Move to recapture unused green cards in US brings hope for Indian-Americans
Washington, July 07: A member of the President's Advisory Commission on Asian Americans, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islanders has put forth a recommendation to recapture all unused green cards in the family and employment categories since 1992. This move has the potential to benefit thousands of Indian-Americans who have been patiently waiting for their green cards.
The proposal aims to address bureaucratic delays in the green card application process and provide relief to individuals caught in backlogs.
Ajay Bhutoria, an Indian-American member of the commission, submitted a set of recommendations that calls for the recapture of more than 230,000 unused employment-based green cards from 1992 to 2022. He suggests processing a portion of these unused green cards each fiscal year, in addition to the annual limit of 140,000 for the employment-based category.
The proposal also suggests adopting a new policy to ensure that all green cards, as per the annual limit, remain available for eligible immigrants even if the relevant paperwork cannot be processed within that fiscal year.
The underutilisation of available green cards has resulted in a backlog and lost opportunities for the United States. This issue particularly affects Indian-American, Filipino-American, and Chinese-American families. The lack of a green card restricts the mobility of temporary workers on H-1B visas and limits their contributions to the US economy.
Furthermore, children of these temporary workers face the risk of aging out of their immigration status when they turn 21. By recapturing these unused green cards, billions of dollars could be added to the economy, the backlog for families waiting for green cards could be reduced, and bureaucratic limitations on legal immigration could be mitigated.
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Bhutoria commended the Biden administration for implementing several recommendations of the commission, including actions to reduce significant visa appointment wait times and revising the Child Age-Out Calculation Policy. These measures have reduced wait times for visa appointments and provided greater clarity and fairness for eligible children in immigration cases.
The proposed recommendation aligns with previous proposals introduced in the 117th Congress to recapture green cards that were previously unissued due to administrative errors. The hope is that by implementing these changes, the US can reduce the backlog, stimulate the economy, and create more inclusive and efficient immigration policies.
The proposal to recapture unused green cards in the US, especially in the family and employment categories, presents a potential solution to address the backlog and provide relief to individuals awaiting their green cards. The impact of underutilised green cards on individuals, families, and the economy underscores the need for proactive measures to optimise the immigration system.
The ongoing efforts to improve immigration policies demonstrate a commitment to creating a more inclusive and responsive system that meets the needs of communities and families.
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- With inputs from agencies
