Padilla revives Bill to open green card path for H-1B and long-term residents

Washington,UPDATED: Jul 28, 2026 11:56 IST

A Democratic senator has renewed his push for a Bill that would create a pathway to lawful permanent residency for millions of long-term US residents, including H-1B visa holders. The proposal, if enacted, would allow people to apply for permanent residency if they have lived continuously in the US for at least seven years before filing an application.

California Senator Alex Padilla on Monday reiterated support for his ‘Renewing Immigration Provisions of the Immigration Act of 1929’ Bill, first introduced last year. He said the measure offers a “commonsense” fix to what he described as an “outdated” immigration system and is aimed at countering President Donald Trump’s “systemic attacks” on migrants across the country.

Padilla said, “A year ago, I introduced this bill to push back against the Trump administration’s cruel treatment of hardworking immigrants.” He added, “Since then, President Trump’s campaign of fear has only escalated, with families living under constant uncertainty despite having built their lives in this country. Congress cannot continue to ignore millions of long-term residents who contribute to our economy and communities every day. It’s past time to modernise our immigration laws and create a fair pathway to lawful permanent residency.”

According to Padilla’s office, the legislation would provide a pathway to green cards for more than eight million people, including Dreamers, Temporary Protected Status holders, children of long-term visa holders, essential workers, and highly skilled professionals such as H-1B visa holders who have been waiting years for employment-based green cards. The Bill proposes amending Section 249 of the Immigration and ity Act, known as the Registry provision, which gives the Secretary of Homeland Security the discretion to register certain individuals for lawful permanent resident status if they have been in the country since a specified date and meet other eligibility requirements.

Section 249 was first codified in 1929 and was last updated in 1986 during the Reagan administration. The current eligibility cut-off date is January 1, 1972. Padilla’s Bill proposes replacing the fixed cut-off date with a rolling eligibility date, removing the need for Congress to amend the law from time to time. A statement from his office said only 305 people adjusted their immigration status under the current Registry provision between 2015 and 2019, making the 1972 entry cut-off largely ineffective.

The Bill is co-led by Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin and is cosponsored by Senators Cory Booker, Tammy Duckworth, Andy Kim, Ben Ray Lujan, Edward J Markey, Jeff Merkley, Chris Murphy, Patty Murray, Bernie Sanders, Brian Schatz, Adam Schiff, Tina Smith and Elizabeth Warren. It has also received endorsements from more than 30 organisations.

The US employment-based immigration system has for years faced long green card backlogs, particularly for Indian H-1B professionals because of per-country visa caps. Tens of thousands of highly skilled Indian professionals, mainly in the technology and science sectors, apply for permanent residency every year. As demand from India far exceeds the 7 per cent annual allotment, a large queue has built up. Data suggest Indians account for about 80 per cent of the pending employment-based green card backlog, with estimated wait times ranging from 15 years to several decades. Padilla’s renewed push for the Bill comes against this backdrop, with the measure seeking to widen access to permanent residency for long-term residents across categories.

With PTI Inputs

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