GOP Representatives Introduce Achieve Act to Counter DREAM Act, Which One Will Immigrants Favor?

Washington, D.C. - After this year’s election it has become glaringly obvious that this country needs to tackle comprehensive immigration reform. And GOP lawmakers are getting a jump on reform by introducing new legislation to address the issue.

Earlier this week, the House introduced the STEM Act, again, which overhauls the visa system for immigrants with higher education degrees, adding a provision that speeds up the green card process to appeal to Democrats. Now, Senators Kay Bailey Hutchinson and John Kyl have introduced the Achieve Act to counter a more popular legislation, the DREAM Act.

Under the Achieve Act, young immigrants would be given permanent residence status, but it does not provide a pathway to citizen ship. Young immigrants would be able to apply for a visa which would allow them to attend school or serve in the military. After receiving a degree, or four year of military service, they would then be able to apply for a work visa. The final step would be to award the eligible applicants permanent residency status, according to Politico.

Under the Achieve Act, students would not be able to receive federal student loans or other federal benefits. Although the DREAM Act doesn’t allow young immigrants to receive Pell Grants it does let them take advantage of student loans. Those with permanent resident cards would also be barred from receiving public welfare assistance.

So which legislation do immigrants favor?

Detractors of the Achieve Act say it is a watered-down version of the DREAM Act and oppose it mainly because it does not outline a path to citizenship for the million-plus young immigrants brought to the U.S. by their parents.

No route to U.S. citizenship is easy. The process is complicated and time consuming, but worth it once the goal is achieved. If you hope to become a U.S. citizen, allow an immigration attorney to take the lead, and guide you through the process. With their expertise on your side, you have a better chance of getting a visa or naturalization.