US Presidential Advisory Panel Approves Green Card Reclamation Initiative

The United States of America reserves a certain amount of green cards annually for people from all around the world. However, several administrative issues have prevented the issuance of thousands of green cards over time. Many immigrants affected by these delays often look for cheap flight tickets to India from USA to visit their families while they wait for their applications to be processed. The backlog of more than 5 million green cards has also been highlighted by numerical restrictions and per-country constraints. A US President’s advisory commission has officially authorized the request to reclaim more than 230,000 unused green cards for job and family categories that have been unclaimed since 1992 to address the backlog.

What is the Significance of a Green Card?

A legal document commonly referred to as a “green card” allows immigrants the privilege of permanent residency and employment in the United States, along with increased freedom and rights. A green card, also known as a permanent resident card, offers several benefits like security and safety as well as a path to citizenship. US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) offers an overview of the qualifying requirements as well as additional specific requirements for applicants under several categories, such as those applying through employment and family.

What is the Green Card Recapture Bill?

As stated by Arturo Castellanos-Canales, the Policy & Advocacy Manager at the National Immigration Forum, “the bill aims to recapture green cards lost to bureaucratic delays since 1992, including spouses and children of green card holders as immediate family members.” It would also increase the per-country caps for family-based immigration.

In addition to the 1,40,000 yearly cap for this category, a portion of the over 2,30,000 unused employment-based green cards from 1992 to 2022 will be processed each fiscal year due to recapture.

What is the Backlog Issue?

The United States issues about 2,26,000 family-sponsored and 1,40,000 employment-based green cards to immigrants annually. However, there is a national quota system that isn’t adjusted based on a country’s population or demand. Under the current immigration system, each of these categories is allowed 7% of green cards annually, or roughly 25,600 visas. Therefore, if the quota is achieved, inhabitants of countries like China and India, which have extraordinarily high rates of green card applications, may have to wait years to acquire a green card, even in circumstances when a petition is approved. The disparity has grown over time due to increased demand, which has resulted in massive backlogs for legal immigrants.

According to employment, there was a 7.19 lakh skilled Indian backlog as of September 2021. A study conducted by the Cato Institute estimates that it may take up to nine decades for all of these Indians to get their turn if they wait in line. The report further estimated that over two lakh Indians in the backlog are projected to die of old age before receiving green cards if legislation is not taken.

Mr. Biers described the situation as “dire” and advocated for changes to the immigration system in a policy brief published in April of this year. “This backlog is keeping available jobs across the nation empty and severing American citizens from their families. While the pandemic and the Trump administration made matters worse, the American system has long been beset by inefficiency. The time for comprehensive, ambitious reform has arrived given the current circumstances,” he stated.

What is Green Card Recapture?

“Green card recapture is a simple idea that would distribute the whole quantity of unused green cards since 1992 to applicants pending processing in the backlog, without any numerical or per-country limits. One advantage of this proposal is that it makes use of a process that Congress approved in 2000 and 2005, which helps to clear the backlog of green cards that is currently in existence. According to Canales, this strategy also avoids a contentious discussion about increasing immigration numbers by reallocating unneeded green cards to reflect levels set by previous Congresses.

How will Recapture Solve the Backlog Issue?

The advisory board member Ajay Bhutoria, an Indian-American entrepreneur, proposed to the panel that the Department of Homeland Security and the Department of State retrieve green cards that were not utilized for work or family needs between 1992 and 2025. This entails recapturing nearly 2,30,000 unused employment-based green cards from 1992 to 2022 and processing a portion of them each fiscal year, in addition to the annual cap of 1,40,000 for the employment-based category.

The President’s Advisory Commission on Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders is now discussing whether to approve draft recommendations for submission as well as the commission’s overall approval of the recapture of unused Green Card visas. He also suggested a new regulation that would ensure that all qualifying immigrants would receive green cards, up to the annual cap, even if the agencies were unable to complete the required paperwork in that fiscal year.

Mr. Bhutoria emphasized the negative impacts of unused green cards on people and the US economy. “By recapturing these unused green cards, billions of dollars could be added to the economy, the backlog for families waiting for Green cards could be reduced, and unnecessary bureaucratic limitations on legal immigration could be mitigated,” he said.

In conclusion, the US Presidential Advisory Panel authorized the Green Card Reclamation Initiative, which is a positive start toward resolving the backlog of immigration cases and offers hope to many families. For those looking to reunite with loved ones or explore new opportunities, grab last minute flight deals to India from USA with Flyopedia.