Here’s the background. My father works for the INS, and we talked yesterday about a problem they’re encountering. A new law is probably going to be enacted that would allow certain benefits to immigrants assuming they’re already in the country by a specific date. He didn’t give details, but I would assume it’s an amnesty bill for illegals that are already here.
The process for them applying for the benefits (possibly a greencard or official status, but I can’t be sure) is a drawn-out affair, and they won’t turn the paperwork in for possibly a year. The one thing they HAVE to do, however, is prove they were in the country by the start date – the INS doesn’t want more illegals rushing into the country after the fact and attempting to take part is this amnesty.
Also, INS doesn’t want their offices flooded by people saying “I’m here!!” They’re trying to figure out a way for a photograph to be used as evidence that the person was in the country.
So … how to do it? My first thought was have them hold up a newspaper, but that can easily be kept for weeks or months for use. Automatic dates on cameras can be easily manipulated. Notary publics are completely unreliable (especially if they’re family) and the INS is loathe to ask for other, state organizations to bear the burden (so my thought of a picture in front of their local Post Office’s official date/clock is out).
Keep in mind, also, that most of these illegal immigrants do not have credit cards, have bank cards, pay rent, etc., so most of the paper-trail things I might do to show I’m in the country are not available.
Any thoughts on how an immigrant can have a picture of them taken so as to prove solidly that they were in fact in the country on the date in question? Many thanks in advance. I’ll try to check back fairly often to answer questions, provide feedback or shoot down other ideas that have been already suggested and discarded for various reasons.