Project 2025 or the 2025 Presidential Transition Project is a policy plan developed by the Heritage Foundation to establish a strong foundation for the nation’s leadership. It plans to reform the immigration policy of the United States, among other policies of the federal government. While former President Donald Trump disengages with Project 2025, the policy has come to the limelight because of its affiliation with people who transited from the Trump administration. If realized, Project 2025 may cause significant changes to the immigration policies and affect employers as well as employees. Here’s a closer look at what this could mean.
Consolidation of Immigration Agencies
One of the most dramatic suggestions made in Project 2025 is the merger of the main immigration departments. The plan proposes the consolidation of CBP, ICE, USCIS, the HHS ORR, the DOJ EOIR, and the OIL into a new and distinct border and immigration agency. The consolidation of institutions will improve efficiency but may also concentrate authority, resulting in swifter adoption of strict immigration policies.
Restrictions on Guest Worker Visas
In Project 2025, there are recommendations to reduce decision-making power concerning the guest worker visas. For instance, it recommends that the secretary of the Department of Homeland Security should not apply discretionary powers to confer more H2B visas than the legal limit of 66,000 and should cease discriminating the H-2 guest worker visa applications by nationality. This could extend to other optional work permits, including the H-4 EAD which will affect various workers and their families.
Changes to F-1, H1B, and Immigrant Visa Programs
Project 2025 also introduces potential changes to several immigration benefits programs:
- F-1 Students: An increase in politically motivated incidents may result in greater scrutiny of the SEVP with F-1 students facing grave monitoring and Reporting requirements.
- H1B Program: Due to the unfair allocation system of H1B visas, the program will allow only the best foreign workers in highly paid jobs. This could restrict the ability of many skilled employees.
- Immigrant Visa Programs: The project suggests that the United States should enlist the Congress to eliminate the diversity visa program, greatly limit family immigration and transition to skills-based immigration.
- Elimination of T and U Visas: Human trafficking victims may no longer be eligible for T visas, and certain crime victims could lose access to U visas.
Operational and Administrative Changes
In addition to the visa policies, Project 2025 outlines substantial and profound structural and operational changes that are likely to influence the adjudication time and decision. For example, the FDNS, which investigates fraud in naturalization cases, would be given a higher status to work as a primary function within USCIS. Further, the increase of interview requirements by nearly 100 percent for all suitable cases would prolong the processing times and put more emphasis and scrutiny on cases.
Conclusion
Project 2025 is a reference to a new direction in the immigration policy of the United States, which focuses principally on security and the limitation of immigration. That being the case, the next administration gets to shape the employers’ and employees’ experiences in the U. S Immigration system through reforms that may change visa availability, processing time, and compliance. Stakeholders should keep a watchful eye on such developments to prepare for their effects on the upcoming election and its implications for workforce planning and immigration policies.
