Main Contents of the Eight-member Gang Act on American Study Abroad Policy 15 On the evening of April 6, 2005, eigh
Main Contents of the Eight-member Gang Act on American Study Abroad Policy 15 On the evening of April 6, 2005, eight senators of the United States Senate promulgated the 20 13 Border Security, Economic Opportunity and Immigration Modernization Act (20 13 Border Security, Economic Opportunity and Immigration Modernization Act), which took a solid step towards the implementation of comprehensive immigration reform. The Senate will hold its first hearing on the bill later this week and early next week. The G8 consists of four Democratic senators and four Republican senators. Being able to propose shows that the two parties have reached a certain compromise. However, due to the possible interference of the poison pill clause, it is still unknown whether the bill can eventually become law. The so-called poison pill clauses refer to those clauses that can directly affect the failure of the bill, such as canceling the green card lottery system and reducing the categories of relatives immigrants. Another example of the poison pill clause is to recognize the importance of border security. Conservatives in the Senate suggested that the content of border security in the bill proposed by the Eight Gang was not as good as the comprehensive immigration reform bill that failed in 2007. This deficiency may eventually affect the passage of the bill. Therefore, while being optimistic, we should be soberly aware that the final passage of the comprehensive immigration reform bill still needs to overcome many obstacles.
The following are the main contents of the G-8 motion:
Changes in legal immigration
Emphasis on advanced degree STEM visa: In all political debates around comprehensive immigration reform (CIR), the United States, the Party and the Democratic Party have reached a consensus on one point, that is, the United States needs to absorb overseas students with high degrees in STEM majors (science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM for short) to meet the needs of American scientific and technological development. The G-8 bill proposes that 40% of professional immigrant visas should be allocated to foreign students who have obtained advanced degrees in science, art, business and some medical majors in the United States. Foreign students with advanced STEM degrees fall into this category. However, international students majoring in STEM must work for five years after graduation before they can submit professional immigration applications.
Establish a new entrepreneur visa for foreigners who want to start a company in the United States.
In addition to allocating 40% of the professional immigrant places to higher degree holders and professional and technical workers respectively, the bill will also establish similar immigrant categories according to the practices of Canada and many European countries.
Five years after the implementation of the bill, preferential visa categories will be established, with an annual quota of 65,438+020,000 visas. Potential immigrants will get a certain score according to many factors such as education level, work situation, legal residence time in the United States and so on. Foreigners with the highest scores will be eligible for visa quotas. The number of places in this category can be increased by 5% every year until the total number of visas reaches the upper limit of 250 thousand. This growth must meet two preconditions: the demand for visas in that year exceeded the specified number, and the national unemployment rate in the United States was below 8.5%.
Subsidiary applicants for professional immigrant visas, EB- 1A, EB- 1B, EB- 1C applicants, foreign students who have obtained any professional doctorate in the United States, and foreign doctors who meet the requirements for returning to China or have been exempted from holding J visas, are not limited by the number of professional immigrant visas. These people will not have to worry about the visa schedule, and they can submit an application for identity adjustment at any time under the conditions of meeting the green card application. Please note that the doctoral winners here cover all disciplines, not just the Ph.D. of STEM.
The categories of immediate family members will be expanded to include spouses and children of permanent residents, spouses and children of American citizens, and children, parents or spouses who follow the joining procedure.
In the category of relative immigration, brothers and sisters of American citizens, their spouses and children will be excluded from the application. After the implementation of the bill 18 months, the relative immigration based on sibling relationship will be cancelled. In this way, there are only two types of relative immigrants: married adult children submit green card applications before reaching the age of 365,438+0, and unmarried adult children of permanent residents submit green card applications.
EB-4 and EB-5 will receive 10% of all professional immigrant visas.
20 15 will cancel the green card lottery system. Foreigners who obtained green cards on 20 13 and 20 14 can still immigrate to the United States.
American citizens and family members of green card holders can legally live in the United States with a V visa while waiting for the green card. Other family members who have not applied for a green card can stay in the United States for 60 days with a V visa every year.
H- 1B visa change
The regular number of H- 1B work visas will be increased from the current 65,000 places per year to 1 10000 places. For international students with advanced STEM degrees in American universities, the number of H- 1B places for 20,000 advanced degrees will be increased to 25,000. If the demand for H- 1B visas exceeds the supply and the unemployment rate is lower than a certain figure in a certain year, the number of H- 1B visas can also be increased year by year until the upper limit of180,000. If the unemployment rate is too high and the demand decreases, the number of H- 1B visas can be further reduced, but it will not be lower than the lower limit of 1 10000. H- 1B visa shall not be increased or decreased by more than 1 10,000 per year.
American employers need to pay higher wages than now to hire H- 1B foreign employees to protect the interests of American workers. H- 1B dependent employers should also pay higher wages for their employees.
Spouses of foreign employees of H- 1b can have work permits in the United States, provided that the country of origin of spouses of H- 1B employees also gives equal treatment to spouses of American workers.
