USA: Citizenship for Sale

2015/05/14 Leave a comment

On the US business immigration program. Similar issues as in the previous Canadian program:

Now let’s turn to the United States. Under the EB-5 visa program, foreigners can obtain a green card and then citizenship by making a small investment—$1 million, or $500,000 if it’s in an area with high unemployment—that will create or preserve 10 jobs for U.S. workers. Foreign investors can funnel their funds through “regional centers,” which are private organizations that finance commercial projects. These centers spare investors the trouble of figuring out for themselves whether an area suffers from high unemployment and whether a specific investment would generate the requisite 10 jobs.
The program is a mess. The government “is unable to demonstrate the benefits of foreign investment into the U.S. economy” under the program, in the words of the Inspector General of Homeland Security. Among other things, it’s almost impossible to figure out whether a specific investment generates jobs rather than reshuffles them from one place to another. There have also been examples of outright fraud and political cronyism. Part of the problem is a lack of documentation but the real problem is that the program is misconceived.
When we think about investment, the starting point is that investors don’t need citizenship or any other inducement to put money into a project when they will earn higher than the market rate of return. So given the risk and other opportunities, someone will invest $1 million or more in a mall complex or housing development if the expected return is, say, 10 or 15 percent. Many foreigners make such investments, and the vast majority of them make them not to obtain citizenship but to make money. In 2013, they ponied up $236 billion. Meanwhile, Americans invested another $2.5 trillion in the economy. At most $10 billion can be attributed to foreigners who seek visas, and probably a lot less.
The EB-5 program, then, just pumps up aggregate foreign investment in the United States by a few tenths of a percent per year. Given the size and liquidity of capital markets, the program has reduced the cost of capital by an infinitesimal amount, basically zero. A tiny reduction in the cost of capital might produce a tiny increase in the number of jobs, but most likely it will produce a tiny increase in profits for other investors or tiny reductions in price for consumers. It’s a bit like saying that you can immigrate to the United States if you buy a few cars from a domestic auto dealer at a price slightly higher than what the dealer is charging.

http://www.slate.com/articles/news_and_politics/view_from_chicago/2015/05/eb_5_visa_program_for_immigrant_investors_this_path_to_citizenship_is_a.html 

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The New Progressive Agenda: A Return to Citizenship

2015/05/13 Leave a comment

Toni Morrison on the difference between citizens and taxpayers:

Remember when we used to be called “citizens”? There were levels of citizenship, certainly, but we were citizens nonetheless. “I am an American citizen” was our proud boast. Then, following World War II, the prosperous decades began, and we were called “consumers.” The American consumer wants; the American consumer needs — and consume we did. Items that were once luxuries became necessities, and, unlike our great-grandparents, we were ashamed to have only one pair of shoes or one Sunday dress. Being a consumer is not without pleasure or comfort. Yet now we are identified by a brand-new label, one that floods political speech, pundit themes, and media headlines: “taxpayer.” It seems that that definition is all we are.
The difference between understanding oneself as a citizen and understanding oneself as a taxpayer is not merely wide; it is antagonistic. A citizen thinks primarily about his or her community and is preoccupied with the safety of the neighborhood, the health of the elderly and disabled, the well-being of the young. A taxpayer thinks mostly about himself or herself, about who or what is taxing — that is to say “taking” — his hard-earned money to give to some undeserving body or some other distant, wasteful thing.
The Progressive Agenda seeks to return us to citizenship, the happily adult responsibility of being citizens to each other. It’s concerned with how to ensure a livable wage for all of us; how to improve schools in all our neighborhoods; how to protect working-class jobs and pensions from predators who rely on exploitation and selfish behavior; how to welcome the immigrant, the “huddled masses” we all (except for Native Americans and slaves) once were.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/toni-morrison/the-new-progressive-agenda-a-return-to-citizenship_b_7265416.html

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Stephen Harper won’t allow ‘permanent underclass’ of temporary foreign workers

2015/05/11 Leave a comment

Welcome reaffirmation of the value of immigration, leading to citizenship, rather than more temporary status.

However, a bit ironic, given that some of the changes to the citizenship program are leading to a greater share of some visible minority groups who are likely to remain permanent residents, unable to attain citizenship with the full panoply of rights that entails.

Harper said his government wants to make sure that immigrants were not filling jobs that Canadians could do.

“Just as importantly, we’re making sure that when people come to this country to work and to work long-term, they have the ability to move towards being permanent citizens of this country,” he said.

“This country is not going to have a policy, as long as I’m prime minister, where we will have a permanent underclass of … people who are so-called temporary, but here forever, with no rights of citizenship and no rights of mobility.

“That is not the Canadian way we do immigration. So we’re going to make sure that program does not drift in that direction,” he said.

Stephen Harper won’t allow ‘permanent underclass’ of temporary foreign workers – Politics – CBC News.

