A young Master's with American-beating salary? You fit the new Trump immigration bill

If the Congress passes the Bill, American-beating salary, it will impose an immigration system based on points derived from education, English-language ability, salary, age.

Are you a 26-to-31 years of age? Do you hold a US-based doctorate? Can you roll your 'R's while speaking English the way Americans do? Do you have a job offer that promises you salary double the median in the US? If your answer to all these questions is 'yes', you eminently fit the eligibility criteria of the new immigration Bill US President Donald Trump has backed. If you have won a Nobel Prize or a medal in the Olympics, that would be a big help.

If the Congress passes the Bill, it will impose an immigration system based on points derived from education, English-language ability, salary, age, extraordinary achievement and business investment.

The new system will reduce the number of people granted legal residency each year in the US by 41 per cent in its first year and 50 per cent by its 10th year.

It will impact those who get in through family connection more than those who come to the US on job offers.

In 2014, 64 per cent of immigrants who got legal residency were relatives of US citizens or sponsored by family members. Those who got residency through employment were just 15 per cent.

Below are the scores for each criterion in the proposed immigration system:

Age : Those in prime working age get the most points while the children and the elderly get the least. Those aged 18-21 years get six points, 22-25 eight points, 26-30 10 points.Those aged 31-35 years get eight points, 36-40 six points, 41-45 four points and 46-50 two points. Those below 18 years and above 50 get no points.

English ability : Points will be awarded on the basis of a standardised English ability test. The 100th percentile score will get 12 points while less than a 60th percentile score gets no points. Six points for those in the 60th-80th percentile, 10 for those in 80th-90th percentile, and 11 for those with a 90th percentile.

Education : More points for a higher degree, and even more for a degree obtained in the US.
One point is given for a US high school diploma or its foreign equivalent and five points for a foreign bachelor's degree. A US bachelor's degree earns six points.
Seven points are given for a foreign master's degree in science, technology, engineering or mathematics. A similar master's gets eight points. A foreign professional degree or doctorate gets 10 points while a US equivalent gets 13.

Salary : Five points go to those who have a job offer with a salary at least 150% of median household income in the state where they will be employed, eight points if the salary is 200% the median income, and 13 if it's 300% the median.

Extraordinary achievement : Someone who has won a Nobel prize or a comparable award gets 25 points. An individual medal in Olympic or similar sporting event get 15 points.

Investment : Six points will be awarded for an investment of $1.35 million into a new commercial enterprise in the US. The points go up to 12 if the investment is $1.8 million.

Stay on top of NRI news with the WelcomeNRI.