United States Immigration Manual

Everything a citizen should know about the legal routes of access to the United States is contained in the book “Manual of Immigration to the United States” by Milagros Mejía, an expert on immigration and immigration matters. The book is prefaced by Dr. Lucy Arraya, a specialist in international law, who emphasizes the clarity with which the author explains the topics so that the reader understands the steps necessary to obtain a visa to the great American nation for vacation purposes, study, work or a permanent stay.

Arraya emphasizes that Mejía, having lived in the United States, “knows from her point of view as an immigrant the responsibilities, rights, duties and respect for procedures that must be observed,” which are detailed in the manual. It includes the different types of visas and the time each one allows visitors to remain in the country, as well as the activities that can be carried out in accordance with migratory laws.

The author of the prologue understands that Mejía’s book “will guide interested readers, lawyers and the public in general, who, when traveling to the land of democratic ideals, should observe its rules and procedures to always be able to count on the doors remaining open to all that the country offers — the hope, the knowledge of the history of its men and women and the enjoyment of its monuments and geographic spaces that nourish the sight and magnify the soul.”

Those that venture into the text should pay attention to the authorial voice of Arraya when assessing the explanations about “the changes and transformations that occur in the current immigration system as a result of new criminal tendencies,” which could cause future modifications to the current regulations. Migration, she says, is “a constant and dynamic phenomenon of all the societies of the world,” which is why she recommends staying up to date with the latest information.

In an appendix, Mejía answers frequently asked questions about immigration, which makes the book a recommendable read to start 2019.