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Controversy in the US: Immigration Part Two

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Published: 10Sep2009
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It is not meant to hold an opinion but instead to explore different stances and view points that the controversial topic presents.

With all of the debate and controversy surrounding illegal immigration it seems that the best bet for anyone would be to become a citizen or a legal immigrant. Saying this sounds easy enough to do but is accomplishing the goal necessarily that straightforward?

To truly understand how hard it is to become a legal immigrant in the United States a person has to look at the process it entitles. In today's current process the first step is to be approved by the USCIS. To do this the potential immigrant must have a petition, which is usually filed by a relative or employer. If the petition is approved by the USCIS then the potential immigrant is allowed to apply for an Immigration Visa. An Immigration Visa is a number assigned to the potential immigrant that will allow them to work in the United States without citizenship.

Unfortunately, the United States limits the number of Visa's that can be handed out each year, so even if a person gets through the initial process of approving the petition, they still might not be eligible to get a visa for that year. If the Visa is achieved, however, the potential is allowed to apply for permanent residential status without citizenship as long as they are already in the United States. If the potential is not in the United States they must go to a local United States consulate to proceed with the paper work. If applying for all of these steps and accomplishing them was not enough, any potential citizen or legal immigrant must also be eligible to apply. Even if they are eligible they have to face the preference system. The preference system is divided into two main categories with four levels of preferences each. The first is for potentials that have a relative living in the United States legally. In this category the first preference is "unmarried, adult sons and daughters of U.S. citizens," the Second Preference is "spouses of lawful permanent residents, and the unmarried sons and daughters (regardless of age) of lawful permanent residents and their children," the Third Preference is "married sons and daughters of U.S. citizens, their spouses and their minor children," and the Fourth Preference is "brothers and sisters of adult U.S. citizens, their spouses and their minor children." This means that if a potential is in the first preference category they will obtain their Visa before all of the other preferences. The same applies in the second category for potentials filing petitions through employers. No matter how they have to file, however, it still stands that the process is lengthy, hard, and the chances of getting a Visa the same year one is applied for is very slim. So, it is very hard to obtain legal immigration status in the United States. With how hard it is, it is no wonder that a majority of the United States immigrants chose to come over illegally, it is easier.

As of 2004, another method for allowing immigrant workers into the country was proposed by former President Bush, the Guest Worker Program. The Guest Worker Program allowed employers to sponsor foreigners to come over and work in their factories, farms, or other businesses. This program was designed to allow immigrant workers a method of working that would not be illegal. For the most part American's supported this type of program.

At the same time, the program also called for enhanced border security to keep illegal immigrants out of the country. In other words, they wanted immigrant workers to be able to work but not if they came into the country illegally. By allowing the immigrant workers in legally, the program stops the controversy over foreign workers and also stops the illegal immigrants debate. The added security on the border would appease the average American against illegal immigration and the workers would still be permitted into the country more easily. Overall, the Guest Workers Program is an interesting solution to a hard to fix problem.

Some information in this article has been cited.

Works Cited Ilias, Shayerah. "American Attitudes toward Guest Worker Policies." International Migration Review 42(2008): 741-766. "Immigration Policy Issues". News Batch. 2007. 06 Apr. 2009 "Immigration Visa ." US Citizens Immigration Service. 2009. 6 Apr 2009. Prengaman, Peter. "Legal Immigrants." Sign On San Diego. 28 Mar. 2006. 6 Apr 2009 "Senate passes "Comprehensive Immigration Reform Act of 2006"." Illegal Immigration PAC 2008. 6 Apr 2009. Toness, Bianca . "Tax time is for everyone, including illegal immigrants." Minnesota Public Radio 10 Apr. 2005. 6 Apr 2009.

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