How Can an Illegal Immigrant Become a Citizen

Pathways to Citizenship for Undocumented Immigrants

June 14th, 2021

"Families with undocumented members need the stability and certainty that comes with legal status so they tin can accomplish their maximum economic potential, and add to America'south mail-pandemic recovery."

Overview

FWD.us estimates that nearly all undocumented immigrants vest to groups that most Americans say should be provided a pathway to citizenship. These groups include essential workers, Dreamers who came to the U.Southward. as children, undocumented individuals living in the U.S. for many years, those with U.S. citizen family members, or those who currently take temporary protection from deportation.

See our interactive for multiple pathways to U.South. citizenship .

Multiple pieces of commonsense legislation providing a pathway to citizenship for many of these groups have bipartisan support in Congress, but Congress has failed to pass this kind of legislation for decades. It'south well past time for Congress to provide the certainty that undocumented immigrants need equally they work essential jobs, go to school, support their families, and assist rebuild the American economy.

FWD.us polling over the by several months shows a like theme: the U.S. public strongly supports granting undocumented residents already living in the U.Southward. the ability to earn citizenship. Clear majorities of the American public support a pathway to citizenship for diverse undocumented groups. For case, contempo national polling found that 71% of the U.Southward. public supports the Dream Act , a beak that would give Dreamers, or those who came to the U.S. as children, a pathway to citizenship. Similarly, 71% of respondents in the aforementioned poll back up offering a pathway to citizenship to farmworkers, while 66% back up offer citizenship to essential workers.

Recent FWD.us polling likewise finds a similarly strong level of back up in battleground states, including Arizona, Georgia, Florida, Nevada, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin. We found a big bulk of people in these states supports a pathway to citizenship for undocumented groups, in the states that could determine control of Congress next yr and the Presidency in 2024. A pathway to citizenship for undocumented immigrant groups is an incredibly popular policy in places where it will thing most electorally.

In this combined subset of battlefield states, the U.S. public supports creating a pathway to citizenship for several undocumented immigrant groups. Central takeaways include:

• 79% support creating a pathway to citizenship for undocumented immigrants living in the U.Due south. 10 years or longer.
• 79% support citizenship for undocumented immigrants with U.S. citizen children, while 75% back up citizenship for those married to U.S. citizens.
• 71% support citizenship for people seeking asylum, and a further 68% support citizenship for undocumented immigrants who are temporarily protected from deportation.

Undocumented immigrants are a vital function of America's workforce, peculiarly as the U.Southward. continues to respond to and recover from the COVID-19 pandemic. FWD.u.s.a. estimates evidence that substantial shares of critical occupations nationwide are filled by undocumented individuals, including crucial jobs in farming (34%), construction (13%), building grounds and maintenance (13%), food preparation and services (7%), and manufacturing and production (seven%), with even college shares for some occupation groups in California, Texas, Florida, Nevada, New Jersey, and Georgia. With the economy projected to be virtually total employment past the end of 2022, the U.S. will need every person available to continue fighting the pandemic and rebuilding America's infrastructure.

See our interactive for estimates of the undocumented share of critical occupations in the American workforce .

FWD.us assay likewise identifies that, when previously undocumented immigrants become U.Due south. citizens, they are more likely to alive ii times or more in a higher place the poverty line and file taxes. This should assuage some fiscal concerns of Congress as information technology considers legislation that includes a pathway to citizenship.

This greater economical prosperity associated with citizenship carries important multiplier effects for the U.S. economy. FWD.us estimates that undocumented immigrants earning U.S. citizenship would annually contribute an additional $149 billion after taxes to the economic system. This could outcome in a potential almanac increase of $39 billion more in combined federal, state, and local taxes.

See our interactive of economic estimates for improved lives when undocumented immigrants are granted U.S. citizenship .

Congress must end wasting fourth dimension and needs to act and pass a pathway to citizenship. Families with undocumented members demand certainty to live in liberty and safe, achieve fiscal stability, and maximize their economical potential. America's total post-pandemic recovery depends on information technology.

