Will Trump close America for visitors: what scares Russian-speaking migration reform - ForumDaily
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Will Trump close America for visitors: what scares Russian-speaking migration reform

Фото: Depositphotos

Potential immigrants became indirect hostages of terrorists. After each terrorist attack in America, President Donald Trump increasingly insists on the need to review the country's immigration policy - to abolish the lottery Green Card, limit family migration, reduce the number of legal immigrants by half. Once again, the White House made such a statement after an attempted terrorist attack in New York on December 11, when a native of Bangladesh detonated a bomb near the bus station at rush hour. ForumDaily talked with Russian-speaking immigrants and found out how they will be affected by Trump's migration reform.

Like a powder keg

Elena (name changed) will be able to obtain American citizenship in more than a year. After that, she planned to get a green card for her mother, who was left alone in Ukraine, through the family reunification program. When Lena first heard back in the summer about Trump’s plans to ban American citizens from obtaining residence permits for their parents, she was horrified - all her plans could now collapse at any moment.

“During the election campaign, Trump did not say that he would limit legal immigration. And his initiative was a shock to me, although I support the fight against illegal migration,” admits Elena. “But what does this have to do with people who come to the country legally and are ready to pay taxes?”

Restricting family immigration, which the White House calls “chain” immigration, is one of the changes in immigration policy supported by Donald Trump. Arrested on December 11, 2017, 27-year-old Akayed Ullah, originally from Bangladesh, who detonated an improvised bomb near a bus station in New York, according to the White House, entered the country through his family's immigrant visa 7 years ago. As a result of his actions, no one died, but there were injured people. It is believed that the young man was inspired by the Islamic State (ISIS), although officials have not confirmed this.

The White House then once again called on Congress to review immigration laws. “We know that the President's policy is to stop chain migration, which is exactly how this man (Akayed Ullah - ed.) came to the United States; and if this policy had been in place, this attacker would not have been allowed into the country,” White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders said.

Before this, there was another terrorist attack - on the eve of Halloween in New York, a native of Uzbekistan, 29-year-old Saifullo Saipov, who moved to the United States after winning a green card, crushed a man on a pickup 8 and injured 15. After this terrorist attack, the White House demanded that the lottery be canceled completely. Green Card, according to which 50 thousands of randomly selected people enter the US each year.

The White House estimated that more four terrorists previously arrived in the States, winning a residence permit in the lottery.

New Immigration Rules

For the first time, I’m talking seriously about immigration reform in August 2017, when President Donald Trump publicly endorsed the bill The RAISE (“Lifting”), developed by two Republican senators Tom Cotton and David Perdue. The bill, among other things, proposed:

  • let in the USA only highly skilled immigrants;
  • cancel the Green Card Lottery;
  • cut the number of legal immigrants from 1 million to 500 000 per year;
  • limit family immigration: it will be possible to transfer to the USA only immediate relatives - spouses and minor children; for parents of American citizens they plan to introduce a special visa with a limited period of validity and thus prevent them from receiving social benefits;
  • restriction the number of refugees up to 50 thousand annually.

It is not yet clear when the RAISE initiative may be taken up by the Congress and in what form the lawmakers will consider the document. However, it is possible that the face of American immigration may soon change dramatically.

Marina Chilingaryan, who previously worked for an immigration company that is now working as a paralegal, has been waiting for her 6 family for years, being a green card holder. Now she keeps track of how the queue for obtaining immigrant visas for relatives moves by the old memory every month.

Marina Chilingaryan. Photos from the personal archive

“Trump's reform could eliminate the concept of sibling reunification and the reunification of US citizen parents with their adult children. This is sad, because those who cannot win a green card or enter for other reasons can immigrate to the United States for family reasons, although reunification has some cosmic deadlines. For example, one family is waiting to be reunited with their married son; the petition was filed in 2009, and is now being considered for August 2005. This means they have to wait at least another 5-6 years, which will ultimately result in 14 years of waiting. The other two families are green card holders who have applied to be reunited with their adult children. The first ones filed in April 2013, the second ones in June 2015. In their categories, November 2010 is currently being considered. I don’t know if anything will change in connection with the reform for those who have already submitted. This, in theory, should affect newly applicants,” says Marina.

On results of 2016 year, green cards in the category of “next of kin” (this includes spouses, unmarried children under 21 of the year and parents of US citizens) received 315 thousand people, another 215 thousand people received visas as family members (these include unmarried children of US citizens older than 21 of the year, married children of US citizens, adult brothers and sisters of American citizens, as well as spouses and unmarried children of green-card holders). By approximate data for 2017 year, these numbers are slightly less - 254 thousand immediate relatives and 212 thousand - all others.

Those who didn't have time are late

Irina Bashmakova's sister, a US citizen, applied to reunite with her in 2004, but 13 years later Irina still has not received a green card. All this time she waits for her turn - it moves very slowly. The fact is that there are a lot of people who want to reunite under the F4 category (brothers and sisters of adult US citizens), and there is a certain quota for this category of immigrants. Therefore, the whole process takes an average of 12 years. You can track your queue on the website visa bulletin. Now the Citizenship and Immigration Service is considering petitions in just the 2004 year, and Irina very much hopes that the decision on her case will be made before the RAISE reform is adopted (if, of course, it will be taken at all).

