California Senator Alex Padilla on Monday reiterated support for his 'Renewing Immigration Provisions of the Immigration Act of 1929' bill, first introduced last year. According to reports from Business Standard, the Democratic Senator made a fresh bid to push legislation that would provide a pathway to lawful permanent residency for millions of long-term US residents, including H-1B visa holders. The bill seeks to provide a 'commonsense' fix to the US' 'outdated' immigration system to counter President Donald Trump's 'systemic attacks' on migrants across the country. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin is co-leading the measure, with 14 other senators signed on as co-sponsors, while Representative Zoe Lofgren of California is leading companion legislation in the House. As Padilla stated, "A year ago, I introduced this bill to push back against the Trump Administration's cruel treatment of hardworking immigrants. Since then, President Trump's campaign of fear has only escalated, with families living under constant uncertainty despite having built their lives in this country."
The legislation would allow long-term US residents to apply for permanent residency if they have lived in the country continuously for at least seven years before filing the application. As reported by Business Standard, the proposed bill would amend Section 249 of the Immigration and Nationality Act, commonly known as the Registry provision, which currently gives the Secretary of Homeland Security discretion to register individuals for lawful permanent resident status if they have been in the country since a specified date. The current eligibility cutoff date remains January 1, 1972, but Padilla's legislation proposes replacing this with a rolling eligibility date to eliminate the need for Congress to periodically amend the law. The change would take effect 60 days after enactment, with applicants also required to have no criminal record and meet all existing green card eligibility requirements. The measure would cover Dreamers, Temporary Protected Status holders, essential workers and children of long-term visa holders, as well as highly skilled workers including H-1B visa holders who have waited years for employment-based green cards.
According to Padilla's office statement reported by Business Standard, only 305 people adjusted their immigration status under the current Registry provision between 2015 and 2019, rendering the current 1972 entry cutoff largely ineffective. The proposed legislation would provide a pathway to green cards for more than eight million people, including Dreamers, forcibly displaced individuals, children of long-term visa holders, essential workers, and highly skilled professionals such as H-1B visa holders. The bill has received endorsements from more than 30 organizations, including the AFL-CIO, Service Employees International Union, UNITE HERE, United Farm Workers and the National Immigration Law Center. Congress first established the Registry in 1929 and has updated it four times, with the most recent revision during the Reagan administration in 1986. The proposal faces an uncertain path in Congress amid deep partisan divisions over immigration, with Padilla noting that "Congress cannot continue to ignore millions of long-term residents who contribute to our economy and communities every day. It's past time to modernize our immigration laws and create a fair pathway to lawful permanent residency."
The US employment-based immigration system has been plagued by long green card backlogs, particularly affecting Indian H-1B professionals due to per-country visa caps. As reported by Business Standard, tens of thousands of highly skilled Indian professionals working on H-1B visas apply for permanent residency every year, with Indians accounting for roughly 80% of the entire pending employment-based green card backlog. Because demand from India vastly exceeds the 7% annual allotment, wait times are estimated anywhere from 15 to several decades. The proposal could carry particular significance for Indian professionals, as Indians account for a large share of H-1B visa holders and often face lengthy waits for permanent residency because of employment-based green card limits. The measure would help highly skilled workers, including H-1B visa holders who have waited years for employment-based green cards, providing them with a fair pathway to lawful permanent residency.
