The history of US immigration law.

A large number of people look to migrate to the US and consult various immigration law firms in London to discuss their eligibility and another aspect. Though it is a good move to achieve what you want, it is also necessary to take a detailed look at the US immigration law. So, let’s know its history and other important facts.

The United States started regulating immigration soon after it won independence from Great Britain, and the laws since enacted have reflected the politics and migrant flows of the times. Early legislation tended to impose limits that favored Europeans, but a sweeping 1965 law opened doors to immigrants from other parts of the world. In more recent years, laws and presidential actions have been shaped by concerns about refugees, unauthorized immigration, and terrorism.

1790 Naturalization Act

Excluded non-white people from eligibility to naturalize! Naturalization requirements included two years of residence in the country and “good moral character,” and an applicant must be a “free white person.” The Naturalization Act of 1795 extended the residency requirement to five years. In 1798, this was extended to 14 years, then back to five in 1802.

Alien friends act 1798

The Alien Friends Act authorized the president to imprison or deport any alien who was deemed dangerous to the U.S. This act was the first to authorize deportation for immigrants. It expired two years after it was enacted.

Chinese exclusion act

Banned Chinese laborers from immigrating for the next 10 years and authorized deportation of unauthorized Chinese immigrants. Any Chinese immigrant who resided in the U.S. as of Nov. 17, 1880, could remain but was barred from naturalizing. The 1892 Geary Act extended this law for an additional 10 years and required that Chinese nationals obtain identification papers.\

Immigration act of 1903 (also called anarchist exclusion act)

Banned anarchists, beggars, and importers of prostitutes from immigrating. It is the first U.S. law to restrict immigration based on immigrants’ political beliefs.

1917 immigration act (also known as “Asiatic barred zone act”)

Banned immigration from most Asian countries, except the Philippines, which was a U.S. colony, and Japan, whose government voluntarily eliminated the immigration of Japanese laborers as part of the Gentlemen’s Agreement of 1907. Required immigrants over the age of 16 to demonstrate basic reading ability in any language.

Immigration and nationality act (also known as mccarran-walter act)

Formally removed race as an exclusion for immigration and naturalization and granted Asian countries a minimum quota of 100 visas per year (though this was still based on ancestry, not nationality; for example, a person with Chinese ancestry coming from the U.K. would be counted in the Chinese quota regardless of nationality/birthplace). Updated the national origins quota to one-sixth of 1% of each nationality’s population in the 1920 census. As a result, most spots were for immigrants from the United Kingdom, Ireland, and Germany. Under this law, political activities, ideology and mental health, among other criteria, served as a basis for exclusion and deportation. This law also created quota preferences for skilled immigrants and family reunification.

Homeland security act

In the wake of 9/11, the Homeland Security Act transfers nearly all the functions of the U.S. Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS) to the new Department of Homeland Security (DHS), which includes U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS).