Prominent Democrat and White House commissioner for Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander (AANHPI) Affairs, Ajay Bhutoria; has presented a path breaking immigration reform recommendation at the AANHPI Commission meeting on Thursday which has been voted on and unanimously approved by the commission.
This proposal, which seeks to address the significant backlog of employment-based immigration green card visas, which has long deprived the United States of a talented foreign-born workforce and imposed a considerable burden on individuals and their families who have approved I-140s, immigrant petition for alien workers; calls for the department of homeland security’s US Citizenship and Immigration Services (DHS-USCIS) to grant employment authorisation documents (EADs) and travel documents (advance parole) to individuals with approved I-140 employment-based visa petitions in the EB-1, EB-2, and EB-3 categories.I-140 is the form used to petition for a non-citizen worker to become a permanent resident or green card holder in the United States.
Currently, the wait for a green card, for thousands of Indian professionals in the US, can span over a decade and more, significantly limiting job opportunities and growth potential. While the recommendations of the commission are non-binding; it will now be presented to President Joe Biden and if approved by him, it will be sent to the USCIS for implementation; a process which could take between six to 18 months. If implemented, this will bring big relief for thousands of Indians who have endured long green card backlogs but will now have the opportunity to work in the US with stability and security. The validity of the EADs and travel documents should extend until their green card application reaches the final stage of processing, according to Bhutoria’s recommendation.
“The backlog in employment-based immigration green card visas is not merely a bureaucratic issue; it deprives the United States of highly…
This proposal, which seeks to address the significant backlog of employment-based immigration green card visas, which has long deprived the United States of a talented foreign-born workforce and imposed a considerable burden on individuals and their families who have approved I-140s, immigrant petition for alien workers; calls for the department of homeland security’s US Citizenship and Immigration Services (DHS-USCIS) to grant employment authorisation documents (EADs) and travel documents (advance parole) to individuals with approved I-140 employment-based visa petitions in the EB-1, EB-2, and EB-3 categories.I-140 is the form used to petition for a non-citizen worker to become a permanent resident or green card holder in the United States.
Currently, the wait for a green card, for thousands of Indian professionals in the US, can span over a decade and more, significantly limiting job opportunities and growth potential. While the recommendations of the commission are non-binding; it will now be presented to President Joe Biden and if approved by him, it will be sent to the USCIS for implementation; a process which could take between six to 18 months. If implemented, this will bring big relief for thousands of Indians who have endured long green card backlogs but will now have the opportunity to work in the US with stability and security. The validity of the EADs and travel documents should extend until their green card application reaches the final stage of processing, according to Bhutoria’s recommendation.
“The backlog in employment-based immigration green card visas is not merely a bureaucratic issue; it deprives the United States of highly…
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