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Someone in the U.S. who is not a Citizen is either an
Immigrant or a
Nonimmigrant
How would someone gain citizenship?
1. By being BORN in the U.S.
2. By being born to a U.S. citizen parent or having your parent become a citizen (before you turn 18)
3. Naturalization (more about this process later)
Three Ways to Citizenship
Immigrants
Immigrants settle in a country intending to stay there permanently and become citizens.
Some categories of immigrants are:
1. Lawful permanent residents
2. Refugees3. Asylees
Lawful Permanent Residents
• Lawful permanent residents have permission to remain in the US for as long as they choose and remain crime free.
• They must renew their green card every 10 year.
Lawful
What is the difference between a refugee and an
asylee?• A refugee receives
permission to come to the U.S. from outside of the country.
• Refugees are resettled with the help of a refugee resettlement agency.
• An asylee is already in the U.S. and once here applies for protection.
• Asylees have to prove that they have reason to fear persecution in their home country.
Non-immigrants• Students• Temporary
Workers• Visitors• Others may be
in the United States temporarily. Their visas allow them to stay only for a limited amount of time.
Undocumented Immigrants
• Undocumented immigrants may have entered the U.S. without showing a visa or green card.
• They may be here with expired papers.
• They do not have documents that allow them to stay in the U.S.
Can anyone who wants to become a citizen become
one?• No, first somebody has to have a
green card.• Then how do you get a green
card?• Only a few ways, and not
everybody is eligible for one. • Here are the four ways:
Family• Roughly 70% of
immigrants come to be reunited with family.
• U.S. citizen adults can sponsor family members (spouse, parent, child or sibling).
• Lawful Permanent Residents can sponsor their spouse and any unmarried children.
A note about Family Reunification – The WAIT
• The length of the wait depends on:– whether the sponsor is a citizen
or Lawful Permanent Resident– what country the relative is from– type of relationship (ex: spouse
comes sooner than a brother)• A lawful permanent resident
who wants to bring her husband and 2-year-old daughter from Mexico will have to wait approximately 5-6 years.
• For a citizen to sponsor his brother from the Philippines it will take
Employment• Roughly 15% of immigrants
come to fill positions where there is a shortage of U.S. workers (ex: nurses, computer engineers).
• Every year there are some visas that are given to professionals with advanced degrees and skilled workers. The employer must prove that they can’t find a worker domestically.
• There are very few visas offered to unskilled workers though there are many businesses that have a shortage of these workers. Available jobs without available visas cause a rise in undocumented immigration.
Fleeing Persecution
• Roughly 15% of immigrants come as refugees fleeing persecution.
• The U.S. accepts refugees and asylees who are fleeing persecution based on race, ethnicity, nationality, religion, gender, political opinion or membership in a social group.
Diversity Visa Lottery• Each year there is a green card
lottery to welcome immigrants from countries from which the U.S. receives immigrants at lower rates.
• The applicant must have a high school diploma or have a specific ability/trade. Their immediate family can come too.
• There will be visas given out in the lottery.
• People from countries that have sent more than 50,000 people in the last 5 years are not eligible. This includes Mexico, El Salvador, China, the Philippines, England, India and other nations.
• The chance of winning is
Lawful Permanent Residents may become U.S. Citizens
Eligible immigrants may choose to go through the process of
to become a U.S. citizen.
To become a Naturalized Citizen You Must:
• Have a green card (5 years).
• Be physically present in the U.S. for 2.5 years.
• Pay an application fee of nearly $400.
• Pass the citizenship test. • Pass the interview in
English.• Swear to the judge you
will follow the laws of the U.S.
• Be of good moral character.
The Immigration Debate• Immigration is a front-page news story.• The debate centers around:
-The present undocumented population-Future immigration flows-The costs and benefits of immigration-The cultural impact of immigration-Family reunification-Border security-Knowing who’s within our borders