21 Feb Bill’s Demise Deepens Green Card Woes for Indian Migrants in Tech Hub

The United States has a high cost of living, but for someone coming from less developed countries, it’s still infinitely better. For instance, the US still ranks 30th out of 53 destinations as a good place for expats, according to the Expat Insiders report by InterNations, a global expat community. About 72% of expats in the US say they’re happy with life.

However, a bipartisan border and national security bill that was blocked by Republicans in the US Senate earlier last February reported by The Economic Times allegedly dealt a blow to the dreams of many Indian immigrants stuck in green card backlogs. The proposed legislation aimed to provide much-needed relief to those facing lengthy delays in obtaining permanent residency. Many immigrants in Northern California come from India. 

According to The Mercury News, Indian migrants have become the largest immigrant group in the Bay Area’s two biggest counties, Santa Clara and Alameda, totaling around 250,000 residents. This number alone would make them the fourth-largest individual city in the Bay Area in terms of population.

California’s Indian-born population has seen a remarkable surge, rising from the seventh-largest to the fourth-largest since 2010, nearly doubling in size within that timespan.

Across the United States, Indian migrants now compose the second-highest immigrant group, trailing only behind Mexicans, according to the nonpartisan Migration Policy Institute (MPI). 

Approximately 2.7 million Indian immigrants reside in the country, outnumbering both Chinese and Filipino immigrant populations.

While Indian migrants accounted for approximately 6 percent of the US foreign-born population in 2021, the MPI notes that “the pace of arrivals from India and other non-European countries in subsequent decades has been rapid.”

It doesn’t perturb them if the US ranks second-worst for the affordability and accessibility of quality health care, and lands in the bottom 10 countries for the availability of public transit, further impacting the quality of life for expats.

Once Indians arrive, they find it easy to get accustomed to the language, and they’re happy with the unrestricted access to online services, high-speed internet at home, and the ease of paying without cash. But the recent blocking of the border bill has made it complicated for them.

Benefit for Indians if the bill was not blocked

Had the bill been implemented, it would have particularly benefited Indians holding K-1 fiancé(e) and K-3 spouse visas, H-4 spouses and children of H1-B visa holders, individuals awaiting employment-based green cards, and those sponsored for family-based green cards waiting outside the United States.

For H-1B visa holders with approved I-140 petitions, the bill sought to simplify the employment authorization process for their spouses. Currently, H-4 visa holders undergo a cumbersome process to obtain an employment authorization document (EAD). The proposed legislation aimed to eliminate this requirement, allowing H-4 spouses to work ‘incident to status,’ streamlining the process and removing bureaucratic hurdles.

Additionally, the bill intended to extend employment authorization to H-4 children, acknowledging the importance of comprehensive family support for H-1B visa holders. This expansion would have enabled dependents to contribute economically during their stay in the U.S., a significant step towards recognizing the needs of these families.

One of the crucial provisions addressed the issue of aging out for children of H-1B holders. Under the current system, these children risk losing their H-4 status upon turning 21. The proposed bill offered a solution, allowing those who maintained H-4 status for at least eight years before turning 21 to apply for a green card alongside their parents, retaining their H-4 status beyond the age of 21 and gaining work authorization.

Furthermore, the bill would have introduced 18,000 more employment-based green cards annually for the next five years. Despite potential limitations due to the 7% per-country cap, especially for high-demand countries like India, this increment represented a positive step toward addressing the green card backlog.

While the bill’s failure is a setback, the awareness generated around these crucial immigration issues may pave the way for future legislative efforts aimed at reforming and improving the immigration system in a manner that supports both the country’s economic interests and the aspirations of immigrants contributing to the United States.

The most common reasons expats come to the US are to attend school or university (15%), or for work (13%) with global mobility professionals assisting them. Expats in the US are most likely to work in health care, information technology, and education. Another 12% say they moved to the US “for love.”

While the US faces challenges in areas like health care costs and public transportation, it remains a popular destination for expats, with Mexico ranking No. 1 as the top destination, followed by Spain, Panama, Malaysia, and Taiwan.

The Expat Insiders report, which surveyed more than 12,000 respondents, ranks destinations based on five indices: quality of life, ease of settling in, working abroad, personal finance, and an “expat essentials” index, which covers housing, administration, language, and digital life.

