Washington: The US House of Representatives has passed by an overwhelming majority a legislation to remove the seven per cent country cap on green card applicants, a development which could end the agonising wait of tens of thousands of talented professionals from countries like India who have sought permanent residency.
The Bill, titled ‘Fairness for High-Skilled Immigrants Act of 2019’ or ‘HR 1044’ when signed into law, increases the per-country cap on family-based immigrant visas from seven per cent of the total number of such visas available that year to 15 per cent and eliminates the seven per cent cap for employment-based immigrant visas.
The Bill which was championed by Sunaya-na Dumala, the wife of Indian engineer Srinivas Kuchibhotla who was shot dead in a hate crime shooting, said that it was an important day and “a moment we have been waiting for years. Finally, our hard work and tireless efforts have come into fruition”. Kuchibhotla was killed in a shooting at restaurant in Olathe in Kansas in February 2017. Sunayana made multiple visits to Washington to advocate for the legislation.
