Rating:

15 chapters: 1-4 (background information–including history and constitutional law); 5 (immigrant visas), 6 (nonimmigrant visas), 7 (zooms on student visas–a sub-category of nonimmigrant visas), 8 (removal–formerly “deportation”), 9 (inadmissibility), 10 (refugees/asyless), 11 (international law), 12 (citizenship), 13 (zooms on rights of aliens in general), 14 (criminal aspects of immigration law), 15 (ethical practice).

My main advice is to take good note of the general INA and CFR provisions under each category and subcategory, and names (and holdings, why not) of important cases. Add that to your outline, and you have a fine guide for further research. In other words, if your goal is to familiarize yourself with the field AS A WHOLE for the first time, don’t get bogged down in the discussions of legal history and cases at first (yes, this is not a manual, so what’s the point?)–except for the general history of US immigration law at the start of the book, which gives you a good first sense of the “spirit” of US immigration policy. You could come back to those discussions later, without the aggravation.

I do not recommend delving directly into any body of laws that is as extensive as immigration law, unless of course you have a few years to spare–but then again why waste that time? Think of books like this one as you would of maps: you don’t want to have to start looking for California, street by street, starting in Washington DC. The point is this: an overview is always useful. This one should help you, if you use it properly.