A Comprehensive Immigration Policy: Legal Immigration

A New Center policy on legal immigration:

The U.S. currently admits almost five times as many immigrants for family-based reasons as employment related ones. We should shift our targets closer to those from countries like Canada, which currently has an almost equal split—letting in 27% of refugees for family based

reasons and 32% for employment-based ones. Like Canada, the U.S. could use multiple criteria to determine which immigrants qualify for merit-based entry, including: a. Education.

  1. English language ability. c. Work experience. d. Age. e. Arranged employment (those who already have job offers), and f. Adaptability, which includes previous experience living legally in the United States, or personal connections that would make assimilation easier.

Temporary visas should become portable after an initial period so individuals aren’t forced to stick with one employer to maintain legal status and can change jobs to maximize their contributions to the economy. The government should create a new system for provisional visas.

The diversity immigrant lottery should be eliminated in favor of immigrants who possess functional English language skills, have achieved superior education or employment experience, or have American family members.

Family-related immigration should be limited to nuclear families. Specifically to spouses, minor children, and parents of U.S. citizens and the spouses and minor children of legal permanent residents (LPRs).

The U.S. should consider fear of persecution from organized gang violence as a legitimate claim to asylum.

There should be toughened language requirements for naturalization.

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