How do the levels of children's poverty transitions differ between native and immigrant children? What factors account for these differences? Using the 1996–2001 Current Population Survey, I estimate models of year-to-year poverty transitions for both upward and downward movements. I find that: (1) immigrant children are not particularly more likely to fall into poverty relative to native children, but immigrant children with non-citizen heads are significantly less likely to exit poverty than their native counterparts; and (2) the length of residence of the family head plays a crucial role in the downward transition of immigrant children, while the citizenship status of the family head is more important in the upward transition of immigrant children. © 2005 Taylor & Francis Group, LLC.

citizenship immigrants first generation Children second generation poverty

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