You can change your life by immigrating to the U.S. It can lead to a better job. It can lead to a better education. It can lead to your children being born here and becoming. There are more long term benefits. This blog guide will highlight them.

Better Jobs
Earning a better jobs is the #1 reason most immigrants come to the U.S., especially from Mexico and other Latin countries. The jobs are simply better. Wages are better. Work life is better. Benefits are better. You have a chance to move up the ladder, often without prejudice against race or gender. Not all countries have these advantages.

Better Education
While the schools in the U.S. have not been the best in the world, the shear number of quality schools from elementary through secondary school gives many long term benefits for families. Some of the best teachers in the world are in the U.S. Compared to most countries, the U.S. has far more quality colleges and universities. There are programs for people from low income families to get support to pay for a college education. There is a reason immigrants come from worldwide to study in U.S. schools.

Better Way of Life
While crime is a problem in the U.S., there are drugs, violence, and gangs, the way of life is still much better than other countries. There has not been a war on U.S. soil in hundreds of years. We live in a democracy, something not all countries have. There are police officers. There are elected politicians. Simply put, you can live a safer and more productive life.

Right to Vote
As noted, the U.S. has a democracy. And because of that, all citizens have the right to vote. If you immigrate here, and become a permanent resident, you do not get the right to vote. But if you stay long enough, follow all laws, and fill out the proper forms, you can become a U.S. citizen. If you are born here, you are automatically a U.S. citizen, so if you have children born here, they will be citizens. If you have a spouse who is a citizen, the process is also faster.

Right to Benefits
Working grants you the right to have benefits. Working makes you pay taxes. Paying taxes means you have the right to certain benefits, namely social security benefits for when you retire. This means a regular monthly stipend and medical help. While you won’t be rich with these benefits, for many hard working immigrants they are a life saver.

Better Life for Children
Your children can have a better life. They can become U.S. citizens. They can grow up with good schools. They can get educated in college. They can help your family transition into the United States. We are a nation of immigrants. If you are curious on how to get this process started, it’s time to consult with an experienced immigration lawyer.

Part of the process of becoming a naturalized United States citizen is demonstrating knowledge of your new country’s history and government. During your interview, you will be asked up to 10 questions from a list of 100, and must get six correct to pass. Applicants 65 years old and up who have been living as a lawful permanent resident for at least 20 years follow a “20 for 20″ rule: They are only required to study 20 of the 100 civics test questions, with a minimum of six correct required to pass. We’ll mark these with bold type. More information can be found in the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services booklet M-638 (revised 12/09), called  ”Learn About the United States: Quick Civics Lessons for the Naturalization Test.”

Section B. System of Government (continued)

Q29.  What is the name of the Vice President of the United States?

A.  Joe Biden

Joseph “Joe” Biden is the 47th vice president of the United States, and was elected along with President Barack Obama in 2008.  Mr. Biden was born November 20, 1942 in Pennsylvania.  The Biden family later moved to the state of Delaware, where he grew up to become elected as a U.S. Senator from that state.  Mr. Biden served in the Senate for 36 years, from 1972 until 2008.  Vice President Biden has a special role in the government.  He serves as the president of the United States Senate, and is second in command.  The vice president assumes the role of president if something happens the the holder of that office.  For example, after President John F. Kennedy was assassinated, his vice president, Lyndon B. Johnson, took the oath of office and replaced JFK as president.

Q30.  If the President can no longer serve, who becomes President?

A.  We answered this test question above.  The next in succession after the president is the vice president.  Because the vice president is so close to the office of president, the offices have the same qualifications. The vice president should have the same level of experience as the president, and should be able to step up in case of national emergency.

Nine times in U.S. history the vice president has become president, including the case of President Kennedy we discussed above.  In 1841, President William Henry Harrison died in office, as did President Zachary Taylor in 1850.  President Abraham Lincoln was assassinated in 1865, and in 1881 President James Garfield was assassinated, only four months after he took office.  President William McKinley was assassinated in 1901, succeeded by Vice President Theodore “Teddy” Roosevelt.  President Warren Harding died in office from a heart attack in 1923, and President Franklin Delano Roosevelt died in 1945, suffering a brain hemorrhage while he sat for a portrait painting at the “Little White House” in Warm Springs, Georgia.

