Updated With Response: Playboy Playmate Reportedly Receives ‘Genius’ Immigration Visa
- Posted on June 30, 2012 at 8:00am by
Erica Ritz
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Canadian Playboy “playmate” Shera Bechard has reportedly received a visa that the U.S. government typically reserves for “individuals with extraordinary ability” because of her experience with modeling and acting.
Though often referred to as the “genius visa” because one of the qualifications can be winning a Nobel Peace Prize, Bechard’s immigration lawyer Chris Wright argues: “There’s nothing in those regulations that requires you to be a genius…It’s quite condescending to say, ‘Oh, the idiot Playboy Playmates, they don’t qualify.’”
Shera Bechard, right, poses with Hugh Hefner and Anna Sophia Berglund (Photo: AP)
Named Miss November in 2010, Bechard also started an online photo-sharing craze called “Frisky Friday,” where, according to the International Business Times, users upload scantily clad photos on Fridays.
The news is causing quite a stir, with some news sites asking whether Bechard deserves the visa. Reuters, which was one of the first sites to report on the event, is using it as an opportunity to explain immigration law and how difficult legal immigration can be.
Reuters explains:
As many immigration lawyers see it, the paucity of immigration options for the most entrepreneurial foreigners mean they must use any avenue they can. This approach, along with seeming flexibility in Washington on what constitutes “extraordinary ability,” means the O-1 is gaining traction in technology circles. Wider use could ultimately land it in political trouble.
For example, the H-1B visa, which allows employers to hire foreigners temporarily in certain specialized fields like technology, has drawn accusations from union groups and others that companies use it to bring in lower-skilled labor.
The O-1 visa allows individuals of “extraordinary ability” to come to the United States for up to three years, and can be extended. British journalist Piers Morgan used one when he replaced Larry King on his late-night TV show, Wright said.
And unlike the Immigrant Investor Program, where foreign entrepreneurs are required to invest at least $500,000 in the country and create at least ten full-time jobs for American workers, the O-1 “genius” visa reportedly has no such requirements.
But MSN Now argues:
Like the dollar, the notion of “genius” has been seriously devalued — to the point where simply getting naked qualifies. It seems that Canadian-born Shera Bechard, the November 2010 Playmate and former sheetmate of founder Hugh Hefner, managed to land one of those sought-after 0-1 visas the U.S. government grants to “individuals with extraordinary ability.” And just what ability qualified her for a so-called genius visa? Well, she posted Playboy’s first “Frisky Friday” photo on Twitter, and now women all over are tweeting sexy photos for that cause. Bechard defended her status, saying officials reward applicants with “business skills.” [All emphasis added]
Do you think a Playboy playmate deserves the “genius” visa? Should her field of work mean her success is less economically valued, or is this all just an illustration of how absurd our immigration policy has become?
UPDATE:
Shera Bechard wrote the following on her Facebook page, roughly 14 hours after sharing the Reuters page saying she had received a “genius” visa:
For the record, I didn’t receive a “genius” visa. I‘d be the first to admit I’m not a genius. The visa is given to those in the arts, athletics, business & sciences who have extraordinary abilities. You don’t have to be a genius to be a good fashion model, actor, baseball player or track and field star. You just have to achieve a certain level of success in your field, which I have done. I took me many months to put the application together – no strings were pulled, no extra cash was paid, no favours done – I got it because I deserved it.
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Comments (129)
sdeakins
Posted on June 30, 2012 at 10:38amLooks like geniuses to me. Afterall Obama is a genius as well.
Report Post »lukerw
Posted on June 30, 2012 at 12:50pmAnd… they told me I was Crazy when I said: IBM employs Hookers to Close Sales (check your local Bank)!
Report Post »drbage
Posted on June 30, 2012 at 1:49pmJust shows the genius of ICE and our Department of State.
Report Post »pavepaws
Posted on June 30, 2012 at 3:05pmDefinitely a genius.
Report Post »Independent4233
Posted on June 30, 2012 at 9:33pmShe should have swam the Rio Grande and sneaked across the border at night.
It would have been a lot easier.
Report Post »9111315
Posted on June 30, 2012 at 11:55pmI’d say she has a pair.
Report Post »gorgo
Posted on July 1, 2012 at 7:38amThat means I’m a genius as I type this.
Report Post »Roberto G. Vasquez
Posted on July 1, 2012 at 9:16amShe looks like a genius to me, and I know a genius when I see one! Does she need a place to stay?
Report Post »Live_Free_orDie
Posted on July 1, 2012 at 9:58amGenius…I’d think so…she has two large brains. Two blondes on opposite sides of the street: First blond yells to the other…“how do I get over there”? The second blond yells…”why, you’re already over there”! <<<not my joke.
