Indian diaspora think-tank urges US Senate to remove country cap on Green Card

Washington, November 8

A top Indian diaspora think-tank has urged the United States Senate to pass a pending bill that removes country cap on issuing of Green Cards or legal permanent residency, the absence of which, it said, had resulted in talent drain from the US and is negatively impacting American universities.

In a policy paper submitted to US Senators, the Foundation for India and Indian Diaspora Studies (FIIDS) said the excessive delays in the processing of permanent residency applications due to country-wise quota contributed to America’s loss of revenue, market leadership and competitive edge.

The case of work-visa holders from India, clearly illustrated the nature, substance and details of the impediments to legal immigration in America, it said.

Work-based immigration is a great way to attract the right talent into the American economy; however, this provision is currently impeded by annual Country Cap regulations in the processing of permanent residency, the FIIDS said.

Current immigration laws were designed well before rapid technological changes became the hallmark of the American economy, as a result they are not designed to support recent wave of immigrations, triggered by the needs of the American industry for high levels of expertise and skills, the foundation said.

The FIIDS, in its policy paper, urged the Senators to remove country cap for skilled immigrants on a work visa, treat skills-based immigration as different from family-based immigration and disallow the counting of dependents of primary visa holders in the aggregate Country Cap count.

“To retain America’s competitive edge and to encourage immigration through legal means it is now time to revise outdated immigration laws to make room for the growth of new industries coming up on the American horizon,” it said. PTI