If you were to listen to a certain echelon of society, you might think that everyone who wants to be an American citizen is only interested in coming here to deplete our healthcare system of resources and take jobs away from earnest Americans. However, in actuality, immigrants make an enormous contribution to our country and work hard at jobs in which Americans have no interest or are unwilling to do. There are a few facts that you may not know about U.S. immigrants.
Immigration Rates Have Slowed Down
The Trump administration’s harsh policies and the coronavirus pandemic each made contributions to a massive slow down in Immigration to the United States.
Prior to the Trump administration, immigration to the United States had been on an upswing since the 1970s. The Immigration and Nationality Act of 1965 got rid of national-origin admission quotas. Congress created the Refugee Act of 1980. We also stopped giving preferential treatment to refugees from communist Cuba.
Mexican immigration has seen a sharp decline in recent years. In 2000 30% of immigrants to America were Mexican, and in 2019, only 24% came to the United States from Mexico. About 44% of immigrants are Latino. Chinese and Indian people made up 6% of immigrants to the US.
Immigrants Use Private Health Insurance
Contrary to stereotypes, 58% of immigrants carry some kind of Private health insurance. this was only 11% less than non-immigrants.
How to Get a Green Card
A Green Card means a person is a permanent legal resident of the United States. One must generally obtain a green card before being granted US citizenship. There are four basic ways to get a green card.
Family Relationships
If you are married to a United States citizen, or if you are under 21, unmarried, and a child of a United States green cardholder, you can apply for a green card.
Employer Sponsorship
If a company in the United States wants to hire you, they can apply for a green card for you. This is not quite as easy as it sounds. The company will have to prove that they could not find an American who can do the job they are hiring for. You will have to have special skills in order to accomplish this. You can petition for a green card on your own behalf if you invest money in an American company.
Diversity Visa If there is a very low immigration rate from your country of origin, you may be able to enter the Visa Lottery. There are three Visa lotteries a year, and you can enter between October and November.
Refugee Status
if a person’s life may be in danger or if they were a victim of a natural disaster, they are often granted refugee status in the United States, which means they can come here until it would be safe for them to return to their country of origin. Some people may never be safe if they go back home; they are granted refugee status here.
In 2019 the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services requested fee increases for the purpose of balancing its budget. They ask for an increase in the fee for people applying for green cards. They wanted to charge $1170 instead of the $640 they had been charging. Critics argued that this would cause an enormous strain on refugees. The fee is not likely to change anytime soon, as the USCIS is hurting for money. I
Immigrating to the United States has always been difficult. If you read more about immigration, you will understand all the steps you should take to the long and sometimes arduous battle to become a legal permanent resident or a citizen.
