While the immigration debate regarding illegals and new immigrants taking jobs goes on, many are taking advantage of the laws allowing them to come here. Immigrants rarely take jobs, benefit the economy, eventually earn citizenship, serve in the armed forces, pay taxes, and learn new liberties. Those are some of the key benefits for immigrants coming here. Mexico, where most new immigrants to the U.S. come from, has never had a booming economy and a lot of jobs.

According the the web site EconomyWatch.com, Mexico’s economy improved dramatically between 1995 and 2002. It’s GDP rose, unemployment decreased, and economy strengthened. However, Mexico  is perhaps the country with the most direct economic link to the U.S., and our recent economic crisis has hit it hard. There are other reasons too: according to Economy Watch, a flu epidemic and spike in inflation hurt the economy. The simple fact is, beyond all these facts, the standard of living has always been lower in comparison to the U.S.

There are many rewards for immigrating to the U.S, and they start with jobs. If you are considering immigrating to the U.S., do so legally by hiring a professional lawyer. This guide will help more with that.

First off, pay rates are dismal for Mexicans. The top 30 percent earners in the country take more than half the annual wages paid out. Unemployment is a problem, but even if you work, you are getting very low pay. If you work in the United States, even minimum wage is more than likely an improvement.

Education is much better in the United States in comparison to Mexico. Most illegal immigrants who come from Mexico end up working low pay jobs because they lack both green cards and an education. However, by coming here legally, you are opening the door to a better education for you and your family. The education system is far better in the U.S., especially in secondary schools, than in Mexico.

If you come to the U.S. and get a green card, you get more economic opportunities. According to Wikipedia, the poverty rate in Mexico, though improving, goes in fits and spurts. Only back in the 1990s half of the country was at poverty level. This has improved greatly, with only 12% at poverty levels. Still, that is much higher than in the U.S.

If you have children born in the United States, they immediately are given more opportunities than most other countries in the world, especially in the Western Hemisphere. That is a big statement, but having the ability to vote, to have labor rights, to get disability benefits when hurt, to get into college, these things are not available elsewhere.

The point is that you have more rights here, the ones you love have more rights here, and the standard of living is better. If you do want to immigrate to the U.S., do so legally. You have more options than you might think. Call a professional immigration lawyer today so you can successfully immigrate to the U.S.

To put it it simply, you gain more rights as a permanent resident of the U.S. than the majority of others have in the world. While the U.S. being the “best” place to live, work, and raise a family can clearly be debated, the simple fact is for many immigrants the dream is more than worth having.

What rights does a green card give you?
You can work most all jobs in the U.S. You have about all the same rights as a citizen. There are some powers you do not have, as we’ll go over next, but suffice to say you get more than you might think.

What can’t you do?
You can’t vote in most elections. If you break major U.S. laws, you can be deported (citizens cannot be deported). So you cannot break laws, such as getting a felony charge, and expect to stay here.

What are the major benefits of permanent residency?
You can sponsor immediate family for green cards once you come here. If you have a spouse, for example, you can sponsor him or her. If you have children born in the U.S. they will get automatic citizenship, a true dream for many. Perhaps best of all, getting a green card means you will be eligible for becoming a U.S. citizen over time. If you earn citizenship, you can sponsor more family to come to the U.S., you can vote in all elections, serve in the armed forces, pay taxes and therefore be eligible for social security when you retire, and much more.

What if you leave?
You have rights even when you leave the country. Generally you don’t want to leave much longer than six months. You can travel often as a legal permanent resident, but be aware of your visa status. If you stay for a year or more, you may lose your green card and have to reapply.

Who can help?
An experienced immigration lawyer is essential in understanding the rights, benefits, and opportunities a green card gives you. Perhaps more importantly, once you are eligible to apply for U.S. citizenship, an immigration lawyer is invaluable.

Where do you start?
To get started in applying for a green card, a good first step is to start reading up on immigration materials and laws. You can visit the USCIS.com for immigration laws. You also want to start searching for a professional lawyer to help you. With both knowledge of U.S. immigration laws and a legal expert helping you, your chances of successful immigration are very high.

There is a lot of confusion and uproar about the Arizona immigration laws debate. It’s understandable that this is a divisive issue. This blog piece will not state whether the law is correct or not. The points here will be on what the immigrant laws mean to you, your family, and your employer.

