The DREAM Act would give permanent residency to any undocumented immigrants that were brought to the United States when they were still children, providing that they have graduated from high school, are of a good moral character and have resided in the country for a minimum of five years.
These young people are referred to as DREAMers, and they can also be eligible to gain as many as six years of residency should they complete two years military service or two years of a four-year course at a higher learning institution. In November of last year a number of US states enacted their own versions of the act to give financial aid for immigrants at state universities. There were 14 states in total that made the decision, including California, Texas, Kansas, New York, New Mexico, Massachusetts and Wisconsin.
Republicans in the House of Representatives have released new principles regarding immigration reform of late, which includes methods of giving legal status to undocumented immigrants, including DREAMers. Eligible candidates would be offered the chance to remain in the United States after gaining a college degree or joining the military for more than two years. Their parents would need to pass the cultural, financial and linguistic requirements to get citizenship together with their children.
At the moment over 30,000 immigrants are serving in the US military, with over 8,000 immigrants who are permanent residents enlisting on an annual basis. House Republicans are also proposing a new program to allow people seeking temporary visas to be able to join the military in order to earn citizenship.