UK Prime Minister David Cameron's Immigration Speech

A week after President Obama announced his executive actions on immigration reform, UK Prime Minister David Cameron made his own immigration speech, saying: "Immigration benefits Britain, but it needs to be controlled."

Citing the dramatic increase in immigration since 2004, Mr. Cameron proposed to "reduce the current exceptionally high level of migration from within the EU into the UK" by returning net migration to 1990s levels, when "proper immigration controls meant immigration was in the tens of thousands, not hundreds of thousands."

To achieve this, he proposed to restrict time that EU-job seekers can legally stay in the UK to six months unless employment is found, change the alleged overly generous British welfare system so that those who claim benefits, tax credits, and child benefit must live and contribute for a minimum of four years, and increase residency requirements for social housing to four years.

Moreover, to decrease the level of undocumented and non-EU immigrants in the UK, Mr. Cameron pledged to continue to make "Britain a much harder place to exist as an illegal immigrant" by stopping undocumented immigrants from opening a bank account, obtaining a driver's license, and renting a home, as well as penalizing colleges who don't do enough to prevent foreign students from overstaying their visa.

Mr. Cameron made his self-admitted "radical" proposals after his failure to reduce immigration numbers, a promise he made before the 2010 election. 

Germany has warned that any attempt to stop the free movement of EU workers will not be tolerated, and Poland reacted with strong disapproval to Mr. Cameron's proposed four-year timeframe before foreign workers would be eligible for welfare benefits.

A Guardian editorial also criticized Mr. Cameron's use of the "stereotype of immigrant scroungers and its belief that unchecked immigration is one of the biggest problems facing Britain. This flies in the face of the evidence, which points to the fact that EU migrants put in more than they take out financially; that they use public services less than British citizens because many leave their families at home; and that the proportion of jobless EU migrants is tiny."

When it comes to the possibility of Britain leaving the EU if these issues cannot be resolved, Mr. Cameron said, "I rule nothing out." In the meantime as his immigration proposals are considered, Mr. Cameron wants to do more mentoring to help people with "'interview skills or CVs or just giving people a bit of confidence.'" Presumably, though, he does not mean immigrants since they have received "disproportionate numbers of jobs" in the UK.

SNL Explains Obama's Executive Action on Immigration Reform

For a recent cold open, Saturday Night Live explained in song how executive action works. Featuring a bill (Kenan Thompson), an executive order (Bobby Moynihan), and President Obama (Jay Pharaoh), in this clip (in lieu of our regular "Monday Quote") we learn from President Obama of the supposedly "even easier way to get things done around here."

A bill (Kenan Thompson) and an executive order (Bobby Moynihan) explain how government really works with a little help from President Obama (Jay Pharaoh).

My Favorite International Travel Apps

When I was twenty, I studied abroad in Barcelona. At that time, whenever I left my apartment, my bag had (at least) a Spanish/English dictionary, a map, a camera, a basic cell phone, a notebook and pen, a calling card, a train schedule—shall I go on? Without admitting my true age, technology has dramatically changed travel since then. Now, I can leave with only my iPhone and my credit card/cash and I can easily get around and communicate with locals wherever I am. I love—LOVE—to travel and the following apps are ones that will make any trip run as smoothly as possible.

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New York Times: "After Outcry, Britain Bars ‘Pickup Artist’ From Entering"

Julien Blanc, a "pickup artist" who leads dating boot camps around the world and whose advice he claims will "make girls beg to sleep with you," has been denied entry to the United Kingdom, The New York Times reports, becoming "possibly the first man ever denied a visa on grounds of sexism."

Home Secretary Theresa May made the decision to bar Mr. Blanc following international criticism over his dating seminars and a petition, signed by more than 150,000, that stated: “To allow this man into the UK legitimises sexual assault and predation, and sends a message that women are playthings or objects without agency.”

A Home Office spokesman said that the "'home secretary has the power to exclude an individual if she considers that his or her presence in the UK is not conducive to the public good or if their exclusion is justified on public policy grounds[.]'"

Mr. Blanc's methods and advice have been described as sexist and abusive, and earlier this year he was forced to leave Australia after protests and a social media campaign (#TakeDownJulienBlanc) raised awareness about his aggressive, offensive, and misogynistic tactics.

Other figures who have been denied entry to the UK include controversial anti-semitic French comedian Dieudonné M'bala M'bala, anti-Islam American bloggers Pamela Geller and Robert Spencer, and far-right Dutch MP Geert Wilders. 

As for the US, prominent figures denied visas or entry to the US include Boy George, after being charged with false imprisonment in the UK, singer Cat Stevens, whose plane was diverted to Maine and he was denied entry on "'national security grounds,'" and, until recently, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, whose visa had been denied after allegations that he stood by or even encouraged religious riots in which over 1000 people, mostly Muslim, were killed. Mr. Modi denied and was eventually cleared of these charges, and now he's up for TIME's Person of the Year, which is unlikely to happen for Mr. Blanc.

