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REGION: Issa proposes eliminating 'visa lottery'
Visas would be given to highly educated foreigners
By EDWARD SIFUENTES - Staff Writer | ∞
A bill introduced Tuesday by a North County congressman would scrap a decades-old program that gives people from around the world what could be their only opportunity to come to the United States.
U.S. Rep. Darrell Issa, R-Vista, is proposing to reallocate the 55,000 visas available under the so-called Diversity Visa program.
The program now awards visas to random applicants from all over the globe.
Issa's bill, House Resolution 609, would narrow the pool to those foreigners who graduate from American universities with advanced degrees in science, math, engineering and technology.
Issa said it makes no sense to give random people the visas when the country could benefit from highly skilled workers.
"We should run our immigration system, whenever possible, the way you would run a business," Issa said in a phone interview Tuesday. "You take the best and the brightest."
The diversity visa, also known as the visa lottery because applicants are chosen randomly, offers people from countries that traditionally do not send many immigrants to the U.S. an opportunity to come here regardless of their work skills, family ties or employment opportunities.
Marshall Fitz, a director of advocacy for the American Immigration Lawyers Association, said the visa lottery program has come under attack in recent years from people who want to restrict immigration. He said his organization supports raising the number of visas available for skilled workers, not dismantling the diversity visa program.
"We believe that you need to fix the programs," Fitz said. The 55,000 visas in the program are "a drop in the bucket."
In general, there are four ways foreigners can get permission to move to the United States: They can be sponsored by an American citizen relative or, in some cases, a legal resident relative; they can be sponsored by an employer; they can claim refugee or asylum status; or they can win a visa lottery.
The visa lottery is only for residents of countries that aren't already sending large numbers of people here. Typically, Africans and Eastern Europeans receive the bulk of the visas. Ineligible are people from India, Brazil, Canada, China and Mexico.
The number of visas given out is set by Congress; the last adjustment was more than a decade ago. The basic framework was put into place in 1965.
In 2005, the House voted 273-148 to eliminate the program as part of House Resolution 4437. The bill was touted as a border protection, anti-terrorism and illegal immigration control measure. The House and Senate failed to reach a compromise and the bill died.
Late last year, former Republican presidential contender Mike Huckabee also proposed eliminating the diversity visa program.
U.S. Rep. Brian Bilbray, R-Solana Beach, who co-sponsored Issa's bill, said it's time to scrap the program because it raises concerns over national security. He said many of the people who are admitted under the program come from Third World countries where the applicant's information cannot be verified.
"The visa lottery is an anachronism," Bilbray said. "It's antiquated, obsolete and dangerous."
Fitz said the applicants in the program go through the same scrutiny that all immigrants go through.
"I think that argument is a red herring," Fitz said. "There's no more risk on this program than any other program."
Contact staff writer Edward Sifuentes at (760) 740-3511 or esifuentes@nctimes.com.
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Robinson wrote on May 20, 2008 11:16 PM:The visa lottery is Dangerous! Ahhhhh! Be afraid. Be so afraid that you will trust the fools on capitol hill to take care of things for you.
John wrote on May 20, 2008 11:19 PM:Issa wants to run immigration like a business. Maybe he should start running his own party like a business before he tinkers with the immigration system.
Sierra Club Bill wrote on May 21, 2008 12:53 AM:Good idea. Keep the population down. Last thing we need is more uneducated people to further crowd this country.
dave from oceanside wrote on May 21, 2008 5:18 AM:These are the type of immigrants our country needs, people that can support themselves and make a contribution to science and engineering.
This type of immigration I support, as long as their numbers are not driving wages down for U.S. scientists and engineers and after all background checks are passed.
Jim wrote on May 21, 2008 6:00 AM:Well isn't that nice. He wants to pick and choose who should come here. Hey, at least they would be coming here legally and by the book. Why screw with what few might have a dream fullfilled. why does'nt he better our schools and produce people with advanced degrees in science, math, engineering and technology. Making this a better country from within. That is the problem with the people in charge; they ar ealways looking for a quick fix. With them it is always the knee-jerk response.
Howiek wrote on May 21, 2008 6:36 AM:Uh Huh! Seems these clowns, Issa and Bilbray, seem to have just a bit too much time on their collective hands! And the taxpayer picks up the tab!
Randy wrote on May 21, 2008 7:14 AM:Issa never claimed to be the sharpest tool in the shed, but I wish he would just stop.
Barbara wrote on May 21, 2008 8:42 AM:I would rather have college educated LEGAL immigrants who will assimulate and contribute to our great country than all these ILLEGAL immigrants who just come here to soak the American taxpayers for free food, cheap housing, and free medical care!
US wrote on May 21, 2008 8:51 AM:It is quite obvious that you all don't know anything about how the system and program work. It is a Shot in the Dark, on who gets these visas. Any step to curb these ridiculous programs is a step well taken!
