Weekly Round-Up: Health Care for Immigrants; Undocumented in NJ; Wage Requirements Delayed : Immigration Law Blog

New Invoice Proposed to Make Well being Care Protection Extra Accessible to Immigrants

A number of Home Democrats have launched a brand new invoice geared toward making well being care advantages extra accessible to immigrants in america. One of many invoice’s primary sponsors, Washington Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal, acknowledged that “we should lastly assure well being care to everybody as a human proper – no matter immigration standing, earnings, employment, or anything.”

The invoice would eradicate a five-year ready interval that lawful everlasting residents of america presently should endure earlier than with the ability to enroll in Medicaid and the Kids’s Well being Insurance coverage Program. The invoice would additionally increase entry to several types of protection for DACA recipients, or “Dreamers,” who entered america as youngsters. Lastly, the invoice would eradicate restrictions that forestall immigrants with out lawful standing from buying medical insurance via {the marketplace} created by the Reasonably priced Care Act.

The invoice faces an uphill battle; whereas greater than 80 lawmakers have already expressed help, it nonetheless has no Republican backing. The Norris McLaughlin Immigration Legislation Weblog, “Immigration Issues,”  will proceed to watch this story because it develops.

Fewer New Jersey Residents View Undocumented Immigrants as a Severe Downside

A current ballot carried out by Monmouth College signifies a majority of New Jersey residents not view undocumented immigrants as a “very major problem” for the state – a stark distinction from public opinion solely ten years in the past. These new attitudes have led to rising statewide help for making each resident eligible for a driver’s license no matter immigration standing, along with permitting undocumented immigrants to attend New Jersey’s public schools and universities at in-state tuition charges.

Assist for offering driver’s licenses to undocumented immigrants has practically doubled over the previous decade, with 57% of New Jersey residents saying they help the coverage, in contrast with 33% of these polled in 2009. Opposition to the coverage dropped from 62% to 41% in that very same interval, as did attitudes about undocumented immigrants as an entire. Whereas 51% of New Jersey residents in 2009 acknowledged that undocumented immigrants posed a really major problem, solely 24% really feel that approach right this moment. Moreover, the ballot discovered that roughly 75% of individuals consider undocumented immigrants ought to have the ability to attend public schools and universities, though the problem of whether or not in-state or out-of-state tuition must be paid was far more divided.

USCIS to Delay Wage Will increase for Overseas Employees

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Providers introduced this week that it will delay the implementation of a plan to extend the wages American corporations should pay to international employees who come to the U.S. to work in high-skilled positions. The rule was applied by former President Trump in his last week in workplace.

The Division of Labor introduced that the brand new rule, which was scheduled to take impact right this moment, Might 14, is not going to be applied till at the least November 2022, stating that it “will present a enough period of time to totally take into account the authorized and coverage points raised within the rule, and supply the general public” an opportunity to remark. Wages for extremely expert employees (H-1B visa holders) are set primarily based upon the expertise and expertise wanted for the job and the situation of the place. Beneath present guidelines, wages are set someplace between the seventeenth and 67th percentile of salaries earned in a specific geographic space; the brand new rule would improve the minimal and most percentiles to 35 and 90, respectively.

Public feedback are due by June 1, 2021.

When you have any questions on this weblog put up or every other immigration considerations, please be at liberty to contact me at wcmenard@norris-law.com or 484-544-0022.