• The United States is a nation founded by immigrants.
  
  The United States government has designed its immigration policy based on the goals of reunifying families, filling demand for labor, and providing refuge for those being persecuted, according to the Congressional Budget Office. Some immigrants are given opportunities to remain permanently in the country. Others enter the U.S. via temporary admission, which allows them to stay for a specified period of time. Some enter the country illegally and are subject to deportation.
  
  

Permanent Admission

• The United States immigration policy supports reunification of families by admitting immigrants who already have family members living in the country. Citizens aged 21 or older and unmarried children under 21 may have their parents or spouses admitted without numeric limitation. In 2004 the immigration department admitted approximately 406,000 immediate relatives of U.S. citizens. This was 43 percent of all permanent admissions.
  
  Permanent admission may help meet strong demand for labor and skills. Priority goes those with extraordinary ability in the arts, athletics, business, education, and science. Professionals with advanced degrees are second in priority for permanent admission. Third are skilled workers with at least two years' training or experience in fields with labor shortages. Those with bachelor's degrees are also considered third in preference. Ministers of religions and other religious workers, and certain foreign nationals employed by the U.S. government abroad, are fourth in preference. Fifth in priority for permanent admission are investors who commit at least $1 million to developing at least 10 new jobs.
  
  Permanent admission may be to provide a refuge for people facing political, racial, or religious persecution in their home countries. Refugees and asylum-seekers accounted for 8 percent of total permanent admissions in 2004. Refugees apply for admission to the U.S. from outside the country, while aliens seek asylum from within the country or at a port of entry.
  
  

Temporary Admission

• In 2004, the United States issued almost 5 million visas for temporary admission into the country, according to the Congressional Budget Office. More than two-thirds of these visas were tourist, business, or border-crossing card/visitor combination visas. The next largest group of visas went to temporary workers, exchange visitors, and students, which accounted for approximately 5 percent of visas.
  
  Approximately 15.8 million people entered the U.S. via the Visa Waiver Program on a temporary basis. This program requires a machine-readable passport, compliance with admissions conditions during prior visits under the program, and eligibility for a U.S. visa. This program allows visits for 90 days or fewer. Twenty-seven countries are currently participating in the program.
  
  

Unlawful Entry

• Approximately 7 million unauthorized aliens were in the United States in 2008, reported the Congressional Budget Office. These illegal aliens may be removed from the country through formal proceedings, which can include fines, imprisonment, or barring from future entry. Some unauthorized aliens are subject to expedited removals, which are designed to remove aliens as quickly as possible.