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How This New Bill Could Give H-1B Holders a Faster Green Card Path
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A new push in the Senate could reshape the path to permanent residency for millions of long term US residents, including a large share of Indian professionals holding H-1B visas, as the fight over immigration policy continues to intensify in Washington.
The proposal, introduced by Senator Alex Padilla of California, would let immigrants apply for a green card once they've lived continuously in the United States for at least seven years. To qualify, applicants would also need a clean criminal record and would still have to meet every other existing requirement tied to green card eligibility.
Padilla says the goal is to modernize a piece of immigration law that hasn't been touched since 1986, a change he believes could benefit more than eight million people currently living in legal limbo.
Why Padilla Says It's Needed Now
In a statement released by his office, Padilla framed the bill as a direct response to the current political climate. He said he first introduced similar legislation a year ago specifically to counter what he described as harsh treatment of hardworking immigrants under the Trump administration. Since then, he argues, things have only gotten worse, with families forced to live under constant uncertainty despite having spent years building their lives in the country.
Padilla didn't hold back in his criticism of Congress either, saying lawmakers can no longer afford to ignore the millions of long term residents contributing to the economy and their communities daily. In his view, updating immigration law to offer a fair route to permanent residency is long overdue.
Who Would Actually Benefit
The bill casts a wide net. It would cover Dreamers, people with Temporary Protected Status, essential workers, and children of long term visa holders. Highly skilled workers stand to benefit too, particularly H-1B visa holders who have often waited years, sometimes decades, for an employment based green card to come through.
That last group carries particular weight for the Indian community in America. Indian nationals make up a significant share of H-1B visa holders nationwide, and many face especially long waits for permanent residency because of strict caps on employment based green cards. For this group, the bill could offer a meaningful alternative path forward.
The Legal Mechanics Behind the Bill
Technically, the legislation would amend Section 249 of the Immigration and Nationality Act, a provision known as the Registry. This section currently gives the Secretary of Homeland Security discretion to grant permanent residency to people who have lived in the US continuously since a fixed date, which right now is set at January 1, 1972.
Padilla's bill would scrap that outdated fixed date entirely, replacing it with a rolling seven year residency requirement instead. If passed, the change would take effect 60 days after being signed into law.
Where the Bill Stands
Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin is co-leading the effort alongside Padilla, with 14 other senators already signed on as co-sponsors. In the House, Representative Zoe Lofgren of California is spearheading a companion version of the bill.
Despite this backing, the legislation faces steep odds. With Republicans pushing immigration policy in the opposite direction, passage of the bill remains far from guaranteed anytime soon.
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Sagar Kar author
Sagar is a journalist with an interest primarily in geopolitics and American domestic politics. Before joining Times Now, he wrote for Republic and Sw... View More
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