Washington: Corporates, including technology giants Apple and Google, have applauded US President Joe Biden’s steps to initiate immigration reforms.
On Day One of his Presidency, Biden sent a comprehensive immigration bill to Congress that seeks to revamp the system.
The new legislation seeks to grant legal status and a path to citizenship to tens of thousands of undocumented immigrants and reduce the time family members need to wait to get green cards.
Green cards and permanent residency
In what would benefit thousands of Indian IT professionals, the US Citizenship Act of 2021 proposes to scrap per country cap for employment-based green cards.
The current wait time for legal permanent residency in the US runs into several decades.
Tech giants give a thumbs up
Apple chief executive Tim Cook, in a statement on Wednesday, welcomed Biden’s “commitment to pursuing comprehensive immigration reform that reflects the American values of justice, fairness and dignity”.
“This effort will strengthen American communities and the pathways to opportunity this country has long fostered,” he said in the note.
Google chief executive Sundar Pichai applauded Biden’s quick action on covid relief, Paris climate accord and immigration reform in a tweet on Thursday.
Pichai tweeted: “Google has supported action on these important issues & we look forward to working with the new administration to help the US recover from the pandemic + grow our economy.”
Tech giants Apple, Google and Microsoft have filled their ranks with a huge number of IT nerds from countries like India and China.
Paris accord and Muslim travel ban
On taking charge, Biden also issued a series of executive orders, including rejoining the Paris accord on climate change, halting America’s withdrawal from the World Health Organization, revoking a Muslim travel ban, and stopping immediate construction of Mexico border wall.
Freeze on H-1B visas
Former US president Donald Trump had extended a freeze on H-1B visas, along with other types of work visas and green cards, till 31 March.
The H-1B is a non-immigrant visa that lets US firms employ foreign workers in jobs that need technical or theoretical expertise.
‘Dreamers’ get a chance at US citizenship
Biden seems to be reaffirming his commitment to giving ‘Dreamers’ a path to citizenship and to welcoming immigrants—regardless of their country of origin—seeking to come to the US from abroad.
‘Dreamers’ get the name from the Development, Relief, and Education for Alien Minors (DREAM) Act, a legislation that aims to grant legal status to young immigrants residing in the US unlawfully. Such immigrants would have been brought in by their parents.
US Citizenship Act of 2021
The US Citizenship Act of 2021 will create a path to citizenship for ‘Dreamers’, undocumented immigrants, and essential workers who have risked lives to serve and protect American communities, the White House said.
The US has an estimated 11 million undocumented people living in the the country.
“We are encouraged that the Biden-Harris administration is following through on the commitment to send meaningful immigration legislation to Congress,” said FWD.Org, an advocacy group representing top Silicon Valley firms including Microsoft, Facebook and Google.