Trump administration introduces green card hurdle
By TED HESSON 08/25/2017 07:52 PM EDT
Immigration authorities will require an in-person interview for certain applicants for green cards, a change likely to slow the process of obtaining one.
The new requirement, which was confirmed Friday by a spokesman for the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, will apply to anyone moving from an employment-based visa to lawful permanent residency. Visa holders who are family members of refugees or people who receive asylum will also be required to undergo an in-person interview when they apply for provisional status, a stage that precedes receiving a green card, according to USCIS.
In fiscal year 2015, nearly 168,000 immigrants in these categories obtained lawful permanent residency, according to annual statistics from the Department of Homeland Security. Most (roughly 122,000) moved from an employment-based visa to a green card. The interview mandate is part of President Donald Trump’s plan to apply “extreme vetting” to immigrants and visitors to the U.S.
The travel ban executive order signed by the president in January and revised in March called for federal departments to develop “uniform screening and vetting standards” to identify terrorists or people who “present a risk of causing harm.” The standards could include an in-person interview, the order stated.
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http://www.politico.com/story/2017/08/25/trump-administration-green-card-hurdle-242050
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