President Trump has always had an agenda for restricting immigration. This is seen through his previous public utterances and the administration's issuance of more than four hundred executive actions to reshape the immigration system. However, despite all this effort, his success in reducing the number of legal immigrants admitted to the country is significantly limited. The fact that overall admissions of temporary and permanent visa holders to the United States have declined in the recent past is purely coincidental. Other factors, including the COVID-19 epidemic, have reduced numbers.
The pandemic registered a significant reduction in immigrants since 2020. However, this has nothing to do with Trump’s administration, even though it has made it challenging for most immigrants to come to the country. The truth is that some people, especially people of specific nationalities, have experienced a hard time entering the U.S. in recent years. Additionally, the number of refugee settlers has declined significantly. However, Trump’s immigration policies have yet to affect immigrants profoundly, maybe in the future.
If you intend to relocate to the U.S. or renew or change your immigration status, you should work closely with a skilled immigration attorney for a favorable result.
The Trump Effect on Immigration
Immigration has not been as easy recently as it was some years ago for various reasons. Many people have attributed the challenges immigrants are facing today to Trump’s immigration policies. However, a closer look at the actual cause of the declining number of immigrants has revealed that the Trump government has little to do with the current trend. Although Trump’s administration has made it hard for people from other countries to relocate to the U.S., other factors have significantly limited the number of immigrants receiving visas.
A look at the immigration data reveals an entirely different picture. The administration policies have not resulted in the reduction of permanent immigrants, international students, temporary foreign employees, and people receiving asylum in the U.S. Experts believe that the country is yet to feel the Trump effect on immigration. However, except for the reduced refugee admission, the exact significant change has remained in how immigrants relocated or were issued visas in recent years. Remember that the only considerable change recently experienced was the COVID-19 pandemic.
Here are some ways the main categories of immigrants have been affected during President Trump’s administration.
Permanent Immigrants
This category comprises immigrants applying for green cards or permanent resident visas. It includes those adjusting their statuses while living in the U.S. and those processing their visas to relocate to the United States. The number of permanent immigrants has remained steady in the last ten years. However, some changes were experienced in fiscal year 2016 without any apparent changes to immigration policy, whereby the numbers increased from the previous years. Again, the numbers declined in 2020, mainly because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The number of green cards the United States issued in 2020 dropped from those registered in 2019. Although the number of permanent residence visas issued in 2016 increased significantly for no apparent reason, it declined in the following years. A significant drop occurred during the pandemic, and the numbers have not been the same since.
The declining numbers are not due to Trump’s administration's immigration policies. Although these policies have affected the numbers in some ways, the effect has not been significant yet. Experts say the policies could take effect in the coming years. Thus, immigrants should prepare for an even more challenging time as they apply for permanent residence. Ensure you have the requirements and excellent legal representation to improve your chances of success.
Applications for Naturalization
People who apply for naturalization are mainly immigrants living in the U.S. on a green card for over five years. In addition, to be an adult, you must have excellent morals and an understanding of the fundamentals of the United States government and history. Some people have lived in the U.S. for over five years and have yet to change their status. Others still need to meet the set criteria even after living and working in the country for years. If recent trends are considered, this category of immigrants will also likely be affected by Trump‘s immigration policies.
The Trump administration vowed to take high-profile action against individuals who fraudulently obtained U.S. citizenship with the intent to denaturalize them. Although these moves are scarce, they have discouraged many immigrants from using fraud or other unlawful means to change their statuses. Consequently, the number of applications for naturalization received by the immigration department during Trump’s administration has risen, except during the 2019 pandemic.
This means that applications remained steady, like visa applications, during Trump’s administration. However, processing times for naturalization petitions increased from six to ten months from 2016 to 2018. This could be partly attributed to Trump’s strict immigration policies, which advocate for changes in adjudication and heighten screening for fraud or false applications.
Temporary Immigrants
The number of temporary immigrants entering the United States significantly dropped in 2020, mainly because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Before the pandemic and within the Trump administration, the number of visas given to nonimmigrants had declined, especially from 2017 to 2018. However, this decline has not been exclusively attributed to the strict immigration policies of Trump’s administration. Experts attribute this decline to reduced business and tourist visas, a tendency that began before Donald Trump became president.
Since that particular decline, the number of temporary immigrants has remained steady. However, the actual performance depends on the exact category of nonimmigrant visa, whether temporary worker visas, tourist visas, or student visas.
Since there is no way to tell how Trump’s strict immigration policies will affect this category in the coming years, you must be prepared to fight.
