A bipartisan group of 56 lawmakers, led by Congressmen Raja Krishnamoorthi and Larry Bucshon, has called on the Biden administration to take executive action to address the long wait periods faced by Green Card applicants from India. The current backlog has left these applicants in limbo, with some facing an astonishing 195-year wait.
The lawmakers sent a letter to Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, appealing for relief for high-skilled employment-based visa holders. They specifically requested that all dates for filing employment-based visa applications be marked as “current” in the Bureau of Consular Affairs’ published Employment-Based Visa Bulletin.
The backlog, which has been exacerbated by the seven percent country cap on employment-based Green Card allocation, is particularly affecting Indian tech professionals. These individuals play a vital role in the United States’ technology industries and have a significant presence in STEM fields (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics). However, the prolonged wait for Green Cards is preventing them from fully contributing to the country’s growth and innovation.
The Foundation for India and Indian Diaspora Studies (FIIDS USA) also appealed to President Joe Biden to address this issue. The FIIDS highlighted the adverse effects of the backlog and stressed the importance of granting relief to Indian H-1B visa holders stuck in Green Card processing.
The lawmakers’ proposal to mark all dates as “current” aims to ease the burden on thousands of individuals navigating the US immigration system. It could potentially make some eligible for employment authorization documents, enabling them to change jobs, start businesses, and travel abroad without penalty.
Congressman Krishnamoorthi expressed his support for addressing bureaucratic delays in the legal immigration system, as it affects the economy and leaves families uncertain about their future. Congressman Bucshon emphasized the need for the administration to act within the existing law to facilitate legal immigrants’ contributions to the nation.
Aman Kapoor, President of Immigration Voice, hailed the lawmakers’ proposal as a game-changer for nearly one million high-skilled immigrants in the US. Kapoor criticized the discriminatory immigration system that forces Indian nationals to wait excessively for Green Cards compared to applicants from other countries.
The bipartisan letter calls for the Biden administration to take action and grant basic rights to high-skilled immigrants who have been contributing to the US economy for over a decade. The plea urges the administration to recognize their essential role and treat them fairly in the immigration process.
