Washington, May 16: In a bid to revamp the system of Green Card or legal permanent residency, US President Donald Trump is set to propose a merit-based immigration system that will also benefit hundreds and thousands of Indian professionals. The existing immigration policy in America favours family ties over skills. Jarred Kushner, the son-in-law of Donald Trump, is the brain behind this "immigration reform".

Trump is scheduled to unveil a new immigration proposal at the Rose Garden of the White House Thursday afternoon. While the White House is expected to release an outline of the plan, the full version will not be made public. According to Politico, the proposal is unlikely to change the overall number of immigrants allowed in the US legally, nor would it address the illegal immigration population. US Orders Withdrawal of Non-Emergency Staff From Iraq.

Currently, nearly 66 percent of Green Cards are issued to those with family ties and only 12 per cent are based on skills. The Trump administration intends to change this. However, it won't be a cakewalk. The Congress is bitterly divided on partisan lines, especially on the issue of immigration reform. Not only Democrats, but some Republican lawmakers are also against any such legislative success to the president. US: Donald Trump Declares National Emergency Over Telecoms Threats.

A senior administration official said Trump would use the plan as a tool in the election if Democrats do not "engage" with the administration. "It's going to be a very detailed piece of legislation, and it can be what they want it to be," the official said. "If they don't want to engage, then it will be part of the election. If they want to engage, then it could be part of a negotiation. That's going to be up to them."

It was not, however, immediately clear if Democrats were given a heads-up on the proposal. The proposed immigration system mirrors the point-based system of countries like Canada, Australia, New Zealand and Japan.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on May 16, 2019 09:35 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).