To Barbara wrote on May 21, 2008 9:16 AM:What world do you live in ma'am? Just where is "free food, cheap housing, and free medical care" available? So are you in agreement with Issa and Bilbray or not? Your comment is random and vague. I don't know what your position is and I am just curious.
One of them wrote on May 21, 2008 10:38 AM:What makes Issa and company think that the interlectuals would want to stay here.Further more, any foriegner with skills that we need, can apply for a visa and get one quite easy.
Issa is beyond ridiculous wrote on May 21, 2008 11:17 AM:Issa says yes to more spending on Bush's illegal war, and many other unfair and inhumane issue now he wants to stop the very process that made our Country great. Has he lost his mind?
Cal wrote on May 21, 2008 12:26 PM:An election year PR ploy. After failing at the war, the economy and healthcare, Issa has to have something to tout at the end of his term. I'm still going to vote for Bob Hamilton this November.
John E wrote on May 21, 2008 3:27 PM:The American Dream is real. The number of people who would like to move here continues to exceed the number we can assimilate, and this will be true for the foreseeable future. Are we not, as a society, entitled to choose our own immigrants in a manner which works to the best interest of everyone who is already here?
Hey NCT wrote on May 21, 2008 4:10 PM:Why do you refuse to print the TRUTH about the costs involved with health care at these "nonprofit" clinics?
John wrote on May 21, 2008 4:34 PM:Put them ALL on an equal footing! No lottery! And no more "sponsorships" for an entire to come into the U.S. under the guise of "family" regardless of where they are coming from! We have ENOUGH immigrants here!
Sleeping but Awake wrote on May 21, 2008 4:36 PM:Well done Issa and Bilbray. You should protect us from uneducated and needy people coming from foreign lands. These illiterate and dangerous people are never going to make good citizens, or teach their children to love our country. Afterall, when we give people yearning to be free and eager to enter America and work hard and be productive a apth to citizenship only terrible things can happen. No one should be allowed to enter the country if they are needy, no one, this is not what this country stands for. Lets all rush out to the statue of liberty and tear down that silly unamerican and outdated plaque that reads -
Give me your tired, your poor,
Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free,
The wretched refuse of your teeming shore.
Send these, the homeless, tempest-tossed, to me:
I lift my lamp beside the golden door.
Issa and Bibray are right to bar the poor from America and know best here - compassion and outreach to everyone in need are outmoded priciples indeed. Replace these terrible words on our Statue of Librety with a quote from Issa - it makes no sense to give random people the visas when the country could benefit from highly skilled workers.
Issa, just when we thought you could sink no lower in your contempt for everything American you show us that we are wrong, you can and will. I am ashamed to live in a county where people like you rape our values as Americans and hijack the principles that have supported our country long before you or your ancestors stepped foot on our shores. And long after you are removed from power. Shame.
Wild Kat wrote on May 21, 2008 4:41 PM:Hmm, I wonder how some of your grandparents felt when they first came to the U.S. Most of our great grandparents were not born in the U.S. The solution is to make the process from student or employee to a legal permanent resident. Take a close look at the diversity visa. It is not for "uneducated" there are strict guidlines. Most of the applicants already spent part of their education in the US before they decided to apply because there was no other was to get permanent residency...
toSleeping but Awake wrote on May 21, 2008 5:23 PM:Keep on living in your dream world, it makes perfect sense to you.
Naturalized Citizen wrote on May 21, 2008 7:45 PM:I came into this country the "correct" and legal way and became a naturalized citizen.NO ONE should be able to circumvent the system, election year or not. Issa is running unopposed in his party this year. This needs to change and he needs to face reality. He's a piece of work, just like Villagrosa in LA! Opps, he's gone because of term limits. Might be time to think about that in SD and Oceanside!!
Blaine wrote on May 21, 2008 8:12 PM:The 'present immigration system' favors no one. If you are lucky enough to be chosen you get a visa, rich or poor alike. Issa apparently doesn't like the concept of this random fairness. For the record: a properly visaed student is a documented, perfectly legal, non-immigrant alien. They must have money in their own country in the first place to get the M1/F1 or J1 visa. So Issa's plan favors well connected people with money as I see it. Like Middle Easterners maybe? Sorry chump, send them elsewhere. We can barely educate & support our own citizens. Pound Sand Jihad Darrell!!
Sleeping but Awake wrote on May 21, 2008 9:36 PM:The statue of liberty and the principles which it represents is no dream. The nightmare is that people choose to circumvent these principles. The good news is that these people are usually not in power.
Blaine wrote on May 26, 2008 9:58 AM:I can see by reading the comments that very few have any idea what the visa lottery actually is. It is a program for people OUTSIDE the USA, waiting to emigrate here. These are the folks who are willing to play by the rules. This does not apply to the illegal tweakers on welfare we support here already. Issa is saying he doesn't want a bunch of illiterate Mexican dishwashers, he wants middle easterners with technical degrees like 'interlectuals' (sic), and this simply isn't fair. Do a GOOGLE search on Issa and believe every word. Isaa certainly isn't the sharpest chainsaw in he medicine cabinet.
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