Methodology

Estimates for the multiple groups that make up the undocumented immigrant population rely on the residuum method for calculating the undocumented population, using augmented 2022 data from the U.Southward. Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS), made available by University of Minnesota's IPUMS database . This method is similar to that used by other inquiry organizations estimating the undocumented immigrant population, even though some individuals who are part of the undocumented population may be protected from deportation. For more detailed data on methods used to estimate the undocumented immigrant population, come across our previously published methodology .

Undocumented immigrant estimates rely on specific characteristics for each undocumented group. Several of these groups are based on ACS-provided variables. Some, however, required additional parameters, including:

Dreamers — undocumented immigrants who came to the U.Southward. in 2022 or earlier, at 17 years or younger, and are either in school or have completed the equivalent of a high school diploma.

Farmworkers — undocumented immigrant workers making up the list of industries listed past the 2021 Subcontract Workforce Modernization Human activity . As many farmworkers are seasonal employees and may not always appear in population surveys similar the ACS, estimates were upwardly adapted based on studies of the U.Southward. agricultural workforce .

Temporary Protected Condition (TPS) — undocumented immigrants granted or eligible for TPS , a designation protecting immigrants who cannot safely return to their abode countries. Included TPS countries are based on USCIS designations as of May 1, 2021. A random consignment of this population among undocumented immigrants identified in the ACS was selected, according to countries of citizenship and year of entry when applicable for the group.

People seeking asylum — immigrants who are waiting for a decision on their aviary application, whether affirmatively or defensively. Data from U.South. Citizenship and Clearing Services (USCIS) also equally the Department of Justice were used to approximate this population's size in 2019. Then, a random assignment of this population among undocumented immigrants identified in the ACS was selected, according to leading countries of citizenship and year of entry.

Adjustment and change of status — undocumented immigrants protected from deportation while their light-green carte, or some other temporary immigrant visa, applications are pending, but lack formal, lawful status while they wait. Data from USCIS were used to gauge this population's size in 2019. Then, a random assignment of this population among undocumented immigrants identified in the ACS was selected, according to leading countries of citizenship and year of entry.

Undocumented shares of America'southward workforce are drawn from the same 2022 ACS data. Specific occupations making up broader categories presented in this report tin be plant here.

Congressional district estimates for the undocumented immigrant population rely on allocation factors of Public Utilize Microdata Areas (PUMA) to Congressional districts from Missouri Census Information Center's Geocorr 2018 estimates. These allocation factors were applied to population weights in the ACS to go Congressional district estimates. Consequently, these breakdowns from PUMAs to Congressional districts are driven by population ratios, non the actual geographic boundaries of Congressional districts. Congressional districts are for 2018.

Public stance data are from Global Strategy Group (GSG). The survey is nationally representative of the U.S. voters, except for when noted in battleground states (including Arizona, Georgia, Florida, Nevada, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin) as a combined set of states. About an equal number of respondents in each state were surveyed, and thus are non weighted for population. Battleground state polling was fielded during May 2021.

Comparisons of U.S. and not-U.South. citizens among immigrants who were likely formerly undocumented are drawn from the U.S. Demography Bureau'south 2018 Survey of Income and Program Participation (SIPP). This nationally representative survey asked respondents about their clearing status when they start entered the land—either with lawful permanent resident (LPR) or another status. Because of this limitation in the survey question, the analysis in this written report assumes that those entering from countries in the Americas without LPR entered as undocumented immigrants. This undocumented status is assumed to take persisted for most of these immigrants in the survey unless they obtained U.Due south. citizenship. As a cross-cheque, demographic characteristics of this noncitizen, likely undocumented group in the SIPP were similar to noncitizen immigrants identified in the ACS from the Americas. Outcomes are presented every bit predicted probabilities, after controlling for sex, age, year of clearing, instruction, marital status, income, employment status, region of residence within the U.Southward., and ethnicity.

Economical contributions of undocumented immigrants are the total spending ability of personal income available from ACS data, afterward estimated federal, state, and local taxation payments. Negative personal income was considered zippo income while the median level of income for the national U.Southward. undocumented immigrant population was used for ACS respondents who did not provide personal income.

