7 things you should know about types of immigrant status in the United States.

Immigrants are usually stereotyped as criminals, illegals, terrorists, and much more. It is absurd to think that because a person looks different, has an accent, or speaks a different language in public they are “illegals”. The reason I choose to talk about this topic is because it is important and necessary to inform people about the diverse types of immigrant status that exist and how they work to protect those that come from other countries. I have experienced some situations where a family member or a friend has been categorized by others immediately as illegal when they say they are from a different country when in reality they live here like a normal citizen that has all the rights.

1. U.S. Citizen

I am a U.S citizen because I was born in the United States. To be a U.S citizen, you either need to be born in the U.S, or you can become a naturalized citizen. To become a naturalized citizen, you need to have at least three years as a permanent resident. This converts you into a U.S citizen that can never be deported, and you can receive all the public benefits. In my case, I am from the U.S, I can legally work, and I have the right to make a petition for the legal status of my parents which is already in process.

2. Permanent or Conditional Resident

This category is for those that have a green card. A green card holder is a person that has the same benefits as a U.S Citizen. After several years of being a permanent resident, people with this status can request to become citizens in the U.S. You can become a permanent resident through refugee or asylum organizations, by getting approved a family petition, or by being married to a U.S citizen. In my case, I am working to sponsor my parents' legal status to help them become permanent residents.

3. Non-Immigrant

Non-immigrant status is for the people that came into the United States legally. This is for those people that have tourist, students, or temporary protection visas. The purpose of Visas is not to immigrate to the country, it is just to enter for a certain amount of time and then go back to their homeland. If people under this status decide to stay in the country for more than the required time, all the rights to get into the country would be taken away. I have lots of family members that have tourist visas, and they usually come when there are big family parties or to go on vacations.

4. Refugee/Asylum

To become a refugee or to get asylum from the country people must apply for a one-year admission. People seek protection because they are running away from wars or have been persecuted for their race, nationality, or for having a different political opinion. Once they are accepted, they are allowed to stay in the U.S. until their lives are no longer at risk. This is one of the statutes that I like the most because people from other countries can seek help from the U.S when they need it. Their life's literally safe once their application is accepted.

5. VAWA Self-Petitioner

Under this category, only a spouse or child that has suffered from domestic violence from a U.S citizen can make a self-petition to seek protection. The petition can be made if the person has suffered any physical, sexual, or psychological abuse from the spouse. From my point of view, this status is very important because it has helped thousands of people to get out of life-threatening situations. They are helping people to save their lives and have a better future in this country where there are more opportunities. This is one of the categories that I like and that it has a good intention to help.

6. Crime Victim or Witness

This status is also known as the VISA U, which technically protects anyone who has been a victim or witness of a crime in the U.S. One thing that I like the most about this VISA is that if an immigrant parent is a victim of a crime and has children under the age of eighteen, the children can also qualify to receive protection from the visa. I have a very close friend who was a victim of a robbery at his house and thanks to the report that was made by the police department now he can request this type of visa.

7. Undocumented

This status is for the people who are in the U.S illegally or without permission. This means that they are not allowed to work or to receive any type of public benefit. A person that is under this status is at risk of being deported or even of getting jail time. Most of the time, people categorize undocumented people as criminals when they come to this country trying to seek a better life, a better future not only for them, but for their future generations. They are trying to run away from all poverty and crimes that are going on in their homelands.

Conclusion

To sum everything that has been stated, I try to define some of the most important immigrant statuses that exist and some of their benefits. This issue is very important because nowadays, people keep discriminating against immigrants and categorizing them as illegals when there are many other immigrant statuses. I learned that there is much more information about this issue that I expected, and it is a problem those people are suffering from every day. All of these helps me to come up with a question: How having different types of immigrant status in the United States affect the quality of life of people from Latin America?

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