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President Bush wants to male immigration easier President of the US George W. Bush wants to change US immigration law. The current law was not corresponding with economic needs, Bus explained in Washington. The president announced a further opening of the US to immigrants.

According to some estimates, between eight and fourteen illegal immigrants are living in the US. The administration announced a huge guest worker program, above all to give all the illegal immigrants who are already in the country a legal status. However, they also want to make some improvements for people still living abroad. They are to get the chance of obtaining a work permit limited to an initial period of three years (not a green card) if they can demonstrate a job offer for a position the employer could not fill with a US citizen.

They are also talking about significantly raising the number of 140,000 employment-based green cards. Conservatives and the unions are still mostly opposed to this bundle of laws. It remains to be seen whether Congress will actually pass the bill.

US unemployment rate keeps decreasing significantly The unemployment rate in the US has decreased further. In December of 2003 it decreased to only 5.7%, according to the Department of Labor in Washington. In November, it had still been at 5.9%. However, less jobs than have been expected by experts were created in December.

US tighten admission regulations Tighter admission regulations apply to millions of visitors now who need a visa to enter the US. Since January 1, they are being fingerprinted and digitally photographed upon admission into the US. All information will be immediately electronically compared to computerized data on terror suspects or wanted criminals. For most tourists who are traveling under the Visa Waiver Program, however, nothing is going to change - all they have to do is show their passport, which, by the way, has to be machine-readable from October 24, 2004. These simplified regulations will still apply to most tourists holding a European passport.

The new regulations apply to all tourists who are planning to stay in the US for more than 90 days and thus need a visa, to business travelers and to most persons who live in Europe but are not holding a European passport.

US Visa: Questions and consulting Do you have any questions concerning application processes at the US Citizenship and Immigration Services or the US consulates? Or do you need individual consultation? Our experts of our visa and consular service offer fast and comfortable advice via our hotline. Or use our free contact form on our website.