The US is preparing drastic changes to its migration policy that will affect thousands of foreigners, while the trade war with neighboring countries escalates.
The administration of President Donald Trump has officially proposed imposing a permanent fee of $ 103,265 for issuing new H-1B work visas, intended for highly skilled specialists. The news was reported by the world agency Reuters, which refers to an official government document. The new fee is intended to limit the influx of foreign personnel and force companies to hire American citizens.
In parallel, Washington is planning the largest mass cancellation of entry permits in its history. According to State Department documents cited by the Associated Press, the US authorities are preparing to terminate the validity of up to 200,000 tourist and business visas (categories B1 and B2). The measure will affect foreigners who entered the country with short-term permits in the past ten years but subsequently filed asylum applications.
Trade war with Canada and Arctic ambitions
Economic tensions along the Washington - Ottawa axis have reached a critical point. "America has dragged Canada on its back for decades, but that will not happen anymore," Donald Trump said categorically on the occasion of the introduction of 50 percent tariffs on a number of Canadian goods. Bloomberg News revealed that there were serious internal debates within the White House itself about which advisers had pushed for a complete end to bilateral trade talks.
In response to American pressure and new tariffs, Ottawa has taken steps toward full strategic autonomy. Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney announced a historic investment of 11.3 billion Canadian dollars to build six new heavy icebreakers for the Coast Guard. According to Canadian media, the goal of the project is for Ottawa to ensure the security of its trade routes in the Arctic without relying on US support.
Embargo, sanctions and criticism from Hillary Clinton
On the international stage, the White House continued its hard line, extending the trade embargo against Cuba for another year. This decision immediately met with sharp resistance from China. In an official statement, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Beijing categorically opposed the unilateral US sanctions, calling them a violation of international law.
Domestic criticism of Washington's foreign policy is also growing. Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has expressed serious concerns about the country's defense capabilities. In an interview with American media, she warned that the US had spent too much of its weapons stockpile in the escalating conflict with Iran, which could put the country's national security at risk.