New US Bill likely to benefit Indians, proposes permanent residency for fee

By Team Newsable | First Published Sep 13, 2021, 5:52 PM IST

According to the report, the measures would have to pass the Judiciary Committee, the House of Representatives, and the Senate before becoming law.

Millions of people who have been caught in the employment-based Green Card backlog in the United States for years, including a large number of Indians, may be able to gain lawful permanent residency in the United States by paying a supplementary fee if a new House bill is enacted into law. If included in the reconciliation package and signed into law, the measure is anticipated to benefit thousands of Indian IT workers who are now caught in a lengthy Green Card backlog. A Green Card, also known as a Permanent Resident Card, is a document provided to immigrants as proof that the holder has been granted the right to live permanently in the United States.

According to the committee print issued by the US House of Representatives Judiciary Committee, which has jurisdiction over immigration, an employment-based immigrant applicant with a "priority date of more than two years before" can adjust to permanent residence without numerical limits by paying a "supplemental fee of $5,000."

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The cost for the EB-5 category is $50,000. (immigrant investors). According to Forbes magazine, the provisions will expire in 2031. The price for obtaining a Green Card for a family-based immigrant who is sponsored by a US citizen and has a "priority date that is greater than two years before" would be USD 2,500. According to the committee print, the supplement cost would be $1,500 if an applicant's priority date is not within two years, yet they are needed to be present in the nation. This cost would be in addition to any administrative processing fees that the applicant would have to pay.

The plan, however, does not include lasting structural reforms to the legal immigration system, such as abolishing country limitations for green cards or boosting yearly H-1B visa quotas.
According to the report, the measures would have to pass the Judiciary Committee, the House of Representatives, and the Senate before becoming law. Last month, US Congressmen, including Indian-American Raja Krishnamoorthi, urged their Congressional colleagues to support their move to employment-based Green Card backlog as part of budget reconciliation. A group of 40 US congressmen, led by Raja Krishnamoorthi, wrote to Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, stating the budget reconciliation plan helps those locked in the employment-based Green Card backlog while also improving the economy.

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