Reality show offers potential green card

[11001001]

from: CNN.com

LOS ANGELES, California (Reuters) -- Some TV shows offer an extreme makeover, others a bid for pop stardom. But the hottest reality show in the U.S. Hispanic market is offering the ultimate prize -- a potential green card to immigrants desperate to pursue the American dream.

"Gana la Verde" ("Win the Green") has attracted big audiences and hundreds of contestants willing to eat burritos crammed with live worms, jump off high-speed trucks or wash skyscraper windows in exchange for a year's legal help in speeding up their visa or green card cases.

The show, run five times a week on small Spanish-language television channels in Los Angeles, San Diego, Houston and Dallas, was the brainchild of Lenard Liberman, executive vice president of the independent TV and radio company Liberman Broadcasting.

"When you are in the Hispanic market, you realize that immigration and legal status is the number one issue ... They want to be able to earn a living and not have the pressure of wondering if they are able to stay or not," Liberman said on Thursday.

"We could do a show and give the winner a cash prize, or a toaster oven. But I thought, what would be the ultimate prize for someone living in the United States as an immigrant? ... To have a prestigious law firm handle their case would be something invaluable," he said.

[Negative]

A prestigious law firm to handle their case for a year... pfffttt... we hired a lawyer for less than $2,000 (flat fee to prepare and turn in all documents... no problems... got my green card in less than a year). If you need a "prestigious law firm" to handle your case, I wonder what kind of case you're in.

[CXGJarrod]

On average it costs about US 5k to get a green card. (At least for our h1b workers in SD) Neg is right, its not that you need a high priced lawyer, but you need a good one that will stick with you for more than a year.

[moxnix]

Negative, $2000 to some of the Mexican immigrants is an extream amount of money. Some of them had to pay that or more just to get across the border.

Also, it was a lot easier for you coming from Belgium and already speaking english than alot of them, who speak only Mexican/Spanish and may not even be in this country legaly in the first place.

[Negative]

CXGJarrod > The nice thing of what we did is that the lawyer charged a flat fee: paperwork, interview preparation (he'd even go with us to the interview if we wanted him to), literally everything from start to finish.

Moxnix > I know it's still a lot of money, but the second part of what you said is what kinda bothers me: if they didn't enter the US legally in the first place, then a lawyer shouldn't have the power to get them a green card...

[RoadClosed]

then a lawyer shouldn't have the power to get them a green card

And the democrats are fighting to get them the power to vote in California. And at the same time the republicans stand there and do nothing for fear of upsetting registered and legal imigrants from mexico. It's complete BS. Heck they want to just give them all Drivers Licenses and Bush even went so far to grant some sort of amnesty. Bah.

[CXGJarrod]

Originally posted here by RoadClosed
Heck they want to just give them all Drivers Licenses and Bush even went so far to grant some sort of amnesty. Bah.

The Terminator repealed this law. (As well as the supposed "increase" in the California car registration fees) It kinda seemed like a move from Gray Davis to get some of the hispanic vote when the whole recal thing was going on. Not really a move I supported since it just seemed like he did it for the vote.

[Cybr1d]

And the democrats are fighting to get them the power to vote in California. And at the same time the republicans stand there and do nothing for fear of upsetting registered and legal imigrants from mexico. It's complete BS. Heck they want to just give them all Drivers Licenses and Bush even went so far to grant some sort of amnesty.

The dems have a quite an advantage with the illegal immigrants. Its that whole Idea "The dems will give you free money (welfare and whatnot)" While the republicans want you to work your ass of for it...

I spoke very little english when I came to the United states 6 years ago, but worked my ass off, taking mainstream classes right off the bat so I could learn. I've been speaking english pretty well for the past 4 years and when I see people that have been here for decades and don't know jack ****...it just annoys the hell out of me.

Gotta love the times now....instead of them saying "I don't speak English" now they ask you "do YOU speak spanish?" Like wtf....?

I speak Albanian, Italian, Spanish and I'm learning portuguese but when I'm asked that question, the answer is always NO.


Anyways, back to the topic...I think the best way to come in the US is through the Visa Lottery. My father won it, and the whole family came here. The green cards were waiting for us. Its a lot easier and cheaper than jumping over a fence, HIdding for a while, then paying all that money to do a family reunion.


You can also just marry an American .

[RoadClosed]

Jeeps,

I didn't know you are from another country Cybr1d. You may have metioned it before but I may have been drunk or not listening? Not many imigrants have your "strong" right winger views.

Welcome fellow American. I lived in Portugal for 4 years. Bom Dia, oh wait it's afternoon Boa Tarde Senor.