US President, Donald Trump has announced a new “merit-based” system favouring English-speaking skilled workers for residency cards. He has also announced his support for a legislation that would cut in half the number legal immigrants allowed into the US.
The legislation titled the Reforming American Immigration for Strong Employment (RAISE) Act could benefit highly-educated and technology professionals+ from countries like India. The RAISE Act would scrap the current lottery system to get into the US and instead institute a points-based system for earning a green card. Green Cards provide permanent residency, work authorization, and fast track to citizenship.
The RAISE Act will reduce poverty, increase wages, and save taxpayers billions and billions of dollars. It will do this by changing the way the US issues Green Cards to nationals from other countries. Trump said the RAISE Act ends chain migration and replaces the low-skilled system with a new points-based system for receiving a Green Card.
Factors that would be taken into account include English language skills, education, high- paying job offers and age. This competitive application process will favour applicants who can speak English, financially support themselves and their families, and demonstrate skills that will contribute to US economy.
The RAISE Act prevents new migrants and new immigrants from collecting welfare and protects US workers from being displaced. This will give American workers a pay raise by reducing unskilled immigration.
The RAISE Act would give us a more merit-based immigration system that admits the best and the brightest around the world while making it harder for people to go to the US illegally. This would make country and working class wages much safer and stronger.