All issues · Immigration · No. 11

Legal Immigration

Who should the country admit, how many, and on what basis?

Legal immigration is governed by categories: family sponsorship, employment, humanitarian admission, and a diversity lottery. Annual caps and per-country limits produce backlogs measured in years and sometimes decades.

The current category structure dates largely to 1965 legislation that replaced national-origin quotas with a system weighted toward family reunification. Overall numeric limits have changed little since 1990 while the economy and population have grown.

Per-country caps mean applicants from large countries wait far longer than applicants from small ones with identical qualifications. Employment-based backlogs for nationals of some countries extend beyond a working lifetime.

Temporary visa programs cover specialty occupations, seasonal agriculture, intracompany transfers, and students. Employer sponsorship ties status to a job, which affects worker bargaining position and mobility.

The positionsFind your officials →

POSITION 1 / 3

Expand admissions

Immigration is a source of growth and dynamism, and current caps are far below what the economy and demographics call for.

An aging population and falling birth rates shrink the working-age share.
Immigrants found businesses and file patents at high rates relative to population.
Backlogs separate families and strand skilled workers for decades.
Sectors from agriculture to health care report persistent unfilled positions.

POSITION 2 / 3

Reduce or restructure admissions

Numbers should reflect absorptive capacity and the interests of workers already here.

Large inflows can put downward pressure on wages in directly competing occupations.
Housing, schools, and services in receiving areas face concentrated strain.
Assimilation is easier at moderate rates than at high ones.
Selection should weight skills and self-sufficiency more heavily than family ties.

POSITION 3 / 3

Change the selection basis

The total may matter less than the criteria, which have not been revisited in decades.

A points system could weigh education, skills, language, and labor demand.
Per-country caps produce arbitrary outcomes unrelated to qualifications.
Portable work visas would reduce employer leverage over sponsored workers.
Regional or state-based visas could direct arrivals toward areas seeking growth.

Terms you will hearFind your officials →

Green card: Lawful permanent residence, allowing indefinite stay and work and a path to citizenship.
Per-country cap: A limit on the share of visas going to nationals of any single country each year.
H-1B: A capped temporary visa for specialty occupations requiring a degree.
Adjustment of status: Changing from a temporary category to permanent residence without leaving the country.

What people actually disagree aboutFind your officials →

Should admission be based primarily on family ties, economic skills, or humanitarian need?
Is there an optimal annual level, and what would determine it?
Should visa status be tied to a specific employer?

Do something about itFind your officials →

Know where you stand? The people who actually vote on this are reachable, and a message in your own words carries more weight than a form letter.

Find your officials →

Was this page balanced?

We are not asking whether you agree with any position — only whether each one was stated fairly. That is the standard this site is built to meet.

Think a position here is stated unfairly? Tell us what an advocate for that view would say instead.