ABSTRACT
Immigration law refers to the rules that determine who may enter the United States, when and under what conditions, and for what purposes, such as to visit, to work, or to become a citizen. The Constitution reserves immigration policy solely to the province of Congress and the federal government. The Immigration Act of 1924 created a permanent quota system that aimed to reduce immigration to the United States by placing limits on the number of people from each country who could enter. The 1952 Immigration and Nationality Act (INA), as amended in 1965, abolished the national-origin provisions and quota system, replacing it with a worldwide quota system intended to be "blind" to the national origin of the applicant. Immigrants who arrive in the United States do not become citizens immediately. In general, individuals who wish to visit the United States but not emigrate or permanently move to the country need only to obtain a visa from a US embassy.
