Immigration to the USA

1. Illegal immigration2. Legal immigration 2.1 Which countries send the largest number of immigrants 2.2 Immigration quotas today3. Green card4. Getting citizenship

Illegal ways of immigration1. Illegal crossing of border2. Overstaying after expiry of visa

or Border Crossing Card (BCC)3. Drug smuggling4. Identity theft5. Immigration on false visas from

countries with which the USA has no automatic visa agreements

States of Residence of the Illegal Immigrant Population

State of residence

Estimated population

Percent of total

All states 11.555.000 100

California 2.930.000 25Texas 1.640.000 14Florida 980.000 8Illinois 555.000 5

Where do the illegal immigrants come from?

Country of origin Raw number Percent o total

Mexico 6.650.000 62

El Salvador 530.000 5

Guatemala 480.000 4

Honduras 320.000 3

Philippines 270.000 2

Legal ways of immigration

Immigration to the United States is based upon the following principles: • the reunification of families• admitting immigrants with skills

that are valuable to the U.S. economy

• protecting refugees• promoting diversity

Family-Based Immigration: immediate relatives and preference

systemThere are 226,000 family-based visas available every year.

• Immediate relatives are:• spouses of U.S. citizens. •  unmarried minor children of U.S. citizens (under 21

years old). •  parents of U.S. citizens (petitioner must be at least

21 years old to petition for a parent).

• The preference system includes:• adult children (married and unmarried) and brothers

and sisters of U.S. citizens (petitioner must be at least 21 years old to petition for a sibling).

• spouses and unmarried children (minor and adult) of LPRs.

Employment-Based Immigration: temporary and

permanent visasVisa

140.000 visas per year

Temporary

- L visas for intracompany transfers- P visas for athletes- R visas for religious workers- A visas for diplomatic employees

Permanent

- divided into 5 preferences

Refugees and Asylees(70 000 visas)

Africa 12.000East Asia 17.000

Europe and Central Asia 2.000Latin America/Caribbean 5.000

Near East/ South Asia 31.000Unallocated Reserve 3.000

Total 70.000

The regional allocation of worldwide refugees:

Other Forms of Humanitarian Relief 

Temporary Protected Status (TPS) is granted to people who are in the United States but cannot return to their home country because of «natural disaster» , «extraordinary temporary conditions» , or «ongoing armed conflict».

Deferred Enforced Departure (DED) provides protection from deportation for individuals whose home countries are unstable, therefore making return dangerous.

Which countries send the largest number of immigrants

Mexico 173 753China 87 345Philippines 74 607India 70 369Cuba 45 604Dominican Republic 38 069

Immigration quotas today

226,000 family-based immigration visas140, 000 employment-based immigration visas.

• Unmarried adult children of the US citizens – 23, 400 visas.

• Spouses and unmarried children of permanent residents of the US – 114, 200 visas

• Married children of the US children – 23, 400 visas.

• Siblings of the US citizens – 65, 000 visas. The waiting period is 11 years.

A Green Card (Permanent Resident Card)

• Gives you official immigration status in the United States

• Entitles you to certain rights and responsibilities

• Is required if you wish to naturalize as a U.S. Citizen

Some “tips” how to get a Green Card• Be related to a U.S. citizen, as a spouse,

unmarried child under 21 or parent if the citizen is over 21. 

• Be adopted by U.S. citizens, as long as you are under 16 years old.

• Ask your U.S. employer to put in a good word.• Bring money. Invest at least $1 million

(£645,000), employ ten people or expand an existing business by at least 40%.

• Win the Green Card Lottery

The US citizenship• Green card naturalization• Marriage with a U.S. citizen• Joining the military• Citizenship through parents

8 steps to naturalization Determine your eligibility to become a

U.S. citizenPrepare Form N-400, Application for

NaturalizationSubmit Form N-400, Application for

NaturalizationGo to the biometrics appointment, if

applicableComplete the interviewReceive a decision from USCIS on your

Form N-400, Application for Naturalization

Receive a notice to take the Oath of Allegiance

Take the Oath of Allegiance to the United States

Web resources• https://www.uscis.gov/laws• https://www.uscis.gov/sites/default/files/U

SCIS/files/M-1051.pdf

• http://www.wikihow.com/Become-a-US-Citizen

• http://www.bbcamerica.com/anglophenia/2012/09/how-to-get-a-u-s-green-card

• http://usaimmigration.weebly.com/why-do-people-immigrate-to-the-us.html

• http://www.us-visa.ru/immigration/way.htm

Thank you for your attention!