Federal taxes are based on federal and payroll tax estimates for market income by household type and household size from the Congressional Budget Role'southward 2022 " Distribution of Household Income " report. Estimates do not take into account differences in local taxation rates, but are based on estimated state averages of taxation by income from the Institute of Revenue enhancement and Economic Policy's 2022 report, " Who Pays? A Distribution Analysis of the Tax Systems in All l States. "

Differences by citizenship status are based on multipliers of likely, formerly undocumented immigrants from the Americas. These multipliers were practical to personal income data in the ACS. Citizenship multipliers and likelihood of filing taxes, based on national SIPP analysis, were assigned to demographic groups based on sex, historic period, year of immigration, and education.

Multiple paths to citizenship for undocumented immigrants

A pathway to citizenship may not look the same for all undocumented immigrants. Legislation now before Congress could pb some individuals to qualify considering they are essential workers, while other bills could let the earning of citizenship for those who came to the U.S. as children or cannot return to their dwelling house countries. Other individuals, such every bit those living in the U.S. for 10 or more years, or sponsored by a U.S. citizen family fellow member, could qualify if existing legislation were updated. And some individuals could qualify for multiple pathways, every bit they may belong to 1 or more groups.

Note: Estimates are for the full undocumented immigrant population who belong to selected groups. Undocumented individuals can belong to multiple groups; consequently, overlapping grouping statuses were taken into business relationship to avoid double-counting. Estimates are rounded to 10,000. Encounter Methodology for more information on how estimates were calculated and qualification characteristics for each undocumented immigrant group.

Source: FWD.us analysis of 2022 American Customs Survey augmented data

"About 93% of the undocumented immigrant population belong to groups that U.S. legislators accept proposed be eligible to earn U.S. citizenship."

FWD.usa estimates that 9.3 million undocumented immigrants belong to groups that U.Southward. legislators have proposed be eligible to earn U.S. citizenship. This includes essential workers (5.2 million); individuals living in the U.S. for ten or more years (half dozen.seven meg); parents of U.S. citizen pocket-size children (3.0 meg); spouses of U.S. citizens (1.seven one thousand thousand); Dreamers who came to the U.South. every bit children (2.0 million); farmworkers (650,000); those with Temporary Protected Status (640,000); individuals seeking asylum and pending a decision (640,000); and individuals waiting for an aligning or modify of status (410,000).

ESSENTIAL WORKERS

According to FWD.us estimates, some v.2 meg undocumented workers are employed in essential industries as defined by the Department of Homeland Security ¹. Nearly one million essential workers are Dreamers, or individuals who came to the U.S. equally children and completed at least a high schoolhouse diploma, while another 400,000 undocumented essential workers take or are eligible for Temporary Protected Status (TPS), meaning they are protected from deportation because they are prevented from returning safely to their dwelling countries by armed disharmonize, ecology disaster, or other boggling conditions. Also, four.2 million undocumented essential workers have lived in the U.S. for ten years or longer, while ii.3 one thousand thousand are married to a U.S. citizen or have at least 1 U.S. citizen child.

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IN U.S. TEN OR More YEARS

Long-term undocumented residents living in the U.S. 10 or more years (arrived in the U.S. in 2010 or earlier) represent another large grouping of undocumented immigrants, making upward 6.7 million people, co-ordinate to FWD.united states estimates. Of this grouping, about i.9 million—or xix% of undocumented immigrants—have lived in the U.Southward. 25 years or longer.

Undocumented immigrants who accept lived in the U.S. for ten or more than years are well established in their communities. Approximately 3.1 one thousand thousand are married to a U.S. citizen spouse or have at to the lowest degree 1 U.Due south. citizen minor child. Additionally, 4.two 1000000 are essential workers. Nearly 500,000 take or are eligible for TPS.

For more than a century, Congress has used fourth dimension spent in the U.Southward. as a ground for undocumented immigrants to authorize for a pathway to citizenship through the registry mechanism. A legislative proposal could advance the registry date , a year in the Immigration and Naturalization Act , that would permit undocumented immigrants who take lived in the U.S. since that year to apply for lawful status. The last update was part of the 1986 Immigration Reform and Control Deed , when the registry appointment was inverse to 1972.

