If you are considering immigration to the United States of America or are already an immigrant and are looking for more information regarding the same, you must be thoroughly aware of the most common US immigration myths and facts. Following is a brief rundown on the same.
You Do Not Have To Pay Taxes Just Because You Are An Immigrant
Many people have the misconception that just because they are living in the United States of America as an immigrant, they do not need to pay taxes. This is just not true. As per the recent reports, an average immigrant pays somewhere between $90 and $140 billion per annum in the form of local, state, and federal taxes. If your annual income comes within a tax bracket, you will have to pay the same. You are liable to pay all types of taxes (whatever is applicable in your case), including gas, sales, property, income, and others.
Restrictions On Immigration Is Necessary To Win The War Against Terrorism
It is true that there has been a growing debate on the topic of immigration to the US, but no security analyst has ever said that restriction on immigration can play any role in preventing terrorist attacks. This assumption is just one of those common US immigration myths and facts. As a matter of fact, none of the 9/11 attackers was an immigrant; they were all living in the US legally. In reality, tougher restrictions on immigrants may cause severe negative affects. For examples, it can increase the instances of racial attacks on immigrant communities. Those living as immigrants may also feel scared to come forth with any crucial information they have that can help the law enforcement communities.
The High Rate Of Undocumented Immigrations Is A Result Of Poor Us Border Enforcement
This is again a false assumption because the reality has to say a different story altogether. The fact is that the number of agents appointed on the southern borders has been doubled in the last couple of years. Besides that, even the budget for border patrol has been increased multiple times in recent years. The desert areas of the southwest and other remote wilderness areas on the border and the all urban entry points are heavily fortified. All this has resulted in deaths of many illegal migrants. But, at the same time, it is also a fact that the total number of undocumented immigrants have doubled. As per the recent reports published by the Cato Institute, the actual reason behind this is the very fact that the US offers a very high number of jobs for the immigrants, but in comparison to that, the legal avenues for them to enter the country are not sufficient.
The Majority Of The Immigrants Are Living In The Country Illegally
When it comes to US immigration myths and facts, many people have a false assumption that most of the immigrants are living in this country illegally. This is again not true. As per the INS Statistical Yearbook, more than 80% of the total immigrants have legal permits to live in the United States of America.
Immigrants Do Not Speak English And They Do Not Want To Become Americans
As per the statistics and reports published by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and by the U.S. Census Bureau, over 75% of immigrants not only learn English (within 10 years of their arrival) but they also start living an American lifestyle. Over thirty-three percent of them have become naturalized citizens and the number is still on the rise quite significantly. So, this assumption is also based on thin air and has no reality in it. In recent years, the demand for adult English classes is growing very fast in this country, mainly because immigrants sincerely want to learn this language.
Overall, there are a wide number of false assumptions regarding immigration to the US. In order to make an informed decision, you must have your facts right. The above information should definitely help you get a brief overview about some of the most common US immigration myths and facts.