The US states are populated by immigrants and citizens of the country very unevenly. The most immigrants live in California, Texas, Florida and New York.
But only 4.4% of immigrants live in the Heartland regions (these are North and South Dakota, Nebraska, Kansas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Missouri, Iowa, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio and Michigan). These regions are the most unpopular among immigrants.
City mayors decided to attract immigrants to their states. The US Conference of Mayors recently held a bipartisan resolution proposing the creation of the Heartland Visa.
This visa will become an immigration way for highly skilled foreign workers, entrepreneurs, and immigrants with higher education who commit to live in these regions.
Regions participating in the proposed Heartland Visa program must have significant population declines, economic decline, high poverty rates, and lower average incomes.
Immigrants who receive a Heartland Visa will be required to live in these regions for a certain period, but immigrants can work anywhere, for example, have a remote job.
The number of Heartland Visas will be reviewed every quarter, it will depend on the needs of the regions participating in the program. It is currently proposed that at least 100,000 of these visas should be issued per year.
At first they plan to give Heartland Visa for 3 years, with the possibility of extension up to 6 years. After 6 years of residence only in these regions, immigrants will be able to obtain a green card.
This immigration program is currently under development. If you don’t want to wait and want to know what immigration options are available to you right now based on your personal circumstances, schedule the first consultation with an immigration lawyer using the form below