Immigration Policies and Their Impact
Immigration policies are the rules that a country puts in place to deal with the transition of a person’s settlement within its borders from another country. Such policies are mostly intended for people who are moving for employment purposes from the country of origin and are intending to settle in the next country. In the U.S. and Germany, the number of immigrants by law is quite high and most of them are permanent residents while others are allowed temporary visa (Steinmann " Ulrich, 2013). The Immigration Law facilitates foreign asylum that allows support to immigrants and their children. Aside from immigration policies, other factors and facilitations that affect immigration include education systems, employment opportunities, political instability and the economic status of the country where immigrants are influenced to migrate in search of better opportunities in view of the aforementioned factors (Beck, 1996). This paper provides an analysis of the immigration processes and requirements in Germany and U.S. and how they affect businesses, organizations and the national economy.
Germany's Immigration Requirements
There are a number of reasons why one can decide to move to a foreign country and in order to be eligible to move, one is required to fulfill some specific requirements. In Germany the general immigration requirements include: an immigrant must be financially stable and prove that they can sustain themselves while in Germany; the immigrant must have a working health cover from Germany because the authorities might not allow foreign health insurance and they will need to have a basic language proficiency in the German language where the level of proficiency depends on the visa category (Steinmann " Ulrich, 2013). Countries outside of the European Union, apart from a few, must apply for a visa in order to be allowed to enter Germany. Most citizens from different states would need a residence permit if they intend to stay for a period longer than 90days. If the immigrant's country has not agreed with Germany, the person needs to apply for a residence permit known as a 'residence title' before entering the country. The temporary residence title issued to employees can be renewed depending on the employment status while the EU Blue Card is a permit to an employee by an employer and is the easiest to obtain having the longest validity term (Callovi, 1992; Cerna, 2013).
Immigration Process in the United States
On the other hand, to fulfill eligibility to become a U.S. immigrant, one must receive sponsorship from a U.S. citizen who is a relative, a permanent resident by law or an employer. The sponsor must file a petition that requires approval by the USCIS in order to begin application for a visa. Different sponsors file different petitions depending on nature of move. The applicant then chooses an agent to represent them at the National Visa Centre (NVC). The agent may either be the applicant or one of the sponsors. After choosing an agent, the applicant pays the Immigrant Visa Application Processing Fee and the Affidavit of Support Fee online at Immigrant Visa Invoice Payment Centre. The applicant must then collect and submit all forms, documents and supporting documents required for the application to the NVC after which they qualify for an interview to prove eligibility and receive approval for application. However, based on the immigration policies, application may be rejected if applicant is ineligible (Peri, 2012; Bray, 2017).
Impact of Immigration Policies on the Economy
Germany and U.S. have put in place these immigration policies for the management of immigrants, the economy and labor markets of a country. In Germany, the policies assist in the facilitation of the qualification of foreign labor force with the most skilled workers receiving permanent residence permit immediately after entering the host country. Third country citizens are issued residence permits if their employment proves valid and they have not received immigrant benefits two years prior to the issuance (Steinmann " Ulrich, 2013). In the U.S. immigrant labor has strengthened the economy and added the energy and innovative ability of Americans. These policies encourage the employment of foreign labor which results in improvement of the economy since selected immigrants are professional and skilled workers. However, the immigration policies in the U.S. have recently become more restrictive resulting in the fluctuating number of foreign labor and a struggling economy (Peri, 2012).
Benefits of International Workforce for Organizations
Moreover, the establishment of international workforce has proven beneficial to organizations in the U.S. and Germany (Steinmann " Ulrich, 2013). International labor can help fill in where qualified and skilled labor is lacking. For organizations that have established global business, they can hire an employee who has language proficiency of the country and culture knowledge. Hiring foreign workforce from different countries encourages innovation and creativity within the organization as the employees bring ideas from different perspectives and cultures. The employees gain morale and talent when they share the different cultures and perspectives which give the organization a good reputation (Castles et al., 2013).
Conclusion
In conclusion, immigration policies are beneficial to the national economy of the U.S and Germany and help immigrants gain employment easily. This paper depicts that implementation of immigration policies that are appropriate regulate illegal immigration. Although the immigration policies of the U.S. and Germany are in contrast, they both aim at improving immigrant welfare and how they contribute to the economy. Furthermore, the processes and requirements for immigration in both countries also determine standards of the immigration policies and how the economy of the businesses and organizations can benefit.
References
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