Undocumented Filipinos in US now estimated at 309,000

[Joey G]

309,000 is actually pretty small when consider that 75% of the country wants to go to the US.... add in that this has been happening for over 40 years... that's a little over 7,000 a year average.... peanuts in the realm of illegal immigration.  The southern border is leaking that many or more a day. 

[OnMyWay]

1 hour ago, JJReyes said:

By Air.  Many enter the US with a valid visa.  Then they disappear, also known as TNT (Tago Ng Tago).  The problem is US Immigration & Border Control is very strict when you enter, but unlike most countries, they don't check those departing.

These are the ones that make it so hard for Filipinos with good intentions to get a tourist visa or a spousal / fiancé visa.

[JJReyes]

1 hour ago, OnMyWay said:

These are the ones that make it so hard for Filipinos with good intentions to get a tourist visa or a spousal / fiancé visa.

Filipinos are considered suspects by the US Embassy in Manila.  The consular officers give them a hard time.  On the other hand, I have seen long lines of Japanese nationals at the US Embassy in Tokyo applying for visas and their processing is quick and smooth.  The reason is their high respect for authority.  They obey the law.

[Hestecrefter]

1 hour ago, OnMyWay said:

These are the ones that make it so hard for Filipinos with good intentions to get a tourist visa or a spousal / fiancé visa.

Canada is the same.  A mighty fortress against Filipino invasion.  I have been trying for 4 years to get my wife here, even just for a single summer visit.  Stonewalled thus far.  Filipinos seem to be regarded as vermin.  At the same time, Canada has programs that allow employers who have a hard time filling low wage jobs to bring in Filipinos.  They will come and work for low wages in crappy conditions without complaint.

I have been involved in the Canadian justice system (particularly in British Columbia) for a long time.  I have observed over the years that there are some immigrant groups that are, you might say, "over-represented" in the criminal justice system.  Filipinos seldom turn up in court charged with a criminal offence.  Very rare.  Similarly, they are not much seen in our civil courts.  They seem to stay out of lawsuits.  Maybe related to that oft-cited Filipino characteristic of avoiding conflict.  Other groups are very quick to issue the writ and seem to enjoy duking it out in court.

 

 

[scott h]

5 hours ago, OnMyWay said:

make it so hard for Filipinos with good intentions t

Not only are the consular officers paid to be suspicious (they would say thorough lol), just imagine having a job where a large % of those you deal with will be all grins and courtesy in the hopes they will get an edge on the system.

My younger brother works for the US state department and is first posting was to the embassy in Nigeria as a visa interview and inspection officer. He tells a story where one gentleman would come for a visa interview every two weeks, always with near perfect documentation but with a DIFFERENT NAME. After about 6 months of this my brother finally broke down and asked this guy, "Why do you come in every two weeks using a different name when I turn down your request each time?" The Gent replied "Dont we all look the same to you white guys? Sooner or later you will slip up and issue me a visa"

5 hours ago, JJReyes said:

Filipinos are considered suspects

Its not only Filipinos, this happens in embassies in low income countries. 

Sad to say, but as with most laws and regulations, because of a few bad actors trying to exploit the system folks with good and honest intentions get hammered and hindered along with the guilty.

 

[Ram1957]

9 hours ago, JJReyes said:

By Air.  Many enter the US with a valid visa.  Then they disappear, also known as TNT (Tago Ng Tago).  The problem is US Immigration & Border Control is very strict when you enter, but unlike most countries, they don't check those departing.  At airports, the concern is security.  The authorities have little concern how long you stayed, if you exceeded you visa limitation, etc.  Statistics on immigrations is guess work.

They check, they have the I-94 form to go by, and know when they are overstaying. The I-94 records tells immigration when they arrived and when they departed.