Migration is a common choice for people who want to live in a different country and start their lives. These people migrate for various reasons — it could be due to work, better opportunities or the country has opened up for immigrants.
The United States is one of the countries with the most number of immigrants from around the world. Some consider the US immigration policies to be lenient, and many people have negative notions about immigrants to the country. This often leads to problems instead of having a smooth transition. Immigrants might need the services of an employment immigration lawyer in case issues in their move to the US arises. Here are some common issues that you should look out for.
Immigrants Taking Over Jobs and Benefits
Immigrants are often attracted to dynamic regions where they engage in the economic supply and demand. If there is any job displacement effect upon their arrival, it would be too small to affect the natives. A growing population brought about by immigrants means better employment opportunities. The presence of immigrants on American wages is delegated to the lower single digits, and they may even help increase relative wages by a tiny amount. Migration may affect competition between the immigrants, so there is little to no effect on native-born Americans.
Abuse on the Welfare State
It is a myth that immigrants will abuse the welfare state of the Americans. Most legal immigrants do not have access to means-tested welfare in their first five years, with some exceptions as determined by the state, and this is funded by state taxes. More so, undocumented immigrants may only access emergency Medicaid. After the initial five years, immigrants are less likely to use these welfare state benefits as much as native-born Americans.
Increase in Budget Deficit and Government Debts
Some people believe that immigrants consume more government benefits than generate tax revenue. The truth is, immigrants in the US have zero impact on the government’s budget deficit and debts. Studies conducted show that age is a vital factor in estimating whether an immigrant will be a financial liability or contributor to the government’s budget, and next is education. Additionally, studies also show that native-born Americans with low educational levels impose higher fiscal burdens than immigrants with the same educational level.
Increase in Economic Inequality
This myth has been debunked early on as global inequality is at a steady fall due to rapid economic growth in many parts of the world. In the US, this belief is mixed in many pieces of research. Studies claim that immigration has a small effect on economic inequality, while others find a substantial effect. The differences in how the studies were conducted affect the findings. But it does not really matter if an immigrant triples their wages by coming to the US and creates economic inequality. What matters must be the quality of life of everyone.
Immigrants as a Major Source of Crime
Many people still believe this myth that has been around for more than a century. It was not true since 1896, and it is still not true with the recent immigration studies. Immigrants are less likely to be imprisoned due to violence or property crimes. Studies also suggest that immigrants and descendants are more peaceful residents. Some immigrants are detained for crimes, but they are less likely to commit crimes.
A Unique Risk on Terrorism
Terrorist attacks in the early 20th century were brought forth by socialists, immigrants, and their fellow travelers. These days, terrorism acts are still committed by some immigrants, but the risks are still very low compared to the benefits of migration. Terrorist attacks are not correlated with immigration, and the risk of being a victim of a foreign-born terrorist is very slim. Most of the people who died on a terrorist attack on US soil were victims of 9/11, and the attackers were using tourist visas, not immigrant visas.
America Is the Most Open Country; thus It’s Easy to Immigrate
America accepts many more immigrants than any other country in the world, but it is still challenging to immigrate to the US. For some, it can take years before one finally receives their green card. The US population is still way below other OECD countries despite the annual flow of immigrants. Thus, although America is wide open to migration, other countries are still more open to legal immigration, such as Canada, New Zealand, and Australia.
Migrating to the US has long been considered the great “American Dream” by many foreigners. While Americans consider their country to be wide open and welcoming to immigrants, those who’d like to migrate to the country legally face stringent immigration laws and issues. It takes time, effort, and money to pursue this big dream of moving and living in the United States.
