Skilled Indians hoping to make their American dreams a reality by obtaining US green cards are finding themselves stuck in a long queue that can last several years. Despite their talent and abilities, many Indian visa applicants are unable to obtain permanent residency in the US, leaving them waiting in the queue for years. Indian nationals account for a significant portion of visa applicants wanting to settle in the US.
Anuj Christian is an Indian who has legally lived in the US for over 13 years. He arrived in the US on a student visa to pursue a master’s degree and later secured a job when his company filed for the commonly known H1B work visa. His immigration petition was approved by his employer, but despite this, his green card remains elusive.
Christian’s application for a green card falls under the employment-based immigrants category, which is for people with advanced degrees or exceptional abilities. This category was created to fill the skills gap in the labor market and ensures that the US remains at the forefront of technology, science, and healthcare.
The US issues a maximum of 140,000 green cards each year for employment-based immigrants. However, the Immigration Act of 1990 placed an upper limit of 7% per country on this category, meaning that no single country can receive more than 9,800 visas each year. Once this quota is reached, people from other countries, regardless of their level of skill or experience, are given priority.
As many as 1 million Indians living in the US are waiting in line to obtain their green card, leaving them uncertain when their backlog will be cleared. Christian argues that this country cap on skilled-based green cards is discriminatory and unfair, and it is hurting the US economy.
To raise awareness, Christian is currently on a countrywide campaign to cap skilled-based green cards without any discrimination against any particular country. Americans are not aware of this issue, and their research and endowments will be impacted if there is a cap on student visas. US corporations are also at risk of failing to find the high-skilled workers they need.
The experience is frustrating for many Indians, leaving them facing the challenges of insecurity and a lack of stability on a daily basis. Those who are unable to secure a new job that sponsors their work visa within 60 days of losing their current job have to leave the country, regardless of how long they have lived there.
Indian nationals are not the only ones waiting in the long queue for green cards, but it is important to remove any cap on skilled-based visas. If there is a job opening in the US, it should go to Americans first, and foreign nationals with exceptional skills should only be recruited afterward.
In conclusion, the US needs to ensure the skills gap in the labor market is filled, and the US continues to remain at the forefront of technology. Eliminating the discriminatory country cap on skilled-based green cards will help achieve that goal.
