A new white paper has confirmed the challenges endured due to green card backlog in United States and recommended a complete overhaul of the process. The Cato Institute's study has revealed that only 3 per cent of applicants are expected to obtain permanent residence in the fiscal year 2024. With a mammoth backlog of approximately 34.7 million applications the revelations further underscores the magnitude of the issue.
This paper reveals how the cap on number of immigrants and types of immigrants who could apply have led to a massive buildup in requests.
The white paper suggests only 8% or 1.8m applicants of Employment‐Based green cards will be successful in their citizenship efforts. This category has an overall cap of 140,000 per year plus any unused family‐sponsored green cards. Despite a temporary increase in the employment-based cap the demand has consistently surpassed the available supply. What's worse is that the distribution of these green cards may not prioritize applicants with longer waiting periods, as country caps may favour those applying in the next year. This situation results in prolonged waits, with Indian applicants, constituting half of those in employer-sponsored categories, they face delays of more than a century for a green card.
To address green card backlogs, the white paper proposes several key measures. Firstly, Congress is urged to waive stringent rules and arbitrary caps that currently hinder the approval of green card applicants. The paper suggests that addressing the existing backlog requires a gradual increase in annual legal immigration. It also emphasized the need for a more proportional allocation of green cards to different categories.
Specifically, the family-sponsored backlog, which traces back to caps set in 1990, is highlighted as a significant challenge, with approximately seven million pending cases. The white paper recommends a proportional increase in caps, using the uncapped immediate relative categories as a benchmark. This adjustment could potentially result in the issuance of six million additional green cards, addressing 85 percent of the family-sponsored backlog.
The white paper proposes to grant green cards to the 35 million applicants in 2024 and subsequently implementing a permanent increase in legal immigration to 5 million annually. This reform is projected to result in a moderate increase in the US immigrant population, reaching around 40 million by 2033, representing a 22 percent share.
The revelation has sparked concerns among the Indian diaspora, highlighting the need for urgent reforms to streamline the immigration process. Many Indian immigrants, who contribute significantly to the U.S. economy and society, find themselves entangled in a system that is struggling to cope with the demand for permanent residency.
The findings of the white paper underscore the critical need for comprehensive immigration reforms in the United States. The impact on Indian immigrants, in particular, reflects the broader challenges faced by individuals navigating the intricate and lengthy green card application process. As the debate on immigration reform continues, stakeholders and policymakers are urged to consider the human and economic implications of the current backlog, seeking solutions for a more efficient and inclusive immigration system.
