Neela Pandya
WASHINGTON DC: The US House Judiciary Committee has introduced into the pending Build Back Better Act a measure which would provide significant relief to the more than 1.2 million people, most of whom are from Indian and Asia, currently waiting in limbo for Green Cards, sometimes for years, due to current immigration policy.
The measure, which still must pass the full House and the Senate, propose opportunities for Green Cards based on family sponsorship and backed by employers which have gone unused since 1992 would be re-allocated to individuals with approved immigrant petitions currently pending. It would also exempt family-sponsored and employment-backed applicants from numerical limits on visas.
Support for the measure in the Judiciary Committee was led by Reps. Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-IL), Kathy Manning (D-NC), and Deborah Ross (D-NC).
“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,” the Representatives wrote. “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.”
Indian Americans appreciate the efforts of Reps. Krishnamoorthi, Manning and Ross who are leading the charge on Capitol Hill to bring legal status, clarity, and relief to over a million people who contribute daily to America’s economic recovery. Taniel Koushakjian, HAF Director of Government Relations &Policy said, “We urge Speaker Pelosi and Leader Schumer to seize this historic moment and ensure that this language is included in the final passage of the President’s Build Back Better Act.”
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