Green Card Awards Way Down

[tonado]

http://immigration.about.com/b/a/112525.htm#more

 

"A report released by U.S. Immigration and Citizenship Services (USCIS, former INS) reveals that the number of people who are receiving green cards is down from 1 million to 700,00 from 2002 to 2003. That's more than a 30 percent drop in one year. Approved applications for adjustment of status went down by 50 percent. The number of employment based green cards fell by the same percentage. The lengthy report also indicates that deportations and fees had gone up, not a surprise to most of us who read immigration news."

[Mick]

I find it both alarming and regretful that AOS approvals have dropped by fifty percent. I wonder why this has happened? Is it that with the new security checks, carried out for the second time during the AOS process, have slowed things up so much that the centers process fewer applications per year, therefore have fewer approvals?

 

Or do you think this is just a part of the general tendency to stem the flow of legal, not illegal, immigration?

[Mick]

I think it is the latter for a number of reasons. Bottom line, the US is a much less welcome place these days. Given the extra hassles to even come for a visit, a lot of people go to places where they are welcomed. People who want to legally immigrate have seen timelines lengthen by 2 or 3 times what they used to be. Meanwhile, the borders are open.

I think this is both and injustice and a shame. But it ain't likely to change.