People now believe that the current immigration system of the country is broken and they want the country to reform the immigration laws. Undocumented immigrants want to obtain US citizenship and remain in America as most of them do not know their home countries and United States is the home for many. There are around 2 million undocumented immigrants in America who were brought to the country by their parents, at a very young age and they did not even know that they are breaking America’s immigration laws, at the time of entering into the country. Such immigrants know only the United States and they do not want to leave the country as they were brought up and educated there. Under the current law, undocumented immigrants cannot become legal residents or US citizens. There are more than 11 million undocumented immigrants and the country cannot deport them as most of them have settled in the country and such people want the country to legalize them. The Senators unveiled an immigration reform bill that would legalize the undocumented immigrants living in the United States and this bill also includes a pathway to US citizenship.
Paths to US Citizenship Under the Senate Immigration Reform Bill
US immigration laws do not permit the undocumented immigrants to obtain US citizenship and undocumented immigrants will be deported. As most of the undocumented immigrants have been living in the country for several years, it may not be possible for the country to deport all of them as many are likely to become stateless. Hence, immigration activists and lawmakers want the country to permit the undocumented immigrants to live in the country and they want to reform the immigration laws.
The Senators recently unveiled an immigration reform bill and this bill would permit the undocumented immigrants to obtain legal status. Initially, Registered Provisional Immigrant status would be granted and after living in the country for ten years in this status, undocumented immigrants would be permitted to apply for Green Cards. They would be permitted to apply for US citizenship, three years after becoming permanent residents. DREAMers would be given special preference and they could apply for permanent resident status, five years after obtaining Registered Provisional Immigrant status. Moreover, they could apply for US citizenship as soon as they obtain their Green Cards. Agricultural workers would also be permitted to become US citizens. Nevertheless, the DREAMers must wait for five years to obtain US citizenship and the wait time for the other undocumented immigrants is 13 years.
Paths to US Citizenship Under the Current Law
Under the current law, people born on US soil are US citizens and the children of US citizens, born within the country or abroad can raise a claim to US citizenship. Likewise, the US immigration laws permit the members of the US armed forces to obtain US citizenship, through “special naturalization provisions” and their children and spouses would also become eligible for US citizenship through the special provisions.
United States welcomes immigrants and permits them to obtain US citizenship. Foreign nationals who have been living in America as permanent residents can apply for US citizenship if they meet the naturalization requirements and if they are eligible for citizenship status. These immigrants must establish that they have been living in America for more than five years, at the time of filing their US citizenship applications. According to the US immigration laws, spouses of US citizens need not wait for five years to apply for US citizenship and the wait time for them is only three years. Apart from the above, the country also conducts a lottery program and grants the winners, immigrant visas. People who immigrate to America through this program also can apply for US citizenship after five years if they are eligible for citizenship.