Changes To The US Immigration System Could Benefit Indian Workers

While Indians make up the largest and most successful demographic of new immigrants to the US, per country caps on employment-based visas meant that, two years ago, 60% of backlogged applications were from Indians. Under the new US administration, proposals for immigration reform have been presented to Congress, and recent changes have been made to immigration policies, including adjustments to the H-1B visa system and the reinstatement of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrival (DACA) program. Together with a proposal to allow STEM students to remain after graduation, these changes could benefit the many thousands of Indians who want to live and work legally in the US.

Under the Obama administration, a program was introduced to safeguard undocumented immigrants who came to the US as minors. While protecting them from deportation, the DACA program gives the authorization to work to young people under the age of 30 without a criminal record. A report from 2019 shows that there were over 600,000 undocumented Indians in the US, but only 13% of those who were eligible had applied for DACA and received support. While the program was suspended during the Trump administration, it has now been fully reinstated, and, as well as an extension on two-year renewals for current recipients, requests are now being accepted from first-time applicants.

Foreign workers in specialist occupations need the H-1B visa in order to work temporarily for American employers. Holding this visa gives eligibility to apply for a Green Card for permanent residency. Due to worldwide delays in the processing of family visas, there are currently more than twice as many available employment-based visas being processed at an accelerated rate. This has provided relief to many Indian families who have been waiting for years for a Green Card, and who were at risk of their children aging out from applications as they turned 21.

Over 50% of international students at US universities come from India and China, with over half studying STEM subjects such as engineering and math. One of the elements of the new immigration bill is a proposal to allow eligible STEM graduates to remain in the US to work after graduation. As students, Indians already contribute over $7.5 billion to the US economy every year, so encouraging them to stay and work is seen as highly beneficial.

Changes to immigration policies mean that Indians could benefit from the accelerated processing of H-1B visas, legalization under the DACA program, and proposals to welcome more STEM graduates and workers.