Gold card visa opens doors for US firms to employ Indian graduates, says President Trump
Washington DC: US President Donald Trump has announced in the backdrop of his new ‘gold card’ visa offer that American companies can use the initiative to hire Indians who graduate from US universities.
President Trump had offered ‘gold card’ visas for $5 million, in place of the old visas, to help the immigrants get US citizenship. Driven by Trump’s mindset of everything being a business, the initiative is set to come into force by April, with around 10 million card visas likely to be offered in the initial phase.
It would also replace the current EB-5 visa program that gives residency to investors for at least $1 million for business houses that have 10 or more employees.
The new announcement is considered to be a boost for Indian students, with the President highlighting on how the current immigration policy had prevented people from all over the world, particularly India, from staying and working in the US. He said that the immigrants study at various universities in the US and apply for jobs, but their applications are rejected as the employer had no clue about the eligibility of the applicant to stay in the US.
When asked about the consequences of the new policy, Trump admitted that talented people who had studied in the US earlier had been forced to leave the country but had become successful entrepreneurs in their native countries. "They go back to India, or they go back to the country where they came from, and they open up a company, and they become billionaires. They're employing thousands of people," he said. He also stressed on the fact that the US missed the economic opportunity of utilizing such talent.
The President has presented his new gold card initiative as a positive alternative to the current green card, stating that the gold card would provide long-term residency and a pathway to citizenship. Calling the gold card program a game changer, Trump said about the card-holders, "They'll be wealthy, and they'll be successful, and they'll be spending a lot of money and paying a lot of taxes and employing a lot of people, and we think it's going to be extremely successful."
The initiative is also considered as a benefit for the US as it would be a means to generate revenue. "If we sell a million (cards), that's USD 5 trillion dollars," Trump said and added that the revenue could be used to pay off national debt.
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3 killed in landslide during road widening at Hulikal ghats in K'taka, CM announces ex-gratia
Shivamogga (Karnataka) (PTI): Three labourers were killed and four others injured after a landslide struck a road construction site at Hulikal Ghat in this district, police said on Friday.
The deceased have been identified as Raghavendra (37), Raju (30), and Shabbir (40), all engaged in wall construction work at the site, they said.
Chief Minister Siddaramaiah announced a compensation of Rs five lakh each to the families of the deceased.
The incident occurred late Thursday afternoon at a hairpin bend in Hulikal Ghat in Hosanagara taluk, they said.
According to officials, a massive landslide of soil and rocks from the hillside buried the workers.
A total of seven workers were caught in the landslip. Three labourers died on the spot after being trapped under the debris.
Rescue teams managed to pull out four injured workers and shift them to hospitals in nearby areas, including Kundapura and Udupi, for treatment, they said.
The mishap took place during ongoing efforts to build a retaining wall aimed at ensuring the safety of vehicles navigating the ghat section, which is known for its steep curves and landslide-prone terrain.
An SDRF team from Mangaluru reached the place early Friday morning and took up relief work.
Police, fire and emergency personnel rushed to the spot soon after the incident and launched rescue operations.
Authorities said the sudden collapse of loose soil and rocks from the upper slope is suspected to have triggered the landslip.
A case has been registered, and an investigation is underway to ascertain whether adequate safety measures were in place at the worksite.
Taking to 'X', CM Siddaramaiah said that regarding the incident, I have spoken with District In-charge Minister Madhu Bangarappa and obtained information.
"I am deeply saddened to hear the news that three workers lost their lives when soil collapsed during the construction of a road barrier at a bend in Hulikal Ghat, in Hosanagara taluk of Shivamogga district. I pray that the souls of the deceased unfortunate workers attain eternal peace, and that their family members find the strength to bear this sorrow," he said.
These breadwinning lives, which were the support of their families, have been lost in this tragedy, and on humanitarian grounds, a compensation of Rs five lakh each will be provided to the families of the deceased workers, the chief minister added.
