US presidential panel discusses issuing work permits to those waiting for Green Card for over 5 yrs
Washington (PTI): A presidential advisory commission has discussed the possibility of issuing employment authorisation cards in the early stages of Green Card application, a move if approved by the Biden administration would end the agonising wait for the Permanent Resident Card for highly skilled foreign-born workers, including Indians.
A Green Card is a document issued to immigrants to the US as evidence that the bearer has been granted the privilege of residing permanently.
The recommendation proposes that the Department of Homeland Security's US Citizenship and Immigration Services (DHS-USCIS) grant employment authorisation documents (EADs) and travel documents to individuals who have approved I-140 employment-based visa petitions in the EB-1, EB-2, EB-3 categories.
And also who have been waiting in the visa backlog for five or more years regardless of whether they have filed applications for adjustment of status.
Members of the President's Advisory Commissioner for Asian American Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander commission on Tuesday held a detailed discussion on the proposal moved by an eminent Indian-American community leader and its member Ajay Jain Bhutoria, who in his presentation highlighted the challenges faced by H-1B visa holders in the United States.
The H-1B visa is a non-immigrant visa that allows US companies to employ foreign workers in speciality occupations that require theoretical or technical expertise.
Technology companies depend on it to hire tens of thousands of employees each year from countries like India and China.
During the meeting, which was webcast live, members of the commission sought further information on this recommendation and decided to bring it up in the next full commission meeting.
Bhutoria said such a move would benefit the US by ensuring that the country can continue to attract and retain global talent in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) and by improving the lives of many foreign-born scientists, engineers, and physicians.
The recommendation comes at a time when highly skilled foreign-born workers, including Indians, face long waits for their immigrant visas to be processed during which they may lose out on job opportunities or be forced to leave the country because their prior non-immigrant visas have expired.
By granting EADs to these individuals, the US can continue to benefit from their skills and expertise while the immigrant visas are being finalised, he noted.
The policy would also improve the lives of many foreign-born scientists, engineers, and physicians who often face significant uncertainty and stress as they wait for their visas to be approved.
Granting EADs would provide them and their families with greater stability and security.
The proposal would be a win-win for the United States, benefiting both the country and the talented foreign-born individuals seeking to contribute to it.
In his recommendations, Bhutoria also highlighted the challenges faced by the H-1B visa holders, including visa restrictions, limited career growth opportunities, discrimination, uncertainty, lengthy processing times, limited job and travel opportunities, and family separation.
The recommendation to grant EADs to these individuals would provide them with increased job opportunities, improved job security, the ability to start a business, flexibility on being home, invest and build a life in the US, travel freely without worry of visa stamping or appointment, mental peace, better health, and the ability to stay connected with family members.
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Suvendu Adhikari says Bangladesh should be taught a “lesson like Israel taught Gaza”
Kolkata: Bharatiya Janata Party leader and Leader of Opposition in the West Bengal Legislative Assembly Suvendu Adhikari has sparked controversy after stating that Bangladesh should be taught a “lesson like Israel has taught Gaza.”
Adhikari made the remark while speaking to reporters outside the Bangladesh Deputy High Commission in Kolkata on Friday, December 26. “These people must be taught a lesson, just like Israel taught Gaza. Our 100 crore Hindus and the government working in the interest of Hindus must teach them a lesson just as we taught Pakistan a lesson in Operation Sindoor,” he said.
The statement came amid protests being held outside the Bangladesh Deputy High Commission since December 22, following the lynching of Dipu Chandra Das, a 27-year-old garment factory worker in Bangladesh. Das was killed on December 18 in the Mymensingh district, where his body was allegedly hung from a tree and set on fire in public view.
Adhikari was part of a five-member delegation that met senior officials of the Bangladesh Deputy High Commission on Friday. Speaking after the meeting, he claimed that the diplomats had “no answer to most of his questions” related to the killing and the situation of minorities in Bangladesh.
Reacting to his comments, the All India Trinamool Congress accused the BJP of promoting hate and intolerance. In a post on X, the party described Adhikari’s remarks as hate speech and alleged that they amounted to a call for violence, while also questioning the absence of legal action against him.
Adhikari’s statement has added to political tensions in West Bengal and raised concerns over inflammatory rhetoric linked to sensitive international and communal issues.
The @BJP4India’s Bengal ‘face’ wants a Gaza like operation against Bangladesh. Dog whistles that the @narendramodi government is for ‘Hindus’ only. Do you concur with this @narendramodi @DrSJaishankar ? Dirty politics of Divide and Rule won’t work in Bengal, @SuvenduWB pic.twitter.com/vLWm9b3AXb
— Sagarika Ghose (@sagarikaghose) December 27, 2025