PARENTS AND SPOUSES OF U.S. CITIZENS

Millions of undocumented immigrants alive in mixed-condition families, or families whose members include both U.Due south. citizens or individuals with legal status and undocumented members. Specifically, nearly 3 million undocumented immigrants are parents of at to the lowest degree ane U.South. citizen minor child. In total, information technology is estimated that more than than 4.9 one thousand thousand U.S. citizen children have at to the lowest degree 1 undocumented parent. At the same time, an estimated 1.seven 1000000 undocumented immigrants are married to a U.Southward. denizen spouse.

Note: Children are less than 18 years old. Encounter methodology at fwd.us/citizenship for more data on how estimates were calculated. Estimates are rounded to i,000.
Source: FWD.us assay of 2022 American Community Survey augmented data

U.Due south. citizens can sponsor their undocumented spouses and children for a green carte du jour. But immigrants who entered without inspection, which is truthful of many undocumented immigrants, cannot adjust their status because they are considered inadmissible . Instead, they first need to leave the U.S. and apply for an immigrant visa at a U.S. diplomatic mission or consulate abroad. This is generally a lengthy process, resulting in prolonged family separation.

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But, more importantly, if the undocumented individual has been in the U.Southward. for equally little as 6 months or every bit much every bit a year, they are barred from re-entering the U.S. for three and ten years, respectively, unless they qualify for a "hardship" waiver. These inadmissibility bars, which separate family members from each other for years, crusade extreme damage and destabilize unabridged communities. Irresolute these inadmissibility bars could offer pathways to U.South. citizenship for millions of undocumented immigrants, providing a lawful pathway already in identify for keeping families together.

Another policy that legislators could employ to help mixed-condition families stay together would be to extend the application date for a § 245(i) adjustment , allowing U.S. citizens to sponsor family members who are undocumented.² The current application deadline engagement is 2001, only it could be extended to 2022, allowing millions of U.S. citizens to sponsor their undocumented family members.

DREAMERS

FWD.us estimates that more than ii meg Dreamers alive in the United States. These undocumented individuals came to the U.S. as children, and are either in school or have already graduated with at to the lowest degree the equivalent of a high schoolhouse diploma.

Nearly i million Dreamers are essential workers , and some 125,000 Dreamers have or are eligible for TPS. Meanwhile, more than one.4 1000000 Dreamers have lived in the U.Due south. for at least ten years. More 500,000 are parents of at to the lowest degree one U.Southward. citizen pocket-sized child or take a U.S. citizen spouse.

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Most Dreamers came to the U.S. prior to their teen years, and nearly are younger than 30. More than 800,000 are currently enrolled in school (Thousand-12 or college education students), while more than one in x accept completed a higher degree or diploma.

In a bipartisan vote, the U.South. House of Representatives passed the American Dream and Promise Deed in March 2021. The beak offers a pathway to citizenship to the Dreamer population, in addition to other individuals such as those holding or eligible for TPS. The bill is currently with the Senate, which joins a similar bipartisan Dreamer legalization bill, the Dream Act of 2021 .

FARMWORKERS

At least 650,000 farmworkers in the U.S. are undocumented. ³ These essential workers take worked throughout the COVID-xix pandemic, providing nutrient for America's tables and preventing hundreds of millions of Americans from going hungry.

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The U.S. House of Representatives recently passed the 2021 Farm Workforce Modernization Act , a nib offering a pathway to citizenship for undocumented farmworkers and their families, which would provide nearly one million undocumented immigrants a run a risk at legal status.

TEMPORARY PROTECTED Status

FWD.united states estimates that most 640,000 people are either holders of or are eligible for Temporary Protected Status (TPS) , which offers individuals protection from deportation with work authorisation when armed conflict, environmental disaster, or other extraordinary weather condition foreclose them from returning safely to their dwelling house countries.

Most of these individuals are from Northern Triangle countries (El Salvador, Honduras, and Republic of guatemala), Venezuela , or Haiti, and about three-fourths have lived in the U.S. for at least ten years. Some 15% are also married to a U.Southward. citizen spouse, while about 25% accept U.S. citizen modest children.

The American Dream and Promise Act , which passed in the House of Representatives with bipartisan support, would provide a pathway to U.S. citizenship for most TPS holders or those eligible for TPS. A similar pecker introduced in the Senate—the 2021 SECURE Act —would offering a pathway to citizenship for near TPS holders.

