US Immigration has become a very important issue for American citizens and those individuals or families wishing to come to America. Since the establishment of the first colonies in America, there have been immigrants desperately desiring their chance at freedom. Elis Island was, for many, a portal to a new life through which they would pass and begin their journey. Hundreds of thousands of individuals fled persecution, poverty or inhumane conditions to come to the United States for a chance to live the “American dream” of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. In this article, we will cover some of the basic questions regarding immigration that many have.

What is US Immigration?

US immigration is the process in which people leave their home country to come to the United States to live as a citizen. They can do so by two different methods: legally and illegally. We are a nation at war with itself over this issue. Some believe that the US borders should be closed off from immigrants due to the overwhelming presence of illegal aliens. Others believe that our nation was founded on the fundamental right to take in other people.

What are the requirements to become a US citizen?

The laws to become a US citizen can often seem long, tedious and complicated depending on the circumstances of the individual. There is a waiting period after the immigrant is granted permission to enter the US and maintain a residency. After the allotted waiting period a test must be taken regarding US history and laws. Once the tests are taken, the board of the USCIS will review the documentation and make a ruling. If the tests are not passed, the individual has 90 days he or she must wait before taking the test again. At this point, with a passing score and having abided by US laws and rules, the individual can become a United States citizen and obtain the rights afforded to all US citizens.

Immigration seems to be a highly combustible political debate. What are the reasons behind this?

Many people are vehemently against immigration because they feel that American jobs are being taken from the American worker because so many immigrants are willing to work for far less. They also believe that higher crime rates and an increase of government assistance are contributing to the decline of society. Whether or not this is true is debatable. For every argument against allowing immigrants entrance into the US, there are arguments for them being allowed. The current controversy centers more on the influx of illegal immigrants rather than individuals seeking legal admittance to the United States.

More On: Common US Immigration Questions

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This entry was posted on Thursday, November 15th, 2007 at 8:13 pm and is filed under News & Society. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.