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Donald Trump Calls for Huge ‘Merit Based’ Immigration Reform
Breitbart ^ | March 1, 2017 | Neil Munro

Posted on 03/01/2017 9:35:55 AM PST by COUNTrecount

President Donald Trump called for a huge overhaul of the nation’s immigration rules to reduce the huge inflow of low-skill, welfare-dependent immigrants, but perhaps also to increase the inflow of productivity-boosting white-collar immigrants.

In his Feb. 28 speech to the joint session of Congress, he declared:

Nations around the world, like Canada, Australia and many others –- have a merit-based immigration system. It is a basic principle that those seeking to enter a country ought to be able to support themselves financially. Yet, in America, we do not enforce this rule, straining the very public resources that our poorest citizens rely upon. According to the National Academy of Sciences, our current immigration system costs America’s taxpayers many billions of dollars a year.

Switching away from this current system of lower-skilled immigration, and instead adopting a merit-based system, will have many benefits: it will save countless dollars, raise workers’ wages, and help struggling families –- including immigrant families –- enter the middle class.

I believe that real and positive immigration reform is possible, as long as we focus on the following goals: to improve jobs and wages for Americans, to strengthen our nation’s security, and to restore respect for our laws.

Trump’s proposed shift to “a merit-based immigration system” would reduce the inflow of unskilled migrants, but perhaps also raise the inflow of skilled migrants.

Two GOP Senators are also proposing a reduction in low-skill immigration and a rise in high-skilled immigration.

Any policy shift to reduce l0w-skilled migration would likely be opposed by Democrats, by Wall Street investors and by the many member companies in the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, all of whom gain from the huge annual inflow of roughly 800,000 salary-cutting, welfare-spending unskilled migrants.

(Excerpt) Read more at breitbart.com ...


TOPICS: News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: aliens; illegals; immigration; immigrationreform; meritbased; trump; visas
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To: RedWulf
The very obvious solution is to put the minimum salary of 150k on each H1B job. Hard to drive down wages that way.

No, that wouldn't work.

Number 1: $150K isn't really a big multiplier over average engineer wage in the Silicon Valley - maybe 1.25X

Number 2: The HR departments would find ways of gaming the system by playing games with pay. For example, they would take away H-1B visa holder health insurance, and make them pay for the program out of their own pocket. That, and other transition of overhead costs to the engineer's responsibility would take care of the cost multiplier quickly. EVEN WORSE: they'd start to apply the same cost transfers to U.S. Citizens, just to "be fair and even-handed".

Number 3: You assume all H-1B visa hiring is done for cost reasons. NO. Many times it is an Indian engineering manager insisting on only hiring other Indian engineers. This $150K minimum would be HEAVEN for them - they'd get to use the same old tricks to exclude Americans from hiring, but then boost up their salary by the aforementioned 1.25 or so multiplier.

The only way to END H-1B visa abuse is to KILL THE PROGRAM. You have no idea how many people out here study all the ways to game ANY program available.

41 posted on 03/01/2017 10:17:51 AM PST by Yossarian
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To: The Truth Will Make You Free

Agree.....


42 posted on 03/01/2017 10:20:00 AM PST by Gaffer
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To: COUNTrecount

The socialist-democrats don’t want this. They want cheap, ignorant, indentured, and compliant low cost labor.

They get that labor force through importing illegals and exploitation of legal alien work visas.

This is why the wealthiest people in the US are card-carrying socialist-democrats.

The socialist-democrats wanted hillary because she would have implemented chinese communism in the US.

The RINO-republicans wanted Bush because he would have implemented south american socialism/fascism in the US.

We dodged a lethal bullet shot from both of them by electing Donald Trump as our POTUS.


43 posted on 03/01/2017 10:24:03 AM PST by factoryrat (We reserve the producers, the creators. Grow it, mine it, build it.)
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To: central_va

We need to end family chain immigration and birth right citizenship. Do that first then debate who we still let in. We also need to hold all the sponsors accountable for those they financially guaranteed. Start by withholding their tax refunds or EITC.


44 posted on 03/01/2017 10:28:46 AM PST by Oldexpat
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To: COUNTrecount

Music to my ears.


45 posted on 03/01/2017 10:31:14 AM PST by Georgia Girl 2 (The only purpose of a pistol is to fight your way back to the rifle you should never have dropped)
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To: Yossarian

>Number 3: You assume all H-1B visa hiring is done for cost reasons. NO. Many times it is an Indian engineering manager insisting on only hiring other Indian engineers. This $150K minimum would be HEAVEN for them - they’d get to use the same old tricks to exclude Americans from hiring, but then boost up their salary by the aforementioned 1.25 or so multiplier.

And kill the company that hiring so many Indians. I’ve worked with Indian software developers, I’m not impressed.


46 posted on 03/01/2017 10:31:21 AM PST by RedWulf (#purge the nevertrumpers)
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To: COUNTrecount

How it works in New Zealand:

You score points based on ENGLISH
You score points based on job EXPERIENCE
You score points based on level of Education
You must pass a HEALTH screening
You must pass a police BACKGROUND CHECK

If you apply for the skilled labor visa, you must have a LEGITIMATE JOB OFFER to be accepted and YOUR SKILL MUST BE NEEDED IN NZ:

https://www.immigration.govt.nz/about-us/media-centre/news-notifications/copy_of_essential-skills-in-demand-list-review-2015

Their available visas are not unlimited.

