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Half a million immigrants to get citizenship in US   

Biden administration’s break from Trump opens doors for India in Iran and Afghanistan (credit: Indian Narrative)

To qualify, an immigrant must have lived in the United States for 10 years as of Monday and be married to a US citizen…reports Asian Lite News

President Joe Biden is taking an expansive, election-year step to offer relief to potentially hundreds of thousands of immigrants without legal status in the US — aiming to balance his own aggressive crackdown on the border earlier this month that enraged advocates and many Democratic lawmakers.

The White House announced Tuesday that the Biden administration will, in the coming months, allow certain spouses of US citizens without legal status to apply for permanent residency and eventually, citizenship. The move could affect upwards of half a million immigrants, according to senior administration officials.

To qualify, an immigrant must have lived in the United States for 10 years as of Monday and be married to a US citizen. If a qualifying immigrant’s application is approved, he or she would have three years to apply for a green card, and receive a temporary work permit and be shielded from deportation in the meantime.

About 50,000 noncitizen children with a parent who is married to a US citizen could also potentially qualify for the same process, according to senior administration officials who briefed reporters on the proposal on condition of anonymity. There is no requirement on how long the couple must have been married, and no one becomes eligible after Monday. That means immigrants who reach that 10 year mark any time after June 17, 2024, will not qualify for the program, according to the officials.

Senior administration officials said they anticipate the process will be open for applications by the end of the summer, and fees to apply have yet to be determined.

Biden will speak about his plans at a Tuesday afternoon event at the White House, which will also mark the 12th anniversary of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, a popular Obama-era directive that offered deportation protections and temporary work permits for young immigrants who lack legal status.

White House officials privately encouraged Democrats in the House, which is in recess this week, to travel back to Washington to attend the announcement.

The president will also announce new regulations that will allow certain DACA beneficiaries and other young immigrants to more easily qualify for long-established work visas. That would allow qualifying immigrants to have protection that is sturdier than the work permits offered by DACA, which is currently facing legal challenges and is no longer taking new applications.

The power that Biden is invoking with his Tuesday announcement for spouses is not a novel one. The policy would expand on authority used by presidents George W. Bush and Barack Obama to allow “parole in place” for family members of military members, said Andrea Flores, a former policy adviser in the Obama and Biden administrations who is now a vice president at FWD.us, an immigration advocacy organization.

The parole-in-place process allows qualifying immigrants to get on the path to US permanent residency without leaving the country, removing a common barrier for those without legal status but married to Americans. Flores said it “fulfills President Biden’s day one promise to protect undocumented immigrants and their American families.”

Tuesday’s announcement comes two weeks after Biden unveiled a sweeping crackdown at the US-Mexico border that effectively halted asylum claims for those arriving between officially designated ports of entry. Immigrant-rights groups have sued the Biden administration over that directive, which a senior administration official said Monday had led to fewer border encounters between ports.

Biden has said he has had to use executive action to address immigration because Republicans in Congress refuse to act. Republicans blocked a bipartisan immigration bill in February, saying it was not strong enough even though it included some of the most significant restrictions Congress had contemplated in years.

Many of the Republicans, encouraged by Trump, were not inclined to give Biden a legislative victory in an election year. “So much for Republicans caring about the border,” Biden said on Tuesday.

Two weeks ago, Biden bypassed Congress and issued an executive order that prevents migrants from seeking asylum at the US-Mexico border when crossings surge. It was the most restrictive border policy instituted by Biden, or any other modern Democrat.

Almost immediately after the president issued that order, White House officials began privately reassuring progressives that he would also help undocumented immigrants who had been in the nation for years, according to people familiar with the conversations. On Tuesday, Biden did just that.

The new policy could help Biden in battleground swing states like Nevada, Arizona and Georgia, which each have more than 100,000 voters who live in “mixed status” households, according to the American Business Immigration Coalition, a group that supports the proposed policy change.

“The road to the White House runs through Nevada, and people in my state are paying attention,” Senator Catherine Cortez Masto, Democrat of Nevada, wrote in an opinion essay for Univision this week. She said protecting undocumented spouses would bolster the economy in her state.

Biden is relying on a program known as “parole in place,” which has been used for other populations like families of military members. The status gives noncitizens the ability to temporarily live and work in the United States without fear of deportation.