Unlike his counterparts that  left the office because of death, President Richard Nixon resigned from office in 1974, in the wake of the Watergate scandal.

Q31.  If both the President and the Vice President can no longer serve, who becomes President?

A.  The Speaker of the (United States) House (of Representatives).

The path of succession to the presidency after the vice president was not made official until the passage of the 25th Amendment to the Constitution in 1967.  Before then, the president pro tempore of the Senate was next in line after the vice president. The president pro tempore (temporary) presides over the senate when the U.S. vice president (president of the senate) is absent.  Later, the U.S. Secretary of State was third in line after the vice president, but in 1947, the Presidential Succession Act restored the duty to a member of congress, which eventually became the Speaker.

Part of the process of becoming a naturalized United States citizen is demonstrating knowledge of your new country’s history and government. During your interview, you will be asked up to 10 questions from a list of 100, and must get six correct to pass. Applicants 65 years old and up who have been living as a lawful permanent resident for at least 20 years follow a “20 for 20″ rule: They are only required to study 20 of the 100 civics test questions, with a minimum of six correct required to pass. We’ll mark these with bold type. More information can be found in the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services booklet M-638 (revised 12/09), called  ”Learn About the United States: Quick Civics Lessons for the Naturalization Test.”

Section B. System of Government (continued)

Q24.  Who does a U.S. Senator represent?

A.  All the people of a state

Members of the United States Senate are elected to serve six-year terms.  Each of the 50 states has two senators, totaling 100 in all.  In the years leading up to 1913 and the passage of the 17th Amendment to the Constitution, senators were elected by the state legislatures. Now, state voters elect their senators directly.

Q25.  Why do some states have more representatives than other states?

A.  Because of the state’s population.

The Founding Fathers of the United States believed that, in the new country they were creating, the people should be represented fairly in the government. They felt that states with the largest populations should have the loudest voice in the House.  Currently, the state with the most representatives is California, with 53.  The states with the fewest representatives are Alaska, Delaware, Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, Vermont and Wyoming.  These states have only one representative in the House.

Q26.  We elect a President for how many years?

A.  The President of the United States is elected for a four year term.

The Founding Fathers, wanting to break away from the British king, believed he had too much power over the people, and didn’t believe a ruler should hold power for a lifetime.  This is the main reason they decided the leader of the United States — the President — should have a limited term, and they felt four years was appropriate.  The President is the only leader in the United States that is elected by the entire country, through a system called the Electoral College.  When the Constitution was written, the Electoral College was set up to be a compromise between the idea of the President being elected by the Congress and the idea of the President being directly elected by the people.  The way a presidential election works is basically like this:  citizens vote for electors, who then vote for the President.  Each state has a certain number of electoral votes, which add up like points toward the final score needed to become elected President. Larger states have more electoral votes, and since 1964 there have been 538 in each presidential election.  To win the presidency, a candidate must receive 50% plus 1 of the electoral votes, for a total of 270.  President Obama won 365 electoral votes in 2008; his challenger, Senator John McCain, took 173.

Q27.  In what month do we vote for President?

A.  November

The U.S. Constitution did not originally set up a special day for national elections.  Once, states had their own election days for federal offices.  In 1845 Congress passed legislation that established the Tuesday after the first Monday in November as Election Day.  Why was November, in the fall, chosen over, say, July, in the summer?  The answer lies in the makeup of the United States in the mid-1800s.  Back then, the country was mostly rural, and many people made their living on a farm.  By November, farmers across the country had completed their harvests and had time for other things.  November was also before winter set in, making it easier for people to travel into the city or town nearby to cast their votes.  Tuesday was chosen because it gave people a full day to travel (Monday), after taking Sunday off to be with their families or to worship if they chose.

