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

Fact: Immigrants contribute positively to

our nation.• Fill Labor Needs• Pay Taxes• Add Diversity• Share New Ideas• Enrich the Culture• Offset an Aging

Population• Strengthen our

Global Connections