Registration
Under federal law, any immigrant over the age of 13 who is in the country longer than 30 days must be registered. Also, under federal law you are supposed to carry your registration documents at all times. If you fail to have proper documents, you can be penalized. Arizona’s new law is trying to put action behind these words.

Documents and Penalties
If you are an immigrant, walk down the street, are stopped by an officer, and lack documents, you can be charged with a misdemeanor. Infractions are for minor offenses such as a speeding ticket, with minor penalties. In comparison, misdemeanors are much stiffer, with potential for high fines, some jail time, and probation. The worse penalty to get in such a situation is a felony, which can lead to major criminal charges, but are rarely used for immigration purposes.

First and Further Offenses
According to the Arizona immigration laws, even a first offense for lacking documents can lead to some big penalties. While you only pay up to $100, you can spend up to 20 days in jail and have to pay for court costs such as a lawyer. If you get another offense, it may mean as much as 30 days in jail.

What ID?
If you have a Arizona drivers license, that is all you need to show any officer who might stop you, according to the law. If you lack a license, a nonoperating identification license, tribal identification, or federal, state, or local government ID will work.

If You Interfere
One cause for commotion on this proposed law is how you can be charged with a crime simply for interfering with the legal process. If a local city official, for example, interferes with the federal laws being enforced, he can be sued by a citizen. And if the citizen wins, the city official has to pay lawyer and court fees.

Hiring and Traffic
Another odd part of the law goes into how immigrants, some legal and some not, are getting work. A typical event is for employers in industries such as construction to stop and pick up a group of immigrants in need of work. The Arizona law now makes it illegal to stop in the street to pick up workers, with some major penalties involved.

You may be scratching your head at some of these laws. There may be some good and bad here. While some of these are making enforcement of federal laws a reality, some are obviously designed at capturing illegals. Deporting them is the next step.

Why do immigrants come to the United States illegally every year in such higher numbers? And how can we solve this problem?

There is no easy solution, but perhaps studying how the affects of economic hardship, joblessness, religious persecution, and freedom can give us a better understanding of why.

Labor Markets in Poor Countries
Well, we might as well go over the obvious. Most illegal immigrants coming to the United States are from Mexico. They are on the border. The problem is that with a population which has increased tenfold in a century, labor, especially cheap labor, is more in demands in the U.S. than Mexico. It’s the same thing in countries in South America. With such population growths, there are less jobs. And the jobs available pay much less than the average U.S. job. You have to understand even minimum wage can seem like a boon for someone used to living on a few dollars a day.

Poverty
Those who do live on a few dollars a day are often in cases of poverty, sometimes extreme poverty. Mexico is not a third world country, but it’s not a rich one either. The U.S. has more programs for helping the jobless, homeless, and penniless than most other countries. It comes down to wanting a better life for themselves and their family.

Family Life
Sometimes immigrants come here illegally not because of a job or a chance at freedom, but because some of their family are already here. It’s common for immigrants to cross borders in order to reunite with families. The problem is growing with each new illegal immigrant. However, once an immigrant earns his or her green card, he can sponsor immediate family to come here. It’s unfortunate sometimes they come illegally instead.

Persecution
One common reason for immigration in general across the centuries is persecution. Whether it was Christians coming to the Americas in the 18th or 19th centuries, or communists crossing the Berlin Wall, or Africans fleeing countries where persecution is occurring, the point is to find a better life. This is still a major part of illegal immigration..

Freedom
Freedom from persecution is still a relevant issue. Freedom to work, vote, and to speak are not as common as we might think. While money may be the driving reason for illegal immigration to the U.S., don’t discount freedom and liberty.

Immigrants come to the United States for a variety of reasons. We have to remember what’s now a cliche: most of us came here in some sense or another, whether as persecuted by our religions, enslaved, or to escape war. The problem with immigration may not be solved entirely, but by knowing more about it why it occurs we can gain a better understanding of how to stop it.

The controversial Arizona law and “amnesty debate” are very divisive issues with people on both sides of the issue – not to mention both political parties. Is there a middle ground? This blog isn’t designed to provoke issues, but let’s consider what illegal immigration is, what amnesty is, and what each means for immigrant rights.

