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Comment by biocomputation | Hacker News Reader

I don't believe my posts said anything about immigration.

For the record, I support immigration, whether general immigration or for other reasons. To this point, I think it would been totally acceptable to allow the entire population of Syria to either immigrate the US ( green cards on arrival ) or grant safe harbor to those who want to return home until such time as it's safe.

With respect to H1-B: in case I haven't been absolutely clear, I think its socially unjust to make American workers compete with foreign nationals for jobs. This has nothing to do with immigration.

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So if tomorrow it was possible to become a US citizen by filling out a web form and paying $50, that'd be fine by you?

It'd be fine by me. But I'm a job thief. Unless I become a US citizen. At which point I'm still the same person, but somehow it's OK.

My remarks about the citizens of Syria were made in the context of the brutal war being fought in Syria at the moment.

>> So if tomorrow it was possible to become a US citizen by filling out a web form and paying $50, that'd be fine by you?

No, citizenship should never be for sale. Otherwise it's meaningless. You should be allowed to immigrate legally provided you can satisfy the requirements of our immigration program.

>> But I'm a job thief.

Please note that those are your words, not mine. I don't view people here on work visas as job thieves. My remarks are framed exclusively around what's best for Americans: it is socially unjust to make Americans compete with foreign nationals for jobs.

Very well.

If I could become a US citizen for free (and I can't, by the way), would you drop your objection?

Edit for your edit:

> Please note that those are your words, not mine.

I'm using the words protectionists like yourself have commonly used.

>> If I could become a US citizen for free (and I can't, by the way), would you drop your objection?

Other than the application costs, I think it is more or less free to become a US citizen.

>> I'm using the words protectionists like yourself have commonly used.

Noted

> Other than the application costs, I think it is more or less free to become a US citizen.

It takes years, can cost thousands of legal fees (not something you want to mess up) and typically starts with a work visa like an H1B.

You keep avoiding the question, so I'll restate it differently.

If everyone on the H1B could become a US citizen instantly, at no cost, would that remove your objection?

My wife is about to become a citizen. It took her 17 years. And she's Canadian.

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