The Trump administration is preparing to roll out a new immigration program based on merit. The United States has needed immigration reform for years, politicians on both sides have said so.
Will we finally get it now?
FOX News reports:
White House to unveil sweeping overhaul of immigration system, including merit-based admissions, officials say
The White House is set to unveil a sweeping new plan that would radically transform the makeup of immigrants in the United States, ending the visa lottery program and implementing a comprehensive merit-based admissions procedure, three senior administration officials told Fox News on Wednesday.
The move would more than quadruple the number of immigrants admitted because of their work-related skills, while dramatically slashing the number of immigrants admitted because of family ties. Currently, approximately 12 percent of immigrants are admitted based on employment and skills, while 66 percent are admitted based on family connections.
Those percentages, under the new plan, would shift to 57 percent and 33 percent, respectively. Ten percent of immigrants would be admitted on humanitarian or other grounds, but the plan would end the visa lottery program.
In its place: a new “Build America Visa” program that would recognize “extraordinary talent” and “people with professional and specialized vocations,” including exceptional students, Fox News has learned.
Potential immigrants would be assessed using a point-based system, accounting for factors including age, English proficiency, whether each candidate has an offer of employment above a certain wage threshold, and educational and vocational certifications.
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Laura Ingraham talked about this on her show on Wednesday night with Rep. Steve Scalise.
From FOX News:
Steve Scalise touts Trump plan for ‘merit-based’ immigration: ‘Right now, we’ve got some of the dumbest laws on the books’
America should move toward a “merit-based” immigration system that also respects the “rule of law” and gets rid of the “dumb laws” currently on the books, House Minority Whip Steve Scalise told Fox News’ Laura Ingraham on Wednesday night.
“Right now, we’ve got some of the dumbest laws on the books. If we educate somebody in America to be a computer scientist or engineer … we force them to leave the country to compete against us, while we’ve got the ‘visa lottery’…” Scalise, a Louisiana Republican, said on “The Ingraham Angle.”
“Why don’t we flip that narrative?” Scalise asked.
Scalise said that transitioning to such a merit-based immigration system would strengthen the “rule of law,” and “ultimately get back to those basic foundational principles where you come to America to seek the American dream.”
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There is no doubt that the system needs reform.
A merit based program would be a step in the right direction.
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