Family Immigration: Visa Channels and Management Challenges

The aim of the project is to inform debate on immigration reform, with a focus on addressing the challenges of implementation SUMMARY The Institute for the Study of International Migration in the School of Foreign Service hosted a roundtable in February 2015 in which participants from academia, government, and nongovernmental organizations considered the role of family immigration in the United St. [...] Its provisions, particularly the ability of US citizens and lawful permanent residents (LPR) to sponsor immediate family and to apply for extended family reunification, have been important in increasing the number of immigrants from nations previously excluded under the national origin quotas of the 1920s. [...] It is commonplace for both husbands and wives to work, so authorizing the spouse to work strengthens the family and competitiveness of the visa. [...] Meeting participants noted that little of the data that measures social and economic impacts of individuals admitted to the US allow for comparison of families and their visa class of admission. [...] Many participants argued strongly for the institutionalization of the data collection on and for the analysis of immigration.