Visa for guests and agricultural workers
Guest worker visa: A three-year W visa will be established to allow those low-level skilled workers to work in the United States. W visa will be implemented from April 1 2005. The number of visas will start at 20,000 and then increase to 35,000, 55,000 and 75,000 each year. Then the newly established government market analysis agency will make adjustments according to economic needs, with an upper limit of 200,000 and a lower limit of 20,000.
Agricultural workers can also apply for legal immigration status through the Agricultural Employment Opportunity Project, provided that foreign agricultural workers have worked in the agricultural field for five years. When applying for a green card, agricultural workers should show their work and contribution to the US agricultural sector.
Illegal immigrants are legalized through registered temporary immigration status.
Illegal immigrants need to submit evidence to prove that they have lived continuously in the United States before 20112.30, and can apply for temporary immigration status.
20111231American citizens or spouses of green card holders or parents of American citizens who lived in the United States before may apply for registration as temporary immigrants. People who lived in the United States before 201165438+February 3 1 can also apply for registration of temporary immigration status.
Illegal immigrants must pass a background check to see if they have committed a felony, three or more misdemeanors, violated foreign laws and engaged in illegal elections.
Illegal immigrants must keep working in the process of legalization.
Illegal immigrants must pay fines, application fees and supplementary taxes and fees. Temporary immigrant status registered for the first time is valid for 6 years and requires a fine of $500. The registered temporary immigration status can be extended, but the applicant needs to pay a fine of 500 US dollars. Once illegal immigrants are eligible to apply for a green card, they need an application fee of $65,438+0,000. Therefore, the fine and application fee total $2,000.
After ten years of border security, illegal immigrants with registered temporary immigration status can apply for a green card through the performance-based visa category, as long as they keep the documents needed for legalization, pay all the taxes owed, master the common sense of American civil affairs and English, and all the professional immigrants and their relatives waiting to be scheduled have visa quotas available when the bill is implemented. The performance visa category will provide visa places from 20 14 to 10 for some applicants who have been waiting for a long time, so as to alleviate the scheduling situation of professional immigrants and their relatives. In addition, illegal immigrants other than workers who meet the dream act and agricultural projects must wait until the US Department of Homeland Security confirms border security before submitting green card applications.
Workers who meet the dream act and agricultural projects can apply for green cards after five years, regardless of border security.
Changes related to strengthening border security
The purpose of this bill is to effectively control the high-risk areas on the southern border. This means that 90% of illegal immigrants were arrested in areas where 3,000 or more people were arrested. If this goal cannot be achieved after five years of implementation, a new federal border control committee will be set up with a budget of $2 billion to achieve this goal.
US$ 3 billion was invested in the border security strategy, and fences were set up on the southern border of the United States, with a budget of US$ 654.38+0.5 billion. National security forces will be authorized to help build fences and other measures to strengthen the border. This should be done before illegal immigrants obtain registered temporary immigration status.
Another 3,500 immigration and customs enforcement officers will be recruited.
The border with Mexico will be patrolled by drones.
Implement an electronic authentication system for all enterprises to ensure compliance with immigration laws.
conclusion
There are many encouraging factors in the passage of the comprehensive immigration reform bill this year: the unanimous support of the two parties in the Senate, the cooperation and mutual respect between the executive and the legislature, the consensus of the US government and the opposition in retaining the best talents, and the concern of trade unions and enterprises about guest worker projects.
However, if you intend to apply for a green card, don't wait until the reform bill is passed, but start as soon as possible according to the types of immigrants currently available. Judging from the timetable of the W visa mentioned in the bill, even if the bill is passed in 20 13, it will take two or three years before it can be formally implemented.
For more information about studying in the United States, please click on the relevant links.
At the promotion meeting in the United States, the Commercial Office of the US Embassy in China led Asia Travel Service, Avis Car Rental Company, Chicago Tourism Bureau, Delta Air Lines, Diamond International Travel Service, Hawaii Tourism Bureau and Hertz Car Rental Company to bring the latest tourism information and new product information, and actively communicated with local travel agencies. What people present are most concerned about is the implementation of the new visa reservation, fee payment and document delivery system in the United States on March 16. To this end, people in the United States introduced that the implementation of the new visa application system in the United States will greatly simplify the application process and save applicants' time, energy and property. Last year, the average waiting time for interviews and appointments was five days. After the implementation of the new system this year, I believe that the waiting time will be greatly shortened, and it is expected that the number of tourists from China to the United States will increase significantly. It is understood that in 20 12, the U.S. mission in China handled more than1340,000 non-immigrant visa applications, an increase of 34% compared with 20 1 1, and the pass rate of visa applications was as high as 90%. According to the statistics of the US Tourism Administration, the growth rate of tourists from Chinese mainland to the United States in 20 12 ranked first among the top ten tourist sources, reaching 46%.