Immigration policy is the set of rules that govern who can enter a country, how long they can stay and what their legal status should be. In the United States, the main immigration law is the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA). It sets quotas for certain types of immigrants, such as those who seek permanent residency through family reunification or employment-based preference categories.
The INA also limits the number of people who can come from any one country. This is meant to prevent any one group from dominating the immigration flow to the U.S.
In addition to enforcing immigration law, governments have a range of other policies that can affect immigration. For example, tax and trade rules establish what goods and services immigrants can bring with them into a country or region, such as migrant farm workers who enter to harvest crops for a specific period of time before returning home.
Local governments can make laws on a variety of issues related to immigration, including whether or how undocumented residents can obtain driver’s licenses and in-state tuition at colleges. They can also impose criminal penalties on individuals who commit immigration-related crimes, such as illegal border crossing or possession of a fake identification document.
Immigration policies must be designed to ensure safe, orderly and regular migration in ways that respect human dignity and well-being and comply with international law obligations. This should include a system that promotes economic prosperity and allows workers to choose where they live, work and thrive, while fostering family reunification and civic participation.