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黑暗中的沙漠

Trump Wins! Is This the Last Chance for Immigration to the U.S.?

特朗普

Republican presidential candidate and former President Donald Trump has won the election, returning to the White House after four years and officially becoming the 47th President of the United States.


Trump has consistently advocated for anti-immigration policies. He believes that the influx of immigrants from different races and countries not only takes away job opportunities from Americans but also lowers social welfare standards, disrupts social governance, and alters the demographic structure of the United States.


Looking back at his term from 2017 to 2020, Trump implemented a series of tightening immigration policies that profoundly affected the immigration landscape in the U.S.

 

Restrict Entry of Chinese Students


  1. In 2018, the U.S. State Department shortened the validity period of F-1 visas for some Chinese international students from five years to one year, primarily affecting students in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) fields.

  2. In the same year, the U.S. issued only 110,091 F-1 visas to applicants from China, significantly lower than half of the number issued during Obama’s term in 2015.

  3. In May 2020, Trump signed Presidential Proclamation No. 10043, restricting personnel related to China’s “military-civilian integration strategy” from entering the United States on F or J visas, resulting in the revocation of the visas of thousands of Chinese students.

 

Tighter Approval Standards for Work Visas & Rising Denial Rates


In the first quarter of 2019, the denial rate for new H-1B visa applications rose to 32%, compared to only 6% during Obama’s term. Additionally, over 60% of H-1B applicants received requests for additional documentation, setting a historical high. This led to a more complicated approval process for applicants, significantly extending waiting times and increasing uncertainty.

 

Green Card Quota Freeze


In April 2020, to protect the U.S. labor market, Trump signed Presidential Proclamation No.10014, suspending the issuance of green cards to family-based immigrants and some employment-based immigrants who apply abroad.

 

Interview Requirement for Employment-Based Immigrants, Backlog Issues Intensified


In October 2018, all employment-based green card applicants filing I-485 applications were required to undergo interviews. This interview requirement, which previously applied only to family-based immigration, expanded to employment-based immigration, leading to a strain on interview resources. By the end of 2020, the backlog for both employment and family-based immigration applications approached one million, particularly with significantly extended waiting times for employment-based immigrants.

 

EB-5 Investor Immigration


The recent EB-5 program under the new policy will not be affected, but some lawyers predict that Trump may request relevant departments to strengthen the review of EB-5 projects to select higher-quality investors and projects. This could involve raising investment thresholds, increasing asset and background requirements for investors, and requiring investors to provide more documentation.

 

Conclusion


Trump has tightened immigration policies many times during his term, affecting various types of immigrants, including international students and employment-based immigrants. For now, the EB-5 visa program has not faced significant impacts, but the future remains uncertain.


With Trump set to take office next year, it is expected that immigration policies may tighten further. For those intending to immigrate to the U.S., especially those looking to apply through the EB-5 program, it is advisable to take advantage of the current exemption from waiting lists to increase the chances of successful approval.


If you are considering immigration to the U.S., feel free to contact Oceanus Strategic. We will continue to monitor the latest developments in U.S. immigration policies, so stay tuned.


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