Quote:
Originally Posted by yal
I've been through the naturalization process and it is hell compared to the process in other countries. I heard the INS just raised fees again. They don't raise fees like the post office does with stamps, NO, they raise them by a significant percentage. An application goes from costing $200 to costing $800. A lot of these poor immigrants couldn't afford it at $200. It can cost up to 10 to 20 grand for lawyer fees and thats just to help with the application process. Its a lot easier to be illegal believe me, I know.
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Our truck driver is a Green-carded Canadian who just kept putting off getting his citizenship. Now he's regretting not getting it done earlier, because of both cost and ease.
The tough part is that although we don't deliver any hazardous materials right now with our own vehicles (it's infrequent enough that we currently ship them common carrier), thanks to changing EPA and DOT regulations products that were not classified as hazardous are now being re-registered as such (many fertilizers are oxidizers and thus Haz Mat). You can not get a Haz Mat endorsement on your CDL if you are not an American born citizen anymore. Up until 9/11 naturalized citizens or Green carders could get that endorsement. There may very well be a time in the not-too-distant future where we'd need a driver with a HazMat license and he'd be precluded despite living in the U.S. for 40+ years.