Hello! Thank you to ElizaSky this week's guest correspondent for the wonderful Mira Kasparian article. I have plans to keep posting this while Kschlen is out, so you'll get more of the media speculation while Rilla is questioned by the Crawford Drew... Thanks as always to Kschlen for allowing me to add to her "By A Simple Twist of Fate" universe
Mira Kasparian Twitter:MiraKasp-Slate^
Slate Magazine
December 2011
Over the past few weeks, news outlets on both sides of the pond have been falling over one another to cover the no-doubt fascinating story of Prince Ken's rumored relationship with Canadian NYU student Rilla Blythe. While there seems to be little actual news value to any of these reports, certain fashion bloggers may have stumbled upon a bigger story.
Last week, the blog A Vision in Style reported on an outfit that Blythe wore to her job as a waitress. While it provided no specific information about her employment, it is unlikely that Blythe, a Canadian national, has permission to work in the United States. If not, she may be residing in the country illegally.
Most international students who come to the United States for college enter on an F-1 visa. This visa strictly limits international students' ability to work for pay. In most cases, students are only allowed to work on campus and are limited to 20 hours of work per week. Some can also get permission to work in jobs related to their area of study, but service-industry jobs do not qualify. "The types of entry-level jobs commonly open to young people — like waiting tables at a restaurant or babysitting— are strictly prohibited," says Professor Mark Sheehan, who teaches economics and international relations at Columbia. "An F-1 visa is for studying, not for working, and the government takes illegal employment violations very seriously."
The consequences for working without authorization are dire. Immigration law states that students who work unauthorized jobs fall "out of status" the moment they begin their illegal employment. That means that their visas are invalid and their presence in the United States is illegal. If they accrue 180 days of unlawful presence, they are subject to a three-year ban from the country; a year of unlawful presence results in a ten-year ban.
The rules are complex. In recent years, colleges have outsourced many on-campus services to contractors, so that a student who works at a college cafeteria or bookstore may actually be employed by an outside company, rather than the university itself. A provision in the F-1 visa regulations clarifies that contractor jobs in university buildings only count as "on-campus employment" if they "provide direct student services."
These regulations make it very difficult for international students from working-class backgrounds to attend school in the United States. While it is possible to apply for a financial hardship waiver, it is extremely unlikely that a student like Rilla Blythe, whose parents are a surgeon and a best-selling author, would qualify.
Rilla Blythe's employment may be legal or illegal. In either case, the media frenzy around her relationship with Prince Ken will certainly draw public attention to other international students whose employment may have been flying under the radar until now. Whether the heightened scrutiny will lead to a change in the laws or to a rash of deportations remains to be seen.
From the desk of Jordan Montgomery, Twitter: JrdnMRoyalCorresp
Royal Correspondent, Associated Press (Online Edition)
XX December 2011
From rags to riches a first look into the post restaurant Prince Kenneth's Rilla works at
The media has been fascinated with the story of the next heir to the British throne, Prince Kenneth apparent relationship with a lowly waitress. Rilla Blythe, a student at New York University, supplements her student loans waitressing. Associated Press have obtained exclusive photos of the restaurant the Prince's waitress works at.
(Photo: Outside of Building) Rilla, running up the stairs towards the staff entrance, dry cleaning (presumably her work attire) in hand. From the outside, the building's opulence inspires. Corinthian columns give a sense of elegance, and the large glass windows are designed to let diners see out, without those on the outside looking in.
(Photo: Main Dining Hall) Spacious and calm, here the main dining hall has been set up ready a formal dinner. Note the flatware with indicates the tables have been set for a seven course dinner. The high ceiling room is decorated with photography featuring some of the most iconic cities from around the world with the table center pieces representing some of those cities famous structures. See on the right where the center piece is a miniature Eiffel Tower and the photography shows Paris at night. Photography and center pieces for this dinner were on loan from NYU's Tisch School of Arts graduating student's collection.
(Photo: A row of staff lockers, zoomed in on 3 the middle one clearly shows the name "R Blythe") Among the benefits staff can enjoy is a spacious break room, with lockers to store personal items
^This article is the work of the wonderfully talented Elizasky