Generations Of Dreamers And
Millions Of Different Journeys
Followed This Path…
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Before the 1500’s The
North American
Continent Was
Inhabited Only By
Indigenous Tribes.
The 1500’s See The First
European Settlers
1620 Marks The First
Recorded Group of 100
Pilgrims who Arrived
At Present-Day
Plymouth,
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1619 Is The Oldest Record Found Of The First
20 African Slaves Brought to Jamestown,
Virginia
1630 Through 1640, 20,000 Puritans Migrated
To New England
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The “Chinese Exclusion Act” of 1882 Is The
First Document That Restricted Entry Into The
US. It Came From Californians Afraid That The
Low Wage Labor Provided by Chinese
Immigrants Was Bringing Their Own Wages
Down.
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In 1890 President Benjamin Harrison
Designated Ellis Island In New York Harbor As
A Federal Immigration Center.
Every Entry Into The US Will be Recorded
Here
Between 1892 and 1954,
12 Million Immigrants
Entered the US
Through
Ellis Island
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1917 “Literacy Test”
1924 “Immigration Act”: Allows Entry To Only 2%
Of Each Nationalities’ Population
Both Acts Were Veiled Attempts at Restricting
Chinese
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1965 “Immigration Act and Nationality Act”,
Which Rid The Law Of The “Chinese Exclusion
Act (1882)”, Made the US Accessible To Asians
and Latin Americans
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How to Enter the US?
Come To The US To Visit - Obtain a Tourist
Visa. Valid For a Period of 6 Months
Come To The US To Work For a Foreign
Company- Obtain a Temporary Work Visa
Come To The US To Study- Obtain a Student
Visa
But How to Stay and Live in The US?
Family Immigration:
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An Ascendant or An Adult Descendant Can Petition For a Family
Member to Become A Citizen
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One Can Marry a US Citizen and Become a US Citizen by Marriage
Work Immigration:
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One Can Obtain One of The Numerous Time Limited Visas and Stay to
Work for a Maximum Of Three Years
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One Can Obtain A Green Card After A Stay In the US:
- A Green Card Allows Permanent Alien Residency.
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- Green Card Residency Gives A Resident Alien The Same Rights and
Obligations As A US Citizen Except:
Vote
Be Part Of a Jury
Work for Any Government Agencies
Serve In the Military
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One Can “Gamble” at the Green
Card Lottery Formerly Know as
the “Diversity Immigrant Visa”.
Founded in 1990 to Attract
More Natives Of Low Rate
Represented Countries
55,000 Of these Green Cards Are
Given Each Year (Requirements
are: no criminal records, a high
school diploma and a job offer)
After Living in The US for More
Than 5 Years One can Apply For
Citizenship
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I Came To The US From My Native Country Of France in
1988
My Then Husband Was A French Air Force Captain and
Worked At Boeing On The AWACS (Airborne Warning
And Control System) Program For Two Years (1988-1990)
He Had A Special Government Visa
We Had to Go Back To France But Dreamed Of Living in
the US After Our First Stay
…Becoming A US
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Citizen
We Came Back With A Tourist Visa and Our
Three Children On September 18th 1993
My Husband Found A Job And Obtained an H1 Visa Which Allowed Him To Work in The US
For 3 Years (Solely For The Company Who
Offered Him The Job). I Was Not Allowed to
Work.
I Won The “Green Card Lottery” in May Of
1996
I have Been A “Resident Alien” Since Then…
….But….
This Year 2014, I Have Applied For My
Citizenship and Will Soon Join the Millions Of
People That Have Gone Through The Same
Journey and Become A Proud American
Citizen!!