ALSO READ-White House mulls legal status for immigrant spouses

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Britain to invite more Indian immigrants in coming years

UK visa and immigration expert, Yash Dubal, director of A Y & J Solicitors, predicts that the number of Indian professionals moving to the UK to live and work will continue to rise…reports Asian Lite News

The UK India Business Council is urging for “mutually beneficial” immigration policies in the trade discussions between India and the UK. With a surge in Indian nationals working and studying in the UK, the council highlighted the critical role of labour mobility in enhancing the bilateral relationship and underpinning economic growth for both nations.

Meanwhile, and immigration experts suggest that the trade deal is likely to encourage more Indians to immigrate in the UK in the coming years.

This comes at a time when a recent report shows Indian nationals were granted more UK skilled Worker visas than any other nationality in 2022. They received 39% of the total work permits, a jump of 90% compared to pre-pandemic levels. Indians also gained more British citizenship than any other non-European nation.

UKIBC Managing Director, Kevin McCole, says the living bridge is a ‘vital pillar of the UK-India bilateral relationship which contributes much to both our countries’ economies and to wider society’.

“There has been significant growth in the number of Indians coming to the UK in recent years thanks to positive developments that have extended and improved mobility opportunities and flexibility, such as the new points-based immigration system and extension of the post-study work visa for students and graduates,” he said.

“As a result, the UK issues more work, student, and tourist visas to Indians than to any other nationality. As the trade and investment relationship continues to grow, labour mobility remains of critical importance – having the people with the right skills in the right place at the right time is really important to both UK and Indian businesses. We therefore hope for a mutually beneficial outcome on labour mobility in the ongoing FTA negotiations.”

His comments come after when Britain is trying to deepen ties with India. Recently, Foreign Secretary James Cleverly visited India to launch an exchange program for young professionals to live and work in both countries.

UK visa and immigration expert, Yash Dubal, director of A Y & J Solicitors, predicts that the number of Indian professionals moving to the UK to live and work will continue to rise.

He said: “These numbers are expected to continue rising for two reasons. Firstly, it is a stated UK and Indian government policy to build more links and double trade by 2030. The expected Free Trade Agreement (FTA) between the nations will help achieve this aim and should make it easier for Indian nationals to work in the UK. The new youth mobility scheme which opens the door to 3000 extra young professionals from India was introduced this year as part of this aim. Secondly, demographics in India, which is now the world’s most populous nation, mean that the nation’s burgeoning educated younger population are eager to take new opportunities abroad, and the UK is a favoured destination.”

Much of the UK immigration infrastructure is focussed on skilled workers, who make up most work permit holders granted permission to work in the UK. There are several other visa routes available to entrepreneurs, innovators, investors, and startups.

ALSO READ-Sunak, Biden sign ‘Atlantic Declaration’ pact  

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-Top News World News

Nearly a million immigrants became citizens in FY 2022

The top five countries of birth of immigrants who became naturalized US citizens in fiscal year 2022 were Mexico, India, the Philippines, Cuba and the Dominican Republic…reports Asian Lite News

Nearly one million immigrants obtained US citizenship during the fiscal year 2022 — the highest number of naturalized citizens in almost 15 years, according to a US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) report.

USCIS completed processing 1,075,700 naturalization applications and administered the oath of allegiance to 967,400 new US citizens during the year ended September 30.

The number rose to 1,023,200 immigrants when considering children.

The top five countries of birth of immigrants who became naturalized US citizens in fiscal year 2022 were Mexico, India, the Philippines, Cuba and the Dominican Republic, according to the USCIS data.

The immigrants who either have been green card holders (permanent residents) for 3-5 years or meet various military service requirements are eligible for US citizenship.

The processing time, from the time you file your citizenship application to when you attend the oath of allegiance ceremony, is between 18.5-24 months.

The current government filing fee for naturalization applications is $725, including $640 for processing and $85 for biometrics services.

Military applicants are exempt from both the fees.

Immigrants with US citizenship are allowed to vote in federal elections, eligible for candidacy in US elections, have greater access to government assistance programmes, like Medicare, sponsor relatives seeking permanent residency, and ensure automatic US citizenship for children.

According to government data, USCIS oversaw more than 8.7 million immigration cases as on June 30 — from green card applications to asylum requests and work permit petitions.

“Every immigration case entrusted to us represents an individual or a family seeking to build a better life in the US,” said USCIS Director Ur M. Jaddou.

“We have made measurable progress towards building a more humane immigration system… There is more work to do, especially to reduce processing times for all people we serve, and congressional support is critical to achieving our ambitious backlog reduction goals in the year ahead.”