I favor this system, which is also used by Canada and Australia.


47 posted on 03/01/2017 10:33:36 AM PST by aMorePerfectUnion
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To: COUNTrecount

Sounds to me as if Trump just wants to ENFORCE EXISTING IMMIGRATION LAW which is merit based.


48 posted on 03/01/2017 10:34:40 AM PST by MIchaelTArchangel
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To: COUNTrecount

The skilled migrants are coming here anyhow. Anyhow, take a look at the Australian immigration model.


49 posted on 03/01/2017 10:52:08 AM PST by Cobra64 (Common sense isn't common any more.)
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To: central_va
The USA mindlessly issues 65,000 H-1B visas every year

Because Americans can't program, yuh know?

The nation that invented stored program computer operation is apparently now incapable of producing people who can do that, even though some of us have been doing it since we were 12 back in the '60s.

Some of us. Apparently, not the right color skin of us.

50 posted on 03/01/2017 10:56:20 AM PST by Regulator
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To: COUNTrecount

I remember reading in the mid 1980’s that Chinese from Hong Kong were starting to emigrate to Vancouver in advance of the Brits handing HK over to the Chicoms. The Canadians would only approve immigration if the Chinese man heading the family brought in hard assets worth in excess of $500,000. Gold was probably the most common hard asset then.


51 posted on 03/01/2017 11:00:57 AM PST by VietVet876
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To: COUNTrecount
"Huge ‘Merit Based’ Immigration Reform

Sounds like the flood gates will be opened to more H1B's
52 posted on 03/01/2017 11:02:13 AM PST by indthkr
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To: Yossarian
The only way to stop H1-B visa abuse, and to make STEM careers attractive again in this country is to KILL THE H1-B PROGRAM.

Everyone step back and take a breath here. You are confusing two totally different categories of aliens.

First H1-Bs are non immigrants admitted for a limited time and for a specific reason. What Trump is talking about here are permanent Resident Aliens (LAPRs) admitted with the knowledge that they will reside for the rest of their lives.

Most after 5 years will naturalize to US citizens.

Currently all the preferences for LAPRs (head of the line) goes to family members of US citizens and family members of LAPRs. That's the only criteria, you can be a total looser but if you are the father of a US citizen you go to the front of the line.

Under this new program it will be the likelihood of you contributing to the US economy that gives you a preference. There will be no categories for IT workers or engineers. It will be based on overall education level, past work experience etc.

We absolutely need to make this happen.

53 posted on 03/01/2017 11:03:57 AM PST by usurper
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To: central_va

Trump is aware of this problem, he IS FULLY AWARE of this HB1 CRAP bringing down wages!!! He IS FULLY AWARE that these visas HURT American workers I believe he WILL NOT issue these visas unless ABSOLUTELY necessary!!! Right now they ARE NOT absolutely necessary, be patient he has only been in office 41 days!!!! I watched EVERY Trump rally during process he talked about this REPEATEDLY the HB1 Visas WILL BE dealt with!!!! This man does NOT break promises!!! He OWES NO ONE except the American worker!!!!


54 posted on 03/01/2017 11:04:00 AM PST by Trump Girl Kit Cat (Yosemite Sam raising hell)
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To: Trump Girl Kit Cat

I hope you are right. Let’s wait and see. I’ve waited 30 years. I guess we can all wait a little longer.


55 posted on 03/01/2017 11:07:13 AM PST by central_va (I won't be reconstructed and I do not give a damn.)
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To: COUNTrecount

Which is it? Stop “cheap” H1B visa immigrants from coming here or allow “merit based” H1B visa immigrants coming here.


56 posted on 03/01/2017 11:11:28 AM PST by Organic Panic (Rich White Man Evicts Poor Black Family From Public Housing - MSNBCPBSCNNNYTABC)
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To: jiggyboy

Remember the mention within the last month that H-1b workers would have to be paid a wage comparable to American’s employed in a similar position, setting a floor to wages and benefits? Knocking out the compensation race-to-the-bottom by importing wage slaves from outside the U.S. removes an incentive for H-1b.


57 posted on 03/01/2017 11:28:08 AM PST by Ozark Tom (Now it's the Deep State Media DSM ™ ®--evil spawn of the MSM 3-letter networks)
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To: central_va

It WON’T be that long Trump is a MOVER and SHAKER, I THINK this WILL COME in the form of a HUGE tax break for hiring American I am ALL FOR tax breaks for hiring American, we are giving HUGE tax breaks for hiring EVERY DAMNED class of person EXCEPT just regular Americans!!!! Once we get Americans back to work and the DAMNED OSHA regulations cut back the tax benefits can start to be cut back also!!! There is just SO MANY DAMNED regulations attributed WITH PAYROLL it makes it DAMNED near IMPOSSIBLE to pay a decent wage for American workers!!!


58 posted on 03/01/2017 11:28:43 AM PST by Trump Girl Kit Cat (Yosemite Sam raising hell)
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To: Lurkinanloomin

Making it “merit based” should eliminate around 70% of the H1B holders who currently come.


59 posted on 03/01/2017 11:56:28 AM PST by Buckeye McFrog
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To: COUNTrecount

Then shouldn’t it follow, any kind of amnesty or legal resident status, would likewise be “merit based?”

—No criminal acts
—No welfare, housing, food stamps etc.
—Paid taxes

etc.


60 posted on 03/01/2017 12:00:37 PM PST by truth_seeker
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