Immigration reforms - Visa Numbers
Right time to get that elusive Green Card
TIMES NEWS NETWORK[ TUESDAY, APRIL 04, 2006 12:49:04 AM]
NEW DELHI: It is not just the Indian professional with H-1B dreams whose fate hangs in balance in the US Senate. The Specter proposal, passed by the Senate Judiciary Committee, holds the key for an increase in the number of EB visas, or green cards, as well.
The numerical cap of EB immigrants would increase from 1,40,000 to 2,90,000 annually. Moreover, spouses and children of EB immigrants on or after October 1, ‘04, will no longer count against the numerical cap. 
The bill proposes that unused EB immigrant visas don’t lapse at the end of the government’s fiscal year (September 30).
The bill calls for recapturing the unused immigrant visas from ‘01. Such visas can be used over a period of time. If accepted, the country limits will be increased from 7% to 10% of the worldwide numerical cap to ease backlogs for highly-skilled workers born in populous countries.
This would benefit India and China. Experts contend that this would be the most serious improvement to the employment-based immigration system since the passage of the Immigration Act of 1990.
The bill passed by the Senate Judiciary Committee proposes to re-fashion the employment-based immigration system to consider the needs of the US economy.
Experts view that the US immigration system largely ignores the contribution of prospective immigrants to the US society.
At present, professionals, who fall into the EB-3 category, have to wait for five years to obtain permanent residency, and persons born in India and China face long lines even in the EB-1 and EB-2 categories.
This is despite the fact that the US suffers from shortage of scientists, engineers, computer professionals, healthcare professionals and teachers.
