US President-elect Joe Biden to Provide American Citizenship to Over 5 Lakh Indians, Likely to Raise H-1B Visa Limit | Key Points

New Delhi: US President-elect Joe Biden will be providing American citizenship to 11 million undocumented immigrants, including over 500,000 from India. According to a policy document issued by the Biden campaign, the US President-elect will also establish a minimum admission number of 95,000 refugees annually. Notably, the 77-year-old Democrat has defeated incumbent President Donald Trump in the bitterly-fought presidential election that attracted a record number of Americans to cast their votes.

“He (Biden) will immediately begin working with Congress to pass legislative immigration reform that modernises our system, with a priority on keeping families together by providing a roadmap to citizenship for nearly 11 million undocumented immigrants — including more than 500,000 from India,” the policy document read.

Furthermore, it stated that the Biden administration would support family-based immigration and preserve family unification as a core principle of the US’ immigration system, which includes reducing the family visa backlog.

“And, he will increase the number of refugees we welcome into this country by setting the annual global refugee admissions target to 125,000 and seek to raise it over time commensurate with our responsibility, our values, and the unprecedented global need. He will also work with Congress to establish a minimum admissions number of 95,000 refugees annually,” the document said.

Biden will remove the uncertainty for Dreamers by reinstating the DACA (Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals) program and explore all legal options to protect their families from inhumane separation. And, he will end workplace raids and protect other sensitive locations from immigration enforcement actions, it added.

The President-elect has also planned to increase the number of high-skilled visas, including the H-1B, and eliminate the limit on employment-based visas by country, both of which are expected to benefit tens of thousands of Indian professionals impacted by some immigration policies of the outgoing Trump administration.

With Kamala Harris as his deputy, Biden is expected to reverse the move of the outgoing Trump administration to revoke work permits to the spouses of H-1B visas, which had adversely impacted a large number of Indian families in the US.

(With PTI Inputs)