WASHINGTON: More than 227,000 Indians in the US are waiting for the family-sponsored green card or legal permanent residency, the second largest number in the wait list after Mexico, according latest official data.
Currently, there are about four million people waiting in line for family-sponsored green cards against a Congressional cap of 226,000 per annum.
The largest number of 1.5 million wait list is from America’s southern neighbour Mexico, followed by a distant India with more than 227,000 and China with nearly 180,000, according to the Department of Homeland Security.
Majority of those in the family-sponsored green card waiting list are siblings of US citizens. Under current law, US citizens can sponsor their family members and blood relatives for green cards or permanent legal residency.
President Donald Trump is against such a provision which he calls as “chain immigration” and wants to abolish it. The opposition Democratic Party is vehemently opposed to abolish the family-sponsored immigration system.
In addition to four million family-sponsored green card applicants, another 827,000, a sizeable number of whom are from India, are waiting for the permanent legal residency. The wait for employment-based green card for Indian IT professionals is more than 10 years.
According to the DHS, a majority of Indians waiting in line for family-based green cards are siblings of US citizens. They number over 181,000. This is followed by 42,000 married children of US citizens and over 2,500 spouses and minor children of permanent residents. PTI
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