Immigration and Refugee 101Basic Facts and Current Perspectives

synonyms: newcomer, settler, migrant,

im·mi·grantˈiməɡrənt/nounnoun: immigrant; plural noun: immigrants1.a person who comes to live permanently in a foreign country.

Terminology

Nonimmigrant: An individual who is admitted to the United States for a specific temporary period of time. There are clear conditions on their stay like a visitor or student visa.  

Refugee: Generally, any person outside his or her country of nationality who is unable or unwilling to return to that country because of persecution or a well-founded fear of persecution. Persecution or the fear must be based on the person’s race, religion, nationality, membership in a particular social group or political opinion. Asylee: A person from another country in the United States or at a port of entry who is found to be unable or unwilling to return to his or her country of nationality, or to seek the protection of that country because of persecution or a well-founded fear of persecution.

Lawful permanent resident: Any person not a citizen of the United States who is residing the in the U.S. under legally recognized and lawfully recorded permanent residence as an immigrant. Also known as "Green Card Holder."

Undocumented: an individual not having the official documents that are needed to enter, live in, or work in the U.S. legally. An individual can be documented and then become undocumented.

How do People Come to the United States to Live Permanently- to Immigrate?

 • Family Member Petitions • Employer Petitions • Refugee or Asylum • Without Documents or Permission

Family-Sponsored

All Chargeability Areas Except Those Listed

CHINA-mainland born

INDIA MEXICOPHILIPPINES

F1 15JAN08 15JAN08  15JAN08 22NOV94 01JUN01

F2A 15APR14 15APR14 15APR14 01MAR14 15APR14

F2B 15JAN09 15JAN09 15JAN09 01AUG95  01OCT04

F3 22MAY04 22MAY04 22MAY04 08JUN94 01OCT93

F4 08FEB03 08FEB03 08FEB03 22MAR97 01MAY92

First: (F1) Unmarried Sons and Daughters of U.S. Citizens: 23,400 plus any numbers not required for fourth preference.

Second: Spouses and Children, and Unmarried Sons and Daughters of Permanent Residents: 114,200, plus the number (if any) by which the worldwide family preference level exceeds 226,000, plus any unused first preference numbers:

A. (F2A) Spouses and Children of Permanent Residents: 77% of the overall second preference limitation, of which 75% are exempt from the per-country limit;

B. (F2B) Unmarried Sons and Daughters (21 years of age or older) of Permanent Residents: 23% of the overall second preference limitation.

Third: (F3) Married Sons and Daughters of U.S. Citizens: 23,400, plus any numbers not required by first and second preferences.

Fourth: (F4) Brothers and Sisters of Adult U.S. Citizens: 65,000, plus any numbers not required by first three preferences.

Source: Department of Homeland Security, Office of Immigration Statistics, 2012 Yearbook of Immigration Statistics and 2012 Annual Flow Report on Refugees and Asylees. 

Demographics Estimate % of Total

Unauthorized Population 136,000 100%

Top Countries of Birth

Mexico 36,000 26%

India 10,000 7%

China 8,000 6%

Guatemala 6,000 5%

Dominican Republic 6,000 5%

Profile of the Unauthorized Population:Pennsylvania

Years of U.S. Residence

Less than 5 39,000 29%

5 to 9 45,000 33%

10 to 14 30,000 22%

15 to 19 11,000 8%

20 or more 11,000 8%

Age

Under 16 12,000 9%

16 to 24 26,000 19%

25 to 34 40,000 29%

35 to 44 31,000 22%

45 to 54 15,000 11%

55 and over 12,000 9%

Challenges in Adapting to a New Life and Country: 

Language – learning a new language; navigating daily life; children as language brokers

  Shifting Family Roles – role of woman; role of children; role of

elders  Job skills – it is not always possible to translate job skills; “bar-

bell” of immigration

Schools/Education – children adapt differently to schools based on age, abilities of parents, school support, and cultural tolerance

  

Poverty

Immigrant families in the U.S. experience disproportionately high rates of poverty, unemployment, and crowded housing conditions, yet, they are less likely than non-immigrant families to receive housing assistance, food stamps, mental health services, or to have health insurance (Capps, Fix, Ost, Reardon-Anderson, & Passel, 2004; Reardon-Anderson, Capps, & Fix, 2002)

  Family-based and Employment-based immigrants must have financial

sponsors; immigrants may not become public charges. This prevents immigrants from receiving most federally-funded benefits for the first 5-7 years they have legal permanent residence.

Immigrants can receive state health insurance for children, emergency room treatment to stabilize, and K-12 public education.

  Refugees and asylees are eligible for some benefits. Refugees receive six

months of housing, job finding and other support from their resettlement agency.

Benefits of Immigration:  • family reunification  • better life economically • greater opportunity (freedom/democracy;

gender roles; employment; education)

• safer life 

Pennsylvania Immigration Resource Center (PIRC)

Detained Programs

..and Community Programs

BENEFITS OF IMMIGRANTS IN OUR COMMUNITIES

Economic Benefits of Immigrants in our Nation

QUESTIONS?

Pennsylvania Immigration Resource Center (PIRC)

Mary Weaver, Executive Director

www.pirclaw.orginfo@pirclaw.orgmweaver@pirclaw.org