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The Senate unanimously passed a bill on Wednesday aimed at clearing the backlog of green cards primarily for Indian immigrants. The House had passed a similar bill in 2019. It lifts the caps on the number of employment-based green cards awarded to immigrants from any one country. Indian immigrants on H-1B visas make a large portion of the backlogged green card applications and would benefit. Still, there are significant differences to be reconciled between the House bill and the Senate bill, something that is unlikely to be completed during this session. The Wall Street Journal
In other federal immigration news…
Trump Admin. Limits Travel By Chinese Communist Party Members
The Trump administration issued a new rule on Wednesday limiting travel to the U.S. by members of the Chinese Communist Party and their families to one month. Previously, party members could obtain up to 10-year visitor visas. The law won’t revoke visas, nor prohibit party members from applying to other immigration visas. It’s the latest escalation in the ongoing conflict between the Trump administration and China. Incoming President-elect Joe Biden will likely have to deal with China’s inevitable retaliatory measure. The New York Times
Trump Pushing Last-Minute Immigration Restrictions
The Trump administration is pushing to finalize several new immigration restrictions before the president leaves office, Reuters reports. Among the measures is the above-mentioned limit on Chinese Communist Party members. Trump is also hoping to replace the lottery system used to award H-1B visas with a new process that would favor high-paying jobs. Trump’s team may also try to make DNA collection mandatory for family-based visa applications and their U.S. citizen and permanent resident sponsors. Reuters
