It’s a new day in America

Biden to end country cap on H1B visas with his first orders

Washington, Jan. 20: In his first hours as US President, Joe Biden will aim to strike at the heart of President Donald Trump's policy legacy, signing a series of executive actions that will reverse his predecessor's orders on immigration, climate change and handling of the coronavirus pandemic.

Biden, who began his day by tweeting, “It’s a new day in America”, will send a comprehensive immigration Bill to Congress which among other things proposes to eliminate the per country cap for employment-based green cards, a move that would benefit hundreds and thousands of Indian IT professionals in the US.

Called the US Citizenship Act of 2021, the legislation modernises the immigration system, according to an incoming White House official.

It prioritises keeping families together, grows the country’s economy, responsibly manages the border with smart investments, addresses the root causes of migration from Central America, and also ensures that the US remains a refuge for those fleeing persecution, said the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity.

Describing this as a common-sense approach to solving immigration challenges, focusing on what works, the US Citizenship Act 2021 creates a roadmap to citizenship for a population that lives and works in the United States.

January 1, 2021 is the cutoff date for those undocumented workers. Twothirds of undocumented immigrants have been in the US for 10 years or longer. It provides an immediate pathway to green cards for individuals who meet certain criteria as they were dreamers or have been recipients of the Tempo-rary Protected Status, or are farm workers and meet certain criteria. They can apply for citizenship three years later. For those who don’t meet those qualifications, there will be another path to citizenship, where they would be in an interim status for five years. Afterwards they would be eligible to apply for citizenship within three years after becoming green card holders.

According to the incoming White House official, the Bill reforms the family-based immigration system.

● THE NEW BILL provides an immediate pathway to green cards for individuals who meet certain criteria as they were dreamers or have been recipients of the Temporary Protected Status and meet certain criteria.