Waiting for Permanent Residency: Green Card Backlogs Explained

A bill (H.R. 3648) to provide relief to immigrant workers who’ve waited decades for green cards because of allocations by country of origin recently failed to come to a vote on the House floor after support for the measure dwindled, even among immigration advocates.

Green cards offer recipients the ability to reside permanently in the US and provide them with a pathway to citizenship.

Securing an employment-based green card also means that recipients can shed the restrictions of temporary work visas, which tie their immigration status to sponsorship by an employer. Instead, they can more easily change jobs ...