US Senators introduce bill to reduce allotment of cards to foreigners by half

dennis kibet

February 8, 2017 5:38 PM

Senators Tom Cotton of Arkansas and David Perdue of Georgia argue the current amount of legal immigration is bloated with low-skilled labour and has contributed to the declining wages of Americans with high school diplomas or less.

GOP Senators have introduced a bill in the United States Senate that will have far reaching repercussions for foreign nationals wishing to immigrate to the country by half.

The move comes barely a few weeks after President Donald Trump issued an Executive Order temporarily suspending entry into the US of some foreign nationals.

The US Embassy in Kenya later issued a statement reiterating that the order did not affect the permitted duration of stay for Kenyan visitors.

In 2015, over 3,000 Kenyans won the right to live and work in the US in the lottery and benefited directly from the program.

Winning in the green card lottery offers an individual and his/her family an opportunity to live and work in the US.

Green card benefits

A green card entitles one to a permanent residence permission, which allows you to freely live, work and move in any of 50 states.

As a citizen, you will be entitled to equal and lawful employment by any employer on non-discriminating grounds.

Permanent residence permit is a way to full citizenship and is no different from it except for the right to vote - the most sacred right of any American citizen that you as a holder of green card will be entitled to within five years since your immigration.

A green card also entitles one to all social benefits of being an American citizen, such as state sponsorship in education, research, taxation, social security and insurance, retirement and health benefits.

One can also legally own property, cars, firearms and other items that any other average American does.

Legal immigration

The senators want to roll back legal immigration in a three-pronged approach that aims to cut the number of immigrants by half, to 500,000 annually.

They however say their plan would not touch visa programs for high-skilled workers.

The bill, "Reforming American Immigration for Strong Employment Act" (RAISE Act), which is said to have the support of the Trump administration, would limit the number of family-based visas so that only spouses and unmarried minor children of citizens and permanent residents can get green cards.

Currently the law also allows for parents of citizens, as well as siblings, both married and unmarried children over 21, along with their spouses and minor children.

dennis kibet