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

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).

More importantly

[MillionthMonkey]

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

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.

Re:WOAH WOAH WOAH

[bsDaemon]

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

So, now he's ready

[Anonymous Coward]

to have his BMI and IQ numbers interchanged.

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: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.

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.

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: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.