Q28.  Who is the President of the United States now?

A.  Barack Obama

President Obama was elected in 2008 as the 44th President.  Mr. Obama was the first African American president in U.S. history.  He was born in Hawaii on August 4, 1961, and graduated from Columbia University in New York City.  President Obama graduated from Harvard Law school, and served as a U.S. Senator from the state of Illinois.

As President, Mr. Obama is the Commander in Chief of the U.S. military, meaning he is in charge of the Army, Air Force, Marine Corps, Navy and U.S. Coast Guard.  The President’s wife holds a special position called First Lady.  The First Lady has no political power, but she can be of great influence.  Mrs. Michelle Obama, for instance, has been a very strong advocate for education and the future role of women in society.  Recently, the First Lady launched the Let’s Move! campaign to bring together community leaders, teachers, doctors, nurses, moms and dads in a nationwide effort to tackle the challenge of childhood obesity.

President and Mrs. Obama have two children, daughters, Malia, 12, and Sasha, 9. Like their mother, the girls were born on the South Side of Chicago.

Immigration lawyers, especially the best, earn their pay by giving you results. That’s the whole point: getting your green card or U.S. citizenship. How much is that worth?

Figure that with a green card you are not only allowed to live in the U.S.,but also study and work. Consider that citizens of the  U.S. are eligible for work benefits, can vote, and can serve in  the  armed forces. Some of these may sound small, but they are in fact priceless opportunities.

If you can live and work in the U.S., you have more options  than  the majority of the world. You are eligible for the best jobs in the world, you have the most rights, and you can be vocal in your opinions by voting. Some of these things can be argued, but simply put, successful immigration to the U.S. gives you opportunities.

So let’s get back to the question of the title, what does an immigration lawyer do?

Assist Clients in Crisis
If you are in a crisis situation where you feel you might be deported because of breaking laws, or you fear for your rights in some other way, an experienced immigration lawyer is your best option. He or she can protect your rights, help you navigate laws, and fight for your right to fair treatment.

Refuge and Asylum Applications
Another service immigration lawyers do is help clients apply for refugee and asylum applications. If you want to apply for asylum you often need to work with a human rights organization. An immigration lawyer can help with this. Also, if you escaped  a country and are now in the U.S., you still have the option to apply for asylum status.

Assistance for Businesses
If you’re interested in working with a U.S. company but are a resident of another country. In this case,the business will often pay for the immigration lawyer, sometimes hiring a specialist for all their out-of-country hires.

Green Cards
If you want a green card, an immigration lawyer is invaluable. Over 1 million new immigrants were made permanent residents in 2009. However, many are rejected every year too. If you”re unsure of eligibility, you may want to hire an experienced immigration lawyer to help. If you have been rejected, you can try again. There are many ways to get a green card, but if you aren’t eligible, it won’t matter.

Citizenship
The dream of many is to do more than live and work in the U.S.,but to also live here permanently. It’s easy to see why: state of life, jobs, rights,and education are some of the best in the free world. In 2009, over 1 million immigrants were also naturalized, becoming U.S. citizens. However, it’s very hard to do so without an experienced lawyer, especially if you are not a permanent resident (most immigrants are first permanent residents and then naturalized).

Questions
One of the most important jobs of an immigration lawyer is to answer any and all questions pertaining to this process. How long will it take to get your green card? What if you fail to renew your green card?  What are your chances of earning U.S. citizenship? An experienced immigration lawyer saves you time and money by answering these questions.

Laws
An immigration lawyer also helps you know, understand, and follow the laws of the United States. This is very important. For example, if you’re a permanent resident but are charged with a felony, you may be deported. If you are living illegally in the U.S., you  need to immediately make some decisions. An experienced immigration lawyer can help with these problems and more.

How to Hire One
How do you hire an immigration lawyer? It’s the same when you look to find a job: you query several. You look for experience. You look for someone who spends a lot of time helping immigrants just like you.