Legalization/Regularization
Explore all research, analysis, data, and commentary on regularization and legalization, the terms used in different parts of the world to describe the provision of temporary or permanent legal status to migrants resident in the country who lack legal status.
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Showing 161–170 of 190 results
Up for Grabs: The Gains and Prospects of First- and Second-Generation Young Adults
First- and second-generation young adults are one-quarter of 16–26‑year‑olds in the United States,. They have made clear educational gains but experience uneven access to good jobs.
U.S. Immigration Policy and Mexican/Central American Migration Flows: Then and Now
Migration from Mexico and Central America has surged and diversified since the 1970s, while U.S. policy choices since 1965 built unauthorized flows that now constrain reforms.
Earned Legalization: Effects of Proposed Requirements on Unauthorized Men, Women, and Children
The brief models how common requirements in U.S. earned legalization plans, English skills, steady work, long-term U.S. residence, and monetary fines, would affect who qualifies.
More than IRCA: U.S. Legalization Programs and the Current Policy Debate
A century of U.S. registry and population‑specific legalization programs shows that the Immigration Reform and Control Act (IRCA) was just one piece of the puzzle.
Immigrant Legalization in the United States and European Union: Policy Goals and Program Design
Since the 1980s, legalization has given legal status to 3.5 million U.S. and 5 million EU immigrants; inclusive program designs prove more cost effective than restrictive ones.
Structuring and Implementing an Immigrant Legalization Program: Registration as the First Step
An initial registration phase is central to successful legalization, allowing authorities to identify applicants and manage risks at scale.
Migration and Immigrants Two Years after the Financial Collapse: Where Do We Stand?
Two years after the 2008 global financial collapse, immigrants faced steeper job losses and squeezed integration budgets. But countries saw little large-scale return.
DREAM vs. Reality: An Analysis of Potential DREAM Act Beneficiaries
Roughly 2.1 million people could qualify under the 2010 DREAM Act, but only about 825,000 would be likely to obtain permanent legal status.
Immigrant Legalization: Assessing Labor Market Effects
Public Policy Institute of California researchers Magnus Lofstrom and Laura Hill discuss their research examining the potential labor market outcomes and other possible economic effects of a legalization program. The discussion was moderated by Doris Meissner, MPI Senior Fellow and Director of the U.S. Immigration Policy Program, with comments from MPI Senior Policy Analyst Randy Capps and Sherrie A. Kossoudji, Associate Professor, School of Social Work, and Adjunct Professor, Department of Economics, University of Michigan.
MPI Symposium on Citizenship
Discussion on citizenship with leading experts and key policymakers, including top government officials from the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand.
