Us Immigration Policy

US senators propose bill to reunite families, raise immigration cap

Two Democratic Party Senators on Wednesday introduced a legislation aimed at reuniting the immigrant families and raising the per-country family-based immigration caps, allowing more visas to go to a single country such as India and China. Introduced by Senators Mazie K. Hirono, a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, and Tammy Duckworth introduced the Reuniting Families Act, which would promote family unity in the country's immigration system, reduce the family-based immigration backlogs, and update laws to reflect how families immigrate to the US. The bill also includes Senator Hirono's Filipino Veterans Family Reunification Act, legislation that would speed up the visa process for children of Filipino World War II veterans. As the only immigrant currently serving in the US Senate, I am proud to introduce the Reuniting Families Act to update our country's family immigration system and promote family unity, said Hirono. By implementing changes to reduce the backlog of ...

Return before Trump inauguration in Jan: US colleges warn foreign students

International students in the US are worried about their visas and whether they will be able to continue their education

US immigration: Beware people posing as USCIS officials, offering support

The warning comes amidst a surge in immigration-related scams targeting individuals seeking to live, work, or study in the United States

US dismisses reports of new visa application centre in Vizag, Vijayawada

The US consulate in Hyderabad reports 56% of Indian students to the US are from Telangana and Andhra

US H-1B visa sponsorship declines in 2024: Experts decode key factors

Amazon, which remains the largest sponsor of H-1B visas, saw approvals drop to just over 7,000 in 2024, compared to more than 11,000 in 2023

Hope India-US bridge not just continue, but become stronger: Garcetti

Highlighting accomplishments of Indian-origin CEOs of top tech firms, US envoy Eric Garcetti on Monday said they came to his country because of "immigration opportunities" and asserted that it was his hope and a strong recommendation to not only "continue this bridge" but to make it "even stronger". His remarks during an interview to PTI at the American Center here come ahead of US President-elect Donald Trump assuming office in January. With the imminent transition of power and the Trump 2.0 administration set to take charge after his resounding victory in the US election, a common question on the minds of many Indians is if there will be any change in visa policies in general and particularly for Indian students under the Republican administration. "I know, President Trump feels very strongly about India. He and Prime Minister Modi have a great relationship. So, it will certainly be my hope and it will be my strong recommendation to not only continue this bridge, but to make it ev

Trump win impact: Will H-1B workers, STEM grads get green cards faster?

Since Trump's recent election win, experts have debated his approach to immigration

Trump wins: From CIA to immigration, roles Ramaswamy, Kash Patel may clinch

With Donald Trump winning the 2024 US presidential election after beating Kamala Harris, Americans of Indian descent like Vivek Ramaswamy, Kash Patel, and Bobby Jindal could clinch top US govt roles

US Election 2024: Harris vs Trump - Who says what on immigration, H-1B visa

US election 2024 result will have a widespread effect on immigrant communities globally, including a substantial Indian population

Immigration helps US economy grow: Why Janet Yellen backs migrants decoded

Yellen's remarks come at a time when immigration is a central issue in the US presidential election campaign ahead of the November 5 vote

USCIS extends Green Card validity to 36 months for renewals: Details here

The time it takes to renew a Green Card typically ranges from 7 to 12 months, depending on factors such as processing times at the USCIS field office handling your application

Biden restarts immigration programme with more vetting for sponsors

The Biden administration is restarting an immigration programme that allows migrants from Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua and Venezuela to come to the United States, and it is including additional vetting of their US-based financial sponsors following fraud concerns. The Department of Homeland Security had suspended the programme earlier this month to investigate the concerns but indicated that an internal review found no widespread fraud among sponsors. Together with our existing rigorous vetting of potential beneficiaries seeking to travel to the United States, these new procedures for supporters have strengthened the integrity of these processes and will help protect against exploitation of beneficiaries, the agency said. The programme launched in January 2023 and is a major piece of the Biden administration's immigration policies that create or expand pathways for legal entry while restricting asylum for those who cross the border illegally. The policy is aimed at countries that send la

