GOP Could Fund Tax Cuts and End High-Skilled Immigration Backlog

Immigration and The Reconciliation Process

Congressional Republicans hoping to enact new spending and extend expiring tax cuts will use “reconciliation.” According to the Congressional Research Service, “Reconciliation is a two-stage process in which reconciliation instructions are included in the budget resolution directing the appropriate committees to develop legislation achieving the desired budgetary outcomes, and the resultant legislation (usually incorporated into an omnibus bill) is considered under expedited procedures in the House and Senate.”

An Immigration Approach That Addresses Employment-Based Green Card Backlogs

Another approach would be for Republicans to charge a fee to highly skilled individuals mired in green card backlogs. The best way to solve the employment-based backlog problem would be to enact higher annual limits and exemptions from annual quotas and to end the per-country limit. However, previous legislative efforts have been unsuccessful, and advocacy groups have indicated many individuals might jump at creative ways to speed up their path to permanent residence and eventual U.S. citizenship. Unlike asylum seekers, those waiting for employment-based green cards typically earn high salaries.

Solving The Immigration Backlog And Raising $25 Billion

If the fee were set appropriately, many of these one million people would likely appreciate taking years off their wait for an employment-based green card. Charging $10,000 to each potential immigrant waiting in the employment-based backlog could raise $10 billion. If the market could bear $25,000, the measure would raise $25 billion in revenue for the reconciliation bill’s priorities.

Allowing People to Obtain an Employment-Based Green Card More Quickly

Allowing people to obtain an employment-based green card more quickly could unleash thousands of startups. Jyoti Bansal had a great business idea but had to wait seven years in H-1B status. Once he received an employment authorization document and a green card, he started AppDynamics. Cisco acquired the company for $3.7 billion in 2017 after it grew to employ over 2,000 people. Shortly after, Bansal cofounded Harness, a company valued today at nearly $4 billion with approximately 1,000 employees.

Conclusion

The reconciliation bill could present an opportunity to solve a significant issue and give GOP lawmakers a chance to demonstrate they support legal immigration. By charging a fee to highly skilled individuals mired in green card backlogs, Republicans could raise $10-25 billion and create a win-win situation for both the government and the immigrants.

FAQs

• What is the purpose of the reconciliation process?
  The reconciliation process is a two-stage process in which the budget resolution directs the appropriate committees to develop legislation achieving the desired budgetary outcomes.
• What is the employment-based green card backlog?
  The employment-based green card backlog consists of approximately one million high-skilled foreign nationals, including dependents, who have been approved for permanent residence but are waiting for their priority date to arrive.
• How could the fee be set to raise $25 billion?
  The fee could be set at $25,000, which would raise $25 billion in revenue for the reconciliation bill’s priorities.
• What are the benefits of allowing people to obtain an employment-based green card more quickly?
  Allowing people to obtain an employment-based green card more quickly could unleash thousands of startups and create a win-win situation for both the government and the immigrants.