Indians to Benefit From Bill Initiated by US Lawmakers to Fix Green Card Backlog

The bill proposes to recapture more than 2,20,000 unused family-sponsored visas and around just less than 1,60,000 employment-based visas.

It would also permit immigrant US residents to be eligible for adjustment to Legal Permanent Residence (LPR) status to apply for adjustment after paying. As of now, this is not possible due to the unavailability of a visa number.

“We all know that our immigration system is dysfunctional and it has been in dire need of reform for decades,” Lofgren said.

“The basic framework for allocating immigrant visas dates back to the middle of the 20th century and was updated last seriously in 1990 when Congress established the worldwide numerical limits on visas and the 7 per cent per-country cap that still exists today. Over time, these limitations have led to backlogs that were unimaginable in 1990,” she added.

(With inputs from PTI.)