Torvalds Becomes an American Citizen

netbuzz writes "Having brought his open-source work and family to the United States from Finland some time ago, Linus Torvalds has marked an important personal milestone by attaining US citizenship. A casual remark on the Linux kernel mailing list about registering to vote led to the community being in on the news. Torvalds has acknowledged being a bit of a procrastinator on this move, writing in a 2008 blog post: 'Yeah, yeah, we should probably have done the citizenship thing a long time ago, since we've been here long enough (and two of the kids are US citizens by virtue of being born here), but anybody who has had dealings with the INS will likely want to avoid any more of them, and maybe things have gotten better with a new name and changes, but nothing has really made me feel like I really need that paperwork headache again.' In that post he also expresses dislike for the American style of politics in which he will now be able to participate directly."

Comments

Interesting...

[TrisexualPuppy]

...but does he run Linux?

Derp

[Skyshadow]

He took our jerbs!

Re:Derp

[Anonymous Coward]

He took our jerbs!

Darl, is that you?

So what?

[fiannaFailMan]

It's his own business.

Re:So what?

[Anonymous Coward]

It's his own business.

Don't you know anything? His name is known among some people so they have to pretend to understand him on a personal level and act like they personally know him and are very concerned about the most trivial and personal details of his life. That's what we do with celebrities.

Hey, did you know that some woman you've never met is having relationship problems with some man you've never met? Who gives a fuck? Oh yeah, one of them can act/sing/dance so that makes it really really important! Let's not do this with programmers. Please.

Epictetus said something about how talking about the affairs of others leads to small-mindedness. He couldn't have been more on the money.

Re:So what?

[fiannaFailMan]

Yup. Although on the plus side it is probably a good thing that people who actually contribute to society and progress are being talked about with such interest. Pity such attention is usually focused on people who sing songs and abuse substances but still manage to get paid huge sums for their dubious efforts.

immigration category

[Rene S. Hollan]

I'm more interested what his immigration category was? Mine was EB-2 (Person with advanced degree: Master or Ph.D). I suspect his was EB-1 (Person of national interest).

Re:immigration category

[Rene S. Hollan]

H1B is a non-immigrant visa, good for three years, renewable for another three, and then year over year as long as a permanent residency adjustment of status petition has not yet been adjudicated.

To become a naturalized citizen, one must be a lawful permanent resident first, for five years. To become a lawful permanent resident, requires an immigrant visa, basically, a "Green Card". To get a Green Card, that is not based on family sponsorship, but employment sponsorship, one is placed into several prioritized categories:

EB-1: Persons of National Interest or Extraordinary Ability (Nobel prize winners, etc.);

EB-2: Persons with Advanced Degrees;

EB-3: Skilled Workers;

EB-4: Special Immigrants;

EB-5: Visa Investors ($1M and creating ten American jobs, or $500k and investing in a rural area paying 150% of the national wage).

Re:immigration category

[TheSync]

I'd like to know as well.

According to the Immigration and Nationality Act, the annual immigrant visa quota is 140,000 for employment-based (EB-x) immigration. EB-1, EB-2 and EB-3 each receive 28.6% of the total number, while EB-4 and EB-5 each receives 7.1% separately.

For the current 40,000 quota of EB-2 preference, each country receives 7%, with 3,000 available for China and India, 2,500 for the other countries, and 9,000 remaining for use by those countries in need, such as India and China.

Linus could also have come in through one of the 32,000 diversity (DV) visas available to Europeans.

Once here (legally with a green card). having American citizen children or an American citizen spouse is one of the fastest ways to be come a citizen (3 years as a spouse, 5 years for children).

The best guide to understanding US immigration laws is this handy poster.

Re:immigration category

[Runaway1956]

God - it sounds COMPLICATED to immigrate to the United States! I think I'll just stay right here in Arkansas. It can't be worth the bother.

