The "line" of people seeking American citizenship or legal status has become an integral part of our immigration debate. In a speech last week, U.S. President Barack Obama said that undocumented immigrants should go to "the back of the line" behind those who are going through the process legally. The immigration reform blueprint presented a day earlier by a group of senators contained the same requirement. But misinformation about this line abounds.
1. There is one line.
The federal government has issued more than 1 million green cards per year, on average, for the past five years. But there are several lines — which one immigrants end up in depends on whether they have a job or family in the United States. There are four family-based categories for many relatives, called "preferences," and five based on employment. The number of green cards issued through each is limited by country of origin, but there is no cap for "immediate relatives" — spouses of U.S. citizens, U.S. citizens' unmarried children under age 21 and parents of adult U.S. citizens over 21.