Since 2007, over 1 million immigrants have been granted green cards annually, except during the COVID-19 pandemic.
A series of events has shone a spotlight on the U.S.’ H1B visa programme, which mostly benefits Indian workers. The programme allows U.S. employers to hire skilled foreign professionals for specialised roles.
Recently, a month-old post on X by Chennai-born techie, Sriram Krishnan, who was appointed as AI advisor to the U.S. government by President-elect Donald Trump, went viral.
Editorial | Visa politics: On Trump’s immigration policy
Mr. Krishnan urged Elon Musk, who will also be advising the Trump administration on cutting unnecessary regulations, to eliminate country caps for green cards and “unlock skilled immigration.” This sparked debates, with pro- and anti-immigration voices weighing in on the H1B visa programme. Far-right activist Laura Loomer was among the critics of Mr. Krishnan’s appointment and the H1B programme.
Earlier this month, Bloomberg published a detailed report featuring former U.S.-born employees of India-based IT firm Cognizant Technology Solutions, who alleged that “H1B workers were favoured over U.S. employees.” In October, a U.S. jury found the IT major guilty of discriminatory practices against non-Indian workers.
Earlier this year, several Tata Consultancy Services employees in the U.S. filed a complaint with the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, accusing it of racial discrimination and favouring individuals on H1B visas for jobs.
Amid the ongoing criticism of the H1B programme, the Joe Biden administration introduced new rules last week to simplify the hiring of foreign workers by U.S. companies. The changes also made it easier for individuals to transition from F-1 student visas to H1B visas.
In this context, a recent survey by the Pew Research Center is important. It reveals that 30% of U.S. adults support an increase in legal immigration, 46% prefer maintaining the current levels, and 22% advocate for a decrease.
Chart 1 illustrates the share of U.S. adults who want legal immigration to increase, decrease, or stay at the current level.
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Americans aged 18 to 29 showed stronger support for increased legal immigration, with 50% favouring it and 10% advocating a decrease. But among those aged 50 and older, only 20% supported an increase; nearly 30% favoured a decrease.
The responses were also divided along political lines, with 30% of Republicans favouring a decrease in legal immigration, compared to only 14% of Democratic-leaning respondents. White Americans showed the lowest support for increasing legal immigration.
The survey also shows that about four in 10 Americans believe that high-skilled workers should be prioritised when determining who should be allowed to stay in the U.S. legally (Chart 2).
Significantly, Mr. Musk recently responded with “I agree” on X to a post by a U.S.-based firm’s CEO advocating for an increase in the H1B visa cap to attract more “top talent”.
Amid calls to increase temporary worker visa limits, the number of immigrants granted lawful permanent residency through green cards returned to pre-pandemic levels in 2023 (Chart 3).
In 2023, approximately 1.2 million immigrants received green cards, an increase of about 1,55,000 compared to 2022.
Since 2007, over 1 million immigrants have been granted green cards annually, except during the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2023, 1,97,000 were given employment-based green cards, typically issued to highly skilled foreign workers or those filling labour shortages.
While a significant share of Republican voters supports reducing legal immigration, Mr. Trump’s team and the tech industry advocate for increasing it to address the demand for skilled workers.
Published – January 01, 2025 07:00 am IST