In the coming months, USCIS plans to build on this progress by implementing premium processing for all petitions for immigrant workers and certain employment authorisation applications for students and exchange visitors.

It hopes to establish a permanent biometrics exemption for all applicants for change of non-immigrant status and extension of non-immigrant stay.Several common forms, including the applications for employment authorization, adjustment of status, and naturalization will be simplified, the USCIS stated.

President Joe Biden.(photo:Instagram)

Biden backs bill to speed up immigration by Indians

President Joe Biden has thrown his weight behind a legislation to speed up immigration for Indians that is expected to come up in the House of Representatives soon and relieve the 90-year waiting period for some.

The proposed legislation, if adopted, would end the country caps, which limit the number of Green Cards or permanent resident status, leading to citizenship that can be issued to each country every year at 20,000, except for some immediate family members and for Mexicans and Canadians.

This will make the employment-based Green Card system merit-based without regard to nationality.

Calling it an effort to ameliorate the “the harsh effects of the immigrant visa backlog”, the President’s Executive Office expressed support for the legislation’s “goal of allowing US employers to focus on hiring immigrants based on merit, not their birthplace, by eliminating the per country limitation on employment-based immigrant visas (Green Cards)”.

Paving the way for the adoption of the legislation known as EAGLE Act — short for Equal Access to Green Cards for Legal Employment — the House Rules Committee on Monday approved sending it to the House for a vote and the House cleared on Tuesday the procedure for voting on it.

If it is passed by the House, it will have to get the approval of the Senate where a similar bill proposed by Republican Kevin Cramer and Democrat John Hickenlooper is pending.

In a race against time, the two versions of the bill will have to be reconciled and get final approvals before the Congress ends its current session.

A similar legislation was passed by the House in 2019 and another version of it in 2020, but it died when the two chambers did not have time to reconcile the differences in their versions of the bill before the end of the session.

There are 3,69,000 Indians waiting for Green Cards based on their employment and a total of 7,00,000 including family, but cannot get them because of the country caps and are trapped in the limbo of unrealistic waits.

The latest State Department statement on Green Cards shows that applicants from April 2012 were only now eligible to get them.

ALSO READ: Indian-origin Rachna Singh makes history as 1st South Asian minister in Canada

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-Top News USA

Canada army can now recruit immigrants  

But recruiting non-citizens isn’t by any means something new, he points out, arguing many other countries have done this for years…reports Asian Lite News

The Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) have announced that permanent residents, which includes a large number of Indians, will now be allowed to enlist, as the military struggles with low recruitment levels, according to a media report.

The move also comes five years after the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) announced that they’re changing their “outdated recruitment process”, means allowing permanent residents who have lived in Canada for 10 years to apply, CTV News reported.

Permanent residents were previously only eligible under the Skilled Military Foreign Applicant (SMFA) entry programme, which was “open for individuals … that would reduce training costs or fill a special need … such as a trained pilot or a doctor,” according to the Royal United Services Institute of Nova Scotia, a not-for-profit association of retired and serving members of the CAF.

Right now, candidates must be citizens of Canada, over 18 years old (or 16, providing they have parental consent), and have a grade 10 or grade 12 education depending on if they plan to enlist as an officer. These criteria — except, of course, the citizenship requirement — will also apply to permanent residents.

The CAF sounded an alarm in September over a severe shortage of recruits to fill thousands of vacant positions, meeting about half the number of applicants it needs per month to meet the goal of adding 5,900 members this year.

While the armed forces haven’t said whether the recent move was made to boost recruitment, Christian Leuprecht, a professor at the Royal Military College of Canada, says that it makes good sense. “In the past, the CAF has had the luxury of being able to limit itself to citizens because it has had enough applicants. This is no longer the case,” Leuprecht told CTVNews.ca in an email.

He added, “The CAF had resisted opening up the ranks to permanent residents because it does create additional burdens and risks, in terms of security clearances, for instance.”

But recruiting non-citizens isn’t by any means something new, he points out, arguing many other countries have done this for years.

“Countries such as France use military service as either a pathway to citizenship or an accelerated pathway to citizenship; but since Canadian citizenship is relatively easy for permanent residents to obtain, it’s not clear that would offer a major incentive in the Canadian case,” he said.

In March, Defence Minister Anita Anand said that the CAF needs to grow if it is to meet global demands triggered by Russia’s ongoing unprovoked invasion of Ukraine.

