Navigating the U.S. Immigration System
By: Rebecca Anderson You don’t necessarily need to be an expert or lawyer to comprehend various immigration policies and laws, but there are a few steps one needs to take before officially declaring citizenship. It’s also important to understand the four types of immigration status in the U.S. and what makes up each category. Here are the four classes of status: U.S. Citizens: According to masslegalhelp.org, a United States citizen is simply “someone who was born anywhere in the U.S. or its territories, including Puerto Rico, Guam and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Individuals from the American Samoa or Swain’s Islands are also considered citizens.” Those who are “naturalized”—citizenship given to someone who later becomes a resident through the U.S. Naturalization process—is also bunched in ...