What To Expect as a Temporary Worker Applicant
If you are applying for or intending to apply for a temporary worker visa, note that approved applications have increased in recent years. The immigration department is approving more visas for skilled workers than in the past. The trend experienced between 2017 and 2019 shows that immigration approved more visas for continuing workers than for new visas. However, the numbers for approved new visas rose in 2001 and have remained rising.
In 2018, applications from high-skill workers were scrutinized more closely, which delayed the immigration department’s final decisions. This explains why there was a drop in these applications in 2018. The requests were later resolved, and applicants and their immigration attorneys have mastered navigating the systems easily and quickly, increasing approved applications.
What To Expect as an International Student Applicant
If you are applying for or intend to apply for an international student visa, note that approved visas under this category have declined significantly during Trump’s administration. However, the decline began before Trump became president, meaning it could have been caused by factors other than the president’s immigration policies. Although the drop was experienced first in 2016, a significant decline in the number of applicants under this category was experienced in 2019 during the pandemic.
Educational institution administrators have attributed the declining numbers to visa denials and delays. The number of visa denials for international students was high in 2013, and the trend continued through 2016. The approvals started increasing after 2016 but also changed in 2019 after the pandemic. Experts say that Trump’s strict policies could have discouraged people interested in entering the U.S. to study. However, other factors could be in play, including the rising cost of education in the U.S. Other institutions that offer high-standard education have also come up in different countries, creating stiff competition with American institutions.
Additionally, the immigration department issues student visas to applicants from just a few countries. Thus, policies affecting particular nationalities could also determine the declining number of those entering student visa programs. Additionally, some factors within foreign countries could have affected the number of applications for student visas from these countries. For example, if a particular country made it difficult for its citizens to access government funds to study in the U.S., only a few applications from that country would be received.
Humanitarian Immigrants
Humanitarian immigration applications were similar to other immigration-related applications during the Donald Trump administration. However, this category seems to have been most affected by Trump’s strict immigration policies. This could be mainly because of the media attention and public scrutiny the policies have gained in the last few years. Changes in how humanitarian-related applications are handled and approved were experienced almost immediately after Trump became president. Throughout his administration, there has been a sharp decline in the admission of refugees in the country.
Experts attribute this decline to public utterances by the president and other influential people in his government that refugees put the country at a national security risk and put a significant economic burden on the local and federal governments. Following such utterances, the lowest number of refugees were admitted to the United States in 2018 and 2019. The numbers were the fewest the country has registered since it started a refugee settlement program in 1980.
The Trump government has also tightened the eligibility criteria for asylum seekers in the U.S. The qualifying criteria are more challenging to meet than in previous years. For example, this administration has eliminated some grounds for seeking asylum, making it difficult for some people to be given asylum from their country or even seek asylum at the border. Changes like these have led to the conclusion that the United States no longer offers asylum to other nations.
However, some asylum seekers' applications have been approved during this administration. The numbers are higher than the immigration department has approved in previous years. This could be because the number of people seeking asylum was more prevalent during Trump’s administration than before he became president. There was also a backlog of applications awaiting approval years before this administration. Most pending applications were approved during Trump’s administration, some of which were sent during Obama’s administration.
Additionally, the Trump government has speeded up adjudications for immigration-related cases. This has increased the number of instances the immigration department completes in a year, reducing backlogs.
However, this does not mean that the increased applications and the reduced adjudication times have resulted in more approvals within Trump’s administration. The period has registered an increased number of denied applications for those seeking asylum and refugee statuses.
The Way Forward
Undoubtedly, the immigration department experienced many changes during Trump’s administration. More significant changes were expected after 2017 because of the executive actions Trump’s administration was viewed as taking against immigrants. However, Trump’s immigration policies are not the only ones to blame for the decline in the immigration department's registered applications and visa approvals during this administration. Other factors have contributed to it, including the COVID-19 pandemic.
However, these policies still have their impact. You must be prepared for any eventuality when applying for a visa. You could improve your chances of success by providing the required documents, ensuring that the information you provide is accurate, and seeking the assistance of a skilled immigration attorney. Although Trump’s strict immigration policies have resulted in the decline of approved visas, you could be among those whose applications have been approved.
Find a Competent Immigration Attorney Near Me
Immigration issues are complicated to understand on your own. The process of applying for or renewing a visa is also complex. However, a skilled immigration attorney can help you understand the underlying issues and the laws affecting your applications. They can also help navigate all complex legal processes to obtain a visa.
We at California Immigration Attorney understand how complex California immigration laws have been in recent years due to the strict immigration policies of the Trump administration. We would like to partner with you as you begin your visa application or renewal process to improve your chances of success. We understand how harsh these policies are for immigrants. However, we can use our best strategies and skills to improve your chances of success. Call us at 424-789-8809 to learn more.