Citizenship and Immigration Law

Directions: Complete the passage with the best choice. The ability to recognize people automatically by analyzing bodily characteristics such as fingerprints, faces and eyeballs -known as biometrics - has long been a goal of both technologists and governments. .................... Both America and Europe plan to start issuing biometric passports as soon as next year

Consider the following statements:

1. One of the shortcomings of the immigration bill is that illegal immigrants will still be deprived of social security benefits.
2. India contributes the largest number of immigrants to the United States of America. Which of the statement(s) given above is/are correct?

   Diections: Read the passage and answer the question that follows:
   
   The US Senate’s approval of an immigration Bill has been welcomed in India as well as in the IT industry in America because of the proposal of double H1-B visas for skilled foreign workers. However, the more important bit in the legislation, if approved by the House of Representatives, is the lifeline to millions of illegal immigrants in the US. Some of the key proposals in the Bill include allowing illegal immigrants, who have been in America for five years, to become legal residents by paying a certain amount in fines and back taxes. Those who have been in the country between two and five years can go to a point of entry at the US border and file an application. There is also a provision for creating a guest worker programme especially meant for farm workers. These are welcome moves to recognise the huge presence - according to some estimates 12 to 15 million - of illegal immigrants in the US and legitimising their existence. But it must be understood that the US is not considering this legislation out of a sense of altruism. The truth is that the bulk of immigrants are doing jobs that Americans simply don’t want to do. They are employed in jobs that pay minimum wages and entail long working hours.
   But giving illegal immigrants the opportunity to become legal residents will at least ensure that they are not exploited by employers and that they are covered by social security benefits. American legislators, however need to go beyond this. They must recognise that the US needs trained people in various fields, particularly in schools and hospitals. India with its vast population of educated youth is a natural source of such personnel. Instead of just targeting India for its best brains, the US should open up its labour market for more school teachers, nurses and technicians from India. Compared to Mexicans, the largest component of immigrants to the US; Indians have a natural advantage in that they know English. They would also be willing to work in America’s inner cities and other supposedly ‘hardship’ stations. Along with nuclear deals and technology transfer, the two largest English-speaking democracies must realise that they could mutually benefit from bilateral employment agreements. India, with its one-billion plus and growing population, has the potential of supplying First World nations with declining birth rates much-needed labour.