http://www.abqjournal.com/border2005/40 ... -01-05.htm

Tuesday, November 1, 2005

The ABCs of Immigration

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Who is an immigrant? According to U.S. law, an immigrant is a foreign-born individual who has been admitted to reside permanently in the United States as a Lawful Permanent Resident.

How do immigrants get admitted to permanently reside here? Typically, a foreign-born individual seeking to become an LPR can do so in one of three ways:

1) Through family-sponsored immigration, a U.S. citizen can sponsor his or her foreign-born spouse, parent (if the sponsor is older than 21), minor and adult married and unmarried children, and brothers and sisters. A Lawful Permanent Resident can sponsor his or her spouse, minor children and adult unmarried children.

2) Through employment-based immigration, a U.S. employer can sponsor an individual for a specific position where there is a demonstrated absence of U.S. workers.

3) By winning one of a limited number of immigrant visas available in the Annual Diversity Visa Lottery that is open to immigrants from certain countries.

Who is an undocumented immigrant? A person who is present in the United States without the permission of the U.S. government. They enter the country either illegally, without being inspected by an immigration officer or by using false documents, or legally, with a temporary visa, and then remain in the United States beyond the expiration date of the visa. There hasn't been blanket amnesty program since the 1980s, so illegal immigrants can only gain U.S. legal residency through one of the above methods, according to U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services.

Who is a refugee? A person outside the United States who seeks protection on the grounds that he or she fears persecution in his or her homeland. To obtain refugee status, a person must prove that he or she has a well-founded fear of persecution on the basis of at least one of five specifically-enumerated and internationally recognized grounds, including race, religion, membership in a social group, political opinion or national origin.

Who is a non-immigrant? An individual who is permitted to enter the U.S. for a period of limited duration. Non-immigrants include students, tourists, temporary workers, business executives, diplomats, artists, entertainers and reporters. Depending on where they are from and the purpose of their visit, non-immigrants may be required to apply for and obtain one of a variety of types of visas from the U.S. government.

Who is a naturalized citizen? Lawful Permanent Residents are eligible to apply for U.S. citizenship through a process called naturalization. To qualify, applicants must reside in the U.S. for five years (three if they are married to a U.S. citizen) without having committed any serious crimes, show that they have paid their taxes, are of "good moral character" and demonstrate a knowledge of U.S. history and government, as well as an ability to understand, speak and write ordinary English.