Joe Biden Wants H1B Employees To Stay In US; Cap On H1B Will Go, Immigration Rules Will Ease

With Biden officially being inaugurated as the 46th President of the United States, there have been hopes of positive reforms for Indian IT techies and companies.

Just recently, we informed you through an extensive article, all the new executive orders President Biden is set to sign, in just the initial 10 days of his entry in the President office.

Among these executive orders, is the ‘passing of an immigration bill’. We will discuss all you need to know about this new bill today, including its benefits to Indian IT professionals as well as students.

The immigration bill, called the ‘US Citizenship Act of 2021’ will eliminate the per country cap for employment-based green cards, among other things.

New US Immigration Bill

According to an incoming White House official, President Biden will send a comprehensive immigration bill to Congress, which aims to curb many shortfalls and anonymities of the current ‘broken’ immigration system.

This bill, termed as the US Citizenship Act of 2021, ‘modernises the immigration system’.

Among the various proposals, the bill proposes to eliminate the per country cap for employment-based green cards, which would reduce the lengthy wait period for permanent residency for Indian IT professionals working in the US.

The official states that the bill prioritizes keeping families together, grows the country’s economy, responsibly manages the border with smart investments, addresses the root causes of migration from Central America, and also ensures that the US remains a refuge for those fleeing persecution.

How will the New Bill Restore Immigration Hassles?

The US Citizenship Act 2021 will create a roadmap to citizenship for a population that lives and works in the United States, thereby solving the immigration challenges by focusing on what works, as per the White House official.

For individuals meeting certain criteria, like recipients of the Temporary Protected Status (TPS), this bill provides an immediate pathway to green cards. They can apply for citizenship after 3 years.

While, for citizens who do not meet any qualifications, the path of citizenship would be possible after an interim status for five years, post which they would be eligible to apply for citizenship within three years after becoming green card holders.

How will This Bill Help Indian Citizens?

The highest number of applicants for US green cards, whether family based or employment based, come from India.

This has led to a backlog for Indian citizens to get a green card, which is more than 195 years. We have covered a detailed article on the same.

With the new immigration bill, the unused visas will be recaptured, which will clear the backlogs for family-based immigration visas, thereby cutting the long waits and increasing visa caps for every country.

Speaking of employment-based visas, the official informs,

“”The bill also clears employment-based immigration backlogs by reducing those backlogs altogether, eliminating the per country.”

It will also make it easier for graduates of US universities with advanced degrees, in the Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) fields to stay in the US.

“It eliminates again, many of the unnecessary hurdles for employment based green cards. The bill also includes the No Ban Act that prohibits discrimination based on religion and limits presidential authority to issue future bans.”, says the official.

Biden’s bill also increases the diversity visa programme from 55,000 visas to 80,000 per year.

“Biden will support first reforming the temporary visa system for high-skill, specialty jobs to protect wages and workers, then expanding the number of visas offered and eliminating the limits on employment-based green cards by country, which have kept so many Indian families in waiting for too long”.