Is it racist to have different USA visa requirements for different nationalities?

[Democat]

Is it racist to require more or less screening for people from different countries who want to visit or live in the United States?

It has always been much easier for people from the United Kingdom to get a visa for the United States than it is for people from the Philippines.

Is that racism?

DU is having a meltdown over the idea of changing the visa screening process for immigrants from Syria. People here are complaining that it is a rights violation and racist to put extra screening in place for people from certain countries.

What about the existing policies. Are those policies also racist and a violation of civil rights?

[yeoman6987]

1. Oh they will use that saying its a privilege not a right to come to America

You know they will.

[uppityperson]

2. DU is not "have a meltdown" about visas or immigrants but refugees. There is a HUGE difference

This first link explains the difference.
http://www.diffen.com/difference/Immigrant_vs_Refugee

Reason for Move
Immigrants move by choice and due to promise of a better life. The main reasons include better economic conditions, education and family reasons. However, they still have a choice to return to their own country at any time.

Refugees, on the other hand, move out due to fear of persecution caused by war, violence, political instability, aggression or due to their religion, beliefs, caste, or political opinion. In most cases, it is not possible for them to go back to their country.

(Clip)

The protection of refugees is governed by the refugee law and the 1967 Protocol relating to the Status of Refugees. Before resettlement refugees stay in camps where they are provided basic amenities and healthcare till they can return to their homeland or resettle in a third country.

Immigrants can move to a country after due Government or embassy paperwork and have to abide by the laws of that country....(more @ link)

This link talks more about refugees.
http://www.uscis.gov/humanitarian/refugees-asylum/refugees/questions-answers-refugees

Here is a link on different types of visa
http://travel.state.gov/content/visas/en/general/all-visa-categories.html

Furthermore, the process that refugees go through its already intense and takes at least 1 1/2 yrs if not 2 to complete. It is much more detailed than someone applying for a tourist visa. Why is there not demands to tighten those up?

Here is a link to a DU thread which had more info about the refugee process.
http://www.democraticunderground.com/10027358687

[MADem]

3. No. UK visitors don't need a visa if they're coming as tourists. Why? They go home.

And UK citizens come in all colors of the rainbow, so it's kind of difficult to lay a racism charge on them, anyway.

http://london.usembassy.gov/rctour.html

If you're coming in on a non-immigrant visa, there are a ton of different ones:

https://ais.usvisa-info.com/en-gb/niv/information/visa_categories

If you're coming to stay, you'll need to apply for a green card.

[Recursion]

4. Quick pedantry

UK visitors need a visa, but can obtain it on arrival.

[MADem]

5. We have a visa waiver program if you're coming for less than three months.

They get ESTA pre-approved and just fill out a landing card.

The US Visa Waiver Programme (VWP) allows most British Citizen passport holders to visit the US for up to 90 days without a visa, but you may need to get authorisation from the Electronic System for Travel Authorisation (ESTA) before you travel. See Entry requirements

https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/usa

[Recursion]

6. Huh, cool

Thanks!

[Travis_0004]

7. I dont have a problem with it

I would assume we share info with England and other countries, and when a visitor comes you can quickly find out his bacground etc.

Other countries we dont have as much intelligence sharing and we need more time to research.

[Adrahil]

8. No, I think it's reasonable....

But we already have an extensive vetting process for Syrian refugees.

[pampango]

9. IF it were based on a belief that certain races/ethnicities are inherently violent, then YES.

If it is based on something like how likely people from a particular country are likely to overstay a tourist/student/work visa then NO. Or if the difference in treatment was based on accuracy of data in passports from certain countries or how information is shared between countries about passport holders, then NO.

[Democat]

11. Visa rules sound like a case of profiling?

If America decides that all Filipino citizens should face stricter visa rules because the country's national average wage is lower than the United Kingdom, or because the national crime rate in one country is higher than in another, isn't the government already deciding that all people of one nationality are higher risk - and thus should have less opportunity to visit or live in America - than all people of another nationality?

[pampango]

14. It is fair to call it 'profiling'. If it is not based on race, ethnicity, religion, gender or

sexual orientation, it may be preferable to the alternatives of granting visas to everyone or to no one.

If one advocated eliminating 'profiling' of any sort, the granting of visas could be made random with names being pulled out of a hat or a similar process. Do you have a better visa approval system in mind?

[AngryAmish]

13. The US has a very sensible policy on letting Chechens in the country.

We don't. Because when we do, see the Boston Marathon.

They are, quite literally, Caucasians.

[Punkingal]

10. yes it is...

[Lee-Lee]

12. That depends on what you base it on

If it's based on a belief that you need to screen or keep our people just because of race- it's racist.

If it's based on statistics and an evidence based approach says that persons from some countries and backgrounds are more likely to overstay a visa or be problematic in other ways- then that's not racist- it's an evidence based approach to managing immigration and visas.

I have a good friend from Poland whose family were denied tourist visas all through the 90's because they didn't make enough money and the fear was they would come on a tourist visa and stay. Was that racist? They were all white with blonde hair and blue eyes...

[bigwillq]

15. No (nt)

[melm00se]

16. Information

Green are countries that have visa waivers.

Blue requires no visa

The rest requires some sort of visa

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Visa_policy_of_the_United_States#/media/File:Visa_policy_of_the_USA.png