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En niqab à sa cérémonie de citoyenneté

2015/05/11 Leave a comment

This week in Montreal.

She unveiled her face however when making the oath which reflects a certain willingness to compromise, even if the niqab still sends an overall signal of separation, not integration:

Latin American présence d’une candidate citoyenne vêtue d’un tel voile intégral est rarissime, selon une source gouvernementale.

La toute nouvelle citoyenne canadienne a toutefois respecté les règles en vigueur et s’est découvert le visage pendant quelques instants, le temps de prêter serment.

Certaines personnes dans l’audience ont ressenti un malaise face à la présence du niqab, ce voile intégral qui n’est percé que d’une étroite fente pour permettre la vision. Mais aucun esclandre n’est venu troubler la cérémonie, qui s’est tenue mercredi matin.

La femme était accompagnée d’un homme et de deux enfants. La cérémonie, tenue mercredi dernier au Centre hellénique de Montréal de Côte-des-Neiges, réunissait plus d’une centaine de personnes. Les individus sur le point de devenir citoyens canadiens étaient tour à tour appelés à l’avant de la salle pour prêter serment à la reine et au Canada.

«Ce sont des cas très, très, très rares, a indiqué une source gouvernementale. C’est minime, sur le nombre de cérémonies qui se tiennent.»

En niqab à sa cérémonie de citoyenneté | Philippe Teisceira-Lessard | National.

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A Record Number of Americans Are Renouncing Their Citizenship

2015/05/09 2 Comments

Expat-ExpressWhile the numbers are small, the trend is clear:

People giving up their nationality at U.S. embassies rose to 1,062 in the fourth quarter from 776 in the year-earlier period, according to Federal Register data. That’s the highest quarterly total since the second quarter of 2013, according to Bloomberg News calculations based on records starting in 1998.

The annual total reached 3,415 in 2014, from 3,000 in the year-earlier period, according to Federal Register data. The five highest totals have been recorded since the U.S. Congress passed the 2010 law.

There are an estimated 6 million U.S. citizens living abroad. More than 10,000 Americans living overseas have given up their passports over the past five years.

A Record Number of Americans Are Renouncing Their Citizenship – Bloomberg Business.

New Un-American Record: Renouncing U.S. Citizenship

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Harper government to make revoking of passports from suspected extremists quicker

2015/05/08 Leave a comment

Not surprising. Unlike revocation of citizenship, which applies different treatment to dual nationals compared to Canadian nationals only (the latter cannot have their citizenship revoked), applies equally to both:

As it struggles to stop Canadians from joining terrorist groups in Syria and Iraq, the government is introducing measures allowing officials to more quickly revoke passports from suspected extremists, the National Post has learned.

A senior government source said the policy expediting passport revocations on national security grounds would be announced Thursday by Public Safety Minister Steven Blaney and Citizenship and Immigration Minister Chris Alexander.

The change comes two weeks after Canadian Security Intelligence Service director Michel Coulombe told the Senate national security committee the number of Canadians who had left for Syria and Iraq had jumped 50% in the past few months.

To prevent them from leaving, police have been alerting officials to cancel the passports of “extremist travellers,” but the government source said the current procedure was too time-consuming and that authorities needed to be able to act more speedily.

“With the growing number of radicalized Canadians travelling abroad to fight with ISIL, this government will take action to ensure our national security agencies can swiftly and urgently revoke the passport of any threat to Canadians and our allies,” the source said.

Harper government to make revoking of passports from suspected extremists quicker

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PM Tony Abbott Denies Australia Will Sell Citizenship, Reiterates Refusal Of Asylum

2015/05/06 Leave a comment

Not surprising as this goes so much against the grain of Australian immigration and citizenship policy, not to mention identity. Australia is not Malta which does sell citizenship (Malta Offers Citizenship and All Its Perks for a Price).

Hard to know what members of the Productivity Commission were thinking when they proposed this bone-headed scheme:

Prime Minister Tony Abbott denied allegation on Monday, May 4 that the government’s inquiry on immigration system would mean his administration is selling citizenship in a bid to cut down on budget deficit and close down its door to asylum seekers.

Mr Abbott said in a press conference that his government’s request was for Productivity Commission to review proposals in amending the immigration system. But in doing so, Mr Abbott insisted the commission should take into consideration different perspectives and the commission’s statement to make immigration a finance-focused system is unlikely because the coalition government would not allow migrants to earn their permanent residency visas simply by paying entry fees.

The prime minister argued that Australia’s immigration policy is unequivocally and justly based on the country’s best values and interests and as such, Mr Abbott assured the public the policy will remain as it is.

Productivity Commission announced on Friday, May 1 the Australian government is contemplating on adopting a radical system of immigration that centres on the applicant’s financial capacity. At the present, Australia looks at the applicants’ family connection and the nature and level of their skills in allowing access.

