Greencard » Health care

Immigrants watching health care debate

admin — Tue, 19 Jan 2010 16:02:37 +0000

Immigrants are concerned about two policies as the House and Senate try to reach a compromise on health care reform. But even advocates for immigrants acknowledge that any attempt to ease restrictions could spark emotional opposition.

One concern focuses on whether illegal immigrants would be allowed to buy health insurance on private markets, called exchanges, which are envisioned in the legislation. The House bill would let them, the Senate bill would not.

The other concern is that both versions of the legislation maintain a five-year waiting period for legal permanent residents to participate in Medicaid for the poor. Advocates contend that these greencard holders should be allowed in Medicaid immediately, as Congress agreed last year for a program for pregnant women and children.

Read this entire story in the Monday, January 18, 2010 print edition of The Baxter Bulletin.

Comprehensive redux

admin — Sun, 20 Dec 2009 18:00:56 +0000

The Comprehensive Immigration Reform for America’s Security and Prosperity Act (CIR ASAP) was introduced last week by Rep. Luis V. Gutierrez, Illinois Democrat.

The co-sponsors are a mix of mostly left-wing groups, and the bill is a hodgepodge of different ideas and political compromises all too common in today’s Washington. Consequently, few are enthusiastic about it, and many will be outraged.

Republican opposition leaders state that it would exacerbate the unemployment problem during a recession. That economic fallacy, and the readiness with which it is believed, could kill the good in this bill.

Besides a genuine desire to overhaul our flawed immigration system, there are other motivations to introduce CIR ASAP at this time. The health care bill is in serious trouble, and Democrats need a distraction. They also are worried about the midterm election. Throwing a bone to the pro-immigration camp, particularly Hispanics, could help increase turnout and shift votes to Democrats. Regardless, CIR ASAP is the beginning of another long political battle that will stretch long into next year.

Many of today’s highly skilled immigrants come in on H-1B visas. Rules and caps on the number of these visas issued each year hamper economic growth and entrepreneurship. H-1Bs and former H-1Bs have been in on the ground floor of new firms. As of 2008, one-third of all companies founded in Silicon Valley had Indian or Chinese immigrants as co-founders.

Moreover, expanding enterprises rely on H-1B workers to fill needed slots. According to the nonpartisan National Foundation for American Policy, each H-1B visa requested increases employment by five workers. Foreign skilled workers need support and management, so they typically do not substitute, but complement American labor. A firm willing to employ H-1B foreign workers employs Americans alongside them.

The CIR ASAP should just eliminate the cap for H-1B visas or, as has been suggested, recycle unused H-1B visas from the past. Instead, it creates a government agency to suggest “market” changes to the system. Markets do a much better job as markets.

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Immigrants come and will continue to come because of economic opportunity. Yet typically it takes 15 to 20 years for a low-skilled laborer to get a greencard – if he’s lucky. Highly skilled workers and H-1B visa applicants fare hardly better. Anyone ambitious enough to seek a better life in a new country isn’t going to wait for a labyrinthine bureaucracy.

Without a legal path to entry, many will continue to break the law and the economy will continue to suffer. CIR ASAP offers some positive reforms, but the politically motivated E-Verify program would be a disaster.

Read the full story on Washington Times.

Apply for naturalization at Association House of Chicago’s citizenship workshop

admin — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 18:29:29 +0000

Association House of Chicago will kick off its first of a series of monthly citizenship workshops on Nov. 21. The event will assist qualifying lawful permanent residents (Greencard) with everything they need to fill out the application for naturalization. Bilingual volunteers will be on hand to assist in filling out the application. Lawyers will also be present to screen for any possible legal issues.
In addition to assistance in filling out the application for citizenship, the workshop will offer the following services: low-interest loans for the cost of applying for citizenship, applications for food stamps and health care for children and the opportunity to open a bank account with National City.

Applicants should bring their green card, Social Security card and driver’s license or state ID, a money order payable to USCIS for $675, two passport photos and the personal information detailed on the Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights page at icirr.org.

Future workshops will be held on the third Saturday of every month at various locations in Chicago. For more information, call Caitlin Elsaesser at (773) 772-7170 ext. 3022.

Unexpectedly, the House Passes Health Care Reform Without Imposing a Waiting Period for Recent Immigrants

admin — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 18:25:33 +0000

On November 7, the House of Representatives passed H.R. 3962, the Affordable Health Care for America Act, a bill that in part creates health insurance subsidies for people with low incomes. Congress was strongly lobbied to delay access to these subsidies for Lawful Permanent Residents (LPRs), or “greencard” holders, by imposing a five-year waiting period. Ultimately, however, the final version of the bill passed without as much as an amendment offered to impose a waiting period of any duration on LPRs. This may be a sign that the tide is shifting on the broader issue of immigration, as Republican leadership decided at the last minute not to force a vote on an immigration provision within the bill, as reported by Jennifer Bendery of RollCall. She suggests that by not pressing the immigration issue in the House the GOP was placating Hispanic Republicans. It is also likely that Republicans concluded it was in their political interest to focus instead on splitting the House Democrats on the issue of federal subsidies for health care programs that cover abortion with the so-called Stupak-Pitt Amendment. That amendment, which became part of the final bill in the House, has since undeniably become the most controversial aspect of the House bill for the Democratic majority.

[Read the full story at Masliah Soloway]