Why Don’t Undocumented Immigrants “Wait in Line” to Come Lawfully to the US?

The American Immigration Council (Why Don’t Immigrants Apply for Citizenship? There Is No Line for Many Unauthorized Immigrants) explains why undocumented immigrants don’t “wait in line” to come to the United States:

“Many people wonder why all immigrants do not just come to the United States legally or simply apply for citizenship while living here without authorization. These suggestions miss the point: There is no line available for current unauthorized immigrants and the `regular channels’ are largely not available to prospective immigrants who end up entering the country through unauthorized channels. Even though most unauthorized immigrants have lived in the United States for nearly 15 years, many could live out the rest of their lives without any opportunity to become legal residents of this country.”

The Fact Sheet offers the following explanation:

No “line” is available for the vast majority of unauthorized immigrants.

Many unauthorized immigrants are barred from obtaining legal status while inside the United States.

Family-based immigration is limited to certain close family relationships and is numerically restricted.

Employment-based immigration requires a U.S. employer to request specific foreign workers.

Most people fleeing their home countries cannot access humanitarian protection.

Even those who can get in line are subject to long backlogs and waits.

There is a limited lottery for certain countries.

KJ