Immigration Policy How Legal Immigration Works Immigrant A person who leaves their home country to become a permanent resident in another country the host country o Most come for economic reasons Employment and better wages o Host countries need labor of a particular type When non citizens come to the US the Immigration and Naturalization Service classifies them as either immigrants or non immigrants o Immigrants have the right to live here permanently o Non immigrants are here for a temporary time Green card Visa Becoming a Legal Immigrant o Four paths The family based system citizens abilities immigrant Awards immigration status to family members of US Employment based system Priority one workers Those with extraordinary Priority two workers Those with exceptional abilities Priority three workers Regular workers Most common Priority four workers Translators who work for the US military and people who work for the US embassies Priority five A person who invests at least 1 million and creates at least 10 new jobs Rare Refugees and asylum seekers Refugee A person fleeing their home country because of a well founded fear of persecution Asylum seeker A person requesting refugee status in another country Difference Refugee applies for residency while living outside of the host country while an asylee applies for residency once present in the host country Diversity lottery A person must be from a country that sends few immigrants to the US Up to 50 000 visas awarded annually o Immigration and Citizenship Immigrants can become legal permanent residents without ever becoming a citizen Naturalization What legal permanent residents must go through to become a citizen Live in the US for 5 years taking a citizenship test and swearing an oath of allegiance to the US o Non immigrant Visas Visa A government issued authorization that allows a person to enter a country and stay for a limited period of time A class visa For Ambassadors B 1 visa People traveling to US for business B 2 visa Tourists J1 visa International students H class visa temporary work History of Immigration Policy 1921 Emergency Immigration Restriction Act Restricted immigration across the board by establishing quotas for each country and region o National origins system System created by that law Institutional solution System changed again in 1965 o Why Unemployment was low and economic growth was high Civil rights movement called America to remain true to its principles o New law Immigration and Nationality Act Amendments of 1965 Family ties were made a central factor for determining admittance and specific country quotas were abolished System change in 1986 new law Institutional solution o 1986 Immigration Reform and Control Act IRCA Two changes to US Immigration policy Made it illegal for employers to knowingly hire illegal Granted amnesty to about 3 million illegal aliens in the immigrants US Why Do People Immigrate Push factors Political repression economic hardship political violence Pull factors Political freedom connectedness and economic opportunity o Connectedness Anything that greatly reduces the transaction costs of moving to and living in a new country Heckscher Ohlin theorem Tells us that a country tends to export products that make intensive use of its abundant factor It also says that countries tend to import products that make intensive use of its scarce factor o Procampo Incentivized works to migrate to US Economics of Immigration Wages Welfare and Taxes o Benefits of Immigrants Immigration benefits those who are relatively better off in society Immigrants contribute to the host stat s economy through their purchasing power Immigrants are more likely to become entrepreneurs Immigration may affect wages of workers that compete for the same jobs o Costs of Immigrants Immigrants and Assimilation Recent immigrants are assimilating faster than previous immigrants Traditionalists Contend that dual citizens have divided loyalties o Evidence supports this theory because dual citizens are less likely to assimilate Transnationalists Contend that dual citizenship conveys a welcoming attitude which encourages assimilation Illegal Immigration 3 ways to become an illegal immigrant o 1 Overstay a visa Half of illegal immigrants do this o 2 Illegal entry A misdemeanor offense Half do this Not common Ex Green card marriage o 3 Visa fraud When one gains entry into the US under false pretenses Addressing Illegal Immigration o New Requirements to Enter the Country Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative Requires all persons entering the US from other Western Hemisphere countries to present a valid passport o Border Fence Secure Fence Act Calls for the construction of 700 miles of fence along the US Mexican border o Work Force Audits Make sure workers are legal residents Immigration and Public Opinion Economic factors Monetary influences on opinion Psychic factors are all of the non monetary influences on a person s opinion Stolper Samuelson theory Tells us that individuals working with the scarce factor experience the costs of trade Cultural threat One s view about changes to the world around them o As one s sense of cultural threat increases opposition the immigration increases Chauvinism support for one s country even if you believe it is pursuing policies that are wrong o Chauvinists are more likely to oppose immigration Collective Action Credible Commitment Problems and the Immigration Reform Debate Political entrepreneur A person who identifies or frames an issue such that it motivates people to engage in political action Should the US Repeal the 14th Amendment 14th Amendment guarantees citizenship to those born in US o Original purpose was to give citizenship to freed slaves
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