Emigration to the U.S.

The current immigration system is established in accordance with current immigration law, a detailed process-oriented and designed to serve U.S. national interests. With this system, U.S. citizens and lawful permanent residents have the opportunity to reunite with relatives, and U.S. employers hired highly skilled foreign professionals, and thus contribute to the economy of the United States and maintain high rankings in the world market. The immigration law also allows the support and to protect the rights of refugees around the world. The current immigration system is constructed in accordance with constitutional principles of the United States. For this reason, immigrants have full civil rights and freedoms as citizens of the United States, except the right to elect and be elected, to hold certain positions in the state apparatus, but also limited the right to apply for immigrant visas for persons who are their relatives.

Legal immigrants - a non-citizen of the United States, located in the United States legally, ie, based on a visa obtained in the consulate of the United States.

Lawful permanent resident (LPR) - a non-citizen of the United States, has received an immigrant visa. This visa is commonly referred to as Green Card, is a permit for permanent residence and employment in the United States.

Non-immigrants - are citizens of other countries who are allowed to enter the United States for a limited period of time under temporary (nonimmigrant) visas. To include non-immigrant students, tourists, seasonal workers, businessmen, senior executives and diplomats.

Persons in the United States on temporary (nonimmigrant) visa holders have limited rights over citizens and legal permanent residents of the United States. The scope of rights enjoyed by a person temporarily staying in the U.S. depends on the category of visa issued to him.

How to come to the United States as an immigrant?

Immigration for family reunification

Citizens or permanent U.S. residents are eligible to apply to the Service of Citizenship and Immigration Services to request the extradition of their family immigration visas. U.S. citizens can apply for the benefit of their spouses, parents, children and brothers and sisters. Lawful permanent residents the right to apply for grant immigration visas to their spouses and minor children, unmarried. Number of persons arriving in the United States for permanent residence, limited annual quota and can not be greater than 480,000 per year.

Working immigration

American employer interested in hiring foreign workers with special qualifications may apply to the Service of Citizenship and Immigration, an application for such a specialist immigration work visa, which gives him the right to permanent residence and work in the U.S. (Green Card). However, in order to protect the employment rights of Americans, the employer must obtain the consent of the Federal Service for Employment of U.S. hiring foreign workers. To do this he must submit evidence that the working-age population of the USA do not people have the necessary qualifications to do the job for which invites foreign worker, and willing to work on the proposed terms. In addition, the U.S. employer must prove that hiring a foreign employee will not lead to a deterioration of working conditions of U.S. workers or reduce wages.

Refugees

Person who is subject to persecution in the homeland on the basis of membership of a particular racial, ethnic or religious group, membership in a social or political organizations and associations may apply to U.S. immigration authorities to grant him asylum in the United States. For refugee status is a person must present convincing evidence that he was persecuted or has a well-founded fear of persecution. In some exceptional cases, refugees may apply for asylum while in his native country (for example, Cuba, Vietnam, the former Soviet Union). In the case of a refugee status, the alien receives a visa and arriving in the U.S., where he received support under the current "program to resettle refugees."

A foreign citizen residing in the U.S., may apply for asylum if he has reasonable grounds to fear persecution from the government if they return to their homeland. In both cases for refugee status, you must provide reasonable evidence that the threat of persecution or harassment is real. A citizen of a foreign state is recognized as a refugee and is entitled to protection by the United States after receiving official confirmation of refugee status. In most cases, the foreigner has the right to apply for refugee status within one year from the date of arrival in the U.S.. After one year of receipt of this status, a refugee has the right to request in the Service of Citizenship and Immigration Services to change its status to lawful permanent resident of the United States, which gives him the right to work in the United States, as well as the right to freely return to the U.S. after a brief absence.

How many immigrants are allowed into the United States each year?

The immigration legislation established a system of quotas granted immigrant visas annually, and the category system preferences, under which the visas are distributed.

Currently, the total number of immigrant visas that may be issued to relatives of citizens and permanent residents of the United States, is 480,000 visas a year. To this number also include all unclaimed working immigrant visas.

Degree of kinship with the person submitting an application for an immigrant visa, is decisive in establishing a category of preference.

There is no limit to the number of immediate relatives (spouses, unmarried minor children and parents of U.S. citizens) receive an annual right to enter the United States as immigrants. However, the number of immediate relatives is subtracted from the threshold of 480,000 provided to family immigration, which allows to determine the number of other family immigrant visas for next year (from 226,000).

Number of entering through the labor immigration is limited by law to 140,000 people a year. In most cases, before Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) provides immigration work visa native of another country, the employer first must obtain "labor certification" from the U.S. Department of Labor confirming that there are no qualified U.S. workers able and willing to do the job for which employed a citizen of another country. Department of Labor also must confirm that the recruitment of foreigners does not affect adversely on wages and working conditions of U.S. workers.