Best Posts in Thread: can a filipino get to usa? emigrate? or as OFW?

Several years ago while still living in the US we tried to arrange a visitor visa for my wife’s sister to visit us in the US. I remembered paying fees and filling out an affidavit of support and arranging her trip to Manila for an interview at the embassy. She was rejected for no reason but they said we can always try again. So we tried again later, the next year.

The next interview was scheduled for the old Cebu consulate, different than the current one at the waterfront hotel. I accompanied her this time to do whatever I could to confirm financial support but they refused to meet with me except for briefly informing me that they will never accept an unmarried female that has no real estate or money in the bank to come to, no professional job and no children. The person who told me that was Filipino and spoke visaya. I had heard that the embassy did hire some locals at the time for interviews. So she was rejected again with a statement that she can try again in x months.

Then we tried her other sister who was rejected in Manila; we had heard that our previous senator, Jesse Helms, had a good reputation for helping Filipinos visit and immigrate to the US. Unfortunately he had retired and was replaced by Elizabeth Dole. My wife spoke with her aide; it was rather emotional as I recall but they ultimately sent her a letter saying that she must accept the state department decision. In the meantime, we noted that Filipinos coming here for business seminars or owned successful businesses and or had substantial bank accounts were successful in getting visas.

The US Immigration attorney who suggested we contact a senator or congressman said point blank that the interviewers often turned them down for a variety of personal reasons (there is no legal right for foreigners to get a US visa) such as jealousy, prejudice and the fact that they cannot get in trouble by not approving but do get in trouble if they approve too many overstayers. I do think it is worth it to try, you will lose only a few hundred dollars in application fees. Chances are, if the person is solid middle class and married with kids, the person may get approved. But do not get your hopes too high and prepare for disappointment.

We could never help but notice how illegals could cross into the country so easily and stay even after being caught, but those who tried to follow the process were unsuccessful so often.


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I totally disagree with that assertion. Casual employment in the Philippines is extremely difficult to find. I can walk into downtown Dumaguete and inside of a few minutes I can find dozens of people who can't find any sort of work doing any sort of thing. legal or not.

Additionally, how can you possibly compare the compensation rate for employment in the US versus the Philippines? It is incrediby absurd to not see why people seek out illegal alien status in the US over abject poverty in the Philippines. An under-the-radar job in New York as a restaurant dishwasher can support a family of 10 in the Philippines (as well as the illegal dishwasher in New York.)

Although there is no access to Social Security, the laws in the US allow free health care by use of hospital emergency rooms and access to public school, no questions asked.

 

Although I support your proposal of Canada as an alternative route for illegal immigration (tongue in cheek lol), illegals who want to work in the US usually can and in doing so not only vastly improve their standards of living but they send money home and support their families there as well. Historically, if they could make it to US soil, they could find a way to stay for several years and even a lifetime. They definitely do get free medical care and if they have kids, the kids get free schooling. Most don’t come in for the freebies like medical care they can’t get back home, or food stamps etc., they come to make money.

People can argue that this should be OK since they work hard (very true) and usually become fine members of society, however, there are only so many jobs and due to the lower pay they are willing to accept, they crowd out low income US citizens and increase poverty. They burden local school systems and welfare programs. Actually many of the richer employers prefer having them around due to their good work ethic and lower pay requirements. But their disruption of society and the social systems is great on the poorer segments of US society.

Coming in illegally is grossly unfair to people from other countries who wait in line and try to come in legally.

Illegal immigrant activists seem to have the opinion that anybody who wishes to come to the US should be allowed to do so, as if it were a human right. Many in the US find that attitude to be the height of arrogance.

And there are also the bad elements that sneak over the US border as well but that is not the majority. Some smuggle drugs and children. They almost all come for economic reasons, money. It us almost never for true political asylum as if once was for Cubans or Vietnamese after the war.

If it were as bad for them in the US as you contemplate, they would simply go back...but they don’t; in fact more try to come in as they see there illegal friends and relative send money home with stories about his great they have it in the US.

There are plenty of Philippine overstayers in the US. They don’t want to come back here. They make a LOT more money in the US (even when balancing the higher costs to live there) and have better housing and opportunity even as lawn cutters and domestic helpers.

In the Phils a poor person can die of starvation or illness if they cannot afford medical care but in the US, for those who can manage to get in illegally, nobody starves or is denied medical care (unless you are a middle class US citizen ...a different discussion). Uncertain prospects? Sure, but better than no prospects at all. In our household we do not support illegal immigration to the US but fully support the legal route. It seems unfair to my wife that her sisters could not come in as visitors while illegals from countries bordering the US just needed to wait until the River was low and walk right in and even if caught on US soil, be allowed to stay AND WORK until a court hearing for which they simply never show up.

Recently a lot of that has changed and that is s good thing for the poorer citizens in the US and in certain localities near the border whose social systems are severely overburdened.


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My friend, a graduate of Silliman University with a B.S. in Nursing, tried three times to get a visitor visa, even for a baptism for which he was godfather. In order to qualify, one step is TO TRAVEL TO MANILA to the US Embassy for an interview. He did that three times and got rejected three times. The agent, seeing this as his third attempt, clued him in and told him there is NO WAY he will qualify for a visitor visa because he is a nurse without a job in the Philippines. He could continue to spend money THAT HE REALLY COULD NOT AFFORD to try again, he was told. But he was assured he would always be rejected. It's not the paperwork that's the problem. Each application requires travel to Manila and the commensurate expenses. But, of course, I am sure you have an asnwer for that, too.

 

Therein lies the challenge.

 

Same in the UK - we send boats out to bring them in. So, come in via a legal Visa (months of waiting and thousands of pounds in costs) or have no Visa and get helped in, given cash and other benefits, no legal fees to be paid. Why is legality always so much more difficult than illegality - does it have to be that way?

 

Due to cultural matters in this country and mainly in larger centers or City's you will find a lot of out of work people..That mainly stems from more family to live off of and share with. I have hired local gardeners , waitress's and cooks who seem to last for one payday and then don't show up again..Presently i have very reliable and hard working staff from Tayasan, Mabinay, and Dipolog.. They have all been here for a year and i pay the same as a local, but i treat them well and little things like a birthday cake and some ice cream goes a long way here to keeping staff.

 

It is not a simple question to answer. You probably need to consult an immigration attorney but you could gain some insight by checking the appropriate travel.gov websites.

You start by looking at a VISITOR visa

“Generally, a citizen of a foreign country who wishes to enter the United States must first obtain a visa, either a nonimmigrant visa for a temporary stay, or an immigrant visa for permanent residence. Visitor visas are nonimmigrant visas for persons who want to enter the United States temporarily for business (visa category B-1), for tourism (visa category B-2), or for a combination of both purposes (B-1/B-2)”.

https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/us-visas/tourism-visit/visitor.html

Or you could look at IMMIGRATION on travel.gov;

“Are you interested in immigrating to the United States or want to sponsor someone? The United States provides for immigrant visas based on family ties, employment, adoption, special immigrant categories, and the diversity visa”

https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/us-visas/immigrate.htm

Good luck.