The Professional Problem with the Georgia Immigration Law
The new immigration law has not only affected farmers (who are generally without proper documentation) and schoolchildren (who ended up fearing going to school) — the Georgia immigration law now has professionals and business leaders feeling the weight of the law’s heavy, iron hand as well.
While Georgia can boast a better outlook in their schools with regard to dealing with the immigration issue, businesses do not seem to share the same positivity.
As Georgia’s economy looks at a potential loss in agriculture amounting to a staggering $800 million, nurses, accountants, dentists, and many others striving in their respective professions are now seeing a significant delay in the processing of their licenses by a gaping three to four months, causing a stir in the business sector.
This is largely due to the demanding nature of having even more paperwork to deal with now, citing a provision from the House Bill 87 “to require private employers to use an employment eligibility verification system.”
The HB 87 seeks to deprive illegal immigrants of public benefits they are not entitled to, and in order to determine who is legal and who is not, strict identification processes must be followed.
Georgia business leaders have well expressed their dismay, feeling that prolonging the processes and adding further complications will only stall economic progress at a time the state needs advancement the most.
According to Secretary of State Brian Kemp – whose office is responsible for issuing 200 different licenses in support of 43 professional licensing boards, not excluding those in the fields of forestry, geology, and even used car dealership – such a provision will force them to attach copies of all identification papers to more or less 256,000 licensing applications in January next year.
Furthermore, he also expressed his concern towards all license holders who may be discouraged by such a taxing process:
“The last thing we want to happen is to keep Georgians from working, but it is also our duty to uphold the laws of this state.”
The Georgia immigration law has certainly given birth to another difficulty that, if left unchecked, could further accelerate into a dangerous decline for the state
Filed Under: Immigration Laws
