On May 16, President Trump announced an immigration proposal that would favor admissions based on merit rather than family ties, thus dramatically reshape the legal immigration system in the United States.

The proposal would judge immigrants with a points-based system that would favor high-skilled workers -- accounting for age, English proficiency, education and whether the applicant has a well-paying job offer.

Currently, only about 12% of immigrants are admitted based on employment and skills, while 66% are admitted based on family connections inside the U.S. Administration officials estimate that those numbers would flip to 57% and 33%, respectively, under the new plan.

The average yearly wage of legal immigrants is approximately $43,000. Administration officials said that immigrants admitted based on education and skills would have an average income of $126,000, and they would expect the average yearly wage of all immigrants to rise to roughly $96,000.

For more information about the immigration plan, please visit immigration blog.

U.S. employers are always looking for skilled workers, even in holiday seasons. Please polish your resume and update your career profiles regularly.