A new legislative effort in the United States aims to provide a pathway to lawful permanent residency (green card) for millions of long-term immigrants, including a substantial number of Indian professionals caught in the H-1B visa backlog.
Modernizing the Registry Provision
Senator Alex Padilla of California has reintroduced a bill that proposes to update a decades-old immigration provision known as the Registry. Currently, the Registry allows the Secretary of Homeland Security to grant permanent residency to individuals who have continuously resided in the U.S. since a fixed date, which has remained January 1, 1972, since the Reagan administration. This makes the provision largely obsolete, with only a handful of people benefiting annually.
Padilla's bill seeks to replace this fixed date with a rolling seven-year residency requirement. Under the proposed change, immigrants who have lived continuously in the United States for at least seven years would become eligible to apply for a green card, provided they meet existing requirements and have no criminal record. The amendment would take effect 60 days after its enactment.
Who Stands to Benefit?
This legislation holds the potential to impact more than eight million long-term U.S. residents. The beneficiaries would include a diverse group: Dreamers, Temporary Protected Status (TPS) holders, essential workers, children of long-term visa holders, and highly skilled professionals.
Among the most significantly affected could be H-1B visa holders, particularly Indian nationals. Due to per-country caps on employment-based green cards, many Indian professionals face wait times that can span years, or even decades. The proposed seven-year residency rule could offer a crucial alternative for those stuck in this extensive backlog, allowing them to secure permanent residency much sooner.
Support and Challenges
The bill has garnered significant support, with Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin co-leading the measure alongside fourteen other senators. In the House of Representatives, companion legislation is being steered by Representative Zoe Lofgren of California. Additionally, over 30 labor, immigration, and civil rights organizations, including the AFL-CIO and the National Immigration Law Center, have endorsed the bill.
Despite this backing, the bill faces a challenging path forward. Deep partisan divisions over immigration policy in Washington make its passage uncertain. The current political climate has historically shown resistance to measures that expand access to permanent residency, indicating a difficult legislative battle ahead for this significant immigration reform.