From: boaz@concerto.lcs.mit.edu (Boaz Ben-Zvi)
Newsgroups: alt.visa.us
Subject: RE: alien spouse married to USA citizen, getting green card
Date: 4 Sep 92 22:54:57 GMT
Reply-To: boaz@lcs.mit.edu
Organization: Laboratory for Computer Science, MIT

In article <1992Sep3.184346.23373@elroy.jpl.nasa.gov>, ktong@shannon.jpl.nasa.gov (Kevin Tong) writes:

|> The bottom line is that it is almost automatic that the spouse [of a US
|> citizen] will get a green card (assuming non suspicious marriage). 

Unless the spouse has a home residency requirement on a J visa !!!

|> ========   The horror story behind the above story =======
|> 
|> [going to Canada on the honeymoon while spouse is still a non-resident]

|> ==========================

|> 	If you have any anecdotes or comments, feel free to post.  
|> Sometimes actual stories of real situations is more informational that 
|> just the plain recitation of the immigration law.

I have too many. Here are some relevant ones:

1. First a Comment: How about that those US-citizen readers send all those 
   INS complaints to your representatives ?  I can do so too but probably
   would find it hard to hide my non-resident status, hence the rep. would 
   not care much (same attitude as the INS has; e.g., have you ever tried 
   to reach them by phone ? )
2. Crossing the Canadian border: US/Canadian citizens can actually do it
   without a passport or other credible ID. The main tool used by the INS
   guys at the border is listening to the person's accent !!  It is indeed
   a powerful tool; someone who did not grow up here would find it hard
   to come up with a "clean" accent. Anecdotes:
    A. I heard of INS (or the Canadians) trying to tell apart US citizens
       from Canadians by asking questions like: "What's the last letter in
       the alphabet ?" (It is ZEE in the US, ZED in Canada :-)
    B. I myself saw a young lady crossing into Canada by showing only her
       library-card !! (That was just a hand-written paper card).
3. I believe that as far as entry visas, US consuls abroad have a super
   power; NO ONE can challenge them. Also visas can not be issued inside
   the US. (Correct me if wrong).
      The anecdote: Shortly before the end of WW2, the US agreed to take
   in temporarily a group of over 900 refugees. They were put in a closed
   camp somewhere in NY state. When the war was over, there was a lot of 
   public pressure to let them in, and eventually president Truman himself
   signed some paper allowing them. However they needed visas, so they were
   all sent into Canada for that purpose!! I.e., even the president could
   not do it !!
4. Advice: The INS officials often don't undestand the rules themselves, 
   and sometimes arguing with them (politely !!!) helps.

-- Boaz

===============================================================================
  _              _            __         __ ___  _ _   __ ___    ____      ___
 /_) _  _  __   /_) _   __ __ _/    o     |   |   \| __ |   |     /    \ |   |
/__)(_)(_|__/  /__)(_'_/ /   /__\/_(        __|_ __\    | __|_     \  __\| __|_
          __)                                           |                      
===============================================================================
 Boaz Ben-Zvi <boaz@lcs.mit.edu>     MIT Addr: NE43-526   Tel: (617) 253-6212 
===============================================================================