Joe Biden Starts Reversing Trump's Immigration Rules: Will The Move Help Indian IT Professionals?

Referred to as the US Citizenship Act, 2021, the bill modernizes the immigration system, thereby bringing cheers on the faces of the Indian IT professionals who are the worst sufferers of the current immigration system.

(Getty Image)

Washington: In what brings good news for the Indian IT professionals in the United States, Joe Biden, soon after taking over as the country’s 46th President, sent an immigration reform bill to the Congress which among others proposes to eliminate the per country cap for employment-based green cards.

Referred to as the US Citizenship Act, 2021, the bill modernises the immigration system, thereby bringing cheers on the faces of the Indian IT professionals who are the worst sufferers of the current immigration system. The current system imposes a seven percent per country quota on Green Card or permanent legal residency allotment.

Hailed as the most sweeping immigration reform package passed since 1986, the bill marks a symbolic departure from the restrictionist immigration policies under the rule of Biden’s predecessor Donald Trump.

Besides others, the bill promises to create an eight-year path to citizenship for undocumented immigrants and bolster border security with new screening technologies.

The bill prohibits discrimination based on religion and limits presidential authority to issue future bans besides implementing reforms to legal immigration. The bill increases per country visa caps and eliminates the bars and other provisions that have kept families apart.

The bill also boosts funding for immigration enforcement. January 1, 2021 is the cut-off date for those undocumented workers. Two-thirds of undocumented immigrants have been in the US for 10 years or longer.

The bill provides an immediate pathway to green cards for individuals who meet certain criteria as they were dreamers or have been recipients of the Temporary Protected Status (TPS), or are farm workers and meet certain criteria.

These individuals stand eligible to apply for citizenship of United States three years later. Even for those who fail to qualify, there is a provision of interim status for five years.