RULES: SETUP: Each player has their own deck. Each citizen can hold up to 10 cards. The immigration officer can hold up to 5 cards. There is a deck in the middle of approval/denial cards. First person to go is the citizen sitting to the right of the immigration officer. Continue counter-clockwise. GAMEPLAY: On each turn you must discard 2 cards and draw 2 new ones. Create a discard deck. When you run out of cards, recycle the deck. After you have discarded 2 and drawn 2, play up to 5 cards. Your goal is to line up the cards side-by-side in front of you. By the end you should have an entire immigration path laid out. When you come across a form that needs approval, draw the number of cards required for approval. Every time you draw a denial card, you must draw an extra approval card to make up for it. If you draw the number of denial cards that it takes to get approved, then the form was denied and you must refile it.
For example, if it takes 4 approval cards for a form to go through, then you can draw up to 4 cards from that deck on each turn. Say you draw 3 approval and a denial card, you must now have 5 approval cards for the form to get approved. If you draw a total of 4 denail cards, then you must refile the form. On each turn you can play up to 5 cards towards your path and draw approval/denial cards. You can only draw approval/denial for one form at a time, but you can play multiple forms together. In order to play a form, then you must have all the supporting documentation with it. It is up to the immigration officer to keep track of everyone s money. If they can t pay for a form, then they can t file it. Good luck! It s probably going to take a while, but then so does US immigration!
YOUR OBJECTIVE: CHINA You just graduated college in China and are hoping to do a masters program in USA. You re not very content with your life in China, not for any particular reason, mainly because you want to go out and see more of the world. Plus, it would be very prestigious to have a degree from an American univeristy. A few years ago you intended on doing an undergraduate program in the US but weren t able to meet the visa requirements. This time you re ready. You have four options for getting a green card, school is your main one. However, if that doesn t work fast enough, you can try making an inverstment in the US and getting residency that way - then maybe later you ll go back to school. It s also possible to fly in on a tourist visa and find someone to marry, or get sponsored through a job - but you ve heard that these usually take too long. No matter what, you re goal is to get a green card. Make careful decisions as to what path you choose. Remember that you re at an advantage because it doesn t take as long for some of your documents to get approved as other players - some of the approvals come from your own deck!
PATHS TO A GREEN CARD: SAVINGS: $1.7 MIL IN ASSETS Get a student visa and a job afterwards: DS-160 > schedule an interview (addt l docs) > go to your interview (needs approval) > get a visa > graduate > apply for OPT (needs approval) > get a job > apply for H1-B visa (win the visa lottery) > green card! Make an investment: I-526 (addt l docs/needs approval) > green card! Fly in on a tourist visa & get married to a US citizen: DS-160 > schedule and interview (addt l docs) > go to your interview (needs approval) > get a visa > fly to USA > meet your partner > get married > I-485 + I-130 (addt l docs/needs approval) > green card! Get a job in the US while living in China: Apply for the job (get the job) > I-140 (needs approval) > fly to USA > green card!
YOUR OBJECTIVE: IRAN In Iran homosexuality is illegal, which is a problem because you re a queer woman. You go through every day in fear that you might get arrested for your sexuality, so you ve resolved to leave the country. Your high school graduation was a few weeks ago which means that there s nothing tethering you to Iran anymore. Plus, a few years ago your sister immigrated to the US for work. Luckily, your family is supportive of your decision and have agreed to help you get out of the country. You re a bit worried because you re Muslim and from what your sister has told you, it s not easy in the US. But that s not stopping you. You have four options for getting into the US. Your eventual goal is to meet up with your sister. She has agreed to sponsor you, but if that takes too long you can try getting a job in the US or flying in as a tourist and finding someone to marry. In case things get too bad, it might be easier to go to Europe and find an organization that can help you. After all, you are a political refugee. Make careful decisions as to what path you choose. Remeber that you are at a disadvantage because of your religion and the US doesn t have a good relation with Iran.
