In a bid to overhaul the immigration system of the US to be more immigrant-friendly, the Democratic party announced a Citizenship Act 2023. The Act has been designed to eliminate the per-country quota for green cards, among other things, as well as enhance the H-1B visa system.
Congresswoman Linda Sanchez introduced the US Citizenship Act 2023, defining it as an earned roadmap to citizenship for the 11 million undocumented immigrants. An additional objective of the Act is to offer undocumented immigrants who pass background checks and pay taxes to earn a 5-year path to citizenship without fearing deportation. Moreover, the Act also aims to eliminate the per-country caps within the employment-based immigration system.
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Among the other objectives of the US Citizenship Act 2023:
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An easier process for those with a US STEM advanced degree to stay back in the country.
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Enhancing accessibility to green cards for immigrants in lower-wage industries/sectors.
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Offering dependents of H-1B holders work authorisation.
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“Preventing children of H-1B holders from ageing out of the system.”
Another issue that the Citizenship Act aims to tackle is the unfair competition that non-immigrant, highly skilled visa applicants face with their American colleagues by incentivising higher wages for such visa holders, thus, stimulating regional economic development.
A reformation that the Act also proposes to improve is to recapture visas from previous years to clear backlogs which include spouses and children of green card holders as immediate family members. Additionally, the Act also proposes to increase the per-country caps on family-based immigration.
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Further, it will also eliminate the discrimination LGBTQ+ families face, as well as offer protection to orphans, widows and children. The Act also permits immigrants with “approved family-sponsorship petitions to join their families in the US on a temporary basis while they wait for green cards”, the media reported.
Citing her immigrant background, Congresswoman Sanchez introduced the Citizenship Act, calling it a bold and transformative framework which will facilitate the improvement of the renovation of the broken immigration system.
Hakeem Jeffries, a Democratic Leader, also affirmed the important role that immigrants hold “in the making of America”, calling for an immigration system overhaul. He highlighted the two pillars of the country, i.e. “a nation anchored in the rule of law” and “a nation of immigrants from around the world that form the gorgeous mosaic that is America.
Source: Econonmic Times
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