President Donald Trump of the United States has once again sanctioned a policy tightening his stance on immigration.
On Friday, September 19, Trump signed a proclamation stipulating a $100,000 (equivalent to Ksh 12.9 million) annual fee for immigrants seeking entry to the US on the skilled worker visas.
Commonly known as H-1B worker visas, any outsider seeking to enter the US using the pathway would be required to pay the foregoing millions of shillings to be cleared.
US employers use the H-1B to sponsor foreigners they hire in such specialised fields as technology, engineering, healthcare, aviation and tertiary education.
Trump's moved is believed to aim at easing competition for jobs between the residents and highly qualified foreigners.
Read More
The pathway ordinarily allowed up to 85,000 immigrants on a yearly basis.
Meanwhile, Trump also sanctioned a “gold card” visa for immigrants who could pay $1m (equivalent to Ksh129.1 million) to acquire US permanent residency.
Ever since he returned to the White House, Trump has been embarked on strict restrictions to control desperate entries to the United States.
His administration strategises around the applicants' financial constraints to lock immigrants out of the US.
In Kenya, for instance, the US Embassy in Nairobi announced the introduction of Integrity Fee that would inflate visa costs.
Kenyans are to pay a refundable $250 (Ksh 32,500) Integrity Fees, adding to the non-refundable $185 (Ksh 24,000)
All these changes are subject to discussion and verdict by the US Congress, and, subsequently, suits in the US courts.
Trump's foreign policy have of late known no boundary.
A few months back, he issued a directive to ban the prestigious Harvard University from admitting international students.
He directed the stripping of the university's liberty to enrol foreigners for, among other reasons, not doing enough to fight antisemitism and a lukewarm approach to the concerns of homeland security.
Harvard challenged the move in court and secured a temporary order from a federal judge blocking the ban.
In its heartfelt message to international students, Harvard restated its commitment to helping them through their academic journey.
