Called the US Citizenship Act of 2021, the legislation modernises the immigration method, and also proposes to eradicate the per nation cap for employment-primarily based green cards, a move that would advantage thousands of Indian IT specialists whose existing wait period for legal permanent residency runs into quite a few decades.
Apple CEO Tim Cook welcomed President Biden’s “commitment to pursuing comprehensive immigration reform that reflects the American values of justice, fairness and dignity”.
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“This effort will strengthen American communities and the pathways to opportunity this country has long fostered,” he mentioned in a statement late on Wednesday.
Google CEO Sundar Pichai in a tweet on Thursday applauded President Biden’s fast action on COVID relief, Paris climate accord and immigration reform.
“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, said Sundar Pichai.
US tech companies like Apple, Google and Microsoft employ a huge number of IT professionals from countries like India and China.
President Biden on Wednesday also issued a series of executive orders, ranging from rejoining the Paris agreement on climate change, halting America’s withdrawal from the World Health Organisation, revoking Muslim travel ban, stopping immediate construction of Mexico border wall and extending the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) programme for another four years.
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“The Biden-Harris administration’s planned actions make essential and overdue investments in immigration reforms that can effectively meet the demands of a globally competitive, digital economy, which includes expanded visa programmes for higher-skilled workers and households,” mentioned Jason Oxman, president and chief executive officer of the Information Technology Industry Council (ITI).
ITI is the international trade association for the tech sector, representing almost 70 of the world’s most revolutionary firms.
The Trump administration had extended the freeze on H-1B visas along with other varieties of work visas and green cards till March 31. The H-1B visa is a non-immigrant visa that permits US firms to employ foreign workers in specialty occupations that call for theoretical or technical knowledge.
Joe Biden is also following by means of on his get in touch with for unity by reaffirming his commitment to providing Dreamers a path to citizenship and to welcoming immigrants — regardless of their nation of origin — searching for to come to the US from abroad, Mr Oxman mentioned.
Mr Oxman mentioned as America continues its financial recovery from COVID-19, making certain US employers can attract and retain the very best talent from about the planet is paramount.
We commend President Biden for his swift and decisive actions, and for prioritising this essential challenge. Our business is committed to working with the administration and the 117th Congress to advance these efforts and develop the US innovation economy by means of a competitive immigration method, he mentioned.
The US Citizenship Act of 2021 will develop an earned path to citizenship for Dreamers, undocumented immigrants living in the US, and the important workers who have risked their lives to serve and safeguard American communities, the White House had mentioned.
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It is estimated that some 11 million undocumented folks are living in the US.
We are encouraged that the Biden-Harris Administration is following by means of on their commitment to send meaningful immigration legislation to Congress that establishes a nicely-deserved pathway to citizenship for millions of undocumented folks like us and our households, mentioned FWD.Org, an advocacy organisation representing top rated Silicon Valley firms, which includes Facebook, Google, Microsoft and DropBox.
American Immigration Lawyers Association executive director Benjamin Johnson mentioned Biden met this historic moment with action by sending a substantially-required immigration bill to Congress, along with his administration’s commitment to see the legislation enacted.
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Failure to pass reasoned immigration reform for the previous 3 decades has led to households becoming kept apart for years and organizations unable to employ job creators. The provisions in the US Citizenship Act will strengthen communities, reunite households, and harness the creativity and talent of immigrants who want to be a aspect of the American Dream in a way that has been not possible for decades, he mentioned.