US Immigration News

The United States is engaged in an intense debate over the most substantial overhaul of immigration law in 20 years. The two houses of the US Congress have both created bills that each proposes to be the new laws and regulations for immigrants already in America and those that wish to come. Current and future visa holders will be affected, as will work and study permits. Legal and illegal immigrants all have vested interest in the outcome.

There may be more opportunities for immigrants in the US as the economy picks up. Despite the poor performance of the US dollar recent surveys suggest growing confidence in the workforce.

USA Today reports that Employees are feeling more confident about the labor market and their own job security as employment opportunities go up in a number of industries. Mounting research shows employees are cautiously optimistic as salary freezes thaw and companies play tug-of-war over skilled job candidates.

Beginning on 01 October, 2006, beneficiaries of several visa classes for the United States will be permitted to begin work (the start of FY 2007). Some of the available categories have reached their caps, while several categories still have available positions for visa applications.

There was a flurry of activity earlier this month in the Senate and by President Bush over proposals on immigration reform and the president's plan to send thousands of National Guard troops to the Mexican border to help stop the flow of illegal immigrants into the United States.

The Bush administration sent Congress a request for $1.9 billion to cover the costs of steps he announced Monday night, including the deployment of up to 6,000 troops to states along the Mexican border -- California, Arizona, New Mexico and Texas.

As anticipated during the past several days, President Bush gave a prime-time speech on American television to add his administrations opinion to the election year immigration debate in the United States.

The United States is undertaking a large project to build a fence along large segments of the US-Mexico border in an attempt to keep illegal immigrants from entry. While it varies in structure, it is generally 12 feet (~3.5 meters) in height, built of steel and concrete, with many sensors and cameras located along its length.