USA Immigration is a Hot Election Issue

30/05/2008 by Bryan Palmer

As the US election approaches issues around legal and illegal USA immigration has become a core issue creating much debate and controversy.

The United States is essentially a country of immigrants with people the world over looking to start a new life there. These immigrants have contributed to the country economically, making America a rich and diverse place; however they have also been blamed for crime and unemployment.

Ultimately the US is looking for skilled legal immigrants and shuns the amount of illegal immigrants that swarm into America on a daily basis. According to the BBC as many a million people arrive in America legally each year, while an estimated 500 000 come in illegally.

There are two sides to the debate, those who support immigration and those who do not. Of late President George W Bush has pushed for legal employment opportunities for illegal immigrants through a guest-worker plan that will allow illegals to stay in the US and work. However on the other side many other people are fiercely anti-immigration, both legal and illegal. It is suggested that Republicans are far more critical about immigration than their Democratic counterparts.

Therefore the immigration issue has essentially become an election pawn- and it has worked. The coming elections and the debate around immigration have even directly contributed to the backlog in immigration services when it comes to naturalisation applications. These immigrants want to become naturalised by October this year when they can register to vote in the presidential elections. But according authorities it can take as long as 14 months to become a legal citizen.

It is clear that the US want skilled workers and unskilled workers are not as favoured. Most immigrants fall into the latter categories who often work in menial sectors such as construction and catering. However those with skills such as IT or medicine can enter via a Green Card or family ties or employment. As the election debate continues, the immigration issue keep on.

Immigrating to the United States of America is consistently one of the most popular choices for overseas nationals wishing to make a new start, further their career, or join family members overseas.

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