“Time is of the essence in everything we do when so much is at stake for Canada and for the world. We are facing the greatest threat to international peace and stability since the end of the Second World War,” she said in a press conference at the time. “What can a country like ours, an incredible country like ours, bring to the table?”

The change comes as Canada has released the Immigration Levels Plan for 2023-2025. The plan is targeting about 5 lakh new permanent residents in Canada per year by the end of 2025. This may drastically widen the pool of candidates the military has to choose from.

Nearly 1 lakh Indians became permanent residents of Canada in 2021. One in five people coming to Canada were born in India, the Statistics Canada data shows, making it the top country of birth for recent arrivals.

According to the census 2021, nearly a quarter of Canadians are or have been landed immigrants or permanent residents. Immigrants are also prime candidates for the military as they typically arrive in Canada during their younger working-age years when they are likely to be more physically active.

Opening recruitment to permanent residents will also change the demographic makeup of the military, which presently has less than 12 per cent visible minorities and 16 per cent women. The remaining three-quarters are white males.

ALSO READ-Poverty: Canada’s Indigenous people likely to face more hardship

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Education UK News

Move Abroad?

Searches for ‘move abroad’ explode to highest point ever as Britons face skyrocketing costs of living…reports Asian Lite News

Analysis of Google search data reveals that searches for ‘move abroad’ exploded 275% in the United Kingdom as of March 2022 – the highest level in internet history.

 The beginning of April, sees price hikes coming into effect across various sectors, with a 54% rise in the energy price cap, a rise of up 3% in Council Tax across local authorities, VAT levels rising back to 20% and an increase in National Insurance.

The analysis, by immigration experts Reiss Edwards, reveals that searches for ‘move abroad’ exploded to almost three times the average volume within the past month, an unprecedented increase in Brits looking to emigrate, according to Google search data analysis. The data also reveals that searches for ‘apply for Australian visa’ – the country with the highest number of British expats – have exploded 670% since the cost of living crisis began. 

 “The British public have been faced with a gradual rise in the cost of living since the pandemic, which has only amplified enormously in the last couple of months, with these new price hikes leading to some British residents to look for an alternative, and more affordable, country to live in,” said Amar Ali, Managing Director from Reiss Edwards. “To emigrate abroad can be a very important move for anyone and is a choice that should be well thought out with all the right information and these findings highlight the scale of Britons looking to make that commitment due to the cost of living crisis.

With the inflation rate in the UK set to continue to rise, it will be interesting to see whether these searches come to fruition and see just how many Britons choose to move away from the UK this year.”

New research has revealed the countries that each UK city wants to move to the most, with America being the most popular choice. 

The research conducted by immigration experts at Reiss Edwards analysed Google Keyword Planner data to establish the countries that residents of each city in the UK, want to move to based on search volume for visas.  

The analysis revealed that the United States of America had the highest number of cities searching for visas for the country, with a total of eighteen UK cities, including Sheffield, Bath, Liverpool and Manchester. There are approximately 20,000 Britons that make the move across the Atlantic to America each year.  

Canada was the second most popular country to move to with fifteen cities searching for visas to Canada more than any other country, including Birmingham, Newcastle upon Tyne, Portsmouth, and Norwich. 

A total of twelve UK cities searched for visas for Australia the most, the third highest number in the research. Cities with residents seeking to move to Australia the most include London, Belfast, Salford and Leeds.  

New Zealand was the fourth most searched for country to move to based on searches for visas with nine cities including Leicester, Stirling, Aberdeen and Exeter wishing to emigrate there.

Spain is the fifth most searched for country for Brits to move to with six cities searching to emigrate there the most including Bristol, Coventry, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Nottingham and Ripon.

Four UK cities searches for visas for France the most, making France the fifth most popular country for Brits to emigrate to. Cities with residents seeking to move to France include Southampton, Oxford, Durham and Cardiff.  

Amar Ali Managing Director from Reiss Edwards said:  “There are numerous reasons that Brits want to move abroad, whether it’s for a hotter climate, a cheaper economy or to be nearer loved ones. With an average of 400,000 Brits emigrating each year, this data offers a fascinating insight into where UK residents wish to relocate.” 

ALSO READ-UK adds more Covid symptoms to official list

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Africa News Arab News News

163 illegal immigrants rescued off Tunisian coast

163 illegal immigrants rescued off Tunisian coast

The Tunisian Maritime Guard rescued 163 illegal immigrants off the country’s eastern coast, the Tunisian Ministry of Defense has announced…reports Asian Lite News

The illegal immigrants were rescued from a sinking boat off the town of El Louza in the province of Sfax on Saturday evening, according to a statement released by the Ministry on Sunday.

