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Chuck Schumer to work towards clearing green card backlog
The senator also expressed the opinion that highly skilled workers such as physicians should be given direct green cards instead of H1 or J1 visas and promised to work on the matter.
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Supriya Singh - Thu, 16, Mar 2023
- 15:50 EDT
- 576
Senate majority leader Chuck Schumer assured Indian American community leaders that the green card backlog will be cleared soon during a virtual meeting arranged by Dr Raj Bhayani, a prominent Indian American community leader.
During the meeting, the senator also expressed the opinion that highly skilled workers such as physicians should be given direct green cards instead of H1 or J1 visas and promised to work on the matter.
Speaking to the gathering on the importance of the bilateral relationship between U.S. and India Schumer further said that the ties between the two countries are a “crucial counterweight to outcompete Chinaâ€.
The meeting, moderated by Mohinder Taneja and Sunil‌‌ Modi, also had the presence of Consul General of India Randhir Jaiswal and Assemblywoman Jenifer Rajkumar along with 200 national Indian leaders.
Schumer recalled his meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his recent visit to India. He applauded the Indian government's various programs such as gas connections and easy remote internet access to rural India. The senator led one of the most powerful United States Delegation to India along with eight senators and several other leaders.
“I strongly believe the continued and strengthened U.S.-India relationship will be the great story that will define the 21st century,†Schumer said at the conclusion of the meeting and promised to host such meetings every quarter to strengthen Indo US relationship and and to address concerns of Indian Americans in USA.
The United Kingdom launched a visa fraud prevention campaign in Tamil Nadu, expanding efforts to curb illegal migration and protect Indian nationals from fraudulent agents.
The initiative, unveiled by UK Indo-Pacific Minister Seema Malhotra during her visit to India this week, builds on a pilot campaign underway in Punjab.
Also Read: U.S. launches new website to curb student-visa fraud
The Tamil Nadu phase will include targeted outreach in high-risk districts and the rollout of a Tamil-language WhatsApp chatbot to help applicants verify legitimate visa processes and spot scams.
Officials described the campaign as part of the UK–India Vision 2035 framework, which outlines joint efforts to counter criminal networks and reduce irregular migration.
Malhotra said the UK was acting “to stem the flow of illegal migration at its source—using campaigns targeted at hotspot areas to prevent visa fraud, keeping people safe while securing our borders.”
The Punjab pilot, launched earlier in 2024, used digital tools, village-level meetings and a Punjabi-language WhatsApp chatbot to warn residents about fake work-visa offers. Local authorities and community organizations were involved in spreading information on safe migration routes and identifying fraudulent agents.
The FCDO has cited the strong response in Punjab as evidence of the need to expand the model to other states such as Tamil Nadu, where many prospective migrants remain vulnerable to illegal recruitment networks.
The expansion comes as Britain strengthens its broader strategy to restrict illegal migration. Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood has recently introduced measures to reduce asylum arrivals and impose sanctions on individuals involved in trafficking vulnerable people.
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