Indian MP Wants Merit-Based GC

Indian-American Congressman Shri Thanedar has called for faster visa processing and an end to country-based green card quotas, saying the United States needs skilled immigrants to strengthen its economy and create more American jobs.

In an exclusive interview with media, the Democratic lawmaker from Michigan said immigrants had played a central role in America’s growth across medicine, research, innovation, science and technology.

“We need to process visas quicker. We need to get rid of country quotas so we can get the skilled workforce our businesses need,” Thanedar said.

Indian professionals face some of the longest employment-based green card waits because of per-country limits. Thanedar said US companies continued to report difficulty finding workers with specialised skills.

“Every time I go meet Silicon Valley entrepreneurs, CEOs, they all tell me about how difficult it is to get a skilled workforce,” he said.

Thanedar said the United States must train more Americans for these jobs. Until enough domestic workers acquire the required skills, he said, immigration would remain necessary.

“The only way we can get those skilled workforce businesses need is to train Americans for these skills, and until such thing happens where there are enough Americans, we need to continue to encourage immigrants to come and contribute to our economy and contribute to our GDP and help create more American jobs,” he said.

The Congressman spoke as the United States prepares to mark the 250th anniversary of its independence. He said Indian-American entrepreneurs exemplified the role immigrants had played in building businesses across the country.

“These are people who have worked hard to build businesses all across America, and they symbolise what immigrants have done for this country,” he said.

Thanedar also voiced concern about what he described as growing hostility towards immigrants. He said he was working in Congress to restore respect for their contributions.

“Currently there is such a wave of anti-immigrant attitude all across America,” he said. “And what I’m doing is in fighting, I’m in Congress, I’m fighting to restore the respect for immigrants.”

He highlighted the importance of Indian professionals to the US technology industry.

“Silicon Valley could not survive without immigrants, especially Indian, Indian Americans,” Thanedar said. “So it is time for us to realise and respect and honour the contribution of immigrants for the success of America.”

The employment-based US immigration system places annual limits on the number of permanent residency visas issued to nationals of any single country. The system has produced particularly long waits for applicants from India, who constitute a large share of highly skilled foreign professionals working in the United States.