ALSO READ: 872 illegal immigrants rescued from Libyan coast

Thousands of illegal immigrants attempt to cross the Mediterranean Sea every year, and Tunisia is one of the main points of access to Europe through irregular channels, Xinhua news agency reported.

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Arab News News World

872 illegal immigrants rescued from Libyan coast

872 illegal immigrants rescued from Libyan coast

A total of 872 illegal immigrants were rescued off the Libyan coast and returned to the country in the past week, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) announced…reports Asian Lite News

From January 23 to 29, the migrants were rescued or intercepted at sea and returned to Libya, the IOM said in a statement on Monday.

It added that a total of 1,476 illegal immigrants were rescued and returned to Libya this year, reports Xinhua news agency.

According to the IOM, 27 illegal immigrants have died and 55 gone missing off the Libyan coast on the Central Mediterranean route since the beginning of the year.

ALSO READ: More than 600 illegal immigrants rescued from Libya

In 2021, a total of 32,425 illegal immigrants were rescued and returned to the country, while 662 died and 891 others went missing off the Libyan coast on the Central Mediterranean route, the IOM revealed.

Libya has been suffering insecurity and chaos since the fall of the late leader Muammar Gaddafi in 2011.

The North African country has turned into a preferred point of departure for illegal immigrants who want to cross the Mediterranean Sea to European shores.

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Arab News News World

More than 600 illegal immigrants rescued from Libya

More than 600 illegal immigrants rescued from Libya

The International Organisation for Migration (IOM) has said that more than 600 illegal immigrants were rescued off the Libyan coast and returned to Libya in the past week…reports Asian Lite News

According to the IOM on Monday, 604 migrants were rescued or intercepted at sea and returned to Libya between January 16 and 22.

The United Nations agency reported that 12 illegal immigrants died and 16 others went missing off the coast of Libya on the Central Mediterranean route in the past week, Xinhua news agency reported.

ALSO READ: Nearly 969 migrants rescued from Libyan coast

In 2021, a total of 32,425 illegal immigrants were rescued and returned to Libya, while 662 died and 891 others went missing off the Libyan coast on the Central Mediterranean route, the agency revealed.

Since the fall of late Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi in 2011, the North African country has become a preferred point of departure for illegal immigrants seeking to cross the Mediterranean Sea to European shores.

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-Top News USA

Biden revokes Trump order on immigrants’ healthcare costs

President Joe Biden (www.instagram.comwhitehouse)

Biden said that the previous proclamation “does not advance the interests of the United States”, reports Asian Lite News

US President Joe Biden on Friday (local time) revoked a 2019 proclamation issued by former President Donald Trump preventing immigrants from obtaining visas unless they proved they could obtain health insurance or pay for health care.

In a statement, Biden said that the previous proclamation “does not advance the interests of the United States”.

“My Administration is committed to expanding access to quality, affordable healthcare. We can achieve that objective, however, without barring the entry of noncitizens who seek to immigrate lawfully to this country but who lack significant financial means or have not purchased health insurance coverage from a restrictive list of qualifying plans,” he said.

Biden
US President Joe Biden

“NOW, THEREFORE, I, JOSEPH R. BIDEN JR., President of the United States, by the authority vested in me by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America,… hereby find that the unrestricted entry into the United States of noncitizen immigrants based solely on the reasons articulated in Proclamation 9945 is not detrimental to the interests of the United States,” he added.

The US President also said that senior administration officials shall review any regulations, orders, guidance documents, policies, and any other similar agency actions developed pursuant to Proclamation 9945 and, as appropriate, issue revised guidance consistent with the policy set forth in this proclamation.

Earlier, the Biden administration also issued an executive order revoking the “National Garden of American Heroes” that Trump ordered built last year.

Upon taking office, Biden signed executive orders upholding the Obama-era Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program and repealing Trump’s travel ban targeting Muslim-majority nations, reported The Hill.

Former US President Donald Trump

Trump’s proclamation in 2019 required that visa applicants verify they will be covered by an approved health insurer within 30 days of entering the US or have the ability to pay for “reasonably foreseeable medical costs.” The order included some exceptions, including refugees and children of US citizens.

“Immigrants who enter this country should not further saddle our health care system, and subsequently American taxpayers, with higher costs,” read Trump’s proclamation. (ANI)

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