Both the US Senate and House have proposed a Fairness for High-Skilled Immigrant Act that removes the per country cap for the issuing of green cards to immigrants. Currently, the maximum limit is 7% per country and a total of 140,000 green cards are issued to employment-based immigrants. This includes foreign workers coming on nonimmigrant visas like H-1B, L1, and L2A. The ultimate aim is to eliminate discriminatory backlogs and exploitation of high-skilled foreign workers.

If passed, how does the Fairness for High-Skilled Immigrant Act affect you?

• It creates a ‘first come, first served’ system that gives legal permanent residency in the US irrespective of country of origin.
• Without having a per country cap, regional discrimination is eliminated for with the current system, there is a 7% cap for countries irrespective of its total population.
• This Act would follow a more efficient way of allocating green cards and thereby, alleviate the unending backlog faced by many today. Currently, an average H1-B visa holder has to wait at least 10 years before he can become a legal permanent resident.
• Given that the majority applications come from India and China, and the backlogs affect them the most, they would largely be at the benefits-end of this new legislation, if passed.
• This would bring about more recruitment diversity among skilled talent and reduce the knowledge gap in many industries if permanent residency is offered across the globe without a limitation.
• The Fairness Act supports the US economy by facilitating family integration and making sure that the skilled worker is able to unite with his family in the US and continue to be productive.
• Having legal permanent residency in the US allows global talent to bring new business ideas to the American shores and start profitable companies here.
• More companies mean more employment for local workers and thus, better home economy.
• While the focus is on employment based green cards and their plight, this Act also proposes to adjust the per country limits on family based green cards.

Want to weigh in on the pros and cons of this Bill with others? Join a discussion on the Fairness for High-Skilled Immigrant Act on Trackitt right now.

Should US Congress vote in favor of the Act as supported by tech giants like Google, not only will it leverage skilled talent across the US economy but also help ease out of the existing backlogs that is choking the immigration system. If your employer is looking to sponsor your green card, follow the required steps to an employment-based-green-card to make sure you get ahead in the line of the Fairness for High-Skilled Immigrant Act.