by Jo Coghlan

America has more than 11 million (and as possibly as high as 20 million) people living inside its borders who do not have legal status. They account for 3.7% of America’s population. For American President Barrack Obama, immigration is the political elephant in the room particularly as he faces re-election next year. Recently Obama has significant speeches on immigration ‘reform’ but it is domestic politics that is driving his policies.

American immigration policy is largely family based. Residency is most commonly granted to the immediate family of existing citizens. For others, visas are granted based on skill levels, with highly skilled immigrants having a much easier time getting work permits than unskilled labourers. Skilled workers, usually people with a university education or professional training have a range of visa options. The most common visa, the H1B class, currently has a ceiling of 65,000 each year: a quota that is easily filled every year. For unskilled labourers, the U.S. grants just 5,000 work visas each year to people employed in fields other than agriculture. For many, the American dream means they live and work in America as undocumented ‘aliens’.