New US Bill Proposes $20,000 Fast-Track for Green Card Applicants Waiting Over a Decade

A new bipartisan proposal in the US House of Representatives, the Dignity Act of 2025 (H.R. 4393), offers hope to millions of immigrants, particularly Non-Resident Indians (NRIs), stuck in the green card backlog. Introduced on August 6, 2025, by Rep. Maria Elvira Salazar (R-Florida) and Rep. Veronica Escobar (D-Texas), the bill aims to overhaul America’s outdated visa system and eliminate the legal immigration backlog by 2035. A standout feature is a $20,000 premium processing option for those waiting over ten years, allowing them to jump the queue for faster green card issuance.

A Premium Pathway to Cut Wait Times

The Dignity Act targets individuals in family- and employment-based visa categories who have endured delays exceeding a decade. By paying a $20,000 fee, eligible applicants can expedite their green card applications, bypassing the standard queue. This measure addresses the frustration of over 11 million applicants, including nearly 800,000 Indians, who face wait times stretching up to 135 years due to the 7% per-country visa cap, as noted by the Foundation for India and Indian Diaspora Studies (FIIDS).

The bill also proposes increasing the per-country green card cap from 7% to 15% for both family- and employment-based categories. This change aims to reduce delays for high-demand countries like India and China, creating a more equitable visa distribution system. “This bill is about solving a problem that’s been broken for decades,” said Rep. Salazar, emphasizing its bipartisan intent.

Relief for Documented Dreamers and Skilled Workers

The Dignity Act addresses the challenges faced by documented dreamers—children of long-term visa holders who risk losing legal status upon aging out of dependent eligibility. The proposal grants lawful permanent resident (LPR) status to those who have lived in the US for at least ten cumulative years, offering stability to families, including many NRIs.

For skilled workers and students, the bill introduces significant reforms:

F-1 Student Visas: These would become dual-intent, allowing graduates to apply for permanent residency without proving intent to return home.
Optional Practical Training (OPT): Participants would contribute to Social Security and Medicare taxes, aligning with broader workforce integration.
O Visas: Criteria would expand to include international PhD holders in STEM and medical fields as individuals of extraordinary ability.
Derivative Family Members: These would be excluded from annual visa caps, freeing up slots for primary applicants.

Context of a Deepening Immigration Crisis

The Dignity Act comes amid a worsening US immigration backlog, with the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) reporting 11.3 million pending cases in Q2 FY2025. Indian applicants, who dominate employment-based categories like EB-2 and EB-3, face wait times of over a decade, as highlighted in the August 2025 Visa Bulletin. The EB-3 category advanced only one month to May 22, 2013, while EB-5 investor visas saw a six-month jump to November 15, 2019.

Stricter policies under the current administration, including a $250 “Visa Integrity Fee” and mandatory social media disclosures for visa applicants, have compounded challenges for NRIs, as detailed in U.S. Visa Challenges for Indians in 2025. These measures, combined with a 938% surge in green card replacement processing times, have led many NRIs to explore alternatives like Canada’s Express Entry or the UAE’s Golden Visa, according to NRI News Club.

Calls for Reform and Alternatives

Indian-American lawmakers like Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi and Rep. Shri Thanedar are advocating for systemic changes, such as the Eliminating Backlogs Act of 2023, to remove country quotas and streamline visa processing. However, with the risk of retrogression in visa categories as the fiscal year ends on September 30, 2025, applicants are urged to act swiftly and consult immigration experts.

For NRIs, the Dignity Act of 2025 offers a glimmer of hope, but its passage remains uncertain. As delays and costs mount, many are turning to global options like Australia’s points-based system or the UAE’s nomination-based Golden Visa, launched in July 2025, which offers lifetime residency for skilled professionals.

What’s Next?

The Dignity Act reflects renewed bipartisan momentum to fix a broken immigration system, but NRIs must navigate a complex landscape of delays, fees, and scrutiny. Monitoring the U.S. Visa Bulletin and consulting legal advisors are critical steps for those in the backlog. As the US remains a land of opportunity, the path to residency in 2025 demands resilience and strategic planning.

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Sources: Business Today, NRI News Club