ROOTING FOR THE BILLS
If you’re “rooting for the Bills” you’re probably a fan of the NFL’s Buffalo Bills. But if you’re “rooting for the bills,” you’re probably following the bills in Congress closely. That’s certainly the case for Indian-Americans waiting for green cards or hoping to sponsor their relatives.
President Trump has endorsed a bill that would drastically cut family-based immigration, making it harder for citizens and permanent residents to bring their parents and grandparents to America. But the bill, introduced by Republican senators Tom Cotton of Arkansas and David Perdue of Georgia, would also create a system of merit-based immigration that could benefit aspiring immigrants from India. It would award points based on an applicant’s education, experience, income level, age, and English proficiency.
Another bill, sponsored by Republican Congressman Kevin Yoder of Kansas, would eliminate country-specific quotas for green cards. If passed, the Fairness for High-Skilled Immigrants Act would reduce the backlogs in the employment-based green card system—backlogs that cause many applicants from India to wait more than a decade for their green cards.
But don’t bet on any of these bills passing. Except the Buffalo Bills, of course, who seem to finally have a decent quarterback.
Compiled and partly written by Indian humorist MELVIN DURAI, author of the novel Bala Takes the Plunge.
[Comments? Contributions? We would love to hear from you about Chai Time. If you have contributions, please email us at melvin@melvindurai.com. We welcome jokes, quotes, online clips, and more.]
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