Will Donald Trump’s automatic green card give happiness to Indians…a chance to both get a job and settle in America?

New Delhi: Donald Trump will be the 47th President of America. Recently, he/she has achieved a big victory by defeating Kamala Harris of Indian origin in the US Presidential election. With his/her victory, the question that is troubling Indians who dream of going to America is whether Trump will come in the way of going to America or will make their problems easier. Even during the election campaign, Trump’s strict stance towards immigrants is putting everyone in tension. This question is giving tension to everyone whether getting America’s green card will prove to be a difficult task for Indians? What will the RAISE Act, 2017 do? Both these things will become clear only after Trump takes over as President on January 20. But, before that let us understand the whole thing.

What indication has Donald Trump given regarding immigrants?

Trump had expressed different stances on the green card during the election campaign. In June, 2024 he/she said that green cards could be given to foreign students graduating from US colleges, including junior colleges, to retain skilled talent within the US. he/she suggested that these graduates should get automatic green cards to live and work in America.
Will 1.5 lakh children of Indians in America have to move out of the country? To what extent will Trump keep his/her promise?

What facilities are available in America through Green Card?

Green card holders do not need a visa to enter the US. Green card holders are allowed to travel freely in and out of the country and take advantage of most government benefits, such as Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid. Green card holders also get a path to US citizenship after a certain period of time (usually 3-5 years).

Green card is the green signal to settle in America

In the US, the Permanent Resident Card or Form I-551 is officially called the Green Card. This card is given to someone who is not a US citizen. However, this card allows any foreigner to live and work in the US. Green card holders get almost all the same rights as a US citizen.

What is worker visa, who are in the queue

People living in the United States as dependents on a parent’s temporary, nonimmigrant visa are called Documented Dreamers. It is also called worker visa. If these dependents do not obtain a green card by the age of 21, they have to leave the United States.

7 percent quota reduced for large population of India

According to US law, the annual limit for issuance of employment-based green cards is 1,40,000. Apart from this, there is only 7 percent quota for each country. The brunt of this has to be borne by the highly skilled youth of populous countries like India and China, because the people here want to go to America and fulfill their dreams. This quota is giving tension to Indians.

What can change with Trump’s arrival?

Many reports indicate that Trump may ban travel to America from many Muslim-majority countries as soon as he/she takes power. Can stop the resettlement of refugees. Green card applications for categories with large backlogs may be put on hold. Can affect businesses dependent on foreign workers.

So can Trump invoke the RAISE Act?

In his/her first term as President, Trump supported the RAISE (Reforming American Immigration for Stronger Jobs) Act, 2017, which aimed to halve legal immigration. This would mean that there is a provision to reduce the number of green cards from 10 lakh to about 5 lakh annually. If Trump implements these laws, it will have a big impact on Indian workers, because a large part of the green card applicants and skilled foreign workers in America are Indians.

Automatic Green Card for Foreign Graduates

This policy gives Indian students pursuing degrees in the US an automatic path to a green card after graduation. Many Indian students go to America for higher education and hope to stay in America to work. In such a situation, the automatic green card can remove the need for lengthy and uncertain visa processes like H-1B and Indian graduates can get immediate employment and settlement approval.

What will happen with RAISE and family based immigration

Indians hoping to bring family members to America for a green card may face some restrictions. Many Indians use the family-based category to bring parents, siblings or adult children to the US. At the same time, under the RAISE Act model, it will be limited to spouses and minor children, which will impact family reunification.

Who brought the Rage Act, what was the demand?

RAISE is a bill first introduced in the US Senate by Republican Senators Tom Cotton and David Perdue. Under this, it sought to reduce the level of legal immigration to America by 50% by halving the number of green cards.