Report Post »Bum thrower
Posted on July 1, 2012 at 10:36amGenious = (f) Bra Size
Report Post »midwesthippie
Posted on July 1, 2012 at 11:08am…i’ve seen lots of geniuses and she definitely looks like one…after all it took a genius to implement the “genius clause”…welcome to America and now you can hang out with hef and maher all you want…
Report Post »jhaydeng
Posted on July 1, 2012 at 11:22am“Some news sites are questioning if she deserves the visa.” Someone please punch me in the throat as hard as you can! I am convinced that zombies are real because they are not sure if she deserves the visa or not!!! Holy pooh!
Report Post »Anti_Spock
Posted on July 1, 2012 at 11:26amOnly in America does “looking hot” equal “incredibly smart.” It explains how the left elects idiots, praises stupid asses like George Clooney, and where a hot blonde with a rack can qualify for a visa intended for actual “brainy” accomplishment.
Report Post »JBARRANCHAZ
Posted on July 2, 2012 at 11:26amI’m sure if she was just regular Shara, prior to getting naked and selling her soul to Heff for her fame, she would have got a visa for some other reason. A Visa for artistic merit is a joke. At least many of the illegals want to work.
WF seems to be the leader in hiring good looking women to work the teller station. The problem is they struggle with customer service as many of the good looking faces lack customer service skills.
Report Post »hi
Posted on June 30, 2012 at 10:31amA good way to tell if a woman is on the right track is to ask “Would Tim Tebow ask me out on a date, or Hugh Hefner?”
Report Post »uncleherbert
Posted on June 30, 2012 at 11:29amWow! That was priceless…
Report Post »b00x
Posted on June 30, 2012 at 1:37pmI doubt that Tim Tebow would ask Hugh Hefner out on a date, so I guess you’re the lucky guy
Report Post »db321
Posted on July 1, 2012 at 12:51amHi nice one – you sent that right over Boox’s Head!
And if your test wasn’t enough to let you know her moral values – make her choose between Tim or Heff. If she chooses a 90 year old of a Quarter back in the NFL, then you know she has drunken the Liberal Tea.
Report Post »Rickfromillinois
Posted on June 30, 2012 at 10:31amAnyone can tell just by looking that she is a real brainiac. So what’s the problem?
Report Post »newview
Posted on July 1, 2012 at 11:15amDon’t we have a few unemployed blonde brainiacs with big geniuses here in the US?
Report Post »CobraBill
Posted on July 2, 2012 at 12:51amI bet she is smarter than Mr.Obama
Report Post »1HonestInjun
Posted on June 30, 2012 at 10:29amWhen I seen where the state department classified her as a genius, I hearkened back to Johnny
Report Post »Carson talking about the playboy centerfolds not being neuclear physics. He probably
laughing in his grave about now.
FedUpWithLibs
Posted on June 30, 2012 at 11:24amWho’s Johnny Carson ?
Report Post »VanishingFreedom
Posted on June 30, 2012 at 12:30pmIf Johnny Carson was still on, Leno & Letterman wouldn’t have a chance
Report Post »The real Tonight Show. The good ole’ days.
Johnny Carson and Dom DeLuise. Egg trick http://www.milkandcookies.com/link/138148/detail/
nzkiwi
Posted on June 30, 2012 at 10:22amWhen I was once asked in the pub, by a left-leaning woman, whether I supported free immigration into New Zealand, I said an emphatic “Yes!”.
“As long as all of the immigrants are women.”
Report Post »4xeverything
Posted on July 1, 2012 at 9:49amWhy was she left-leaning? Did she misplace her cane?
Report Post »biffo
Posted on June 30, 2012 at 10:11amRemember, these government axxholes thinks obama is a genius! By those standards my pug’s relatives from China are a shoe-in to get one of these visas.
Report Post »DenisWTexas
Posted on June 30, 2012 at 9:59amBesides, look at her. With looks like that, there is no WAY she can become a powerful democrat. They like women who look like Behar, Whoopie, Pelosi, Wasserman-Schultz, Jackson-Lee, Streisand…
With a face like hers, she’s destined to be a conservative news anchor at least. :D
Report Post »DenisWTexas
Posted on June 30, 2012 at 9:57amI’m with Gonzo… if she’s started a business (albeit a controversial one), is creating jobs, and wants to operate here and pay taxes and contribute to our society, then let her in.
That’s been our argument with illegal immigration – that we don’t mind if the come in the front door and contribute, as long as they don’t sneak in the back and try to get citizenship for free.
That IS our argument about immigration, right? It‘s not about just keeping everyone out because we don’t like foreigners, right?
Right?
Report Post »lukerw
Posted on June 30, 2012 at 1:15pmSo, if the Russian Spy… or Islamic Terrorist… looks Nice and has a Business Plan… your open?
My point is: Do not judge a Book by the Cover!
Report Post »Bruce P.
Posted on June 30, 2012 at 6:37pmLUKERW — yes, because every immigrant is a spy or terrorist…
Report Post »Link8on
Posted on July 2, 2012 at 7:58amMaybe her plan was to goto DC to lobby and get the Keystone pipeline for her carbon rich Canadian overlords.
