Career Counseling, Immigrants

For counselors working with immigrants, it is essential to first understand how and why people immigrate to the United States, and what challenges they face once they are here. The Center for Immigration Studies estimates that as of March 2005 there were 32.5 million immigrants in the United States, accounting for about 12% of the population. Furthermore, 7.9 million immigrants arrived here between 2000 and 2005, making this the highest 5-year period for immigration in U.S. history. The majority of current immigration to the United States is from Mexico, though growing numbers of immigrants come from other Latin American countries, as well as from Asia, Canada, and Eastern Europe. The primary reason for immigration to the United States is a perceived opportunity for economic growth beyond what is available in the individual's country of origin. Others come to the United States as refugees as a result of political turmoil or natural disasters in their home countries. In some cases, only one family member will move initially, planning to send money home and to relocate the rest of the family once she or he becomes established.

Processes for immigration vary. Some individuals obtain temporary visas for educational or work purposes and then apply for permanent resident status. For individuals working in high technology fields, employers may assist in this process. Permanent residents hold what are called green cards. Others may apply immediately for permanent resident status based on family members in the United States or for humanitarian reasons (refugees, individuals in need of medical treatment, or those seeking political asylum). Since 9/11, this process has become much more difficult, however. Because of substantial backlogs in the processing of immigration paperwork, temporary visas may expire before an application for permanent residency is approved. Then, an individual or family is faced with the difficult choice of giving up an established life or remaining in the country illegally. For families with children who were born here, and thus are U.S. citizens, this decision can be wrenching.

In many cases, the process of legal immigration appears so overwhelming that desperate individuals or families, particularly from very poor countries, attempt to immigrate to the United States without any legal status. This is a dangerous process involving covert border crossings, falsified documents, and exploitation by individuals who assist in the process but may threaten to expose an immigrant's illegal status if exorbitant demands for payment or services are not met. In the case of female immigrants, these demands may include forced sex. Of those immigrants who arrived between 2000 and 2005, about half either came here illegally or lost their legal status when their visas expired.