What is illegal immigration?
To U.S citizens, illegal immigration evokes images of Latin people climbing fences and running across borders. Of course, that’s the main point of disagreement for both sides. Illegal immigration is being an undocumented individual living in the United States. You have no visa or green card; you managed to get here illegally; and you came for a variety of reasons.

Why come to the United States?
Let’s face it: most U.S citizens are descendants of peoples who wanted to get a better life for themselves and their families (though you can easily bring up slavery and the choice involved there). It’s the same with illegal immigrants today. Only, it’s not the gold rush, or potato famine, or a world war today. Most illegal immigrants are Mexicans who cross over looking for a better life. There are jobs in Mexico and other Latin countries, but there are simply more opportunities here in the U.S. Even in   touch U.S. economies, illegals cross the border, quite often with families, just to get a minimum wage job which pays twice what they might get paid in Mexico or another country.

What is Amnesty?
Amnesty, without going into dictionary terms, involves the debate on whether these illegal immigrants should be given the right to stay in the U.S. So, if one man and wife crossed the border, worked some jobs, but never applied for a green card, there options would either amnesty, being given the right to stay, or being deported.

There are arguments on both sides. It’s clearly a controversial issue, but many are ignoring what amnesty can bring to this country. You can still make the border stronger so potential terrorists, drug dealers, and criminals can be kept out. Drug running is a major problem with the current system, there’s no doubt. But perhaps amnesty can also bridge the gap between the two sides. To be frank, Latinos are becoming a very big part of our country. In order to bridge the gap, amnesty can save discussion for other major issues.

Yes, illegal immigration is one of this country’s major problems. Illegal drug and human trafficking is also a clear violation of law. Yet working undocumented illegals should be given the opportunity for a better life.

If you’re interested in moving to the U.S., be smart and do so legally. You can be sponsored by a relative currently here with a green card. If you’re unsure of the process, contact an immigration lawyer.

New York is currently and historically one of the states which immigration has the most effect. After all, many from around the country had ancestry who came through Ellis Island. And not much has changed, as New York is only second to California in terms of permanent residents in 2008. New York had almost 150,000 new legal permanent residents in 2008, while California had close to 250,000 new permanent residents.

Let’s focus on New York. What has the impact been on New York with so many living here? It’s clear New York has been one of the most populous place for both citizens and permanent residents, but the effect of new immigrants can always have positive and negative effects.

First, what does permanent residency mean? What’s a green card?

A green card and permanent residency mean you have the right to live and work in the U.S., and travel in and out with few restrictions. You cannot vote, and technically can be deported if you break laws.

Most with green cards are family members of U.S. citizens. Often naturalized immigrants have children here and these children are considered U.S. citizens, so if you’ve been naturalized, you can expect your children to be U.S. citizens.

Many also get permanent resident status (green cards) through marriage. This is technically legal, but has been abused in the past and occasionally is abused today. You must in a sense prove you intend to marry your spouse and have serious feelings; otherwise it might look suspect. If you already have children with this spouse, it’s often an easier argument to prove you do indeed want to marry this person.

Before we move onto the impact permanent residents have had in New York state, what has  the impact been nationwide? In 2010, the foreign-born population in the U.S. is expected to reach 43 million, which is almost 14 percent of the total. While this may seem to be a large number, in years past there have been ever more foreign-born living permanently in the country. Canada, for example, has a 17 percent foreign-born population, while Australia has almost 25 percent. So it’s not an event localized to the U.S.

As for New York, the state traditionally with high foreign-born permanent residents, the numbers are different. While it used to be the majority flocked to New York and other large states such as California, when you compare 1995 to 2000, less immigrants have flocked to the traditionally large states, and more have gone to North Carolina, Georgia, and Nevada in large numbers.

That said, New York is still #2 on the list of total permanent immigrants in 2008, with about 144,000. That’s a number which has varied in recent years, but typically you can expect California to be #1 for new permanent immigrants and New York #2.

With 144,000 new residents, and such a problematic economy, it’s safe to say new permanent residence may have trouble finding work here. New York has  one of the highest unemployment rates in the US, over 10 percent by recent numbers, with new jobs added stats going down.

The impact may not be negative. With the economy slowly rebounding, and the New York unemployment rate going down in recent months, you can expect to find more jobs. To make sure you can work in the state as a permanent resident,  you must always follow the laws, work with an immigration lawyer, and apply for citizenship if you do have a green card.