Report Post »Shakespear
Posted on June 30, 2012 at 9:55amJust another blip on the radar of the immoral, degrading, illegal contortions of the Obama administration.
Report Post »Fubared
Posted on July 1, 2012 at 9:48amThe one on the left had a nobel in her handbag too.
Report Post »lel2007
Posted on June 30, 2012 at 9:55amAdd your commentsIf she were Mexican she’d need no papers at all.
Report Post »idarusskie
Posted on June 30, 2012 at 8:46pmMexicans are our family relations.
Report Post »flyoverbob
Posted on June 30, 2012 at 9:41amI’d say someone in the administration is keeping a-breast of this situation
Report Post »SUPERTODD
Posted on June 30, 2012 at 9:38amAre we really sure this woman will contribute less to America than Piers Morgan?
Report Post »dinadp
Posted on June 30, 2012 at 9:30amA Visa for “individuals with extraordinary ability”. She had sex, repeatedly, with a really old guy. THAT’S extraordinary my book. Probably avaricious too…
Report Post »Rashomon
Posted on June 30, 2012 at 9:10amgenius visa? utterly amazing!
Report Post »GdavidH
Posted on June 30, 2012 at 9:24amUdderly!
FIFY
Report Post »changedone
Posted on June 30, 2012 at 9:09amUltimately, this is another example of dumbing down the masses. If you can qualify for the 0-1 visa just because you drop ‘trou, what’s next? If this is another example of taking away a perk for being a genius, does this diminish the genius levels so that there’ll be no more geniuses, because you can get more accolades by not being smart? So if you’re not smart, you won‘t care to know how government works or how they’re not doing their job.
Report Post »AllLost
Posted on June 30, 2012 at 9:08amI don’t know why anyone even bothers with visas etc.
Report Post »LeadNotFollow
Posted on June 30, 2012 at 9:05am…
Report Post »Hugh Hefner is a disgrace to America.
Just another Chicago thug, with no morals.
Hrothgar
Posted on July 2, 2012 at 10:35amTotally, I mean building a media empire from the ground up is horrible. Why would anyone want to build a multinational corporation and be successful. The thought is sickening.
Report Post »frogg
Posted on June 30, 2012 at 9:05amAt least she came to the USA legally. What about the 10 to 20 million that are sucking the life out of us that wouldn’t be sucking the life out of us if they would have came legally. OH YES! I forgot!! We don’t give them a legal way to get here do we!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Let’s vote all the BUMS out and get Honest people in office!!!
Report Post »newview
Posted on June 30, 2012 at 10:17amIf getting in because of cup size is legal we have some real work to do in this country. It’s ok for the refugee who waits in line to continue to try to survive hell somewhere so Hugh can save a few flights? It‘s not like he couldn’t go there. Disgusting!
Report Post »Baddoggy
Posted on June 30, 2012 at 9:04amHow is she smarter than someone who sneaks over the border? She isnt, she just has assets…
Report Post »Gonzo
Posted on June 30, 2012 at 9:02amDoes she speak English? Will she work and pay her bills and taxes? Will she buy car insurance? Let her in.
Report Post »Chromo200
Posted on June 30, 2012 at 11:03amWhy worry .. DOJ determind she was important to this country like the other millions they allow to come in and stay. This one is legal and took the place of a doctor or engineer.
Report Post »Gonzo
Posted on June 30, 2012 at 11:20amYea, I’m sure some dcotor is stranded at the border because of this chick.
Report Post »blanco5
Posted on June 30, 2012 at 8:53amSo, pretty people enter thru the front door and the ugly people use the back door?
Report Post »progressiveslayer
Posted on June 30, 2012 at 9:37amBarry uses the back door,sometimes with Barney Frank.
Report Post »justangry
Posted on June 30, 2012 at 4:06pmI’m sure Shakira, Sophia Vergera, Selma Hyak, etc.. didn’t have a problem getting a Visa. They’ll also grant them to people who are good at sports.
Report Post »BlazeGlory
Posted on June 30, 2012 at 8:49amShe is so intelligent she could be considered as next in line for a vacated seat in the SCOTUS.
Report Post »TIME_2_END_THE_PAUL_CAMPAIGN_IN_12
Posted on June 30, 2012 at 8:47am“Frisky Friday??” That term is currently being used to describe another genius… John Travolta and his gay bathhouse escapades.
The Playboy Mansion, Hollywood and California… where the women are women and most of the men act like women too… or “W”ussies with a “P”…
Report Post »javasport
Posted on June 30, 2012 at 8:21amSo what if Bill Cllinton bewstowed the genious title on her. He knows. He knows.
Report Post »SamIamTwo
Posted on June 30, 2012 at 8:34amDevil with the blue dress on?
Report Post »macpappy
Posted on June 30, 2012 at 8:12amPleasing to the eye, friends in high places, astute business woman. so sexy playboy highlighted her assets. Pure genius.
Report Post »Might not be a Hawkins, but she is a lot easier to look at.