American dream fading? Things don’t look too good for those seeking to migrate to US, especially Indians
USCIS) proudly posted on X that a 99-yr-old woman from India had been awarded citizenship. 'They say age is just a number. That seems true for this lively 99-year-old who became a new US citizen in our Orlando office. Daibai is from India and was excited to take the Oath of Allegiance....'
Indians tired of waiting for an employment-based green card (GC) for decades did not take too kindly to this post. One person responded to USCIS with, 'LOL. Soon you will give green cards posthumously!'
A GC is the first step on the path towards US citizenship. In general, only after five years of holding a GC (reduced to three years, if you are married to a US citizen) can you apply for citizenship. The catch — it's a decades-long queue if you are from India.
The US has restricted legal immigration since the 1920s. David J Bier, director, immigration studies at Cato Institute, points out that the system utterly fails those aspiring to pursue the 'American Dream' in lawful and orderly ways. His Feb 2024 study, 'Green Card Approval Rate Reaches Record Lows', shows that only 3% of those who have submitted GC applications will receive permanent status during FY2024 (fiscal ending Sept 30, 2024).
As of Oct 1, 2023, nearly 34.7 mn applications were pending — up from about 10 mn in 1996. Bier adds that many of these are not applicants in the true sense. Most (read: largely Indians) are waiting for a cap number to become available, after which they can file a formal GC application.
In addition to the overall caps, be it for
