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New US bill offers green card path after seven years
NDTV··29 Jul
Senator Alex Padilla has introduced a bill that would let immigrants who have lived continuously in the United States for at least seven years apply for a green card, updating a registry provision unchanged since 1986. Applicants would need a clean criminal record and to meet existing eligibility requirements. The change would take effect 60 days after the bill's enactment.
Prism
What It Means For You
- Indian H-1B holders facing years long waits for employment based green cards gain a potential new path if this bill eventually becomes law.
- Families of long-term US residents, including Dreamers and Temporary Protected Status holders, could also benefit from the proposed seven year residency rule.
- Anyone tracking US immigration policy sees a concrete counter-proposal to the current administration's stricter enforcement approach, though its passage remains uncertain.
What's Happening
- Senator Alex Padilla introduced a bill letting immigrants who have lived in the US continuously for at least seven years apply for a green card.
- The bill would update a registry provision unchanged since 1986, replacing its fixed 1972 eligibility cutoff with the new seven year rule.
- Applicants would need a clean criminal record and to meet existing green card requirements, with the change taking effect 60 days after passage.
A 1986 Rule Meets A New Push
- The bill has Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin as co-lead, 14 other Senate co-sponsors, and a companion bill in the House.
- Indian professionals make up a large share of H-1B visa holders and often face long waits for employment based green cards.
- Padilla's office says the current political climate, with Republicans pursuing tougher immigration measures, makes the bill's passage unlikely for now.
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