5 lakh Indians may benefit as a bill in HOR proposes 45% increase in allocation of US Green Cards

5 lakh Indians may benefit as a bill tabled in House of Representatives has proposed 45% increase in allocation of US Green Cards. This is in furtherance of the merit-based immigration system for the US being pursued by President Trump. If this legislation is passed, Indian IT professionals will be greatly benefited.

‘Act for securing the US Future’ legislation is backed by the Trump administration. If it sails through the Congress and receives the signature of President Trump, it will also end the diversity visa lottery program. Below are the proposers of the legislation:

• Martha McSally – Chairwoman, Border and Maritime Security Subcommittee, House Homeland Security Committee
• Michael McCaul – Chairman, House Homeland Security Committee
• Bob Goodlatte – Chairman, House Judiciary Committee
• Raul Labrador - Chairman, Immigration and Border Security Subcommittee, House Judiciary Committee

The proposed legislation intends to increase the allocation of US Green Cards by 45%. This will enhance the current yearly allocation to 1, 75,000 from the existing 1, 20,000. Indian IT professionals arrive at the US through the H-1B visas. These later apply for the PR status or US Green Cards and are anticipated to be the major beneficiaries of this act, as quoted by the Times of India.

It has been estimated that there are 5, 00,000 Indians who are awaiting their Green Cards in the US and are required to get their annual extensions of the H-1B visas. Most of them have to wait for several years to obtain the PR status.

The H-1B visa program provides provisional US visas permitting firms to hire highly skilled overseas workers in areas of skill shortages. The increase in allocation of Green Cards will drastically reduce the waiting period.

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