January 20th is approaching, and Donald Trump is set to be sworn in as the new U.S. president.
He has many things to accomplish from his election manifesto and the promises he made before the elections.
Indians living in the U.S., those wishing to immigrate from India, and the Indian student community pursuing courses in the U.S. have all eyes on what he plans to do that could affect their dreams and future.
Many assume that Trump will be signing into law two major changes that could impact the above groups.
One is the change to birthright citizenship.
A decision may be made to prevent American-born children of foreign parents from automatically receiving U.S. citizenship.
It has been known that some foreign families would travel to the U.S. late in pregnancy to ensure their child would be born in America, granting them U.S. citizenship. This practice could be stopped.
Additionally, foreign couples living on H-1B visas in the U.S. may no longer be able to secure citizenship for their children born in the U.S.
Only legal citizens (possibly not even Green Card holders) with American passports might be able to see their offspring born after 2025 receive U.S. citizenship under Trump's new policies.
The other significant change may involve raising the minimum salary requirement for H-1B visas.
The $60,000 annual salary requirement, set by the American Competitiveness in the Twenty-First Century Act (AC21) in 2000, has been in place for 25 years.
With this amount being relatively accessible, many average workers have been able to secure H-1B visas.
To address this, Trump may raise the salary requirement to $120,000 to ensure that only highly skilled workers who command such salaries are eligible for an H-1B visa.
Such a salary may be possible for an average employee in Californian regions like Bay Area (as it includes Cost of Living Adjustment), but not in other areas.
These two changes, should they be signed into law by President Trump, would likely have a significant impact on Indian citizens and their aspirations, which is a major concern for many.