Get in line? Wait your turn? For the majority of the 11 million undocumented immigrants in the U.S., there is no “line.” For the majority of potential immigrants, the possibility of receiving legal status to live in the U.S. is impractical or simply not attainable. Click through this demonstration… and see how difficult it can be find the door to U.S. citizenship.

Which door opens to your line? 1 I have family members who are U.S. citizens. 2 I have family members who are lawful permanent residents. 3 I have a genius I.Q, athletic abilities or investment capital. 4 I have a degree in a specialized area and a job offer. More options

I have family members who are U.S. citizens. If you are the parent, spouse or minor child of a U.S. citizen, your family member may petition for a green card for you. This is the easiest way to become a U.S. citizen. There is no annual limit on the number of spouses, minor children or parents of U.S. citizens who can receive documentation. Immigrant spouses with a green card are eligible for citizenship in 3 years, if you are a parent of a U.S. citizen your green card can transition to citizenship in 5 years. To become a naturalized citizen, processing takes 6-12 months and you have to pass a language and civics test. Total time to immigrate and become a citizen, if everything goes well, is 5-7 years. 3

I have family members who are U.S. citizens. If you are the adult child or sibling of a U.S. citizen you can apply for a green card. Receiving a green card can take decades, depending on which country you are from and your marital status. If you are a single adult child, your line takes years If you are a married adult child, your line takes years If you are a sibling of a U.S. citizen, your line takes years After you receive your green card, you can become a U.S. citizen after about 6 more years Total time to immigrate and become a U.S. citizen is 18 – 29 years 4 Return to page. If this door works for you…

I have family members who are lawful permanent residents. If you are the spouse or minor child of a lawful permanent resident your relative may petition for a green card on your behalf. Wait time depends on where you are from and takes about 5-7 years. With a green card, you have to wait 5 years to apply for citizenship. Total time in line to become a U.S. citizen is years. 5

If you are the single adult child of a lawful permanent resident you may have to wait 9-14 years for a green card. Total time to immigrate and become a citizen is 9 – 25 years. I have family members who are lawful permanent residents. 6 Return to page. If this door works for you…

I have a genius I.Q, athletic abilities or investment capital. Get in line! You can probably get your green card within months! After you get your green card, it can take 5-6 years before you can become a U.S. citizen. Total time to immigrate and become a U.S. citizen is about 6 – 7 years. 7 Return to page. If this door works for you…

I have a degree in a specialized area and a job offer. Before you get your green card, you will need a temporary work visa to start your new job. Get in line, but you might be wasting your time. With only about 85,000 temporary work visas issued every year, they are snatched up on the first day available. If you are one of the few to get a temporary work visa, you can start your employment. 8

I have a degree in a specialized area and a job offer. If your employer is willing to file paperwork on your behalf, conduct a domestic job search for the position, and pay thousands of dollars in legal fees, get in line! You may have to wait 6-10 years for a green card. After you get your green card, you can become a U.S. citizen in about 5 or 6 years. After about years you can become a U.S. citizen. 4 9 Return to page. If this door works for you…

Congratulations if one of these doors works for you. 5 to 7 years to citizenship6 to 14 years to citizenship5 to 29 years to citizenship 10 Now you’re in for a long wait…

If you have more questions… For answers to legal questions, consult an attorney. Free legal services are available through Justice for Our Neighbors for those who qualify. JusticeForOurNeighbors.org This presentation was based in part on “What Part of Legal Immigration Don’t You Understand” by Mike Flynn and Shikha Dalmia Return to page.

You may still have a door if… 12 There are some humanitarian options for very vulnerable people – such as immigrant women who are victims of domestic abuse, immigrant children who are unaccompanied by their parents or other adult caregivers, refugees and asylum-seekers who are fleeing persecution in their homelands on account of either their race, religion, political opinions or membership in a particular social group. But all of it is VERY complicated. For instance, if you are an immigrant who has fled persecution and are seeking asylum - you CANNOT apply for asylum outside the U.S. And, you can’t be in the U.S. unless you qualify to stand in one of the few lines we’ve already discussed. So, there may be no line for you.

What if I don’t have family in the US or specialized skills? Sorry! No line for you! If you aren’t highly-skilled and don’t have relatives who are U.S. citizens or lawful permanent residents, the likelihood of receiving a green card is miniscule. The wait time for unskilled immigrants with no relatives living in the U.S. can be decades, depending on which country you are from. And, immigrants receiving worker-visas for seasonal work cannot transition to a green card. Sorry, sometimes there isn’t a way. 13

If you have more questions… For answers to legal questions, consult an attorney. Free legal services are available through Justice for Our Neighbors for those who qualify. JusticeForOurNeighbors.org This presentation was based in part on “What Part of Legal Immigration Don’t You Understand” by Mike Flynn and Shikha Dalmia Return to page.