More US immigration proposals complicate life for expats worldwide

Dubai: The future of US immigration rules is again under debate, and this time the concerns are not only political — they are personal for thousands of expats in the UAE and elsewhere who either travel regularly to the US for work or have family members on H-1B visas.

A new proposal from the Trump Administration aims to change how the US decides who qualifies for permanent residency under the “public charge” rule. At the same time, expanded security screening has already caused visa appointment delays at American consulates, leaving many families unable to return to their jobs, schools, and lives in the US.

If you are in the UAE and maintain strong links with the US — especially if your spouse, children, or relatives are on H-1B visas — these developments could influence family decisions, travel plans, and long-term expectations. Here is what the changes mean in practical terms.

The “public charge” rule determines whether a US green card applicant might rely on government benefits in the future. The concept is longstanding, but its interpretation has shifted over time.

Under current 2022 regulations, assessments focus mainly on an applicant’s future financial stability rather than whether they used legally permitted benefits such as food programs or children’s health insurance. The Trump Administration now wants to replace these rules with new standards that lawmakers say are vague and undefined.

On Wednesday, a group of 127 US lawmakers — including 110 members of the House of Representatives and 17 senators — wrote to the Department of Homeland Security asking for the proposal to be withdrawn. They warn the changes would “lead to mass uncertainty” and create “arbitrary outcomes,” particularly for families moving from H-1B visas to green cards.

Their letter argues that abandoning the current framework without a clear replacement would create “immediate uncertainty for families seeking adjustment of status, including refugees, survivors of domestic violence or trafficking, and children who have been abused, neglected, or abandoned.”

For UAE-based expats — and others hoping to settle in the US through employment routes — such uncertainty can affect decisions on financial planning, travel timing, and even access to services during long visa waits.

Indian nationals make up the largest share of professionals waiting in the H-1B-to-green-card queue, often for more than a decade. Many raise US-born children during that wait and build their careers and family lives around the expectation that permanent residency will eventually be approved.

Lawmakers say the new proposal could make that transition less predictable. Their letter references “well-documented chilling effects” from previous changes to public charge guidance, including research showing that families avoided legally available benefits due to fear and confusion. “Mass uncertainty” is the phrase lawmakers repeat.

For expats, the consequences are practical. Families with ties across the Gulf and the US often travel to manage work commitments, property, and schooling. Rules that alter green card eligibility can influence whether families delay travel, avoid seeking medical support for children while in the US, or rethink long-term relocation plans.

Three Indian American lawmakers — Raja Krishnamoorthi, Ro Khanna, and Pramila Jayapal — signed the letter, underscoring the issue’s significance for the H-1B community.

Separately, tougher US security screening has already disrupted travel plans. Congresswoman Debbie Dingell said a new requirement for expanded online presence reviews has led to sudden visa appointment cancellations for H-1B applicants and H-4 dependents, particularly at US consulates in India.

She described one case where a family traveled for a long-scheduled appointment only to have it cancelled less than 48 hours before, with the new date pushed three months later. “They cannot get back to their lives in the United States,” she wrote. In that situation, a US-born child risked missing months of school. “Our children should not be the ones paying for these policy changes with their education,” she said.

For families in the UAE and beyond, this scenario feels familiar. Many travel to India during school breaks for family visits, then return to the US — a routine now complicated by shifting schedules. Dingell warned that families are being “trapped abroad with no recourse.”

The State Department defends the expanded checks as necessary for national security. Deputy spokesperson Tommy Pigott told Fox News that high migration volumes in previous years made proper vetting “impossible.”

“We’re putting an end to the era of mass migration,” he said. “Visa security is border security.” He argued that stricter screening protects the system from abuse and ensures visas go to applicants who comply with their terms.

According to the State Department, 95,000 visas were revoked in 2025, including more than 8,000 issued to international students — a sign of wider enforcement.

If your family relies on US travel or long-term residency plans, these debates shape real choices:

Lawmakers want answers within weeks and are urging the administration to retain the current public charge framework while clarifying how security screening will function in practice. The Department of Homeland Security has not confirmed whether it will revise or proceed with the overhaul.

For now, the takeaway for expats is straightforward: the pathway from H-1B to a green card remains open, but potentially more unpredictable — and travel plans that once felt routine could require greater caution.

Anyone with strong US links may need to factor timing, documentation, and backup plans into decisions that were once simple. Families are watching closely, hoping clarity returns before uncertainty defines another year of their lives.