US permanent residence sought for jobseekers

Washington, Sep. 1: A group of 40 US lawmakers led by IndianAmerican Raja Krishnamoorthi has sought a path to lawful permanent residence for the 1.2 million people in the employmentbased green card backlog, a significant majority of whom are from India.

In a letter to Speaker of House Nancy Pelosi and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, the lawmakers said the budget reconciliation package provide relief to these individuals stuck in the employment-based green card backlog, thereby strengthening the economy in the process.

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 letter said.

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, it read.

Under the current system, no more than seven percent of employment-based green cards are available to individuals from a single country. As a result, individuals from countries with large populations — such as India and China — face decades-long wait times to achieve lawful permanent resident status, the lawmakers said.

In order to fully unlock the economic potential of highskilled immigrants, a pathway to lawful permanent residence must be cleared and the system must be reformed. —

UNDER THE current system, no more than seven percent of employment-based green cards are available to individuals from a country.

IN ORDER to fully unlock the economic potential of highskilled immigrants, the system must be reformed.