Letter: Get the facts right on legal immigration

People speaking on TV should be informed or have "people" who inform them before they speak about immigration.

As a translator who has worked with immigrants for 58 years, I am surprised to hear TV anchors citing misinformation about immigration.

Even President Barack Obama, who gave a great speech on terrorism, had it wrong. He said the wife of the San Bernardino terrorist pair came on the "visa waiver" program. No, she came on a K-visa for fiancées.

I filled this out for my granddaughter-in-law, so I know the details. The main information they want is proof that the couple is really a couple in love, not someone paying another to get into the U.S. It doesn't involve inspection for political beliefs. After the fiance arrives, the couple must get married, which this couple did in California. One anchor said they married in Saudi Arabia. That wouldn't give her a fiance visa.

Another anchor said she married him so she became a U.S. citizen right away. It takes a long time for that. First, after the wedding, you apply for legal residency. Then three years later, married to a citizen, you may apply for U.S. citizenship and take an exam on U.S. history and civics. Nothing is "automatic."

This is a serious business. If they don't know the facts, there are people they can call, including me.

Fran B. Reed

Hilton Head Island

This story was originally published December 22, 2015 at 8:28 AM with the headline "Letter: Get the facts right on legal immigration."