A wall along the Mexico border isn’t President Donald Trump’s only proposal to curtail immigration into the United States.
Trump also wants to limit legal immigration into the U.S. by, among other revisions, making it more difficult for immigrants to qualify for a visa. The proposed changes to current immigration law are outlined in a bill called the Reforming American Immigration for a Strong Economy (RAISE) Act, which was first introduced by Republican Sens. Tom Cotton and David Perdue in February.
Under the proposed bill, qualifying for a visa would move to what’s called a points-based system. An applicant would earn points for achievements in six separate areas, including age, English-speaking proficiency and whether or not he or she has a lucrative job offer in the United States.
English proficiency is measured by a score an applicant receives on a pre-approved language test. The higher the test score, the more points earned toward the visa. Similarly, the more lucrative a job offer an applicant has, the more points he or she will receive. The job-offer points are measured in relation to the median household income of the state where the job is being offered. Applicants who have a job that is three times the state’s median income, for example, will earn the most points toward the visa application.
Take this quiz to see if you’d be able to apply for a visa if the RAISE Act was signed into law. A total of 30 points are needed to apply.
