Given the Choice
Choose between continuing to live here illegally as you have so far, or pay the US government lots of money and then continue to pay the US government lots of money and probably lose the cash only job you have in hopes of finding a higher paying legal job. Gee, I can only imagine what people in this position are thinking.
Here are the main categories according to the NYT:
- Those who have lived in the country at least five years would be put on a path toward guaranteed citizenship, provided that they remained employed, paid fines and back taxes, and learned English, a senior Republican aide said. The aide said this group accounted for about 7 million of the roughly 11 million illegal immigrants believed to be living here.
- Those who have lived here for two to five years, said to number about three million, would have to leave the country briefly before reporting to an American port of entry, where they would be classified as temporary workers. They would be allowed to apply for citizenship but would have no guarantee of obtaining it. Those who did not would have to leave after participating in the temporary worker program for six years.
- The remaining one million or so, those who have lived in the country less than two years, would be required to leave. They could apply for temporary worker status but would not be guaranteed it.