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United States President Donald Trump signed an executive order Wednesday that halts immigration for green card applicants for 60 days, apparently to protect the jobs of Americans fired due to the covid-19 pandemic. Mint examines what this means for India and the world.
Who does the Trump order apply to?
The 60-day ban applies to those seeking permanent residency or green card holders, who are outside of the US. USA And they don’t have a valid immigrant visa at midnight on Thursday. The executive order will apply to those who do not have an official travel document that is not a valid visa from that moment or issued at any later date, allowing holders to travel to the US. USA And request entry or admission into the country. The order will be in effect for 60 days and the United States administration will continue to monitor the labor market to amend or extend the proclamation if necessary.
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Who is exempt from this proclamation?
The order does not apply to spouses and minor children of US citizens, health professionals conducting medical research, or other research intended to combat the spread of covid-19, any member of the US Armed Forces. USA And their spouses and children, and anyone who enters for police or national security reasons. Nor does it apply to investor visas and special immigrant visas for Iraqi and Afghan citizens, who have worked for the United States government. People who travel to the US USA With temporary visas like the H-1B or L1, which are generally used to bring in highly-skilled tech workers, they are also exempt.
What are the reasons for Trump to make this decision?
More than 20 million Americans have lost their jobs amid the coronavirus outbreak in the United States, the country most affected by cases and deaths. The President of the United States said it would be unfair for Americans fired by the virus to be replaced by new immigrant workers. Critics say Trump is using the coronavirus pandemic to pursue hard-line anti-immigration policies.
What does this order mean for the Indians?
Indians waiting for an employer-sponsored green card will have to wait longer, especially if the order extends beyond 60 days, which Trump has alluded to. Nearly 800,000 Indians are vying for green cards, says a study by the Cato Institute, a group of US experts. USA, Based on data from the US Citizenship and Immigration Service. USA, which administers the visa process. Skilled Indian workers account for 75% of backward employment-based work, and face a wait of up to nine decades if everyone could stay on the line, according to Cato.
Is there a backlog of skilled Indian workers?
Yes. The Indian EB-2 (for professionals) and EB-3 (for skilled workers) order book is the longest, affecting hundreds of thousands of qualified employees of US companies with advanced or bachelor’s degrees. Everything in the current EB-2 / EB-3 portfolio applied on or after 2009. According to Cato, the proportion of Indian employment-based green card applicants plummeted from 91% of those applying in 2009 or 2010 to 24% of those who applied in 2019 or early 2020. This means that 75% of recent Indian applicants may not receive the cards.