The cost of illegal immigration in Texas is something that may be of interest to you. It will be of great interest and importance to you if you live in Texas.

Illegal immigration is something many Americans are concerned about. They wonder if there is an answer to the problem of immigration. They wonder if anything can be done about illegal immigration.

What is illegal immigration? How do you define it?

Illegal immigration to the United States refers to the act of aliens or foreign nationals violating United States immigration national laws and policies by immigrating to the United States without proper consent from the United States government. An illegal immigrant is a person who is in the United States without doing so in accordance with United States immigration laws.

If you have any doubt as to how big an issue illegal immigration is, think about this. There were an estimated 3 million illegal immigrants in the United States in 1980. By 2005, the number had risen to over 11 million. Today, there are probably more than 12 million illegal immigrants in the United States.

Where do these people come from? Who are they?

Over 55% of the illegal immigrants are estimated to come from Mexico. When you realize that the state of Texas borders the country of Mexico, you begin to understand how important as issue illegal immigration is to most Texans.

There are several problems that are caused by illegal immigration. Some of these are security issues, over population, racial violence and increased crime rate.

One of the largest problems caused by illegal immigration is what it costs the American taxpayer. In Texas, the cost of illegal immigration is staggering and mind boggling.

The illegal immigrant population in Texas is costing more than $4.7 billion a year for medical care, incarceration and education. This is based on an analysis of the latest census data for the state of Texas. The estimated tax contributions of illegal immigrant workers are around $1 billion. This still leaves the cost of illegal immigration in Texas to be around $3.7 billion a year. This amounts to a cost of around $725 a year for each Texas household of a native-born resident.

The costs to the state of Texas for education, medical care and incarceration that comes as a result of illegal immigration are what are specifically looked at in this analysis. The largest cost areas to Texas are these three things. They are the same three things that were analyzed in a study by the Urban Institute in 1994. This study gives a baseline for comparison ten years later. The conclusions of this report have been supported by other studies done during the interim.

These are not the only costs of illegal immigration in Texas. There are other costs associated with this problem. For example, there is the cost in time and manpower at trying to stop illegal immigration.

There are other costs of illegal immigration in Texas that should also be taken into account by state and federal officials. Even without considering the other significant costs of illegal immigration in Texas, the costs in these three areas are large and rapidly increasing.

This high annual cost of illegal immigration is seen primarily in these three areas. They are:

• Education – Texans spend more than $4billion every year on education for illegal immigrant children and their United States born brothers and sisters. This figure is based on estimates of the documented costs of K through 12 schooling and the illegal immigrant population in Texas. Illegal aliens make up about 11.9 percent of the K through 12 public school students in Texas.
• Health Care – Health care that is given to Texas’s illegal alien population amounts to around $520 million per year. This is Texas taxpayer-funded medical health care that is being provided.
• Incarceration – The uncompensated cost of incarcerating illegal aliens in the county and state prisons is around $150 million a year. This figure does not take in to account related law enforcement costs, judicial expenditures, local jail costs or the monetary costs of the crimes that led to incarceration.

As mentioned earlier, tax contributions of illegal immigrant workers offset these costs to some extent. However, they do not come close to matching the expenses of illegal immigration in Texas.

The cost of illegal immigration in Texas is far greater than most Texans would imagine. It is even more frightening to think that this cost is growing rapidly. With this in mind, can anything be done about illegal immigration? Can it be stopped, or at least greatly slowed down?

The primary responsibility for fighting illegal immigration belongs to the federal government. It remains to be seen what steps and measures the United States government will take in trying to stop and deal with illegal immigration.

There are also measures and steps that Texas can take to deal with the problem. For example, the state could attempt to systematically collect information on illegal alien use of taxpayer-funded services. The state could also get information on where illegal aliens are employed. Employers could then be held financially accountable.

You or a relative may be in the state of Texas illegally. You may be living in fear of being caught by the authorities and facing deportation, fines and jail time. It is not your desire to remain here illegally. You want to be here legally. You want this state to be your home, but you need help. You may need the help of a legal professional.

A good immigration attorney may be able to help you or your relative stay in the United States legally. He or she may be able to help you or your relative get a green card. (link to page Green Card)

Immigration law is what an immigration attorney specializes in. They specialize in cases and issues involving immigration, obtaining green cards, naturalization and citizenship. They keep up with the updates and changes to immigration law.