Thread: Potential U.S. immigrants have 3 main ways to get visa

Potential United States immigrants have 3 main ways to get visa

Chris Hawley -
Sept. 26, 2010 07:03 PM
Republic Mexico City Bureau

MEXICO CITY - There are two types of visas under U.S. law: immigrant and non-immigrant.

Non-immigrant visas allow foreigners to travel or work temporarily in the United States. The tourist-visa requirement is waived for citizens of 36 countries, most of them in Europe.

However, most people coming to work in the United States want to immigrate to the United States permanently.

There are three main ways of getting an immigrant visa: through a family member already in the United States, being sponsored by an employer, or through a lottery aimed at increasing diversity in the United States.

Family sponsors

Spouses and minor children of U.S. citizens can get immigrant visas almost immediately. There are no limits on the number of visas given out to them.

But for other kinds of relatives, or relatives of permanent residents who are not citizens yet, the number of immigrant visas is capped at 226,000 a year.

Some kinds of relatives have preference over others, and relatives of U.S. citizens take priority over those of immigrants who are permanent residents. Unmarried children of U.S. citizens are at the top of the list. Parents, aunts, uncles and cousins of permanent residents are at the bottom.

Because of the caps on different categories, unmarried adult children from most countries face a four-year wait for a visa. For married children, it's eight years.

For Mexican children over age 21, it's an 18-year wait either way.

Employer sponsors

An additional 140,000 immigrants can come to the United States each year sponsored by their U.S. employers. But there are two major hurdles.

• Applicants must have a job offer from a U.S. company. That's often a Catch-22, said Margarita Silva, an immigration lawyer in Phoenix: If State Department officials suspect someone is traveling to the United States to look for a job, they won't issue a travel visa.

• Applicants must convince an employer to spend the money and time to sponsor them. The process is difficult even for a six-month temporary worker visa. Sponsoring someone for permanent residency can take 10 years of work.

Diversity visas

Every year, the United States gives out 50,000 "diversity visas" aimed at increasing the country's cultural mix.

They are divvied up by region, with the lion's share going to Africa. In 2010, 29,450 visas were given out there, mostly in Egypt, Ethiopia and Nigeria. Europe got 9,600 visas, and Asia got 9,000.

Would-be immigrants apply through an online lottery system.

But people from some of the world's most populous countries are not eligible because they already have so many emigrants in the United States.

http://www.azcentral.com/news/articles/ ... z10kl1NECY

But for other kinds of relatives, or relatives of permanent residents who are not citizens yet, the number of immigrant visas is capped at 226,000 a year.

Some kinds of relatives have preference over others, and relatives of U.S. citizens take priority over those of immigrants who are permanent residents. Unmarried children of U.S. citizens are at the top of the list. Parents, aunts, uncles and cousins of permanent residents are at the bottom.

That's the cap but is it exceeded everyt year?

Just what the Dreamies and their illegal alien parents are working towards. Amnesty and chain migration. Dream Act is Amnesty for the whole family.

Anchor babies... that's what it's all about.

Dixie