WENATCHEE — For many immigrants, obtaining legal residency or citizenship in the U.S. is not a straightforward process. It requires multiple legal steps, years of waiting, and financial commitments. Immigration advocates say that while many believe there is a clear “line to follow,” in reality, no direct pathway exists for most people.
“When we hear the phrase, ‘Get in line and do it the right way’ for most people there is no line,” said Vanessa Gutierrez, deputy director of the Northwest Immigrant Rights Project in Wenatchee.
Lawful permanent residency: the first step
Before applying for U.S. citizenship, immigrants must obtain lawful permanent resident (LPR) status, commonly known as a green card. Securing a visa — the first step in the process towards citizenship can take years depending on the applicant’s category and country of origin.
Visa wait times vary from the country to the type of visa application. Immediate relatives of U.S. citizens, such as spouses and minor children, typically have shorter wait times but are not subject to annual caps. Family-sponsored preference categories, such as siblings of U.S. citizens or adult children, can face waiting times of a year to 20 years or more.
“For most people, there is no direct path. For the ones that there is a direct path they’re often facing five, 10, up to 20 plus years waiting for a visa to become available,” Gutierrez said.
According to the CATO Institute, a public policy research organization, employment-based green card backlog reached a waitlist of 1.8 million cases in 2023. Data from U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) indicates that in fiscal year 2023, the agency received 10.9 million filings and completed over 10 million pending cases.
The U.S. Department of State indicates that the Diversity Immigrant Visa Program allocates up to 55,000 visas annually through a lottery system. While the exact number of applicants varies each year, the program consistently receives millions of entries, far exceeding the number of available visas. For instance, in fiscal year 2023, more than 9.5 million registrations were submitted for principal applicants.
The cost of a visa
The cost of obtaining the necessary documents for legal residency or work authorization can be a significant financial burden for many people.
According to an article by Boundless, a group that provides legal guidance on immigration, Green card costs can range from $2,000 to $3,000 for family-based applications and up to $5,000 or more for employment-based applications. These costs include government filing fees, biometric services, and other administrative expenses.
For many applicants, these costs do not include other associated expenses, such as medical examinations, translations of required documents, and potential travel costs for in-person interviews. Legal assistance can add to the list of finances, with attorney fees depending on the case. Some employers may cover the costs of employment-based applications, but many individuals seeking family-sponsored visas must pay out of pocket.
DACA recipients
Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, or DACA, provides temporary protection from deportation for undocumented individuals who arrived as children but does not offer a direct path to permanent residency or citizenship.
“DACA is not an actual status — it’s just a protection,” Gutierrez said. “Many recipients hope for a legal pathway, but unless laws change, they have no clear route to citizenship.”
Some DACA recipients use a process called “advance parole” to travel abroad and re-enter the U.S. with an official entry record, which may help in obtaining a green card. However, not all qualify, and applications can still be denied.
“People can still renew DACA, but they remain in limbo,” Gutierrez said. “For the government, DACA just means they are a low priority for removal.”
Changing government policies
The legal framework for U.S. citizenship remains unchanged, however, shifting government policies and enforcement priorities have altered how cases are handled.
“The law itself on citizenship hasn’t changed,” Gutierrez said. “So it’s just how the government is processing those cases, how they’re interpreting the law, how they are using their discretion that’s changing.”
Under President Joe Biden, efforts were made to streamline the path to citizenship. Approximately 500,000 undocumented immigrants who are married to U.S. citizens along with their children were able to apply for legal status without leaving the country.
The return of President Donald Trump has raised concerns among immigrant communities. According to an article by AP, Trump signed 10 executive orders on immigration and issued a deal of edicts to carry out promises of mass deportations and border security
Immigration attorney Héctor Quiroga said the administration’s focus on immigration removals has sparked fear.
“While no executive order explicitly makes naturalization harder, there has been a stronger focus on deportations and more rigorous background checks, leading many legal residents to feel that starting the process could put them at risk.”
Quiroga said the fear is particularly strong for those with any kind of criminal record, no matter how minor. Many legal residents hesitate to apply because they worry that authorities will scrutinize their past more intensely and find issues that could lead to deportation.
“They worry that opening their case could reveal something that might affect their residency,” Quiroga said. “While the process itself remains the same, in practice it feels more difficult and risky for certain immigrant groups.”
Immigration specialists urge action toward citizenship
With immigrant policies subject to change, advocates are encouraging eligible individuals to take steps toward U.S. citizenship. Norma Gallegos, the program director of Hand In Hand, a nonprofit that helps guide immigrants through the naturalization process, said laws can shift at any time, making action crucial.
“Immigrant law has not changed. It’s being reinforced differently. That might be different a month from now if anything changes,” Gallegos said. “To get a green card, you have to have been here legally for five years. That could change and that’s my fear. That could change tomorrow.”
Gallegos said there are more than 200,000 people in Washington who are eligible to become U.S. citizens but have not yet taken the step.
Quiroga said that citizenship provides stronger protections. Becoming a U.S. citizen also grants individuals access to more government benefits, and the ability to petition for family members to immigrate, as some job positions require citizenship. Additionally, naturalized citizens do not have to worry about renewing their legal status or the risk of policy changes affecting their ability to remain in the country.
“Don’t let fear paralyze you. In reality, citizenship is the best protection against future policies,
Quiroga said. “Remaining a permanent resident may seem safer now, but it doesn’t guarantee stability if laws or priorities change. It’s better to act with legal guidance and prevent problems before it’s too late.”
