Hyderabad: For many Telugu families in the US for over a decade, a new immigration bill has brought long-awaited hope. The Dignity Act of 2025 aims to eliminate the green card backlog by 2035 and offers a premium processing option for those waiting over 10 years.A key provision allows employment- and family-based green card applicants stuck in the backlog to fast-track their applications for $20,000 (17.5 lakh). Many see this cost as a small price for long-term stability.“We’ve spent years renewing visas, avoiding travel, and worrying about our kids ageing out,” said a Chicago-based software engineer who moved in 2011. “This is the first real hope we’ve had in years.”As of March 2023, over 10.7 lakh applicants were stuck in the EB-2 and EB-3 backlog, including 1.34 lakh children at risk of losing dependent status at age 21. The bill proposes protections for these “Documented Dreamers,” offering a path to permanent residency.A systems engineer in Atlanta added, “Our son turns 20 next year. Without this bill, he’d face an uncertain future in the only country he’s known.”The bill also proposes raising the per-country green card cap from 7% to 15%, reducing wait times for high-demand countries like India. It further suggests not counting dependents against annual visa caps, potentially freeing more slots for primary applicants.“While its passage in a divided US Congress is uncertain, it offers a lifeline to Telugu families waiting for a future they can finally call their own,” said Ravi Lothumalla of the American Telugu Association
