Dream Act Concern

Hello Everyone ! Great to be in this forum !

I realize that the revision for the next Dream Act bill is not out there but I was worried about something...

We know that Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison now wants to support the Dream Act given that the new revision will contain some changes that she wants to see. Sen Durbin and Senator Hutchinson are now in touch making the bill suitable for republican support. Sen Durbin is ready to re-write this bill in Hutchinson's language. However, Hutchinson does not want to provide Permanent Residency to Dreamers. Instead, she wants us to be given a temporary student visa and renewable work permit. Is the temporary student visa = F1 visa ? I am concerned that this student visa or F1 is going to super expensive. It's really tough to get loans too ! For example, here at the UC (Univ of California) system its about $9000 per quarter or $27,000 per yr for just tuition. Hopefully, it is not the "student visa" I think they are talking about.

Also, if we simply get a renewable work permit, then what is the path to citizenship ? Why not just give temporary permanent residency ? I hope they are not talking about just renewing the work permit forever and no permanent residency/citizenship.

O.K., with an F1 Student Visa we can go to college. However, will be eligible for employment with an F-1 visa? My guess is: we will not be able to work with an F-1 visa! That said, so what happens after graduation when we want to get into any industry of our liking, F1 is not suitable for employment, a work permit is o.k. but Durbin has to include some type of language that explicitly states we are able to renew that work permit for as long as we reside in the states. Deng, this can get very convoluted!

I think what it means is we wont get a conditional green card during the initial 6 year period instead we will get a student visa and work permit,after that(6 years) we will get Permanent residency and eventual U.S Citizenship.

If the conditional green card is replaced with a student visa and work permit would we be able to travel or drive.

With F1 you can only work part-time on campus or off-campus usually after you graduate. Then people usually apply for H1B visa with a company.

What I am trying to understand is, what are they trying to accomplish from not giving us permanent residency Is the intent only to restrict us to education and temporary work permit that ends with education ? What about many of us who have already graduated and want to put our skills to use and live a regular life Hopefully, they wont back away from giving us citizenship at the end of 6 years or make it tough by making us go through H1B -> Green Card process which is = RED TAPE and PAIN ! The DOL backlogs are horrible. Plus no one wants to hire an H1B employer.

Why make life so hard when we haven't made any mistakes !

Ok, I have a question; even if we finish college/university in the two (or more ) years, we'll still have to wait the additional 4 or 3 years to get our permanent residency? We won't acquire it right after we finish school (or military depending on what the person chooses?)

Don't get me wrong, conditional is nice, will hopefully give DREAMER's the chance to at least work part time and get a driver's licence. But, still, 6 years. I've already waited 17, why add 6 more?!

Ok... lets not get hyped up on what the new DREAM Act will or will not have. We have to wait and see what the new bill will look like and until that happens, we shouldn't worry about what's in it. We should worry about promoting it and spreading the word out so people are aware of the DREAM Act and its beneficiaries.

Please read the home page and go to information for students and it will probably answer some of your questions. Like if we still have to wait 4 years after we finish the 2 years of college or military service to get Permanent Residency. The answer is yes. Some of us will have to wait the entire 6 years because we're already done with school. That's just the way it is right now and I'd rather be legal for 6 years than not at all.

As for the other questions... yes, even with a student visa and work permit, you will be able to drive and travel. It's common sense.

Anyway, please, and I'm saying this in the nicest way possible, stop with the commotion! You're getting people riled up for something we don't even know. Please just wait until the DREAM Act is introduced (hopefully in the beginning of April) and until then, do all you can for the DREAM Act instead of wondering "what if this is in it" because we simple do not know what the new version will look like at this time.

The only thing that I am really concern about is the provision for us to be able to work. Being able to travel(outside of the country),and being able to get loans, etc, are just a bonus, but if I can get some of the basics( Being able to work, drive, etc), then I will be more than satisfied.

if the Dream Act passes, but it only provide F-1 VISA. i will do it too~ F-1VISA better than nothing man~~~~every one of us don't want to be illegal immigrants.... so i think F1 Visa is better than nothing....hopefully it will provide a path of citizenship for all of us

The answer is NO goddamn it.

Just think about it, what about those who choose to enlist in the military, do you expect them to do that with an F-1 student visa???? The anwer is NO, this whole thread was based on an empty speculation, but some of you already started running with it...

Don't worry about what kind of 'visa' we're gonna get, worry about our senate vote count.


You mean Permanent Residency right? I was under the impression that the 6 duration IS the conditional residency period. Unless they changed the text again and you know something that I don't.

Also, from what I remember, we should be able to count the 6 years of conditional period as part of the legal residency requirement for the citizenship, as in we'll be able to apply for citizenship at the end of the 6 years as opposed to waiting additional 5. Someone can double check on that though.

Just don't beat your gf and get arrested during the 6 years and you'll be fine.