US Senator Offers Solutions To GC Waitlist Of Indians

The backlog for an Indian national to get PR or Green Card is more than 195 years, a top Republican senator has said, urging his Senate colleagues to come out with a legislative resolution to address this problem.

Senator Mike Lee said that the current Green Card policy did nothing for the child of an immigrant whose dead parent's Green Card application was ultimately denied because his or her job was no longer available.

Lee, the senator from Utah, was speaking on the legislation moved by Senator Dick Durbin that seeks to protect immigrant workers and their children who are stuck in the green card backlog.

The Lee-Durbin agreement would make three changes to the Fairness for High-Skilled Immigrants Act. First, it would immediately protect immigrants and their families who are stuck in the backlog by allowing them to "early file" for Green Cards.

This would allow workers to switch jobs and travel without losing immigration status and prevent the children of immigrant workers from "aging out" of Green-Card eligibility so they will not face deportation while they are waiting for a Green Card.

Second, the amendment would create a green-card set aside for immigrant workers who are unable to "early file" because they are stuck in the backlog overseas.

Finally, the amendment would crackdown on abuse of H-1B temporary worker visas by outsourcing companies by prohibiting a company from hiring additional H-1B workers if the company's workforce is more than 50 employees and more than 50 percent temporary workers.