Linda Cretella
Janet Chocky
Social Issues
May 8, 2014
United States Immigration Policies
The “American Dream” is a popular term used in the United States. This ‘dream’ is
what encourages people from all over the world to come and live life in America. However,
many are not able to make this dream a reality. Applying to become a U.S citizen is a long,
costly process, and one that many are not able to complete. This is why there are so many
illegal immigrants crossing the border into the United States. Many factors like money and
language barriers prevent people from applying for citizenship. Current citizens do not
mind how difficult the process is to immigrants, as they believe immigrants take away jobs
from citizens and want America to remain “American.” The immigration policy should
become simpler for immigrants as it would improve the economy and also create less illegal
immigrants.
Currently in the United States, there is a 675,000 permanent immigrant allotment.
This means that each year, the United States is allowed to grant 675,000 immigrants the
opportunity to become citizens. 480,000 are allowed to immigrate for family-based
reasons, 140,000 for employment-based reasons, and 55,000 to immigrants who live in
low-immigration rate countries (How the United States Immigration System Works: A Fact
Sheet). In the United States, there are also currently 11 million illegal immigrants. Many
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wonder why an illegal immigrant wouldn’t just go through the process and become a
citizen.
Becoming a United States citizen is an extremely difficult process. In order to
become a citizen, the typical process is to first obtain a green card. There are different ways
to get a green card, whether it is through a family member who already is in the United
States, or through a job. Obtaining this green card is problematic and expensive. The cost
can range anywhere from a couple hundred dollars to a couple thousand dollars, depending
on the type of green card being received. It can also be a very long process that does not
inform people how far along in the process they are. The amount of time can take anywhere
from six months to a couple of years (Green Card Eligibility). Once a person has the green
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