Will paying Rs 17.5 lakh fast-track your US Green Card? Breaking down the Dignity Act of 2025

Image used for representational purpose.

US lawmakers are considering a sweeping immigration reform bill that promises relief to millions of people who have been stuck in green card queues for years.

The Dignity Act of 2025, a bipartisan proposal introduced in the US House of Representatives, aims to raise the number of green cards issued each year, overhaul immigration rules, and reduce the massive visa backlog, which hit 11.3 million cases by the second quarter of FY2025, according to official figures.

What the bill proposes

The legislation was introduced on July 15 by Representative Maria Elvira Salazar (Republican, Florida) and Representative Veronica Escobar (Democrat, Texas).

A central provision of the bill is to cap visa wait times at 10 years. Anyone with employment- or family-based immigration applications pending for more than a decade could pay a $20,000 (Rs 17.5 lakh) fee for accelerated processing.

It also proposes to raise the per-country cap for green cards from the current 7% to 15% of the annual total for both employment and family-based categories.

The Dignity Act of 2025 is a revised version of the Dignity Act of 2023, and includes the creation of a new Immigration Agency Coordinator office to streamline work between the Departments of Homeland Security, State, and Labor. To support this, $3.6 billion has been allocated to reduce processing backlogs.

Relief for dreamers and skilled workers

The reforms would benefit undocumented immigrants brought to the US as minors — known as Dreamers — as well as skilled workers facing years-long waits due to per-country limits, Newsweek reported. However, individuals with criminal records would be ineligible.

“The Dignity Act is a revolutionary bill that offers the solution to our immigration crisis: secure the border, stop illegal immigration, and provide an earned opportunity for long-term immigrants to stay here and work. No amnesty. No handouts. No citizenship. Just accountability and a path to stability for our economy and our future,” said Rep. Maria Elvira Salazar in a statement.

The bill comes at a time when the US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) is grappling with a surge in applications. Immigration attorneys have blamed the Trump administration for “massive backlogs” as federal agencies intensify efforts to detect fraudulent filings.

“This is a work visa reform program that’s very, very specifically tailored so that only those people who have been here for a long time, who have been trying to do it right, who have been trying to work hard, not causing problems, not taking any sort of handouts, it gives them a path. And it closes all the other doors for people to exploit the system,” Colorado Republican Congressman Gabe Evans told CPR.

Changes for employment and student visa holders

The bill also seeks to modernise employment-based visa rules.

Family members excluded from visa caps: Children and spouses would no longer count toward annual visa quotas, meaning only the principal applicant is counted. This could significantly increase the number of high-skilled visas available each year without raising the cap.

Dual intent for F-1 visas: International students would be allowed to pursue work opportunities in the US without having to prove an intention to return home after studies.

OPT workers to pay into Social Security and Medicare: Those in the Optional Practical Training program would need to contribute to federal benefit programs.

STEM and medical PhDs favoured for O visas: International students earning doctorates in science, technology, engineering, math, or medicine would be presumed eligible for O visas, aimed at individuals with “extraordinary ability,” to help retain top talent.

Why it matters now

In 2023, the US issued 1.17 million green cards -- a 15.2% increase from 2022 -- as immigration policy shifted post-pandemic. Most were family-sponsored (64.6%), with employment-based green cards making up 16.7% of the total.

If passed, the Dignity Act of 2025 could mark one of the most significant US immigration overhauls in decades, offering a faster path to stability for long-term immigrants, while also introducing stricter border controls.