Trump Likely to End DACA Immigrant Program

Begun in 2012 under the Obama administration, the DACA program allows young people who arrived by 2007 to remain in the country if they were illegally brought by their parents to the U.S. before they were 16, have lived here since then, and have not committed serious crimes. Some also came here legally with their parents but then overstayed their visas.

Those eligible must renew their DACA status every two years. More than 800,000 are now covered by the policy and can legally apply for work permits.

During Trump’s campaign, Trump said he would cancel DACA. But in late April he sent a different message, telling the Associated Press that young people covered by the program could "rest easy" because his priority was deporting criminals. "This is a case of heart," he said.

However, President Trump, as early as last Friday, is expected to announce plans to end the Obama administration program that gave a deportation reprieve to hundreds of thousands of young illegal immigrants. 

Democrats expressed opposition to the move, referencing the president’s past comments.

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Employment Green Card Interview

Many individuals applying for employment-based green cards have their interview waived, especially if they have extraordinary abilities and if the employer petitioning on their behalf is the same one that sponsored their initial work visa.

The new policy, which will go into effect on October 1, people applying for green cards based on their employment or for refugee and asylee relatives will be subject to an interview.

The new requirement will apply to anyone moving from an employment-based visa to lawful permanent residency. Visa holders who are family members of refugees or people who receive asylum will also be required to undergo an in-person interview when they apply for provisional status, a stage that precedes receiving a green card, according to USCIS.

H4 Visa

The spouses of H-1B visa holders are issued the H4 visa, which does not allow the spouses to work. 

But from 26 May 2015, there was a provision that was added - H4 visa EAD - which would let dependent spouses of H-1B visa holders work in the US provided the H-1B spouse:

·         Have an approved I-140, which is the immigration petition for foreign citizens to get Green Card or Permanent Residency in USA.

·         Have H1B visa status extended beyond 6 years under AC21 Act, which allows H1B holders seeking Green Card to work and stay in USA beyond 6 years, if their Green Card or Permanent Residency Application is Pending.

Merit-Based Immigration System

The current U.S. immigration system favors uniting family members with relatives already in the country. It was built on the premise that any person, regardless of how much education or money they have, can come to the United States and create a productive life for themselves.  

However, President Trump is pushing forward with his promise of a harder line on legal immigration, endorsing a proposal to slash the number of immigrants admitted to the United States while favoring those with certain education levels and skills.

White House staff have been working closely with Cotton and Perdue for weeks on the legislation, which would restrict how the U.S. admits immigrants and move to what Trump has described as a "merit-based" system similar to that used in Australia and Canada.