President Obama is pushing for changes in Immigration reform. One of the suggested amendments is what is known as “The Dream Act”. This is an idea put forward by a few people including Senators Lugar & Durbin from Indiana and Illinois respectively.

The Dream Act proposes that certain individuals be allowed to gain eligibility for U.S. citizenship if stipulated criteria are met. The act aims to allow the children of illegal immigrants who have received education in U.S. schools to become permanent residents of the country. To achieve this they should have entered the country before they turned 16 and lived there for a minimum of 5 years without any interruption. They should also possess a good command of the English language.

Once these criteria are satisfied, the next step is to enroll in higher education or the U.S. Military. At this point, the candidate can apply for conditional residency. To progress to the next stage they must obtain an associate’s degree; if they fail to do so, they can still progress if they obtain a two year equivalent within a six year period starting from the initial application date. The act suggests that 65,000 applicants be allowed to become conditional residents every year with every chance of them receiving permanent residency and citizenship thereafter.

The proposal is designed to help those who were brought over to the U.S. when they were very young and have no desire to return to their own country, due to living a better part of their lives in the U.S. and being accustomed to the way of life they are now living.