PATHS TO A GREEN CARD: SAVINGS: $3000 Get sponsored through your sister: I-130 (addt l docs/needs approval) > travel to USA > green card! > meet up with your sister! Get a job in the US while living in Iran: Apply for the job (get the job) > I-140 (addt l docs/needs approval) > travel to USA > green card! > meet up with your sister! Fly in on a tourist visa & get married to a US citizen: DS-160 > schedule and interview (addt l docs) > go to your interview (needs approval) > get a visa > fly to USA > meet your partner > get married > I-485 + I-130 (addt l docs/needs approval) > green card! > meet up with your sister! Go to Europe and get help from a refugee organization: Travel to Europe > find an organization that will help > travel to USA > green card! > meet up with your sister!
YOUR OBJECTIVE: MEXICO A few years ago your son moved from Mexico to USA. He managed to get citizenship and has been doing well there. Things back in Mexico haven t been great. Work has been slow. So you figure you might as well go to the US and live with your son. The job market seems to be a lot better in the US. If it works out you ll be able to send money back home, even though you ll be leaving your entire life behind. You have four options to get into the US. Going through the system takes a very long time but you re in not rush - yet. Getting a job in the US seems to be your best option. You can try getting sponsorship through your son but that might take even longer. You really don t want to cross the border undocumented, but you have it as a last resort. Make careful decisions as to what path you choose. Remember that you are at a disadvantage because of the amount of Mexicans trying to get into the US. Getting approvals will take years.
PATHS TO A GREEN CARD: SAVINGS: $2500 Get a job in the US while living in Mexico: Apply for the job (get the job) > I-140 (addt l docs/needs approval) > travel to USA > green card! > meet up with your son! Get a job in the US while living in the US: Get a tourist visa (addt l docs/needs approval) > travel to USA > apply for the job (get the job) > I-140 (needs approval) > I-485 (needs approval > green card! > meet up with your son! Get sponsored through your son: I-130 (addt l docs/needs approval) > green card! > travel to USA > meet up with son! Cross the border undocumented: Go to Mexico City > find a coyote > cross the border > meet up with your son!
YOUR OBJECTIVE: SWEDEN You ve gotten bored of life in Sweden and are ready to go out and explore the world! Going to the US will be a good opportunity to travel, makes some extra money, and possibly settle down and start a family. You don t have much money saved but who cares, the opportunities are endless! You have four options to get into the US. You can easily come in on a tourist visa and get a job or maybe meet someone and marry them. You could also get a job before you come, but who has time for that? Worst case scenario you overstay your visa and figure it out later! Your goal is simply to establish a stable, happy life in the US. Make careful decisions as to what path you choose. Remember you are at an advantage because the system trusts you aren t coming here for the wrong reasons.
PATHS TO A GREEN CARD: SAVINGS: $2500 Get a job in the US while living in the US: Get a tourist visa (needs approval) > travel to USA > apply for the job (get the job) > I-140 (needs approval) > I-485 (needs approval > green card! > establish a happy life! Fly in on a tourist visa & get married to a US citizen: Get a tourist visa (needs approval) > travel to USA > meet someone > marry them > I-485 + I-130 (addt l docs/needs approval) > green card! > establish a happy life! Get a job in the US while living in Sweden: Apply for a job (get the job) > I-140 (addt l docs/needs approval) > travel to USA > green card! > establish a stable happy life! Overstay your visa: Get a tourist visa (needs approval) > travel to USA > work illegally > establish a stable happy life!
YOUR OBJECTIVE: IMMIGRATION OFFICER US immigration policy does not treat everyone fairly, you know that. However, it is your goal to help everyone that you can. Work around the limitations as best as you can. You do not have to build a path, instad hand out cards to people that hurt/help them. Make sure to keep track of the game. If something slips through the cracks 3 times, you lose your job and the game ends. Like everyone else, you must discard 2 and draw 2 on each turn. However, you can only hold 5 cards and play 2 cards each turn.