Irina Bashmakova. Photos from the personal archive

Anna Tkacheshak is also worried about the possible passage of immigration reform, since in this case she will not be able to reunite with her son and receive a green card in the future. Anna's son, a singer, has become the holder of a visa for people with extraordinary abilities and is about to receive a green card. The woman is afraid that if the reform is adopted, then the only option that awaits her after her son receives citizenship is a 5-year visa, but not a residence permit in America. And then most of the time the ocean will separate her from her son.

Anna Tkacheshak. Photos from the personal archive

Lucky case

Anton won the green card in 2015 year and moved to Chicago from Lvov with his wife. In his hometown he had his own business, in America he had to start everything from scratch and the first year was not enough at all. The man had to apply for allowance, because his wife became pregnant shortly after her arrival and could not work, suffering from toxicosis.

“I am very grateful to the state for helping us in the most difficult first year. I had my own business in Ukraine, but he did not bring the money that would be enough for me to move and have a comfortable life before finding a normal job. Because with my wife, we had to apply for food stamps Food Stamps and on insurance Medicaid — the wife was paid for observation and childbirth. I know Trump wants to cancel all this. Perhaps this is the right decision from the point of view of maintaining the budget, because there are really a lot of people who apply for benefits. But this is unconstitutional, in my opinion,” says Anton.

Now Anton has received a realtor license and rents out luxury real estate. According to him, the family has enough money. He dreams of bringing his parents to America, but he has not yet begun the process - so far he has only submitted an application on their behalf for the green card lottery.

“It’s not clear what will happen now. While I wait for citizenship, the laws may change a lot, and I’m afraid that I won’t be able to transport my parents. Let's see. I will hope that one of the parents will also win a green card, if it is not canceled either,” a Chicago resident shares his experiences.

Anton says that among his friends there are many people who won the green card in the lottery. Basically, they are residents of Moldova and Ukraine. The guy says he considers it unfair to cancel the lottery, because then tens of thousands of people will lose the chance to move to the United States.

Point system instead of the Green Card Lottery

One of the White House’s arguments for canceling the lottery Green Card - this is because residence permits are often won by unskilled workers.

For this reason, Trump wants to end the program and introduce a point system similar to the one that works successfully in Canada and Australia. Through this program, the US government will evaluate each potential immigrant based on their age, language skills, professional experience and special achievements such as a Nobel Prize or Olympic medals. There is also a bonus for those who have already paid for a green card under the old system. The required minimum passing score is 30 points, the maximum possible number of points is 90.

According to the RAISE bill, immigrants between the ages of 20 and 30 have the highest chance of moving to the United States - young people aged 18 to 21 will receive 6 points, those aged 22 to 25 will receive 8 points, and those from 26 to 30 will receive 10 points.

Completed higher education will also add a significant number of points to applicants. Foreigners who have earned a bachelor's degree in their country apply for 5 points against 6 points, which are awarded to people who have graduated from an American undergraduate degree. Specialists or masters in the field of STEM (S - science, T - technology, E - engineering, M - mathematics), educated in their native state, can count on 7 points, and those who have received the same degree in America - 8 points.

Knowledge of the language must be confirmed by passing one of the international certified tests - TOEFL or IELTS. Depending on the level of knowledge, a potential immigrant will be able to receive from 1 to 12 points.

Work is the most difficult item on this list. For example, if a prospective employer offers a potential employee a salary equal to 150% of the median household income for the state where he plans to move, the immigrant will receive 5 points. If the annual income is 200%, then - 8 points.

Only Nobel Prize winners (25 points) or Olympic champions (15 points) can hope to receive points in the point of merit.

The site Time You can take a preliminary test and see if you could immigrate to the United States as part of a new system if you accepted the reform.

And although the point system is the most controversial point of the RAISE reform, some hope that it is thanks to it that they will be able to get into America.

Olga Topolskaya is one of them. She works as a veterinarian, her husband works in the IT field as a system administrator. Obtaining a work visa for Olga’s husband has not yet worked out - potential employers do not want to wait from a year to a year and a half, which will be spent on paperwork, to hire Olga’s husband. This year a married couple took part in the lottery Green Card and really hopes to win. If they fail to win, and the RAISE reform is adopted, the couple want to consider immigration using a points system. “We are waiting for Trump’s plans to come true, and it will be much easier for us as specialists to leave!” the girl says optimistically.

Olga Topolskaya. Photos from the personal archive

Now spouses are actively learning English and are looking for an employer for their husband.

However, so far nothing has changed in terms of immigration to the United States, and if moving overseas is your lifelong dream, read our material about 10 ways to stay in the USA. Maybe you can choose an option for yourself.

Read also on ForumDaily:

10 regarding honest ways to stay in the USA (1, 2 mode - lottery, political asylum)

10 regarding honest ways to stay in the US (3, 4 way - marriage, study)

10 regarding fair ways to stay in the USA (5 and 6 mode - family reunion and work visa)

10 regarding honest ways to stay in the USA (7, 8 ways - investment, army)

10 regarding honest ways to stay in the US (9, 10 ways - illegal or witness in a high-profile case)

Miscellanea immigration reform immigration to the USA Our people Educational program Editor's Choice immigration policy
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