Migrating to the US likely to Get Easier for Educated Indians

There’s good news and bad news for Indians in India yearning to migrate to America.

US President Donald Trump is backing a bill that will broadly facilitate high skilled, educationally-privileged immigration — India’s forte — to the United States at the expense of family ties-based immigration that has been the primary route for more than half-acentury.

Indians use both routes. But the educated, high-skilled, Englishproficient elite has always had it harder because they typically go through the H1-B guest worker route that involves many hurdles, in contrast to those who go through family ties, a less exacting pathway.

In either case, Indians are also constrained by country specific

quota — seven per cent — which means that Nepalese or Pakistanis (fewer in number) have a greater chance of getting US residency than Indians.

But under the new legislation proposed by two Republican Senators and backed by President Trump, the educated elite will have first dibs on permanent residency — also called Green Cards — coveted by many prospective immigrants that usually and eventually results in citizenship. Under the proposals contained in the Reforming American Immigration for a Strong Economy (RAISE) Act, young, educated, English-speaking immigrant applications will be favoured in a points-based system similar to that used by Canada and Australia.

Here’s how the points system will work: Good education, particularly if it is a US-minted degree, earns big points: An applicant with a US high school diploma or the foreign equivalent gets one point; a foreign bachelor’s degree earns five points, while a US bachelor’s degree earns six points. A foreign master’s degree in STEM fields earns seven points while a US master’s earns eight points. A foreign professional degree or doctorate earns 10 points and a US equivalent earns 13. Youth, needed to subsidise America’s aged, gets priority. Those aged 18 through 21 gets six points, ages 22 through 25 gets eight points, and ages 26 through 30 get 10 points. After that, it’s downhill: aged 31 through 35 getting eight points, 36 through 40 getting six points, ages 41 through 45 getting four points and ages 46 through 50 getting two points. Minors under the age of 18 and those over the age of 50 receive no points, though they can still apply.

The task before me was huge and challenging. In these times, you have always been a father figure and a mentor to me. Your wisdom, guidance and personal warmth have given me greater confidence and strength. Narendra Modi Prime Minister