Here's the problem with merit based immigration (IMHO)

[Xipe Totec]

If only the best qualified are allowed to immigrate to the US, then they will compete only for the best, highest paying jobs available. Leaving the menial jobs, the low paying jobs, the back breaking jobs, for the native born.

Is that really what we want?

How good are you at picking lettuce?

[Xipe Totec]

2. You made a LOT of assumptions about who I am

But I agree with you; you are no expert.

You are describing existing immigration limits. The same limits that Trump wants to demolish with his so-called "Merit Based Immigration Policy". So the number of immigrants that come to take the highest skilled jobs at the moment has no bearing on what Trump wants to do going forward. So any links to a web page that describes how the immigration system works is interesting but irrelevant.

That it's not easy to come here, that, I agree.

There are basically four paths to immigration in the united states, ignoring the diversity lottery which covers a minuscule number of people.

1.- Nepotism - You have to have a relative vouch for you. If you're Mexican over the age of 18, you have to wait in line for 20 years before your application is even processed.
2.- Prostitution - You have to marry an American and stay in the relationship for at least three years.
3.- Indentured Servitude - You have to be a wage slave to some high tech company for many, many years before that company, if they really like you, applies for your permanent resident status. Then you wait another 5 years, and finally apply for citizenship.
4.- You buy your residence by investing 1/2 million dollars on some American business and automatically get your residence. So much for merit.

[Xipe Totec]

4. He wants to close all paths to immigration except professional visas

By which he means professionals from white european countries.

I'm sure he'll keep the "buy your residence" option alive, since he's in the business of selling those to Chinese investors.

[helmedon1974]

5. He'll keep the ones

He's bringing over and hiring to work at his golf resorts, like Maralago. White folks generally don't want to immigrate here. Especially from countries like Norway. They already have some of the highest living standards in the world. Not sure Trumplethinskin realizes that they're all happy over there because they have universal healthcare and a social democracy. Those scarey Progressive Liberals.

[pnwmom]

6. You know nothing about Trump's plan. He DOES want to limit immigration to high achievers

AND he wants to stop "chain" migration -- allowing people to come here because they are "close family members."

He wants to make it much more difficult than it already is.

[RandomAccess]

8. I'm very well aware of that.

My discussion with the OP was about current immigration rules.

I don't particularly appreciate your tone -- nevermind your misunderstanding and mischaracterization of my post.

[pnwmom]

10. You criticized the previous poster for not being informed, but you aren't familiar

with current immigration rules or what DT's plans are to change them.

The article you posted mentions the H visas -- those are visas that give Green cards to people with high value skills -- like tech skills. They are part of the system already and he wants to INCREASE them.

He wants to eliminate the current "diversity" immigration program, the Green Card lottery, and chain immigration (giving Visa's to close family members, like siblings and parents) and replace them both with merit based programs. The current lottery is based on country of origin. It has no asset requirement and only requires a high school education (for adults). The effect is going to mean more people coming into the US who are prepared to take jobs requiring the highest skill and education levels, at a detriment to US citizens who have prepared for those jobs.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diversity_Immigrant_Visa

The lottery is administered by the Department of State and conducted under the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA). It makes available 50,000 immigrant visas annually and aims to diversify the immigrant population in the United States, by selecting applicants from countries with low numbers of immigrants in the previous five years. As of 2017, around 20 million people apply for the lottery each year.

SNIP

Requirements

To enter the lottery, applicants must have been born in an eligible country. If selected, to qualify for the immigrant visa, they must have completed at least a high school education or at least two years of work experience in an occupation which requires at least two other years of training or experience.[18] They must also satisfy general immigration requirements, such as means of support, no criminal background, and good health.

Eligibility is determined by the applicant's country of birth, with two exceptions: the applicant may claim the spouse's country of birth instead if desired, or a parent's country of birth if neither parent was born in the applicant's country of birth and did not legally reside there when the applicant was born. The applicant's country of residence or nationality is irrelevant to the lottery.

[RandomAccess]

11. NOPE

You criticized the previous poster for not being informed, but you aren't familiar with current immigration rules or what DT's plans are to change them.

Current policies only, NOT DT's plans.

The rest of your essay is irrelevant to MY part in this discussion. But I'm sure it's most excellent.

[pnwmom]

12. But the current system includes family (chain migration) and the diversity lottery.

DT wants to replace them with more merit based slots -- which will take jobs away from Americans who are qualified to fill them. That accords with what the OP is saying.

[RandomAccess]

13. I don't know that Trump wants to "replace" them at all. Just do away with them.

How do you know he wants to "replace" them?

My point was that there is currently what I consider a fairly low total number of people who are allowed in. DOES Trump want to increase that number?

Yes, he wants to eliminate all brown people from coming in, that's obvious (and predictable). But does he want MORE total immigrants -- just as long as they're white???

[pnwmom]

14. He may not want more total immigrants -- but he wants more merit based, like the H visas,

which would take away job opportunities from Americans who have worked hard for their educations.

http://www.cnn.com/2017/11/01/politics/donald-trump-chuck-schumer-nyc-attack/index.html

Washington (CNN)President Donald Trump, during a White House Cabinet meeting Wednesday, said he wants to terminate the Diversity Visa Lottery, a program that distributes around 50,000 visas to countries where there is a low rate of immigration to the US.

"I am, today, starting the process of terminating the diversity lottery program," Trump said, seated next to Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and Defense Secretary Jim Mattis. "I am going to ask Congress to immediately initiate work to get rid of this program, diversity lottery, diversity lottery. Sounds nice, it is not nice, it is not good. It hasn't been good and we have been against it."

He added: "We're going to quickly as possible get rid of chain migration and move to a merit-based system."

[RandomAccess]

15. I'm familiar with -- and despise -- the H1B visas

They've been overused and abused for decades now and are partially responsible for hallowing out of our middle class.

[pnwmom]

16. Then you should hate DT's plan for "merit based" because the H visas are a big part of that. n/t

[RandomAccess]

17. GOOD GOD

You keep arguing with me about shit I know and/or don't disagree with. I am farkin' FED UP WITH IT.

What makes you think I don't hate DT's plan -- in fact, every plan he has every had about every damn thing and everything about him? NO ONE can name a single THING about or by or from him that is in any way acceptable to me.

My point way above -- that we already have a merit-based immigration program -- was merely to say: therefore we don't NEED another one, or a better one, or any modification to that part at all.

Now leave me the fuck alone. or you'll go on ignore.

[pnwmom]

18. Among other things, you said:

Nor is it likely they'll be taking all our jobs away. On the first page of Google: "current immigration policy provides for an annual worldwide limit of 675,000 permanent immigrants, with certain exceptions for close family members." That's not many at all.

No, they don't plan to take many job away. Just many of the best ones.

[NCTraveler]

9. +1

"not that I'm an expert by any means. "

[pnwmom]

7. You are right. He wants to bring people in from all over the world to work in

the most skilled jobs -- at less pay than Americans would take.

A big win for business and a loss for American-born educated workers.