US Lawmakers Ask for PR to Green Card Holders

Key Highlights:

• Overview
• Content of the Letter
• Current Scenario

A group of 40 lawmakers in the United States, led by an Indian American, have sought a budget relocation package to relieve over a million individuals, particularly those stuck in the employment-based green card backlog.

Content of the Letter 

The request letter was written by Mr. Raja Krishnamurthy, the co-chairman of the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus (CAPAC). 

CAPAC submitted the letter to Nancy Pelosi, the Speaker of the House of Representatives and Chuck Schumer, the Majority Leader in the Senate.

In the letter, the lawmakers wrote that “Failure to provide a path to lawful permanent residence for the 1.2 million people in the employment-based green card backlog, most of whom are H-1B visa holders, would be tantamount to staging an economic recovery with one hand tied behind our back.”

“Permanently relegating H-1B holders to nonimmigrant status while China, Russia, and other major powers are ascendant on the world stage – and hungry to be home to the innovators of the 21st century – is simply nonsensical. This can and must be addressed in the budget reconciliation package currently under negotiation.”

Current Scenario

The United States can issue 140,000 green cards per annum to employment-based preferenced individuals and their families each year. 

However, there is a 7% country cap, which is why people from countries like China, India and Mexico face a longer waiting time.

There are over 800,000 Indians currently waiting for an employment-based green card since decades.