How the United States Immigration System Works?

Published by Margaret on

The fundamental principle of the U.S. immigration system is to reunify families, protect the refugees, promote diversity, and admit skilled people who will provide value to the U.S. economy.

The Immigration and National Act (INA), the law that governs the immigration law of the U.S., provides 675,000 permanent immigrant visas per year. Additionally, the president and congress admit an annual number of refugees through the U.S. Refugee Admission program.

Also, a person can become a lawful permanent resident (LPR) by coming to the U.S. after obtaining a permanent visa. A person who obtains LPR can apply for all jobs and stay in the country even if they are unemployed. Along with this, the U.S. offers many visas for non-citizens temporarily. These non-immigrant visas can help students, tourists, and temporary workers to remain in the country for years.

You can also immigrate to the U.S. using the following immigration systems:

Immigration

Family–Based Immigration

One of the principles of the U.S. immigration system is family unification. This immigration system allows U.S. citizens and lawful permanent residents to bring some of their family members to the county. If you are a U.S citizen, an unlimited number of visas are provided to immediate family members. But the prospective members must meet some eligibility criteria, and the petitioners must meet some financial requirements. The relative who can apply for a visa are:

  • Spouse of a U.S. citizen.
  • Unmarried children of U.S citizens who are under twenty-one years old.
  • Parents of U.S. citizens who are above twenty-one years.

To control the number of immigrants who are arriving based on the family system, congress has established some laws. According to the rule, the number of family-based visas allocated through preference should be at least 226,000. And the numbers of visas given to immediate relatives exceed 250,000 every year. Thus, the number of family-based visas provided will be about 480,000.

To get admitted for a family-based migration system, the petitioner needs to establish the legitimacy of the relationship with the relative, meet the income requirement, and sign an affidavit stating that the sponsor will be finically responsible for the relative. The relative should also pass some criteria, including:

  • Submit to a medical exam.
  • Doing required vaccinations.
  • Checking of criminal history.

Employee based Immigration

The United States offers various ways for people with skills to come to the country, including:

Temporary visa classifications

The temporary employment-based visa enables employers to hire people from foreign countries for particular jobs for a fixed period. The employees, who come under this visa, will have to work under the same employers mostly and cannot change their jobs. Currently, there are more than 20 types of visas that are available for temporary workers.

employment-based Immigration

Permanent employment-based Immigration

The annual number of visas granted based on permanent employment-based Immigration is 140,000. This number includes the immigrants, along with their spouses and minor children. This means that the number of visas will be less than 140,000.

Do you want to immigrate or bring your family to the United States? If yes, then go through the immigration system of the country and see how you can navigate through the complex process.

Categories: Immigration

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