Chinmaya IAS Academy – Current Affairs Chinmaya IAS Academy – Current Affairs
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House removes country-wise cap, increases annual limit of family-based cards
The U.S. House of Representatives on Wednesday passed (365-65) the Fairness for High-Skilled Immigrants Act of 2019, which increases the annual limit of family-based green cards offered to citizens of each country and eliminates the country-wise cap on employment-based green cards. This will have a significant impact on nationals of countries such as India, in whose case demand for immigrant visas (which convert to green cards upon admission to the U.S.) exceeds the number of visas available each year, resulting in wait times that could run into decades.
Indians to benefit
Indians account for an overwhelming majority (around 75% in fiscal year 2017) of H-1B visas, which are a pathway to green cards. The version of the Bill passed by the House increases the per-country cap on family-based green cards from the current 7% of all green cards issued in any year to 15%. The Bill altogether eliminates employment-based green card caps. As of November 2017, China, India and the Philippines, in that order, accounted for the top three countries whose nationals got approved for employment-based green cards. The House Bill also provides a transition period from fiscal year 2020 to 2022 by reserving a percentage of employment visas — in the EB-2 (exceptional ability), EB-3 (skilled workers) and EB-5 (investors) categories — for individuals who are not from the two countries whose nationals claim most of these visas. Now that the House has passed a law changing or eliminating caps, the Senate will need to pass a comparable Bill before it can become law.
