A proposed scorecard to rank tens of thousands of prospective immigrants on their work and education skills was one of the least-debated provisions of the immigration bill passed by the U.S. Senate last month. It is also among the most complex. Here are some questions — and answers — that help explain how the United States could begin using a points system to grant “merit-based” green cards for permanent residency.
1. How many people would it let in?
By 2033, about 2.4 million people will be admitted to the United States using the points system if the Senate proposal passes this year, according to an analysis by the Congressional Budget Office. The system would launch in 2018, at first allowing no more than 120,000 immigrants annually — split in half between white-collar and blue-collar workers. Each year, however, the number of “merit-based” green cards available could rise by 5 percent to a maximum 250,000 per year based on a formula measuring unemployment and job demand.
2. Is there a point threshold needed to qualify?
No. The people with the highest scores win the available slots. That’s different from the point system in Canada, where prospective immigrants need at least 67 of 100 points to qualify.
3. Would immigrants already here illegally be eligible?
Probably not. A separate track for illegal immigrants requires them to register for a 10-year probationary legal status and work permits. Only after completing that provisional decade can they apply for a green card, and through a separate set of requirements — not a points scale. Also ineligible will be people already waiting in line for pending green card applications, though many of them are likely to be approved before the points system would launch in 2018.
4. Why are points awarded for being from an underrepresented country or having U.S. citizen siblings?
To compensate — politically or philosophically — for other immigration routes being taken away. The Senate immigration bill eliminates the “diversity visa lottery” that since the 1990s has randomly awarded about 50,000 green cards each year to people from countries that send few immigrants to the United States. To partially compensate for that loss, the ranking awards 5 points to anyone from underrepresented countries. The Senate bill also cuts off immigration routes for the brothers and sisters and adult married children of U.S. citizens, but awards 10 points to anyone who fits those categories.
5. Is the points proposal unfair to working women?
Some lawmakers say the white-collar point scale is unfair to unmarried working women because of its focus on male-dominated fields such as computer engineering. U.S. Sen. Barbara Boxer, D-Calif., was among several senators who sponsored a last-minute amendment that would have added a third category of 30,000 green cards favoring occupations, such as nursing, that are more commonly held by women. The amendment was not considered before the bill’s final passage.
6. Would the system prioritize the workers in highest demand?
That’s not clear. The white-collar category awards extra points for people in the five professional occupations that were in highest demand over the previous year. But how broadly those occupations are defined will affect who gets the green cards. Under the current language, the top five occupations today are all computer-related jobs. In the blue-collar category, there are no extra points for being in a high-demand field. The bill says 10 points go to anyone with a high-demand job, but it also says they would get the same 10 points if they had any other full-time job.
7. Are there 100 maximum points or 105?
Most analysts have described this as a 100-point scale, but the Migration Policy Institute believes the maximum points in the white-collar category would actually be 105. That’s because the wording of the bill makes it unclear if those who earn 15 points for their doctorates also get 5 points for their bachelor’s degrees. Either way, hitting the maximum requires a nearly impossible combination of youth and professional experience.
