The United States prides itself on being the land of the free, and home of the brave. The self-declared identity of the country is that anyone who shares these character traits is welcome into the country. Such a sweeping generalization obviously leaves a lot up to the imagination. Who really does constitute as free and brave enough to immigrate into the US? For a nation built-up on immigrants from Scotland, Ireland, England, Germany, so others, it seems logical that immigration policy into America would be lenient and streamlined.
Indeed, the grandiose rhetoric about American acceptance of other’s makes it seem like anyone and everyone that is deemed safe is allowed into the country. Unfortunately, this is not the case anywhere. Even Canada, a nation with only 30 million residents, has a relatively strict immigration policy. It is hard to get into the United States, and it always has been.
For those foreigners who are seeking immigration status of any kind, there is at least some hope. Many law firms across the states specialize in immigration procedures to help people get status for work or simply residence. It’s important that these immigration law firms get as much advertising support as they can, because they do such important work. Here are some answers to the most frequently asked questions about American immigration in recent years:
How many people immigrated every year? Immigration rates have fluctuated around 1 million each year, peaking at 1.3 million in 2014. This number will surely go down in 2017 under the Trump administration, which has made it clear from day one that immigration reform is one of the most important tasks.
How many immigrants live in America? The exact up-to-date number is not available for 2016. We do know that 42.4 million immigrants were living in America in 2014, constituting 13.3% of the total population.
Is illegal immigration a concern? Yes. America has been dealing with an immigration crisis for quite some time now. Part of it is because the border between Mexico and America is so open, making it relatively easy for South American’s to enter and find work under the table.
Is it hard to apply for immigration status? Yes, it is a timely and quite technically challenging procedure to apply and get immigration status. There is a real emphasis on having family in America already, or having an American business sponsor the application. After a petition is submitted and approved, applicants can begin National Visa Center Processing, find an agent, collect supporting documents to augment their application, and then await an interview with an agent. This process can be made a lot easier by hiring a law firm or working with an NGO that can provide administrative support.
