The Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) (1952)

The INA is the first law that pulled together all of the issues associated with immigration and is considered the foundation on which all following immigration laws have been built. It addresses employment eligibility and employment verification. It defines the conditions for the temporary and permanent employment of aliens in the United States.

The INA defines an immigrant as any person lacking citizenship or status as a national of the United States. The INA differentiates aliens as follows:

• Resident or nonresident
• Immigrant or nonimmigrant
• Documented and undocumented

The need to curtail illegal immigration led to the enactment of the Immigration Reform and Control Act (IRCA). For more information, see www.dol.gov/compliance/laws/comp-ina.htm.