1. What are the 4 ways to immigrate to the united states?
Through a family member
Secure employment through a US business
Be a Refugee
Diversity visa

2. Through a family member
Must be a sibling, parent, child or spouse of someone who has their green card or is a citizen
THAT IS NOT A GUARENTEE! This just means you can petition to get your visa, but this is not guaranteed
Certain relationships are valued more than others.
SPOUSES can be tough to prove, especially if you were married recently for obvious reasons
Priority goes as follows:
Unmarried Adult Children
Spouses and minor children
Married Adult Children
Siblings

3. Through an employer SIMPLY FINDING A JOB IS NOT ENOUGH
That employer must prove certain things in order to hire you
First they have to pay $2500 to get a certification of approval from the government
They also need to prove that your skill that you have is in high demand…
Then they have to open up the job to any American and PROVE that no Americans were around to take this job
Preferences:
“extraordinary abilities” Science, technology, athletics
Advanced degrees (Masters, PhD)
2 years of training or degree
“special immigrants” religious workers, employees of US companies abroad
People who can invest $500, 000 in the US

4. Refugee
You must prove that you have a “well-rounded fear of persecution” based on your ethnicity, political beliefs, or religion. Drug gangs want to kill me isn’t enough
Like we talked about, to be a refugee the minimum wait to be vetted is over a year, usually you are living away from your home is some temporary refugee camp with thousands of others

5. Diversity visa
If less than 50,000 people from your country have come to the US in the past 5 years, you are eligible for this program
Then you go into a lottery and are randomly selected

6. Would the following people get in
A software designer from India with an uncle from San Francisco
A 15 year old Russian whose parents were killed by the mafia
The sister of rich businessman who has his green card
A mechanic from El Salvador
A basketball player from Turkey
A rich investor from Saudi Arabia
Sunni Muslim from Iraq
A social studies teacher who also coaches football
A doctor from Brazil with grandparents that live here
A dog catcher from San Marino

8. Process for citizenship
Submit petition for a visa, this is not an application, but a form requesting permission to fill out an application
Gather all your forms you need to prove your immigration status and probably hire a lawyer, also fill out the application
Turn in application, fees, and documents
Get a medical examination
Go to an interview at US Embassy of Consualte
Enter the United States with a Green Card, residency card, need to reapply for this every 2 years, (government check up)
After 5 years of green card you can apply for citizenship
Go through a citizenship interview
Pass the citizenship test
Take the oath, become an American!

9. $cost of immigration
Family Visa: With legal fees, between $3,000-$20,000
Work: Costs company on average about $6,000, costs immigrant between $3,000-$20,000
Refugee: Free, costs the US government about $15,000 to get some here, $92,000 in services 5 years, but usually a refugee pays $129,000 in taxes for 5 years
Diversity Visa: Less than the Family or Work Visa generally

10. What claims has President trump made about immigration?
Make a list at your table

11. Refugees
No person accepted to the United States as a refugee, Syrian or otherwise, has been implicated in a major fatal terrorist attack since the Refugee Act of 1980 set up systematic procedures for accepting refugees into the United States, according to an analysis of terrorism immigration risks by the Cato Institute.

12. Undocumented immigrants and crime
11 million immigrants
820,000 have been arrested of a crime
300, have been convicted of a felony (2.7%)
PERCENTAGE OF AMERICANS WITH A FELONY CONVICTION 6%

13. cROSSINGS
NUMBER OF PEOPLE WHO CROSSED THE BORDER ON FOOT AVOIDING THE CHECKPOINTS 150,000
THOSE WHO CROSSED LEGALLY THEN OVERSTAYED THEIR VISAS 250,000
(2013)

14. Deportations
President Obama deported over 3 million immigrants during his administration.

15. UNDOCUMENTED IMMIGRANTS LIVING HERE FOR MORE THAN 10 YEARS

16. Cost of illegal immigrations in health care
$2 billion a year

19. Read Kate and Miriam’s stories
How do we reconcile these two stories?