New Program Aims To Encourage Immigration To U.S.

NASHVILLE, Tenn. - There is a new federal push to encourage legal immigrants to stay in Middle Tennessee, despite the increased deportations. In Tennessee and Alabama deportations have increased 300% over the last six years. While police in these states have stepped up their efforts to deal with this issue, at the same time officials in the federal government are making it easier for some foreign visitors to stay. Many people believe that the complex immigration laws in the United States are costing the country more jobs than it is protecting. The head of the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, Yuri Cunza has watched talented people come to America to work on a visa and want to stay to continue to work. "But they have to return home, so we are losing a lot of people in the process," said Cunza. The complex immigration laws limited the kind of work immigrants to the United States can do. For example, someone here on a work visa could start a company, but they couldn't work for it. Alejandro Mayorkas, the director of the US Citizenship and Immigration Services, has lobbied Congress to change these requirements, but Congress has been deadlocked on the immigration issue. Mayorkas was in Nashville Monday to speak to the Chamber of Commerce about immigration issues. So Mayorkas began implementing simple tweaks to immigration policy, ones that don't require congressional approval could make a difference One of Mayorkas' stand out programs is the EB-5 Immigrant Investor Program. This program allows foreign investors and their families to gain a permanent resident visa if they can create or preserve at least 10 full time U.S. jobs through a substantial investment. Mayorkas has streamlined the application process for this program. What once took a year to process can now be done in a few weeks. Although tweaks can be made to immigration policy, President Obama said further changes will require action from Congress. Scott Arnold 8 Nov 2011 http://www.newschannel5.com/story/15981136/new-programs-aim-to-encourage-immigration-to-us