Biden plans to reduce waiting time for Indians for work-based green cards

The total annual cap on green cards available for Indians is 20,000 leading to wait times stretching to decades

US leader Joe Biden, the presumptive Democratic Party nominee for president, has announced an immigration agenda that will end the country-wise green card caps for employment visas so that wait times stretching to decades for Indians can be reduced if he is elected. His "Plan for Securing Our Values as a Nation of Immigrants" will also link H1-B visas to wages while increasing the number of such visas.

The Plan, which could be the basis of his manifesto for the November election when he is expected to take on President Donald Trump as the Democratic candidate, seeks overall to liberalise immigration to the US and increase the number of immigrants. It sends a mixed message for Indians with most aspects of the Plan favouring some categories of Indians but with one that may tighten regulations for some H1-B visas.

"Biden will support expanding the number of high-skilled visas and eliminating the limits on employment-based visas by country, which create unacceptably long backlogs," according to the Plan. The total annual cap on green cards available for Indians is 20,000 leading to wait times stretching to decades. Attempt by legislators from both parties to introduce laws to lift the cap have stalled in Congress.