Trump's immigration plan: Dream of moving to US? Know these before you do

Trump wants skilled workers but the aged and unskilled family members of the workers can stay in their own country

Are you a 'dreamer' who wants to make America home? Think again! US President Donald Trump has proposed a merit-based immigration system that could benefit highly skilled Indian workers. But, there's a catch -- the immigrants cannot sponsor their extended families.

So, in other words, the US President wants skilled workers but the aged and unskilled family members of workers can stay in their own country.

Trump administration has delivered to the US Congress a hardline immigration reform plan, asking lawmakers to pass a comprehensive legislation to fund his pet wall project, speed up deportations of illegal immigrants, stop grants to ‘sanctuary cities’, end asylum loopholes, introduce merit-based immigration and curb family-sponsored green cards.

US immigration plan - Tightening the noose

Trump proposes

— Hiring  of 10,000 immigration agents
 

— Tougher laws for those seeking asylum and denial of federal grants to sanctuary cities
 

— Construction of a wall across the southern border and a border against thousands of children fleeing violence in Central America.
 

— Limit family-based green cards to spouses and the minor children of US citizens and lawful permanent residents.

For corporates 

Companies must come up with an e-verify programme to keep illegal immigrants from getting jobs

Will it be favourable to Indians or not?

Good news for Indians

The American dream remains a beacon of hope for thousands of Indians. The new immigration proposals may be favourable to immigrant hopefuls who are young, academically qualified and highly skilled.

There is even a possibility that if the Indian-American constituency in the US grows as an outcome of the new proposals, India will get an economic heft.

Bad News

Donald Trump wants countries to keep their aged and unskilled at home. It wants the world's young and skilled, hale and hearty. Each year, the US permanently grants green cards to more than 1 million people, many of whose sole basis for entering the country is family ties. But now, Trump administration wants to put a stern check on this.

Spouses and minor kids will be good to eventually join you, but if you want to bring your parents, adult children, uncles, aunts, nieces and nephews, you are going to be disappointed. Trump proposes to shut the door on them.

Moreover, young and skilled Indians will have to jump through many hoops to meet several criteria, including wage requirements, before getting hold of the Green Card.

Benefit for the US

Pro-worker immigration reforms would end chain migration to begin providing lawful permanent resident status based on merit, not family connections, and would promote assimilation financial independence, and upward mobility.

What Trump admin has to say in this:

Only 1 out of every 15 immigrants to the US are admitted on the basis of skills

Morethan half of all immigrant households use one or more welfare programmes

Decades of low-skilled immigration has suppressed wages, fulled unemployment, and strained federal resources.