Undocumented Immigrants with Higher Degrees and Career Goals
Author: Immigration attorney Alena Shautsova
The purpose of any national law is to lay ground rules that safeguard its people and promote the country's growth and well-being. Current U.S. immigration laws have not kept up with the times. While proposed solutions for reform differ, politicians from both camps, the left and right, agree on the need for immigration reform.
We have a large undocumented immigrant population in the United States that has become assimilated into our culture. In particular, undocumented immigrants who are children and entered the United States at an early age are now graduating from universities with advanced degrees. Some were the top students in their classes and seek professional occupations where they could greatly benefit our nation.
A Fox News article entitled Undocumented Immigrants Pursue College and Professional Careers brings the point home through its interview of Adriana Sanchez, an undocumented immigrant who graduated from Cal State Fresno with a master's degree in International relations. She has no outstanding loans to repay and a full-time job as an independent contractor. Currently, businesses are not required to check the legal status of independent contractors.
According to the Migration Institute, in 2010, approximately 96,000 undocumented young adults attained an associate's degree or higher. Some companies are sponsoring graduates for H1-B visas for specialty occupations. However, seeking legal advice from a skilled immigration lawyer is vital for this approach because deportation is a risk, which could mean barred return for 10 years.
For skilled legal guidance with immigration or deportation issues contact a New York immigration lawyer.