US President Joe Biden has been very clear about restoring compassion and order to the country’s immigration system, the White House said and noted that a series of executive actions signed by him in the last few weeks are just the beginning.
Aman Kapoor, president of Immigration Voice called on the Biden administration to use its authority under INA Section 212(f) to exclude any new individual born in India who are not currently in the United States legally from obtaining a new H-1B visa for the first time in Fiscal Year 2022.
The White House, however, did not say if the administration intends to issue such an order. At the same time, it has committed itself to a comprehensive immigration reform which is humane and compassionate.
In his immigration reform bill sent to the Congress, the White House has proposed elimination of country-quota in allocation of green cards, a major demand of organisations like Immigration Voice and Indian IT professionals.
The non-partisan Congressional Research Service says that this discriminatory and arbitrary cap on the number of Indian nationals who can receive lawful permanent residency each year has created a backlog of over one million people waiting for green cards, with a wait time of over 195 years, Kapoor said, adding that in fiscal year 2030, the line is expected to grow to 436 years. There are both expectations as well as hope.