Immigration: Tell Your Undocumented Neighbors to GET LEGAL!

Almost anyone can become legal in the US.  It is a myth that there is nothing available today for undocumented persons in the US.  There are a number of processes and programs in place right now.  The reason that people believe that our immigration system is broken, is because many of the programs in place today are difficult, convoluted, and can take a very long time. 

 However, the new comprehensive immigration reform Bill which is currently before Congress, is also a very long process:  a proposed 13-year path to citizenship.

 Anyone who complains about the number of undocumented persons in the US today should be out waving the flag and telling everyone to start a process and become legal!  It is not enough to sit back and simply gripe and complain about our broken immigration system, and the 11 million undocumented persons in the US.  They are not leaving, and more undocumented are arriving every day.

 Instead, let’s get the word out, let’s convince and encourage our undocumented friends, neighbors and relatives to start a process with immigration, and Get Legal!  Legal status benefits everyone.  Legal status allows the undocumented to obtain driver’s licenses which protect us all, provides for more Social Security payments into our system, boosts the job market and spending ability, boosts the housing market by giving more people the ability to apply for mortgages.

 An undocumented person who has a US citizen relative may qualify for permanent resident status.  An undocumented person who has an employer who will sponsor him/her can qualify for permanent resident status (the undocumented person does NOT even need to be working for the sponsor during the process), an undocumented person who has been the victim of a crime in the US and cooperates with the police can qualify for permanent resident status, and a person who has been the victim of persecution in his/her home country can qualify for permanent resident status.  The employer-sponsor process, which is the longest of the processes, may only take 4 years to complete. 

 Most undocumented adults are working in the US.  The employer for whom they are working can sponsor them (and the process includes the entire family, even children outside the US), or their church could sponsor them, or a club to which they belong might be able to sponsor them…  Remember that a person does NOT need to be currently working for the sponsor.  This means that there is no liability for the sponsor.  The sponsor is offering a job in the future, when the undocumented person becomes legal. 

 Sure, realistically, what employer would wait 4 years to hire an employee?  Answer:  The employer who wants to help an employee.  The employer who wants to start making our undocumented populace legal.  The employer who was helped by someone in the past, and wants to “pay forward” the good fortune that came to his family. 

 We can sit back and wait for comprehensive immigration reform to become law; or we can convince our neighbors, relatives and friends to start a process with immigration NOW.  One thing is for sure; no one ever became a permanent resident by sitting back and doing nothing.