7 Things to Know About Obama’s Executive Order on Citizenship

Over the past few months, we’ve been hearing a lot about President Obama’s executive action on immigration. There are several parts to this action, including strengthening our borders, making illegal immigrants accountable for their actions, and streamlining the immigration process. Having recently researched what it currently takes to become a citizen, I thought I would like to see what the President’s proposition does to a system he refers to as “broken.” Here are seven things to know about President Obama’s executive action to streamline legal immigration:

1. Reduce barriers for immigrant entrepreneurs and innovators.There are some immigrants who possess traits that make them desirable as citizens, such as those who would create jobs, attract investments, and generate revenue in the U.S.A.

2.Make work authorizations more portable. Employees with LPR (legal permanent resident) status often find it difficult to pursue new opportunities in different locations. This new rule would also give spouses of LPR applicants work authorizations.

3. Strengthen and extend on-the-job training for STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) graduates of U.S. universities.

4. Reduce family separations for those waiting to obtain LPR status. Currently families can be separated for years.

5. Ease the restrictions on applicants returning to their home countries to visit.

6. Promote citizenship public awareness. In the 10 states that are home to 75% of the overall LPR population, the government would assist applicants with naturalization fees.

7. Modernize the visa system. Administrative cost reduction, elimination of redundant systems, and reducing fraud would be the focus of an immigration overhaul.