Borderwise: App and a lawyer for immigrants, for $1

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/inspired-life/wp/2017/02/13/why-these-philadelphia-lawyers-are-helping-immigrants-seek-a-green-card-for-only-1/

by hackuser • 9 years ago

63 43 9 years ago

washingtonpost.com

gnopgnip• 9 years ago

How can low income immigrants qualify for permanent residence in the US if they do not earn enough to support themselves?

ceejayoz• 9 years ago

They can be related to a US citizen (parent/child/spouse), have received a job offer in some skilled fields but be currently out of work or underemployed, be a refugee, etc.

wiz21c2• 9 years ago

spot on. I work on a database tracking the help given by the State to maaaany refugees, poors, whatever you call them, etc. The situations in which those people are very often extremely complex, confusing, etc. If one focus on money only, or self-determination, then you end up with a very tough, unfriendly, non human system...

ucaetano• 9 years ago

$10,000 - $30,000 is enough to support yourself in most places across the country. Yearly minimum wage @ 40hrs/week is $15,080.

hackuser8• 9 years ago

Is there a rule saying they can't? I hope they can; my attitude toward immigration is that those are the people that need help and will benefit the most. From a statue in NY harbor:

Not like the brazen giant of Greek fame,

With conquering limbs astride from land to land;

Here at our sea-washed, sunset gates shall stand

A mighty woman with a torch, whose flame

Is the imprisoned lightning, and her name

MOTHER OF EXILES. From her beacon-hand

Glows world-wide welcome; her mild eyes command

The air-bridged harbor that twin cities frame.

"Keep, ancient lands, your storied pomp!" cries she

With silent lips. "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-tost to me,

I lift my lamp beside the golden door!"

mynameishere• 9 years ago

Did you know that awful poetry tacked onto unrelated statuary does not dictate public policy? The entire media doesn't know this, so it's no shame if you don't either.

hasenj3• 9 years ago

Bringing people to a foreign land does not really help them that much. It is a much better form of help if you were to help them fix their own countries.

Having to adjust to a new culture is not really fun (unless you had an interest in that culture for some reason; but this did not apply to "poor"immigrants).

matthewowen3• 9 years ago

When he married an American woman and could then apply for a green card, he figured with his legal background he’d have no trouble filling out the paperwork himself. But the forms were so overly complicated and frustratingly counterintuitive that he gave up and hired an immigration attorney.

When I applied for my green card I thought the whole process was pretty simple and straightforward. I do think it might be harder for someone with more complicated circumstances, or who doesn't speak english as a first language. But I do find it surprising how hard many people with (what seem to me to be) simple cases think it is...

tptacek3• 9 years ago

You may not be aware of this, but lawful permanent resident status in the US is based on a quota system by country of origin. Immigrants from Central America can experience wait times for LPR status approaching twenty years. I haven't kept a consistently non-expired drivers license or license plate tag for more than 2 years. But if you screw up any of the procedural details of an LPR application in the US --- for instance, failing to timely notify any time your residence changes for any reason --- the penalty isn't a ticket, but rather the likely forfeiture of your application.

So no, the process is not pretty simple and straightforward for a great many applicants.

matthewowen3• 9 years ago

As I mentioned in my original comment, I'm sure there are circumstances different from my own that are much more challenging.

I can only speak to the experience coming from the UK (and I confess to assuming that the experience from Canada is comparable), and that's where I find surprise: people from the UK who presumably went through the same experience as me often claim that it's impossible to navigate without a lawyer. That's just not true.

pvg• 9 years ago

The quotas don't apply to applicants who are immediate relatives (e.g. spouses) of US citizens.

dragonwriter2• 9 years ago

You may not be aware of this, but lawful permanent resident status in the US is based on a quota system by country of origin.

To expand on this, immigrant visas in most (but not all) categories are actually what is limited; for people that don't get in on a dual intent visa like the H-1B first (i.e., the vast majority of prospective legal immigrants), that means entry is limited on that basis, not the status transition to an LPR from some other legally-present status.

chrismcb2• 9 years ago

Because it is hard. Harder than it needs to be. Of course it has gotten easier recently. But it is more complicated than it needs to be.

hackuser8• 9 years ago

One reason I posted this is that it gives the immigrants access to real expertise: An app designed by experts, and access to real legal advice. (Caveat: I don't know about the quality of the app or the lawyers beyond what this article says.)

I've seen good-willed people try to create their own apps, advice, etc. But without expertise, the best intentions may lead to very bad results. You wouldn't well-intentioned lawyers giving immigrants IT security advice.

Dangeranger2• 9 years ago

Dear creators,

You really need to make a Spanish language version available from the home page.

Nowhere do I see an easy way to translate the page, or an indication as to what languages the information has been translated to.

Your primary audience is going to be native Spanish speakers, they likely have English language skills, but will be much more comfortable in their first language.

Think about how this impediment is effecting your conversions, and your prospective customers ability to use your service.

setra• 9 years ago

I think if you use chrome it can auto translate things very easily.

hackuser8• 9 years ago

Auto-translated legal advice and critical information could be dangerous.

slaveofallah93• 9 years ago

Is it really possible to get a green card knowing no English at all?

Dangeranger2• 9 years ago

Probably not, however I am not a lawyer.

The point I was trying to make is that it is in the interest of the company and it's users to make translated versions easily available.

Retric• 9 years ago

It's possible to start the process with very limited English skills.

jtreminio• 9 years ago

Yes. My wife and her family came to America with a permanent resident permit knowing not a lick of English.

lutorm• 9 years ago

There is only an English proficiency test for naturalization, not for a green card.

chrismcb2• 9 years ago

Yes, but you would need help.

rezashirazian• 9 years ago

Perhaps the interest of the company is not so much to provide their 'product' to low-income, spanish speaking families, but to make some buzz around themselves and make sure you know about it.

Borderwise: App and a lawyer for immigrants, for $1

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