Indians staying in the USA may benefit from a new bill that has been introduced in US Congress to reactivate almost 3.8 lakh unused family and employment-based visas. The aim of the bill is to eliminate a massive backlog of Green Cards.
This move, when signed into law, would provide multiple advantages to both the Indian and Chinese immigrants under the employment-based category in the US waiting for decades for a Green Card or permanent legal residency.
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The Jumpstart our Legal Immigration System Act bill was introduced by the House Immigration and Citizenship Subcommittee’s Democratic Chair Zoe Lofgren.
The legislation would permit immigrants, who are currently staying in the US, as well as eligible applicants to apply for the Green Card by paying a certain fee amount.
The bill will now be forwarded to the House for debate and voting after which the US Senate will present it to the White House for President Joe Biden to sign the bill into law.
Lofgren said that this bill will enable immigrants to contribute to their communities and the US economy while allowing American companies to attract and retain high-skilled workers.
The bill also foresees reserving 4,400 EB-3 visas for immigrants who will work in shortage occupations, including nurses and physical therapists. However, it has also been underlined that for the first nine fiscal years, no country would be allowed to get over 25 per cent of reserved visas and no more than 85 per cent of unreserved visas.
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Meanwhile, Republicans opposed the move saying that this bill can increase immigration from China amidst tensions between both the countries.
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Source: The Indian Express