President Obama’s Executive Action on Immigration Reform

Last night President Obama made a long-awaited major announcement to the nation regarding the administration of the immigration system. Though short, the announcement will have an enormous impact on millions of people living in the United States without legal status. US Citizenship & Immigration Services (USCIS) today published a summary of the impending changes which provides a few more details but highlights the fact that there is much to be done to put these changes into effect. 

While all the details are yet to be released, the key piece of the announcement is a deferral of deportation for the millions of law-abiding undocumented immigrants who can prove that they were present in the US for at least five years, have US citizen or legal resident children, pass a background security check, and are willing to pay their “fair share” of taxes.

The President also announced some changes to the business immigration system designed to improve the chances for entrepreneurs and other business creators to remain in and enter the country in the future.

Before the announcement, the White House held a briefing with more details about each element of this plan. They include the expansion of the DACA program by eliminating the age limit (currently thirty-one years) for applicants who were brought to the US as children as well as expanding the period of validity of the deferred action to three years (currently two).

The plan also includes important tweaks to the enforcement priorities of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE, the enforcement wing of immigration), clarifying that priority must be placed on the apprehension and removal of non-citizens who present a risk to national security and public safety.  In addition, individuals who are the beneficiaries of approved immigrant petitions filed by their employers, but whose cases are held up in the severe immigrant visa backlogs, will be able to apply for adjustment of status. While this will not necessarily result in their Green Card being issued any faster, it may give them more flexibility in their career advancement.

While the details of each component of the President’s plan have not yet been fully released or digested by immigration lawyers and advocates (we are in the process of reviewing all the finer points of the President’s plan), it is clear that the announcement will have a significant effect on millions of people—authorized and undocumented immigrants alike. It is also clear that there will be a considerable pushback from Congress in January, when the Republicans take control of both chambers.

We will be tracking the President’s plan and its implementation, and will continue to post updates as they are available.

National Visa Center No Longer Collecting Original Civil Documents

Effective November 12, the National Visa Center (NVC) has discontinued collecting original civil documents in support of immigrant visa (IV) applications in an effort to "maintain the integrity of the IV process, reduce customer wait times, and improve the customer experience overall."

The National Visa Center is the US State Department agency tasked with processing immigrant visa applications (i.e., applications for Green Cards) after they have been initially approved by US Citizenship & Immigration Services (USCIS). Once the National Visa Center processes the application, they send the paperwork to the appropriate US Embassy or Consulate abroad where the final immigrant visa interview will take place.

Applicants will now be required to submit either electronically or via mail photocopies of supporting documents, including birth, marriage, and police certificates, and subsequently bring the original documents to their consular interview; however, this new procedures does not apply to the Affidavit of Support forms, which still must be submitted to NVC in original.

State Department: US and China To Extend Visas for Short-term Business Travelers, Tourists, and Students

The United States and the People’s Republic of China reciprocally increased the validity of short-term business, tourist, and student visas effective November 12, a move which coincided with President Obama's trip to China.

Secretary John Kerry, in remarks at the US Embassy in Beijing, said that with this change the US and China are "making an important investment in our relationship" which will "pay huge dividends for American and Chinese citizens, and it will strengthen both of our economies."

Chinese applicants may now be issued multiple-entry B visas for up to ten years—the longest visa validity possible under US law—for business and tourist travel, and Chinese students and exchange visitors who qualify are now eligible for F, M, or J-category multiple-entry visas valid for up to five years or the length of the school program.

In turn, US citizens are now eligible for multiple-entry, short-term business and tourist visas valid for up to ten years, while US students may receive student residency permits valid up to five years, depending on the length of the educational program.

The State Department says that in addition to the convenience and decreased cost for travelers, these visa changes will foster more international travel and exchange, enhance mutual understanding between China and the US, and increase the ease of trade and investment.

Since more nonimmigrant visas are processed in China than in any other country (with more than 1.95 million applications for Chinese nationals in fiscal year 2014) and student and exchange visitor visas issued to Chinese applicants represent thirty percent of all such visas issued globally, these changes will very likely have a significant impact for many Chinese nationals, not to mention frequent US travelers to China.

Business and tourist visa eligibility requirements as well as student visa requirements remain unchanged. For those curious, the State Department publishes visa reciprocity rules and tables for China and other countries.

With these visa changes, many anticipate more Chinese tourists to the US—at least in California, where Chinese nationals spent $2 billion last year—and possible long delays in visa processing at US Embassies or Consulates in China or other consular posts issuing visas to Chinese nationals.