My Name
It is known that America from the very inception was a country of immigrants. In the postwar years, the number of immigrants to the United States was increasing from year to year. In 50’s, it was about two and a half million people and in the next decade it has increased to three million and continued to rise in the last decade of the last century. Overall, in the twentieth century, the number of immigrants to the United States was about forty million people. Thousands of people from different countries try in different ways to get to US and to stay there in the hope of a better life. It should be noted that one of the biggest problems of modern migration in the US, as well as in other developed countries, is illegal immigration. The essence of the problem and the importance of its solution is that in comparison with the flow of legal immigration, illegal entry and illegal stay of foreigners and their illegal employment in the country is hard to control, prevent and stop. United States of America is the most economically developed country in the modern world, and is the main focus of the migration. Low and highly skilled workers migrate there. US workforce is largely formed by immigrants. Foreigners now amount about 5% of the labor force. Migration is one of the most important preconditions for economic growth in the United States. Recently, the new immigration law was signed by President of United States of America Barack Obama. By signing this document president of US tried to protect from deportation and to give a little hope to millions of immigrants who are the parents of US citizens or permanent residents of the United States of America, and reside in the country for more than 5 years. If these people appeal to the US authorities, pay taxes, attest that they have no criminal record, they will be allowed to remain in the country for three years with the possibility of further extension. Such workers will receive in the United States work permit as well. President Obama said: ‘If you’ve been in America for more than five years; if you have children who are American citizens or legal residents; if you register, pass a criminal background check, and you’re willing to pay your fair share of taxes -- you’ll be able to apply to stay in this country temporarily without fear of deportation. You can come out of the shadows and get right with the law. That’s what this deal is.’ ("Remarks by the President in Address to the Nation on Immigration", 2014) President’s decree does not require congressional approval. However, this document does not have the force of law and may be repealed by next US president. The number of illegal immigrants is huge and it is approximately 11.4 million. 59% of them are Mexicans, 6% - people from El Salvador, 5% - people from Guatemala,and three percent are immigrants from Honduras and the Philippines. The essence of reform is to issue an official work permit for a period of three years with a possible extension to immigrants whose children were born in USA, and to those who were brought into the country as minors. At first, only people under 30 years old who arrived in the United States until 2007 could apply for a permit. Obama repealed the statutory age limit and extended the time limit from 2007 to 2010. Earlier about 1.2 million illegal immigrants could qualify for legalization. Obama's decision will affect four million people. This is the most significant change in US immigration law since the mid-1980s. Republicans call new law "illegals amnesty". However, Barack Obama and his supporters avoid this term, preferring the word "reform".Barack Obama said in his speech: ‘I know some of the critics of this action call it amnesty. Well, it’s not. Amnesty is the immigration system we have today – millions of people who live here without paying their taxes or playing by the rules while politicians use the issue to scare people and whip up votes at election time. That’s the real amnesty – leaving this broken system the way it is. Mass amnesty would be unfair. Mass deportation would be both impossible and contrary to our character. What I’m describing is accountability – a common-sense, middle-ground approach: If you meet the criteria, you can come out of the shadows and get right with the law. If you’re a criminal, you’ll be deported. If you plan to enter the U.S. illegally, your chances of getting caught and sent back just went up.’ ("Remarks by the President in Address to the Nation on Immigration", 2014)
References
Remarks by the President in Address to the Nation on Immigration. (2014). whitehouse.gov. Retrieved 2 May 2016, from https://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2014/11/20/remarks-president-address-nation-immigration
Immigration Reform 2016: Obama Administration New H-1B Visa Rule Helps High-Skilled Foreign Workers. (2015). International Business Times. Retrieved 3 May 2016, from http://www.ibtimes.com/immigration-reform-2016-obama-administration-new-h-1b-visa-rule-helps-high-skilled-2246044
