Hey Joyce,
Every time I do this, I feel a bit like I'm being a creep, but believe me, that's not my intention... I find myself on a bit of a crusade these days to challenge people about their premises -- about what they think they know and take for granted as a start-off point. Because I tend to find, in our modern culture, that a lot of what we think we know, just ain't so. And it's always better to start with a clear understanding of what the reality is, when one is relying on "common sense."
Case in point -- the U.S. is one of the hardest countries in the world to legally immigrate to these days. And that has been so for a long time now. Unless you are an immediate relative of a U.S. citizen, or an internationally renowned scholar, expert or athlete, or a refugee from a country where persecution of your kind is so horribly egregious that the U.S. can perhaps if you're lucky be publicly shamed into taking you in, you ain't getting in legally. The number of immigrants into the U.S. in the last reported year who didn't fit one of those categories? About 50,000 -- and even they had to fit the "diversity" category, meaning, not many of their kind are here already. Say Tinkerbell wanted to move here from the U.K.? She'd damn well better marry a U.S. citizen first. Otherwise, she'd have a snowball's chance in hell, at best. (Sorry to make you the example, Lis.)
Here are the year 2000 numbers, straight from the Department of Justice:
FY 2000 Highlights
A total of 849,807, persons legally immigrated to the United States. Of that total, 407,402 obtained their visas abroad from the Department of State and 442,405 were granted adjustment of status i.e. permanent residence, by the INS.
The major categories of immigrants were:
-immediate relatives of U.S. citizens, meaning these citizens' spouses, children under 21 and parents only: 348,879;
-family preferences, meaning U.S. citizens' children older than 21, U.S. citizens' siblings, and the spouses and children of green-card holders: 235,280;
-employment preferences: 107,024;
-diversity program: 50,945;
-and, refugee/asylee adjustments: 65,941.
(For explanation of employment preferences, diversity program and refugee program, see below...)
Five countries accounted for 39 percent of immigrants:
Mexico (173,919), The People's Republic of China (45,652), Philippines (42,474), India (42,046), and Vietnam (26,747).
THE ABOVE COMES FROM THE U.S. GOVERNMENT, AT http://www.ins.usdoj.gov/graphics/publicaffairs/newsrels/announcement.htm
THE BELOW COMES FROM THE AMERICAN IMMIGRATION LAW FOUNDATION AT
http://www.ailf.org/polrep/1996/pr9608.htm
The definition of these categories under the Immigration and Nationality Act are explained below:
1) Priority Workers
A) Aliens with Extraordinary Ability: The alien has extraordinary ability in the sciences, arts, education, business, or athletics which has been demonstrated by sustained national or international acclaim and whose achievements have been recognized in the field through extensive documentation." 2
B) Outstanding Professors and Researchers: The individual needs at least three years experience in teaching or research and "is recognized internationally as outstanding in a specific academic area." 3
C) Certain Multinational Executives and Managers: The alien needs to have been "employed for at least one year by a firm or corporation" in three years prior to submitting an application. 4
2) Aliens who are Members of the Professions Holding Advanced Degrees or Aliens of Exceptional Ability: The alien generally needs to provide documentation of three or more types, such as a degree, license, membership in professional association, and evidence that his or her achievements have been recognized in the field/industry.5
3) Skilled Workers, Professionals, and Other Workers - Professionals: "Qualified immigrants who hold baccalaureate degrees and who are members of the professions." 6 Skilled Workers currently need "at least 2 years training or experience." 7 And Other Workers, limited to 10,000 by law, are "other qualified immigrants who are capable...of performing unskilled labor, not of a temporary or seasonal nature." 8 Immigrants can only be admitted as Skilled Workers, Professional, or Other Workers if they will take jobs "for which qualified workers are not available in the U.S." 9
Two smaller categories for employment-based immigration exist, one for "Certain Special Immigrants" (up to 10,000 visas, including religious workers) and the other for "Employment Creation," which allows admission for individuals making large investments, generally $1 million or more, that directly create jobs for Americans. In practice, this employment creation category has attracted relatively few takers. The Chinese Student Protection Act was established after Tiananmen Square and its use as a category has dwindled.
Diversity
Diversity visas, limited to 55,000 annually, are awarded by lottery. The intent of the program is to provide an opportunity for individuals to immigrate who lack family connections and live in countries that have been "underrepresented" in immigration totals in recent years.
Refugees And Asylees
The number of refugees admitted annually is set by the President in consultation with Congress. The INS does not include refugees in their annual totals in the year they enter the country but rather in the year they adjust their status to that of permanent resident, which under the law cannot be until at least 12 months after their initial entry. In 1995, 106,827 refugees adjusted their status. The annual refugee figures set by the President and Congress have declined in recent years. The number of asylees who may adjust to permanent status annually is limited to 10,000, however, more may be granted political asylum in a given year. The 10,000 or fewer asylees who adjust to permanent status each year are subtracted from the annual limit established for that year by the President and Congress through the consultative status.
What Do These Numbers Tell Us?
Although this system is more than numbers -- the principles of family reunification, support for refugees, and the ability for employers to sponsor needed employees under the system -- the data help illustrate how American immigration works in practice.
First, the most important lesson the numbers teach us is that America possesses a limited and highly regulated immigration system. Categories for family-sponsored and employment-based immigrants, which combined make up three-quarters of immigration, are numerically limited, with the exception of the immediate relatives of U.S. citizens. A cap of 480,000 is set on family immigration. However, this cap can be pierced in a given year if the number of immediate relatives rises above 254,000.
_________
...AND...that's the old law. Under this new Patriot Law the prez is seeking? Good luck to the teeming masses longing to be free.
Sorry to be the bearer of such news.
Maria
, it's not even in my top 5 countries/places I would want to live. 
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