The rule would exclude half of immigrants applying for a visa in the United States.

The US government announced Monday a new rule that could deny permanent residence to hundreds of thousands of people because they are too poor.

The rule promoted by Stephen Miller, anti-immigration advisor to President Donald Trump, will come into effect in mid-October and it would allow applicants to refuse temporary or permanent visas for non-compliance with income standards or for social badistance, food vouchers, social housing or Medicaid.

Such a change would guarantee immigrants "to be self-reliant" by not needing "public resources to meet their needs" because they will depend "on their own abilities, as well as the resources of the members of the community". family, sponsors and private organizations, "according to a statement. publication in the Federal Register that relieved Reuters.

According to experts, it would be the strongest immigration measure of the Trump administration. Human rights groups have criticized the plan to try to reduce legal immigration without going through Congress to amend the law.

Under the new rules, more than half of green card applications would be refused, according to the Migration Policy Institute, a research center. In 2016, approximately 800,000 cards were awarded.

The new rule comes from the Immigration Act of 1882, which allows the government to deny a visa to anyone who can become a "public accusation". In recent years, immigration officials have defined visa applicants as a public office if they are likely to rely primarily on badistance.

Most non-resident immigrants are not eligible for major badistance programs until they obtain a resident card, but the new rule issued by the Department of Homeland Security expands the definition of A public office that disqualifies more people. Applicants must now display higher income levels to obtain a visa, and the rule significantly expands the list of government benefits that would prevent them from obtaining residence in the United States.

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