Page 64 - Desi Express Magazine Sept 2019

Chai Lounge

Lifting ‘Country Cap’ on Green Card

would help in attracting best talent

WASHINGTON: Top American law A Green Card allows a non-US citi-
makers have welcomed the passage of zen to live and work permanently
a legislation lifting the seven per cent in America. "In order for American
country-cap on Green Card applicants, industries to remain competitive
saying that the move will help in and create more jobs, they must
attracting and retaining the best be able to recruit and retain the
talents in the US. best talent in the world," Congress-

The US House of Representatives
The US House of Representatives Judiciary's Subcommittee on Immi- compete for the same limited number of visas
passed a legislation to remove the gration and Citizenship said after as workers from low population countries,"
seven per cent country-cap on Green the passage of the Fairness for Lofgren said
Card applicants, a move which could High-Skilled Immigration Act.
end the agonizing wait of tens of thou- The bill will provide relief to the thousands of
sands of talented professionals from " families who have been stuck in employment
"This becomes increasingly This becomes increasingly
countries like India who have applied difficult when workers from backlogs for decades, said Indian-American
f
for permanent residency in America. or permanent residency in America. high-population countries must Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal.

‘NRIs’ residential status comes under I-T lens

The investigation wing of the income tax (I-T) department is going through the ‘
residential’ status of non-resident Indians (NRIs) with a fine-tooth comb. Several NRIs
have received notices from the department for reopening tax assessments of the past
five to six years and were also told to share photocopies of their passports. Due to severe
tax implications, many Indians carefully divide their time between India and abroad.
While an NRI is spared tax on income from outside India, a resident is required to pay
tax on global earnings. Under the circumstances, persons who claimed NRI status
(without fulfilling the norms on the period of stay) are being pulled up for alleged
tax evasion and may be in for long litigation.

VISA New US rule could disqualify half of visa

REFUSED applicants for being too poor.

US President Donald Trump's administration unveiled a new rule that could deny visas
& permanent residency to hundreds of thousands of people for being too poor. The
long-anticipated rule, pushed by Trump's leading aide on immigration, Stephen Miller,
takes effect October 15 and would reject applicants for temporary or permanent visas
for failing to meet income standards or for receiving public assistance such as welfare,
food stamps, public housing or Medicaid. Such a change would ensure that immigrants
"are self-sufficient," in that they "do not depend on public resources to meet their needs,
but rather rely on their own capabilities, as well as the resources of family members,
sponsors, and private organizations," a notice published in the Federal Register said. The
overhaul is part of President Donald Trump's efforts to curb both legal and illegal
immigration, an issue he has made a cornerstone of his presidency.

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