Senator Alex Padilla proposes an easier path to obtaining Green Cards for H-1B visa holders
Under the proposed bill, the registry provision of the Immigration Act of 1929 would allow immigrants who have resided in the United States for at least seven years to apply for lawful permanent resident status. Applicants must have no criminal record and must meet all other existing eligibility requirements for a green card.
By Purushottam Dhakal, LOS ANGELES:- California Senator Alex Padilla has introduced a new initiative to pave the way for permanent residency for millions of people who have long resided in the United States, including H-1B visa holders. If enacted, this legislation would allow immigrants who have continuously lived in the U.S. for at least seven years to apply for a ‘Green Card’ (permanent residency).
California Senator Alex Padilla has championed the bill, stating that his proposal would modernize immigration provisions that have not been updated since 1986 and would benefit more than 8 million people.
In a statement, Senator Alex Padilla said, “A year ago, I introduced this bill to oppose the Trump administration’s cruel treatment of hardworking immigrants.”
Padilla said, “Since then, President Trump’s campaign of fear-mongering has intensified; families who have built their lives in this country are forced to live in a climate of constant uncertainty.”
Congress can no longer ignore the millions of long-term residents who contribute daily to our economy and communities. The time has come to modernize our immigration laws and create a fair pathway to legal permanent residency.
However, the bill proposed by Padilla is highly unlikely to pass, as Republicans are working on formulating their own anti-immigration policies.
The immigration provision renewing the Immigration Act of 1929 will allow immigrants who have been residing in the United States for at least seven years to apply for lawful permanent resident status. Applicants must have no criminal record and must meet all other existing eligibility requirements for a Green Card.
The bill proposed by Padilla would cover “Dreamers,” holders of Temporary Protected Status (TPS), essential workers, and the children of long-term visa holders. It could also assist highly skilled workers—including H-1B visa holders—who have waited years for employment-based green cards.
This proposal is considered significant for skilled workers from South Asia and India, who make up a large share of H-1B visa holders and often face long waits for permanent residency due to employment-based green card caps.
Under the proposed bill, the registry provision of the Immigration Act of 1929 would allow immigrants who have resided in the United States for at least seven years to apply for lawful permanent resident status. Applicants must have no criminal record and must meet all other existing eligibility requirements for a green card.
The current eligibility cutoff date is January 1, 1972. Padilla’s legislation would replace that fixed date with a rolling seven-year requirement. This change would take effect 60 days after enactment.
Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin is co-leading this measure. Fourteen other senators have signed on as co-sponsors. Representative Zoe Lofgren of California is leading the legislation in the House.