Fake green card scam: How people from Gujarat, Delhi, Punjab were duped

Spotting an immigration scam isn't difficult if you know what to look for

Indian students turning to US as Canada, Australia, UK tighten rules

In recent years, several countries have been tightening their immigration rules, directly impacting international students

Biden's new policy to give deportation protection to spouses of US citizens

President Joe Biden is planning to announce a sweeping new policy Tuesday that would lift the threat of deportation for tens of thousands of people married to US citizens, an aggressive election-year action on immigration that had been sought by many Democrats. Biden was hosting a White House event to celebrate an Obama-era directive that offered deportation protections for young undocumented immigrants and will announce the new programme then, according to three people briefed on the White House plans. The policy will allow roughly 490,000 spouses of US citizens an opportunity to apply for a parole in place programme, which would shield them from deportations and offer them work permits if they have lived in the country for at least 10 years, according to two of the people briefed. They all spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorised to discuss the announcement publicly. The White House on Monday declined to comment on the announcement. Families who would

Biden admin urged to take steps to protect over 250K 'Documented Dreamers'

A bipartisan group of 43 lawmakers has urged the Biden administration to take urgent action to protect more than 250,000 Documented Dreamers, a significantly large number of whom are Indians, who will be forced to self-deport after ageing out of the temporary legal status derived through their parents' visas. Documented Dreamers are foreign nationals who entered the United States as dependents under their parents' temporary, nonimmigrant visa status, usually a work visa. Despite growing up in the US with legal status, children of long-term visa holders age out of their dependent status when they turn 21 and are often left with no choice but to leave the United States if they cannot transition to a new status, the lawmakers said in a letter to Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas and the US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) Director Ur M Jaddou. This is because, in part, their families' adjustment of status applications face extensive backlogs, preventing them fr

Biden preparing to stop asylum if daily average of migrants reaches 2,500

The White House is telling lawmakers that President Joe Biden is preparing to sign off on an executive order that would shut down asylum requests at the US-Mexico border once the average number of daily encounters hits 2,500 at ports of entry, with the border reopening only once that number declines to 1,500, according to several people familiar with the discussions. The impact of the 2,500 figure means that the executive order could go into immediate effect, because daily figures are higher than that now. The Democratic president is expected to unveil the actions -- his most aggressive unilateral move yet to control the numbers at the border -- at the White House on Tuesday at an event to which border mayors have been invited. Five people familiar with the discussions on Monday confirmed the 2,500 figure, while two of the people confirmed the 1,500 number. The figures are daily averages over the course of a week. All of the people insisted on anonymity to discuss an executive order

Indian Americans should run for office at all levels: Raja Krishnamoorthi

It's time for Indian Americans to run for office at all levels and never miss to vote, influential Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi told community members gathered here from across the country. We have to vote. Will everyone here vote in that coming election? Because we can talk politics all day, but doing politics is what matters. Remember, politics is not just a noun, it's a verb. And we have to do politics this year. We have to vote, Krishnamoorthi told a room full of eminent Indian Americans who had gathered in the American Capital for the annual summit of Indian American Impact, a Democratic think-tank. Secondly, we have to work on political causes bigger than ourselves. We have to support our local mandirs. We have to support our local mosques. We have to support our local not-for-profits. I hope you do that and you give generously. But we also have to work on political issues bigger than ourselves, said the Indian American Congressman, who represents the suburb of Chicago in th

US immigration adds 'third gender' option on citizenship forms

Immigrants contribute to economy but there's worry over risks: US citizens

Americans are more worried about legal immigrants committing crimes in the U.S. than they were a few years ago, a change driven largely by increased concern among Republicans, while Democrats continue to see a broad range of benefits from immigration, a new poll shows. The poll from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research found that substantial shares of U.S. adults believe that immigrants contribute to the country's economic growth, and offer important contributions to American culture. But when it comes to legal immigrants, U.S. adults see fewer major benefits than they did in the past, and more major risks. About 4 in 10 Americans say that when immigrants come to the U.S. legally, it's a major benefit for American companies to get the expertise of skilled workers in fields like science and technology. A similar share (38%) also say that legal immigrants contribute a major benefit by enriching American culture and values. Both those figures were down compared