Leaked: Obama's Comprehensive Immigration Reform Plan

President Obama's version of comprehensive immigration reform was leaked this past Sunday to the public, amid an uproar from the GOP, with Senator Marco Rubio (part of the bipartisan "Gang of 8" senators working towards immigration reform) calling it "dead on arrival".

Critics were quick to assail the administration's plan, with many in the House and Senate arguing that immigration reform should be a product of the Congress, not the White House. Assuming this is what the White House is proposing (or indirectly telling Congress that this is what immigration reform should look like, lest the bill be vetoed), there are some notable features that are worth mentioning.

First, the President's plan calls for a new type of visa, a "Lawful Prospective Immigrant" visa for the nation's 11 million plus undocumented immigrants. Next, there are the oft-mentioned provisions that call for increased employer scrutiny with regard to new hires by using E-Verify, increased border security, and most significantly, an 8-year path to lawful permanent residency.

 This 8-year path is certain to raise some eyebrows, as many were operating under the premise that any immigration reform plan would require immigrants to "wait at the back of the line". That "line" is, for some prospective immigrants, over 15 years long (brothers and sisters of adult US citizens from Mexico and the Philippines in the F4 family preference category). And don't forget the English-speaking and criminal background check requirements many pundits believe will be a part of any immigration reform bill, no matter where it originates from.

Comprehensive immigration reform won't be easy. There are too many competing interests and ideologies, not to mention a certain measure of hostility from certain voting blocs, for this to be a quick and easy process. Expect more wrangling, name-calling, threats, and back room deal-making in the weeks and months to come... For more information on this, or any other immigration matter, please visit   www.kpimmigrationlaw.com or call this office at 949-440-3240.