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esprit
 USA
6888 Posts
Joined: 11 Feb 2002
Status: offline |  Posted - 18 May 2007 : 23:39:02  
| A deal has been reached in Senate on proposed legislation for a new points based system for immigration to the US along the lines of the Canadian system. The same legislation would end the green card lottery and seriously curb family sponsorship, ending sponsorship of adult children or siblings and introducing a new parents visa as the number of green cards for parents will be capped. This is part of a general move to gear immigration more towards merit and less towards family ties of chance of birthplace.
Under The Merit System, Future Immigrants Applying For Permanent Residency In The United States Will Be Assigned Points For Skills, Education, Employment Background And Other Attributes That Further Our National Interest. These skills include:
Ability to speak English.
Level of schooling, including added points for training in science, math, and technology.
Job offer in a high-demand field.
Work experience in the United States.
Employer endorsement.
Family ties to the United States.
Ending Chain Migration
In Place Of The Current System Where Nearly Two-Thirds Of Green Cards Are Awarded To Relatives Of U.S. Citizens, Our Immigration System Will Be Reformed To Better Balance The Importance Of Family Connections With The Economic Needs Of Our Country.
Visas for parents of U.S. citizens are capped, while green cards for the siblings and adult children of U.S. citizens and green card holders are eliminated.
A new Parents Visitor visa is created to ensure that parents are allowed to visit their children in the United States regularly and for extended periods of time.
The Diversity Lottery Program, which grants 50,000 green cards per year through random chance, is ended.
These rebalanced green cards are used to clear the Family Backlog in eight years and then applied to the new Merit System for future immigration once the backlog is cleared.
Clearing The Family Backlog Within Eight Years
Family Members Who Have Applied Legally, And Lawfully Waited Their Turn In Line, Will Receive Their Green Card Within The Next Eight Years. Today, millions of family members of U.S. citizens wait years in line for a green card, with some waits estimated at as long as 30 years.
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Julie | | Report this post to a moderator |
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esprit
USA
6888 Posts
Joined: 11 Feb 2002
Status: offline | Posted - 16 Jun 2007 : 11:59:31
| | Well Senate was unable to get majority support for this bill and it has been shelved for the time being. The problem is that all immigration reform, including the proposals for legalizing the illegal immingrants, has been lumped into one bill and if one part of it fails (and the part on the illegals is proving difficult to get through) then it all fails. |
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CERICROWLEY
 United Kingdom
3870 Posts
Joined: 14 May 2004
Status: offline | |
esprit
USA
6888 Posts
Joined: 11 Feb 2002
Status: offline | Posted - 17 Jun 2007 : 22:57:06
| Well all is not lost on the new bill, Mr Bush has paid a visit to congress and urged the senators to try and reach an agreement on the bill. He really goes want a comprehensive immigration reform bill to go through in his second term and to be remembered for it and it was senators from his own party who failed to support it. There have now been some amendments made, mainly about securing the borders, and it will be reintroduced next week after the energy bill. Fingers crossed as there is some really good stuff in it for international students and also provisions for E and L visaholders to be able to renew in the US as well as introducing a merit system for green cards and they are not the sticking point, needless to say the provisions for legalising the illegal immigrants are.
Still around, Ceri, though I mainly only post on immigration as I have no connection to home owning any more. US immigration still holds a lot of interest for me, I will say no more but watch this space!! |
Julie |
Edited by - esprit on 17 Jun 2007 22:58:19 | | Report this post to a moderator | goto top of page |
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esprit
USA
6888 Posts
Joined: 11 Feb 2002
Status: offline | Posted - 28 Jun 2007 : 22:52:12
| | The immigration bill got thrown out today, despite pleas from Mr Bush it did not attain the required majority. So the 12 million illegals will stay illegal. There wont be time for another attempt at immigration reform till after the next election. Its a pity in a way as there were some good things in it for visa holders such as green cards for kids who have spent so many years in American education. Why or why were all measures rolled into one bill when part of it was so contentious. |
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Proposal for new points based immigration system