PEOPLE SEEKING Asylum

FWD.us estimates that more than 600,000 people seeking aviary at the end of 2022 were waiting for a determination on their case. People seeking asylum are generally protected from deportation, but since many may have entered unlawfully or overstayed visas, their uncertain future makes them part of the undocumented population. This vulnerability and the brunt it puts on them could be profoundly reduced with commonsense, legislative proposals that many people seeking asylum could benefit from, especially if they belong to other groups like Dreamers and essential workers listed earlier.

The court backlog may take years every bit immigration courts adjudicate these applications. A more than efficient and better-resourced clearing court system would let for people seeking asylum to exist candy in a more than expedient and humane manner. Nigh people seeking asylum  are recent arrivals to the U.South. and come from Northern Triangle countries. A substantive share are children, and a sizable number besides authorize for TPS.

ADJUSTMENT OF Status

Likewise function of the undocumented population are the more than 400,000 individuals seeking an adjustment to lawful permanent resident status, usually involving sponsorship by a family fellow member or an employer.^iv These individuals practice take a pathway to legal status, but years-long bureaucratic backlogs mean it will probable take some time for them to adjust their condition, over months or even years. In the meantime, they remain vulnerable to deportation.

Because annual country caps   limit the number of dark-green cards issued to individuals per state per year, some of these individuals tin can await for years to be granted a green card; a solution is to eliminate these capricious country caps. Recapturing previously unused green cards presents some other policy recommendation to reduce the number of those individuals waiting to conform their status.

UNDOCUMENTED IMMIGRANTS OVERALL

In all, an estimated 93% of undocumented immigrants in the U.South. could exist given a pathway to U.Southward. citizenship through the commonsense legislation and policy proposals for the undocumented groups listed higher up.

With the passage of the American Dream and Promise Act and the Farm Workforce Modernization Act in the House of Representatives, besides equally the introduction of the Citizenship for Essential Workers Human action , Congress is moving ahead on legislation that provides citizenship pathways to most of the undocumented population. But Congress still has more work to exercise. Legislation for the groups listed above requires a vote in both the Firm and Senate, something a bulk of the U.Southward. public supports.

America'southward workforce has relied on undocumented essential workers throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, and will rely on undocumented immigrants again throughout the COVID-19 recovery

America has been hit difficult by the COVID-19 pandemic, and essential workers who are undocumented take been on the front lines in fighting the pandemic, helping to keep all Americans safe, fed, and cared for. As the U.S. continues to rebuild, our recovery continues to depend on undocumented workers, too.

Note: Occupation groups based on U.Due south. Census Agency major occupation group classifications. See Methodology for more data.

Source: FWD.usa analysis of 2022 American Customs Survey augmented data

"Essential, undocumented workers have been on the frontlines in fighting the pandemic. And, America's COVID-19 recovery will once again demand these undocumented workers to rebuild the state dorsum improve."

Nationwide, undocumented immigrants make up more than than one-third (34%) of workers in farming occupations. Similarly, undocumented individuals make upward more than 1 in 8 structure workers (13%), every bit well equally building and grounds maintenance workers (13%). And, more than 1 in twenty jobs in food preparation and services (7%) too every bit manufacturing and production (7%) are held by undocumented immigrants.

These loftier shares of undocumented individuals in America's workforce who hold critical occupations are fifty-fifty higher in some states. In California, Florida, and Washington, for example, nigh one-half of farmworkers are undocumented. Some 1 in 5 (or more) construction workers in Texas, Nevada, Georgia, and Maryland are undocumented. More than 1 in 10 food preparation and service workers in New Jersey and Utah are undocumented.

Equally America's COVID-19 recovery continues, the Federal Reserve estimates that the U.S. economy will abound half dozen.5% in 2022 and 3.iii% in 2022. Unemployment rates are projected to drop significantly this year, from 5.8 % now to iv.5% by the end of the yr. Unemployment rates are expected to drib further, to 3.9% in 2022 and three.v% in 2023, pregnant the U.S. will reach virtually full-employment levels within a yr or two.

Every bit the economy recovers from the pandemic, additional workers volition exist needed in many of the occupations with high shares of undocumented individuals. For instance, with undocumented workers making up 13% of America's construction workforce, futurity infrastructure projects could benefit significantly from these undocumented workers' skills and expertise. Some of these jobs may also require lawful residence for official or professional person licensure provided by government infrastructure spending. Without offering a pathway to citizenship for undocumented individuals in these key occupations, U.S. economic growth may slow.

