US Immigration Law Reforms

In India, the big dream of nearly every middle class family is to send a son or daughter to the US. Novels, films and songs have echoed the theme in different ways but do we know how serious the legal implications are in the US, in the context of immigration laws? Are we aware about the public demand in the US, pushing for more reforms? How many of us in India have a clear picture of US immigration law reforms? Let’s find out, shall we?

Several activists approached the US Congress in March, 2010 to appeal for reforms in the existing US immigration system. In the US, immigration takes place via two channels, which are through employer sponsorship and close family ties. It must be noted that some foreigners also enter the US as refugees. The need for reforms was insisted as the employment- and family-based immigration systems were last updated about two decades ago.

Problems in the US Immigration System

The existing quotas of immigration laws have become obsolete, failing to keep up with the increasing number of immigrants in the US since 1990. Consequently, the waiting period for employees to get their green cards and for families to reunite is extraordinarily long. Currently, a US immigrant has to wait about five years to bring their minor child and spouse to the nation.

The scope of legal immigration is trickier for certain sections of the population. For instance, only 5,000 visas are offered annually for low-skilled immigrants. Consequently, a large portion of the low-skilled foreign workforce in the US is invalidated. 

Need for Reforms in US Immigration Laws

According to government reports, unauthorized workers constitute about five percent of the total US workforce. So many unauthorized workers opt to marry an American to get the green card. Fraud immigration marriages are probed very seriously by the US immigration authorities. Any type of fraud by immigrants is subject to tremendous inquiry by the concerned authority. Finally, this subjects several workers to deportation, which makes immigration reforms vital for economic recovery.

Some key areas that need to be addressed in the US immigration system are:

• Establishment of a process to register unauthorized immigrants as well as perform a criminal background check on them
• Clearance of family visa backlogs
• Setup of a process to match the number of immigrants with the workforce demand in the US economy, to avoid unnecessary surplus

The Center for American Progress has estimated that a comprehensive immigration reform in the US will help to boost the US economy by $1.5 trillion within a decade. Conversely, failing to implement reforms would cost the US economy as much as $2.6 trillion over the next ten years.