Answer: Indentured servants
Although it was quite an imperfect system, which was subject to diverse kinds of abuse, indentured servitude was one way by which some early settlers were admitted into America in a bid to address the problem of labor shortages.
Indentured servants (individual or family) would voluntarily offer to serve under a labor contract for a period of two to seven years, or even more, based on many factors in order to join a vessel heading to America since they cannot afford the funds to pay for the voyage.