Permanent Legal Immigration to the United States: Policy Overview

"If the 113th Congress takes up comprehensive immigration reform (CIR), many maintain that revision of the legal immigration system should be one of the major components of a CIR proposal.  This primer on legal permanent immigration law, policies, and trends provides a backdrop for the policy options and debates that may emerge if the 113th Congress considers a revision of the legal immigration system." - Ruth Ellen Wasem, Specialist in Immigration Policy, Congressional Research Service, Dec. 17, 2012.