Packet Notes: Why do migrants face challenges?

• most migrants problems are political 
• they need a passport and a visa to be legal in the United States 
• they are policies that are only for a certain type of immigrants
• Visas are granted:
• specific employment
• family reunification 
• the policies for who can immigrate depends on the four types of immigration in each region 
• first level is maintaining the current amount (16 countries)
• second level is to increase the amount (21 countries) 
• third level is to decrease the amount (32)
• fourth level is no policy (25)
• same levels for emigration 
• 43 countries want to maintain 
• 18 countries want to increase
• 46 countries want to decrease 
• 88 countries have no policy 
• 67 countries want higher skilled immigrants, 14 countries want family reunification 
• immigration is at a historical high level for the United States 
• unauthorized immigrants- people who immigrate illegally (used by academic observers) 
• undocumented immigrants- term used by people who want to help immigrants and make more rights for them 
• illegal alien- term used by people who don't want immigrants 
• 11.3 million (1 million are children) illegal immigrants as of 2014, less than the number of people leaving 
• most come from Mexico 
• 4.5 million babies are born in U.S. making them legal citizens with illegal parents 
• 8 million are employed in the U.S., big part of the labor force because they take the jobs that Americans don't want 
• quotas- maximum limits on number of people who could immigrate per year 
• Quota Act in 1921, National Origins Act in 1924 
• family reunification- 3/4 of immigrants are admitted to reunify families, primarily spouses or unmarried children of people already living in the U.S. (5 year wait)