US Immigration
The Significance of US Immigration Laws
US immigration laws have been set up with the express purpose of keeping out elements that want to come to the United States using illegal means and solely for their own benefit. While the American dream can be just about anybody's, entering the United States is by no means a birthright of a foreign national. These laws are set up to make it difficult for these individuals to enter the country and remain here if they do not contribute significantly to the United States. If you are not a citizen of the United States, you will need a visa to enter the country. There are many types of visas that a foreign national can apply for and mostly depends on the purpose of the visit.
US immigration officials grant a visa after evaluating the applicant's merit and reason for visiting. If the applicant has a criminal history, he or she must explain in detail the circumstances surrounding the criminal behavior if it is a simple misdemeanor. Felony charges are taken much more seriously and summarily turned down for a visa. The visa that is obtained is then stamped onto a passport which must be produced upon seeking to enter the country. But the United States does have relationships with other countries that allow their citizens to enter the United States without a visa. These countries include Canada, Bermuda, Australia, Japan Singapore and Brunei among others. Most European countries also fall under this category which is called the visa waiver program.
The US visa is a document that is approved by the Department of Homeland Security saying that this person does not pose a threat to the United States. For this reason, US immigration laws have been set up so that the applicant goes through a stringent background search making sure that there are no questionable actions in the past which might indicate a possible threat to the United States. Immigration laws also have the visa process split into two distinct categories namely immigrant and nonimmigrant visas. Nonimmigrant visas encompass an entire range of individuals ranging from students to businessmen to religious workers whereas immigrant visas are usually relatives of a US citizen or those seeking asylum from persecution in a different country. Immigrant visa provide an individual a green card. This is called adjustment of status and allows a nonimmigrant to obtain immigrant status without having to leave the home country. After five years of having a US green card , an individual can apply for US citizenship.
US immigration laws while strict are straightforward enough that you do not need to hire an attorney. But if there are exigent circumstances surrounding your case, it might be advisable to invest in one.
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