US to review deportations in 300,000 immigration cases

US President Barack Obama announced major reforms to America’s current immigration system on Thursday, putting 300,000 illegal immigrants’ cases up for review and temporarily halting their deportation. The new guidelines direct the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to target for deportation those “who have been convicted of crimes or pose a security risk,” and “clear out low-priority cases.” The priority of a case will be determined by prosecutorial discretion granted in a number of areas: “the person’s length of presence in the United States, with particular consideration given to presence while in lawful status;” “the circumstances of the person’s arrival in the United States and the manner of his or her entry,particularly if the alien came to the United States as a young child;” “the person’s pursuit of education in the United States;” “whether the person, or the person’s immediate relative, has served in the U.S. military;” “the person’s ties and contributions to the community, including family relationships;” “whether the person is the primary caretaker of a person with a mental or physical disability, minor, or seriously ill relative;” and several other factors. Many of the criteria mirror portions of the Development, Relief and Education for Alien Minors (DREAM) Act [House bill; Senate bill], a bill that has a languished in Congress for a decade which attempts to provide amnesty for illegal immigrants who serve in the military or achieve a college education. During Obama’s three years in office, approximately one million illegal immigrants have been deported, with almost 400,000 [AP report] last year alone.

Reactions to the new policy have poured in from around the nation. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) [official website], a major sponsor of the DREAM Act, praised the decision: “The Obama Administration has made the right decision in changing the way they handle deportations of DREAM Act students. These students are the future doctors, lawyers, teachers and, maybe, Senators, who will make America stronger.” However, Arizona Governor Jan Brewer (R) [official website] called the announcement backdoor amnesty. Rights groups have also been critical of the decision, stating it does not go far enough. The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), in an emailed press release, criticized the focus on criminals for deportation: “The administration says it will focus on individuals with crimes, but many of those individuals came to the United States at a young age, have spouses and children who are U.S. citizens, and pose no danger to our country.” Reform Immigration for America also said the new policies don’t go far enough . Earlier this week, the American Civil Liberties Union of Northern California (ACLU-NC) and the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights filed suit challenging the practice of shackling immigration detainees in court.

Get The Facts About Canadian Immigration

Canada is considered as amongst the top strongest economies of the world. This is why a majority of people want to get Canadian immigration. The country is a perfect spot for attaining a good job, education and a prosperous livelihood, if you have visa Canada.

Those, who want to live and work in Canada on a permanent basis, have a good choice before them to get immediate permanent residency status. The citizenship and immigration in Canada (CIC) makes rules for permanent residents, so that they can apply for citizenship after a 3-year residency period.

A popular route to get immigration is by applying for Federal Skilled Worker Class Visa Canada which looks for immigrants having skill and work experience as desired by the economy to grow further. A point-based system is there, based on factors like age, experience, education and adaptability to the working environment to assess an application’s eligibility. An immigrant can successfully get inducted into the work force if he fits in one of those occupations that have low worker supply. Living here for a few years will let the person be a permanent resident but he has no voting right.

Candidates applying under this head need to provide capital for a commercial venture that will create job in the country for Canadian citizens (other than him and his family). The second category of this program is for people who are self-employed, such as farmers, writers, singers etc. They need to demonstrate the willingness and ability to start a venture that will give them employment while significantly contributing to cultural or economic growth.

This is an investment program where a minimum amount of $400,000 (CDN) should be invested in a venture to be approved by the government. The applicant may also be required to give evidence of previous business endeavors if the net amount comes up to $800,000. The clients need to work in the applied province alone.

This visa is designed for people above the age of 18, and who has a good income that could sustain a family. Relatives can be sponsored without a point system which means the permanent residency can be gained quickly. Spouse and fianc© immigration can also be applied for besides parents and children under 18.

International Students could Benefit from US Visa Reforms

The H-1B visa category is subject to attempted revision from within the Senate which could benefit foreign students in America.

The immigration subcommittee of the US Senate is trying to pass into law an expansion of the H-1B visa category. The reform would see green card work permits available to science, maths, or technology graduates from American colleges.

Senators John Cornyn and Chuck Schumer are targeting immigration reform that would mean a greater number of highly-skilled workers could emigrate to the US. The Senators argue that it is not in America’s interests to force foreign students to return to their country of origin having graduated from US academic institutions.

The move is motivated by a desire to give America’s flagging economy a shot in the arm.

Advocates of the change outlined in the Senate say that America faces the threat of falling behind the world’s strongest and emerging economies if it does not do more to retain the ‘world’s best and brightest minds’.

Other countries, including America’s neighbour Canada, do far more to welcome skilled immigration. This seems strange for a country that became an economic powerhouse on the back of an open doors immigration policy from the last century; however America has been far less welcoming in recent years.

At a recent Senate hearing representatives from a number of the world’s leading firms spoke in favour of immigration reform. Brad Smith, General Counsel at Microsoft and Robert Greifeld, CEO of Nasdaq, both advocated reform as they say technology companies are struggling to fill vacancies for qualified workers.

At present reform of the H-1B visa system is only in the pipeline, but if this legislation is passed there will be a genuine opportunity for students to learn their way into emigrating to America.