Immigration Act, 2016 (Joan of What?)

The Immigration Act of 2016 is a Cygnian Act of Congress intended to "ensure the enforcement of fair and just procedures in the screening and acceptance of legitimate immigration, and to reduce the number of instances of illegal immigration." The Immigration Act was introduced by the Brandt administration in response to the unfolding migrant crisis resultant of the [conflict here]. The reforms introduced by the Immigration Act overhauled the immigration system, thereby cutting the length of the process in half and making it easier for legitimate refugees to successfully gain entry into Cygnia.

Full text
IN THE NATIONAL ASSEMBLY OF THE EMPIRE OF THE UNITED CYGNIAN STATES The Honourable June Wellford, Member for the 57th District, for the Right Honourable Chancellor Dorian Brandt, introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Immigration.

AN ACT To ensure the enforcement of fair and just procedures in the screening and acceptance of legitimate immigration, and to reduce the number of instances of illegal immigration.

Be it enacted by the Senate and the National Assembly of the Empire of the United Cygnian States in this Congress assembled:

Section 1: This Act shall hereafter be referred to as the Immigration Act of 2016.

Section 2: Upon enactment, the procedures as laid down below shall supersede all currently enacted procedures for the screening and acceptance of permanent immigrants and refugees into Cygnia.

Section 3: All applicants for permanent residence, refugee status or asylum in Cygnia shall be considered. None shall be automatically denied the right to permanent residence, refugee status or asylum in Cygnia.

Section 4: All applicants for permanent residence shall be subject to some or all of the following assessments:
 * Section 4a: All applicants for permanent residence will be required to prove that they are proficient in the use of the English language. All applicants for permanent residence must provide qualifications and proof that they are proficient in this field. If they have none, they may also apply for an English proficiency test, the passage of which will be considered a satisfactory qualification in English proficiency.
 * Section 4b: All applicants for permanent residence will be required to prove that they have successfully completed their education at the tertiary level (university, TAFE, VET, etc.). Applicants interested in studying at Cygnian tertiary institutions and who wish to apply for study visas will be required to prove that they have successfully completed their education at at least the secondary level.
 * Section 4c: All applicants for permanent residence will be required to provide proof of occupational qualifications.
 * Section 4d: All applicants for permanent residence will be required to complete an Immigration Act Section 4 type application form, which shall include the applicant's full name, gender, date and place of birth, address and country of residence, contact details, occupation, and qualifications. All applicants must submit this form to their nearest Cygnian diplomatic mission, which will begin the assessment process. All forms must be submitted with proof of their qualifications as detailed in Subsections a, b and c. The forms shall be provided in as many languages as possible.
 * Section 4e: All applicants for emergency refugee status and/or asylum shall be exempt from these requirements.

Section 5: All applicants for emergency refugee status and/or asylum shall be subject to the following assessments:
 * Section 5a: All applicants for emergency refugee status and/or asylum will be required to prove that their current place of residence is dangerous or life-threatening to them and/or their families. As a result, it shall be a requirement for applicants to complete an Immigration Act Section 5 type application form, which shall include the applicant's full name, gender, date and place of birth, address and country of residence, contact details, relations and reasons for departure. Applicants living in areas known to the Cygnian government to be dangerous or life-threatening, such as warzones, etc., will have a higher likelihood of a successful application.
 * Section 5b: Immigration Act Section 5 type application forms shall be made available in as many languages as possible.

Section 6: Applicants for emergency refugee status and/or asylum, having achieved the requirements in Section 5, will be at the earliest opportunity scheduled for an interview with a Cygnian immigration official. Should the immigration official feel that the applicant's case is valid, it shall be referred to the Office of Emergency Immigration, which shall be responsible for the final approval of immigration.
 * Section 6a: The process detailed in Sections 5 and 6 shall take no longer than five hundred days. The application must be accepted or denied within this time.
 * Section 6b: Successful applicants for emergency refugee status and/or asylum will have all travel arrangements and living costs for the first six months of their stay in Cygnia subsidised by the Cygnian government. To facilitate this, 10 billion shall be devoted to supporting refugees.
 * Section 6c: Adult refugees in Cygnia shall have housing provided for them by the Cygnian government for the first six months of their stay in Cygnia. They shall be granted an account at Centrelink, and will receive government-subsidised counselling on integration into Cygnian society, basic education (if necessary) and securing employment. If necessary, adult refugees will be permitted to apply for TAFE courses or other vocational education and training.
 * Section 6d: Juvenile refugees in Cygnia shall be granted placements at public schools as quickly as possible.
 * Section 6e: Cygnian residents interested in adopting a child from a known area of origin for refugees will be required to apply for refugee status on the child's behalf.

Section 7: To ensure that the systems put in place by this Act will not be strained, it is necessary that the annual intake of refugees into Cygnia shall be capped at 60,000.

Section 8: In the likely event that illegal immigration should continue, strategies to counter this shall also continue to be enforced, as put in place in the Illegal Immigration Prevention Act of 2013.

SIGNATURES

 * The Honourable Lucian Redford, MNA, Speaker of the National Assembly of the Empire of the United Cygnian States, confirms and certifies that this Act passed the Assembly through the correct and legitimate procedures as set forth in the National Assembly Legislative Procedures Act, 1946. Signed 28 March 2016.
 * The Honourable Senator Lincoln Freeman, President of the Senate of the Empire of the United Cygnian States, confirms and certifies that this Act passed the Senate through the correct and legitimate procedures as set forth in the Senate Legislative Procedures Act, 1946. Signed 22 April 2016.
 * The Right Honourable Dorian Brandt, Chancellor of the Empire of the United Cygnian States, confirms and certifies his approval of the provisions as proposed in this Act, and that he has also permitted it to proceed to His Majesty the Emperor for Imperial Assent. Signed 2 May 2016.
 * His Imperial Majesty Theodore the Fifth, by the Grace of God, of the Cygnian People, Emperor, confirms and certifies by granting Imperial Assent to this Act that he approves of the provisions proposed thereof. Signed 10 May 2016.