WOAH WOAH WOAH

[moogied]

He has TWO kids here? And he had those while NOT being a full american citizen? He had Anchor babies? Someone call FOX news please. We cannot have this filth just coming here and knocking out brats!
Wait what? He is a constructive member of society? Hes already contributed to the American culture before he was a citizen? The entire idea of making immigration more difficult is crazy bullshit? *mind explodes*

Re:WOAH WOAH WOAH

[bsDaemon]

no, no, no... the proper term is GNU/Anchor Baby.

Re:WOAH WOAH WOAH

[Midnight's Shadow]

He has TWO kids here? And he had those while NOT being a full american citizen? He had Anchor babies? Someone call FOX news please. We cannot have this filth just coming here and knocking out brats! Wait what? He is a constructive member of society? Hes already contributed to the American culture before he was a citizen? The entire idea of making immigration more difficult is crazy bullshit? *mind explodes*

I realize you are being sarcastic but I would like to point out that he was here legally to begin with. Weird isn't it how some people can actually navigate the Byzantine immigration process instead of just sneaking across the boarder?

Re:WOAH WOAH WOAH

[StikyPad]

This is just one more reason we need to repeal the 14th Amendment! Nevermind the parts about Due Process and Equal Protection, or the fact that we're ALL immigrants; we have to quash further immigration at any price!

Re:WOAH WOAH WOAH

[AltairDusk]

Considering that he dealt with it enough to come here legally, remain here legally, and now become a citizen here legally despite his apparent frustration with the process I don't find it hard to blame those who just sneak across. If someone isn't willing to do it the right way perhaps they should reconsider how much they want to be here.

Re:WOAH WOAH WOAH

[Pharmboy]

Chances are high that the only lawn he's mowed since arriving is his own.

Chances are even higher than the guy mowing his lawn now doesn't have the same paperwork that Linus had before he became a citizen.

Re:WOAH WOAH WOAH

[causality]

Perhaps the "right way" is unavailable to some people.

Then they can stay the fuck out! How hard is this to understand?

I may disagree with a foreign country's immigration policy. I might really, very strongly, in the most heartfelt way disagree with a foreign country's immigration policy. I might think they're a bunch of jackasses for having such a policy. None of that gives me the right to break their laws.

I would imagine the process of getting a green card was a lot easier for Linus Torvalds than it would be for some random Jose Gonzales with not so much as a high school degree.

Coincidentally, highly educated and highly skilled people from Finland aren't causing the USA's illegal immigration problem.

You might as well complain that people who have not so much as a high school degree have a really difficult time becoming brain surgeons. Horrible discrimination, that is.

Re:WOAH WOAH WOAH

[Attila Dimedici]

Excuse me, I am unaware of any group that has a problem with legal immigrants. Most of the people I have seen who have a problem with illegal immigrants favor reducing the difficulty of legally immigrating into this country while increasing the enforcement against illegal immigration.

More importantly

[MillionthMonkey]

Is Linus secretly from Kenya? I find his source code to be socialist and anti-colonialist.

Re:More importantly

[wsanders]

Linus can get rid of the "Calvin Pissing on La Migra" sticker on his rear window. Or cover up "la Migra" with a BSD Devil.

http://vehiclevinyls.com/estore/html/page-view.asp?menuid=4106&gotorec=40

Re:More importantly

[Arancaytar]

I have heard rumors that not only is Linus secretly Muslim, he is also secretly black.

Re:More importantly

[Anonymous Coward]

The nice thing about the Left is that they keep their loons on the fringe. The Right is currently embracing theirs.

Re:More importantly

[gwayne]

Have you EVER listened to what DR. Glenn Beck has to say? I've never heard him denounce Muslims or Islam in a derogatory context. This is the far left making such accusations. He's not a racist or Islam-aphobe. He frequently has guests from different backgrounds. He honored the work of MLK for an entire week or so, having his daughter (I think) as a guest.

Beck is not preaching hate. He has simply connected the dots to show all Americans that the federal government, and particularly the Democratic party, has been infested with Progressives, Socialists, Communists, Marxists, etc, leading our whole nation to no good end. The federal government is out of control. It has it's OWN agenda - not that of THE PEOPLE.