America has relied heavily on undocumented individuals in the workforce in our fight against COVID-19. After the brutal pandemic finally ends, America will once more require undocumented workers to help in its recovery. Undocumented immigrants can't be simultaneously "essential" and discipline to deportation. Neither can they be both economically vital, yet subject to removal. Providing a pathway to citizenship will provide certainty to undocumented members of the workforce, and their families. It volition likewise provide increased certainty for the U.S. economy.

Citizenship improves the lives of undocumented immigrants, their families, and their communities

FWD.u.s. analysis of the U.S. Census Bureau's Survey of Income and Program Participation (SIPP) survey shows that formerly undocumented individuals from the Americas who currently concord U.S. citizenship (61%) are more probable to earn two times above the poverty line than those without U.S. citizenship (47%). Similarly, a larger share with U.S. citizenship (60%) own their home than those without U.South. citizenship (44%).⁵ The same data also show that an estimated 83% of once-undocumented individuals from the Americas who are now U.South. citizens file taxes annually, considerably college than the 73% for the same group of undocumented immigrants who are currently non U.S. citizens.

Note: Because of small populations, estimates for some undocumented groups in some states and Congressional districts are unavailable. Economic contribution is spending power afterward estimated federal, state, and local taxation payments. Taxes exercise not have into account differences in local taxation rates. Differences past citizenship status are based on multipliers from SIPP data. Encounter Methodology for more details.

Source: FWD.us analysis of U.South. Census Bureau'due south 2022 Survey of Income and Program Participation (SIPP) and augmented 2022 American Community Survey (ACS) information.

"FWD.united states of america estimates undocumented immigrants would contribute an added $149 billion dollars of spending power each year to the U.South. economy if they were U.Southward. citizens."

The benefits of citizenship are real and significant; we have seen many of them accept shape from the legislation Congress has previously passed. The increased financial prosperity associated with U.South. citizenship, however, not only improves the lives of families who were once undocumented, just also has important multiplier impacts for local communities, states, and the U.S. as a whole.

For case, FWD.usa estimates that undocumented immigrants would contribute an added $149 billion of spending power each year to the U.Due south. economy if they were U.S. citizens. Many states stand to increase their Gdp past several billion dollars if undocumented immigrants were provided a pathway to citizenship. Similarly, most Congressional districts would stand to grow their economies by hundreds of millions of dollars.

This added income of naturalized, once-undocumented immigrants could result in an boosted $39 billion in combined federal, payroll, state, and local taxes each yr. In nearly Congressional districts, this would yield several one thousand thousand dollars in boosted local tax revenue in the years ahead, and, indirectly, could atomic number 82 to additional revenue enhancement dollars as local economies grow, with additional jobs and an even larger taxation base.

Providing undocumented immigrants a pathway to citizenship is good for their financial stability, their families, and their communities. It's also good for America's economy. Congress has the opportunity to improve the economic lives of millions of families, those with undocumented status and beyond.

1. With adjustments made in this report for likely undercounting in surveys for farmworkers, this essential population is probably closer to 5.5 meg.
2. §245(i) adjustment tin as well be accessed via employment-based petitions, simply FWD.us estimates signal that a 245(i) date extension would likely do good more undocumented members of mixed-status families than undocumented workers.
3. Because of their vulnerability and mobility, the exact number of undocumented farmworkers is difficult to estimate, particularly with national surveys similar the America Community Survey (ACS) where undocumented farmworkers are likely underestimated. Other organizations betoken to other studies indicating the population could exist more than a meg.
4. Although this grouping is protected from deportation, the residual method used for estimating the undocumented population cannot exist disentangled to exclude this group. Many of these individuals were never undocumented, every bit nigh entered the U.S. on a nonimmigrant visa. Other research groups besides include those adjusting their status in their undocumented immigrant population estimates.
5. These estimates are subsequently controlling for several individual characteristics, including income, sex, age, year of immigration, education, employment status and ethnicity. See Methodology for more details.

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Source: https://www.fwd.us/news/pathway-to-citizenship/