Former US President Donald Trump proposed in a podcast that noncitizens in the US should automatically receive green cards upon graduating from college.
Trump had previously mentioned similar ideas during his 2016 campaign.
He stated, “We need high-skilled workers in this country. What I want to do and what I will do is, when you graduate from college, I think you should automatically get, as part of your diploma, a green card to be able to stay in this country. And that includes junior colleges, too.”
While this proposal offers hope to parents on work visas whose children might age out due to slow green card processing, Trump’s administration saw increased visa denials and extensions.
In 2019, Trump outlined a merit-based legal immigration system to prioritize highly skilled migrants. However, in 2020, he also signed an executive order freezing new visas for foreign workers.