How many Socialist/Communist regimes do we have to see fall to understand that they simply don't work.

Beck advocates people to stand up for themselves, be responsible and self-sufficient -- to stop the government "entitlements" that chain people to wellfare and excessive government spending. That doesn't mean throwing people under the bus - it just means finding another way for them to earn a living, such as education and skills training programs, small business loans, etc. That isn't racism. It's common sense. You can't spend more than you earn -- just look at the debt crisis in America. The Progressives are trying to bury the U.S. economy in debt using the Cloward-Piven strategy. Current political issues are simply a side-show distraction while they continue to manipulate the country into failure. This is not good for any American, rich or poor, Republican, Democrat or other.

So, now he's ready

[Anonymous Coward]

to have his BMI and IQ numbers interchanged.

Re:Welcome Aboard

[LWATCDR]

1. Comments like this wish that this was filed under politics.
2. Dude he is from Finnland. I doubt that he feels the US is rushing toward socialism.

Other than that welcome to the list of great Americans that includes Albert Einstein and Alexander Gram Bell.

Re:Welcome Aboard

[rotide]

Right, it's "socialism" that's hurting our county. Not the constant erosion of citizens rights, nope. Not the constant and gratuitous government spending. Not the off-shoring of nearly all our industry because we'd rather have a cheaper item regardless of the human cost overseas. Not the constant War-State mentality where we have to fight "Terrorism", "Drugs", "Copyright", etc, etc, and again, pay for it. Not the fact that our country is basically being run _by_ corporations _for_ corporations (heavy lobbying).

No, it's the thought that maybe, just maybe, some of the spending government does should actually help _citizens_ that's hurting us.

Seriously?

P.S. Sorry for the OT comment. I just get so tired of hearing this BS Glenn Beck inspired bullshit.

Oh stop

[Sycraft-fu]

You are trying to make an issue where there isn't one. Torvalds was here legally, he had his green card. You can live in the US permanently and never get citizenship, legally, if you wish to.

Thus far I have yet to encounter someone trying to make an issue of people who are legal permanent residents. You seem to be building a straw man ot pick a fight where there is not one.

When you start shouting and being absurd just to start a fight you are no better than those you are trying to attack.

Citizenship Test

[Ukab the Great]

Quizzer: what are the three branches of government?

Linus: Why have three branches? I'd do a git merge legislative executive judiciary into a single monolithic government over which I'm benevolent dictator. Screw those crazy microgovernment people!

Re:OTOH, there's jury duty...

[GNUALMAFUERTE]

Yeah, what I actually don't understand is why he went to live in the states. I mean, he's from fucking Finland. It's a fucking awesome country, and it's surrounded by Sweden (Tits), Norway (Awesomest place on earth, full of church-burners), and Russia (Best women on earth). So, he left an amazing country with a huge cultural heritage and an educated population in Europe, to go the New Rome, land of mcdonalds? That sounds like a stupid move to me.

Re:OTOH, there's jury duty...

[geekoid]

Smart? I want someone who can look at the facts and recognize outside bias when it presents itself.

Smart doesn't cut it alone.

And yes, Jury duty is critical to the system. I think there should be a tax right off for Jury duty.

Re:The Real American System

[Marcika]

Unlike most of Europe where citizens 18-20 have to go into the army or other duty for two years

I call bullshit. Please enumerate this list that encompasses "most of Europe" that has such a requirement.

Not most, but about half, not all citizens, but only men, not for two years but only 6 to 12 months. However, the list includes: Russia, Ukraine, Belarus, Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Norway, Finland, Greece, Denmark and Serbia

Dear Linus

[Kozar_The_Malignant]

May I please have your spot in Finland, since you're no longer using it?

Re:Welcome Aboard

[LWATCDR]

From the Wikipedia.
"Bell was a British subject throughout his early life in Scotland and later in Canada until 1882, when he became a naturalized citizen of the United States. In 1915, he characterized his status as: "I am not one of those hyphenated Americans who claim allegiance to two countries."

Alexander Gram Bell was an American by choice.