas, which permit entry to those spouses of permanent residents who have been waiting for three or more years. But the three year clause excludes many, including recently married couples. It is also a temporary program, in effect only until 2003.
Mrs. Yun, a 29-year-old resident of Fort Lee, N. J., initially expected she would see her husband soon. They thought he would be able to come on a V visa. But they soon found out that they were one month short of the visas 3-year-clause.
Mrs. Yun was disappointed. I think the V visas three year clause and its temporary nature dissastisfied many people. She added that her husband is now trying to apply for a work visa. This time, I hope he will be successful.
To rectify the problem, Rep. Lane Evans (D-Ill.) has introduced an amendment (HR 1345) to establish a visa appeals committee within the State Department to monitor visa-related activities of U.S. embassies or consulates. Last year, Evans called for complete reconsideration of U.S. embassys visa policy. Even separated families of North and South Korea are now getting together, she said. The separated families in South Korea and the United States should be reunited. However, her amendment is not even under review because of the recent backlash against immigrants and immigration policies.
<i>The Korea Central Daily News is the U.S. edition of JoonAng Ilbo.</i>
According to the Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS), more than 800 spouses of U.S. permanent residents apply for family immigration visas each year in Korea. It is no secret that many more married couples simply quit applying for immigration visas because of difficult hurdles that they must jump.
In Korea, spouses of U.S. permanent residents routinely wait for immigration visas for five years or more. Whats more, after applying for immigration visas, many dont even get tourist visas to visit briefly with their spouses in the United States temporarily the waiting period. According to U.S. immigration laws, every foreign national must convince that he or she has no intention of permanently staying in the United States before applying for non-immigration visas. The U.S. embassy in Korea strictly followed immigration laws and internally decided that spouses of U.S. permanent residents may very well end up staying in the United States.
Because of difficulties reuniting with their U.S.-based family members, many Korean spouses do not even apply for immigration visas. Instead, they come to the United States on tourist visas, which may be changed to longer-term student visas once in the country. Then, many spouses simply wait for their husbands or wives to become naturalized U.S. citizens. When the U.S. government announced it was considering limiting visa stays and prohibiting status changes within the country, those Korean spouses became very unsettled.
Mr. Han is in exactly this situation. His wife is trying to enter the United States on a tourist, not on an immigration visa. Her tourist visa was already rejected once last year. She applied again this year, but Mr. Han added that his wife might be rejected again.
Mr. Han says he has no options. He cannot unite with his wife now. He also does not want to wait five more years to become naturalized. Mr. Han does not understand why students or spouses of those with work permits can come to the United States, but spouses of permanent residents, like himself, cannot.
Last year, the government instituted so-called V visas, which permit entry to those spouses of permanent residents who have been waiting for three or more years. But the three year clause excludes many, including recently married couples. It is also a temporary program, in effect only until 2003.
Mrs. Yun, a 29-year-old resident of Fort Lee, N. J., initially expected she would see her husband soon. They thought he would be able to come on a V visa. But they soon found out that they were one month short of the visas 3-year-clause.
Mrs. Yun was disappointed. I think the V visas three year clause and its temporary nature dissastisfied many people. She added that her husband is now trying to apply for a work visa. This time, I hope he will be successful.
To rectify the problem, Rep. Lane Evans (D-Ill.) has introduced an amendment (HR 1345) to establish a visa appeals committee within the State Department to monitor visa-related activities of U.S. embassies or consulates. Last year, Evans called for complete reconsideration of U.S. embassys visa policy. Even separated families of North and South Korea are now getting together, she said. The separated families in South Korea and the United States should be reunited. However, her amendment is not even under review because of the recent backlash against immigrants and immigration policies.
<i>The Korea Central Daily News is the U.S. edition of JoonAng Ilbo.</i>