Chain migrations which Donald Trump opposes

I learned about the concept of chain migration from others on student visas like me soon after I arrived in the USA.

- BASAB DASGUPTA

Student visas had several limitations. Working off campus was not allowed. Wives of married students could not work anywhere. There was a limitation on how long we could stay abroad, and we had to get re-entry permits to come back. It was understood that we were to return to our home country as soon as our studies were completed.

The coveted item was a "green card", a document which changed the immigration status from student to a "permanent resident". For all practical purposes, a permanent resident has all the privileges of a citizen except for voting rights.

There are several avenues to get a green card. One can convince the Immigration and Naturalization Service that one is so talented and qualified that one's continued presence in America would benefit the country.

The second path requires a potential employer to sponsor the applicant by certifying that the applicant has special skills which are rare to find.

The third possibility is to marry a US citizen or a green card holder. One can also get a green card if one is a child or parent of a permanent resident or sibling of a US citizen.

There are other options such as seeking political asylum and financial investment in America. One can also have a child while on a temporary visa, who is automatically a citizen by birth. The child can bring the parents back when he/she becomes an adult, a long but legitimate process.

There are two groups of incoming foreign nationals; one group spends a few years to complete their mission, be it education or a temporary assignment and then goes back. They do not even apply for a green card. For the second group, a green card is just an admission ticket, not only for living in America but also for gradually bringing their entire family into the country.