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Sep 14, 2021 · The American Immigration Council is a non-profit, non-partisan organization. Visit our partner organization: American Immigration Lawyers Association 1331 G St. NW, Suite 200, Washington, D.C., 20005 | 202-507-7500
Learn how DACA helps people who came to the U.S. as children and who do not have documentation. Looking for something else? Explore all topics and services. Learn about U.S. citizenship, Green Cards, visas, and refugee and asylum status. Find out about immigration violations and the deportation process.
American immigration history can be viewed in four epochs: the colonial period, the mid-19th century, the start of the 20th century, and post-1965. Each period brought distinct national groups, races, and ethnicities to the United States.
Jun 6, 2023 · Immigration has been a touchstone of the U.S. political debate for decades, as policymakers have weighed economic, security, and humanitarian concerns. Congress has been unable to reach an ...
- Family-based immigration. In fiscal 2019, nearly 710,000 people received lawful permanent residence in the U.S. through family sponsorship. The program allows someone to receive a green card if they already have a spouse, child, sibling or parent living in the country with U.S. citizenship or, in some cases, a green card.
- Refugee admissions. The U.S. admitted only 11,411 refugees in fiscal year 2021, the lowest number since Congress passed the 1980 Refugee Act for those fleeing persecution in their home countries.
- Employment-based green cards. In fiscal 2019, the U.S. government awarded more than 139,000 employment-based green cards to foreign workers and their families.
- Diversity visas. Each year, about 50,000 people receive green cards through the U.S. diversity visa program, also known as the visa lottery. Since the program began in 1995, more than 1 million immigrants have received green cards through the lottery, which seeks to diversify the U.S. immigrant population by granting visas to underrepresented nations.
Apr 28, 2023 · Our number one goal is strengthening the security and integrity of the immigration system through efficient and consistent adjudications of benefits, fraud detection, and enhanced customer service. USCIS promotes flexible and sound immigration policies and programs as well as immigrant participation in American civic culture.