Bill’s Demise Deepens Green Card Woes for Indian Migrants in Tech Hub

The United States has a high cost of living, but for someone coming from less developed countries, it’s still infinitely better. For instance, the US still ranks 30th out of 53 destinations as a good place for expats, according to the Expat Insiders report by InterNations, a global expat community. About 72% of expats in the US say they’re happy with life.

However, a bipartisan border and national security bill that was blocked by Republicans in the US Senate earlier last February reported by The Economic Times allegedly dealt a blow to the dreams of many Indian immigrants stuck in green card backlogs. The proposed legislation aimed to provide much-needed relief to those facing lengthy delays in obtaining permanent residency. Many immigrants in Northern California come from India. 

According to The Mercury News, Indian migrants have become the largest immigrant group in the Bay Area’s two biggest counties, Santa Clara and Alameda, totaling around 250,000 residents. This number alone would make them the fourth-largest individual city in the Bay Area in terms of population.

California’s Indian-born population has seen a remarkable surge, rising from the seventh-largest to the fourth-largest since 2010, nearly doubling in size within that timespan.

Across the United States, Indian migrants now compose the second-highest immigrant group, trailing only behind Mexicans, according to the nonpartisan Migration Policy Institute (MPI). 

Approximately 2.7 million Indian immigrants reside in the country, outnumbering both Chinese and Filipino immigrant populations.

While Indian migrants accounted for approximately 6 percent of the US foreign-born population in 2021, the MPI notes that “the pace of arrivals from India and other non-European countries in subsequent decades has been rapid.”

It doesn’t perturb them if the US ranks second-worst for the affordability and accessibility of quality health care, and lands in the bottom 10 countries for the availability of public transit, further impacting the quality of life for expats.

Once Indians arrive, they find it easy to get accustomed to the language, and they’re happy with the unrestricted access to online services, high-speed internet at home, and the ease of paying without cash. But the recent blocking of the border bill has made it complicated for them.

Benefit for Indians if the bill was not blocked

Had the bill been implemented, it would have particularly benefited Indians holding K-1 fiancé(e) and K-3 spouse visas, H-4 spouses and children of H1-B visa holders, individuals awaiting employment-based green cards, and those sponsored for family-based green cards waiting outside the United States.

For H-1B visa holders with approved I-140 petitions, the bill sought to simplify the employment authorization process for their spouses. Currently, H-4 visa holders undergo a cumbersome process to obtain an employment authorization document (EAD). The proposed legislation aimed to eliminate this requirement, allowing H-4 spouses to work ‘incident to status,’ streamlining the process and removing bureaucratic hurdles.

Additionally, the bill intended to extend employment authorization to H-4 children, acknowledging the importance of comprehensive family support for H-1B visa holders. This expansion would have enabled dependents to contribute economically during their stay in the U.S., a significant step towards recognizing the needs of these families.

One of the crucial provisions addressed the issue of aging out for children of H-1B holders. Under the current system, these children risk losing their H-4 status upon turning 21. The proposed bill offered a solution, allowing those who maintained H-4 status for at least eight years before turning 21 to apply for a green card alongside their parents, retaining their H-4 status beyond the age of 21 and gaining work authorization.

Furthermore, the bill would have introduced 18,000 more employment-based green cards annually for the next five years. Despite potential limitations due to the 7% per-country cap, especially for high-demand countries like India, this increment represented a positive step toward addressing the green card backlog.

While the bill’s failure is a setback, the awareness generated around these crucial immigration issues may pave the way for future legislative efforts aimed at reforming and improving the immigration system in a manner that supports both the country’s economic interests and the aspirations of immigrants contributing to the United States.

The most common reasons expats come to the US are to attend school or university (15%), or for work (13%) with global mobility professionals assisting them. Expats in the US are most likely to work in health care, information technology, and education. Another 12% say they moved to the US “for love.”

While the US faces challenges in areas like health care costs and public transportation, it remains a popular destination for expats, with Mexico ranking No. 1 as the top destination, followed by Spain, Panama, Malaysia, and Taiwan.

The Expat Insiders report, which surveyed more than 12,000 respondents, ranks destinations based on five indices: quality of life, ease of settling in, working abroad, personal finance, and an “expat essentials” index, which covers housing, administration, language, and digital life.