The commission contended that should Australia adopt a price-based immigration policy, it will earn several billions which can help curb the country’s budget deficit. In addition, the scheme will also slash down the number of employees involved in the immigration system.

PM Tony Abbott Denies Australia Will Sell Citizenship, Reiterates Refusal Of Asylum.

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When dual citizenship becomes conflict of interest | TheHill

2015/05/05 1 Comment

Making the case for disclosure in the US political system of dual nationality and potential conflicts of interest:

Current entries on the Internet contain a number of undocumented assertions as to which members of Congress and senior officers are dual citizens.  Without reliable data, however, Americans can only speculate on which senators and representatives may have divided national loyalties.

The lack of transparency regarding citizenship erodes trust in government, raising credibility doubts where there should be none, and allowing some apparent conflicts of interest to continue undetected.

When a senator, representative or senior U.S. official speaks out, submits bills or determines policy on an issue of importance to a foreign country of which that member or official (or judge) has the tie of citizenship, their constituents and the U.S. public at large should at least be able to assess whether such views or actions are influenced by the divided loyalty.

Since they don’t involve national loyalty, religion and ethnicity seldom raise conflict issues.  Moreover, they are generally matters of public record.

By contrast, dual citizenship creates conflict of interest through divided loyalties. Thus it would seem reasonable to require that dual citizen members of Congress, the judiciary and the executive  be required to renounce citizenship in another country as a condition of public service.

Both Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) and former Rep. Michelle Bachman (R-Minn.) recently received wide press coverage when they renounced their Canadian and Swiss nationalities, respectively.

Yet the media and government watchdog organizations have largely ignored the potential conflict of interest inherent in dual citizenship.  Why the neglect of this issue?  Shouldn’t members of Congress (and federal judges and executive branch officials) at least be required to disclose their citizenship in another country?

Even if our legal system continues to allow dual citizens to serve in high positions of the U.S. government, it should require them to recuse themselves from participating in decisions or policy debates that relate to their second country.

As a first step, the Congressional Research Service of the Library of Congress should begin to include citizenship (along with the current listings of party breakdown, age, occupations, education, Congressional service, religion, gender, ethnicity and military service) in its published profiles of each new Congress.

Americans can then decide whether our legislators (and possibly federal judges and senior government officials as well) should be required to renounce their citizenship in another country as a condition of public service.

A bit simplistic to assume that dual nationality always means dual loyalties. In some cases, it is merely pragmatic (travel to country of origin may require citizenship), in others it is to provide additional opportunities for their children (e.g., EU citizenship).

It is more the specific behaviours that call into question loyalty.

Serving in another military, running for office in another country are more substantive than formal citizenship of another country.

When dual citizenship becomes conflict of interest | TheHill.

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Canadian Bar Association Immigration Law Conference: My Presentation – Citizenship: “Harder to Get, Easier to Lose”

2015/05/02 2 Comments

Impact of Citizenship test changes.001I will be presenting this deck on citizenship at the plenary session May 8th. Looking forward to a good discussion with David Manicom of CIC and the audience, moderated by Carter Hoppe.

Citizenship – CBA 8 May 2015 – Final

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Malta Offers Citizenship and All Its Perks for a Price – NYTimes.com

2015/05/02 1 Comment

One approach to citizenship (the mercenary kind):

As wealthy foreigners rush to get citizenship in Malta under a new program, the residency requirement is taking many forms.

Russians rent high-end villas, then stay in five-star hotels when they visit.

An American financier plans to live in Switzerland but occasionally vacation in Malta.

One Vietnamese businessman, eager to start the clock ticking on the 12-month timetable for residency, sent the necessary paperwork on his private jet to expedite renting a property he had never seen.

“They come twice, once to get a residency card and once to get a passport,” said Mark George Hyzler, an immigration lawyer at a firm here.

Malta’s citizenship program, which offers a passport to those willing to pay 1.2 million euros, about $1.3 million, has been controversial since it was introduced more than a year ago. But the residency requirements, meant to make the program more palatable, are only increasing the consternation among critics, who say the program has resulted in the sale of citizenship to the global 0.1 percent.

“They come twice, once to get a residency card and once to get a passport,” said Mark George Hyzler, an immigration lawyer. Credit Darrin Zammit Lupi for The New York Times

Applicants must show they have rented a property in Malta for 12 months. But they do not necessarily have to spend any time in this Mediterranean island nation, raising the question of what genuine links they are establishing.

“It is questionable how the residency requirement is being applied,” said Tonio Fenech, a member of Malta’s Parliament

Lawyers, accountants and real estate agents say the citizenship program has catapulted Malta onto the radar of the global elite. Applications are pouring in, and the program aims to raise €2 billion, more than a quarter of Malta’s gross domestic product.

Malta Offers Citizenship and All Its Perks for a Price – NYTimes.com.

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