Indian-Americans are a secret weapon for economic growth, Congressman Jim Himes said while praising the affluent community, the highest-earning ethnic group in America. With a population of over 4.5 million, Indian-Americans make up 1.4 percent of the American population and are the largest group of South Asian Americans. You are a secret weapon for economic growth…American future of innovations.
Speaking about the Indian-American contribution towards building a technological innovation hub in Stamford, Connecticut, Himes said the US should find quick ways to resolve the green card backlog and visa issues. A GOPIO statement quoted Himes as saying, “The brainchild of technological innovation is here. We have a lot to do on immigration, so that these tech-savvy and enterprising Indian-American communities have the opportunity to get green cards and job visas.” To find an easier and faster way. According to a study by Nasscom released this year, the Indian tech industry generated direct revenue of $103 billion in the United States last year, and provided direct employment to 207,000 people.
The study said- In 2021, there were about six job postings for every single available computer and math worker in the US. This number has increased to 11 open postings per available IT worker in 2022. According to the Foundation for India and Indian Diaspora Studies (FIIDS), the average wait time for an appointment for a visitor visa (B1/B2) is over 900 days and an average of 400 days for students (F, M, J) . Petition-based temporary workers such as H, L, O, P and Q have to wait an average of 300 days for visa appointments at US consulates in India.
We need to advocate with local representatives in every state to resolve this backlog, said Himes, who serves on the US Congressional Caucus on India and Indian-Americans. He told GOPIO members that the visa issue is a solvable problem, and that the right intention and motive is necessary to solve it.
According to the US-based Cato Institute, the employment-based green card backlog for skilled Indians reached 7.19 lakh in September 2021, with a waiting period of 90 years. The Cato Institute report said that more than two lakh Indians trapped in this backlog are likely to die before getting a green card (in the absence of a change in the law). In a move that could help hundreds of thousands of immigrant families, especially those in India, the White House is considering the recommendations of the Presidential Commission to reduce the processing time for green card applications to just six months, and by April The backlog should be cleared by 2023. PLC/GT
