Thousands of Indian youth in the US face "Self-Deportation" crisis
Thousands of Indian youth in the US face "Self-Deportation" crisis
Thousands of young Indians in the United States are facing an uncertain future as they approach the age of 21. These individuals, who migrated as minors under H-4 visas, will no longer qualify as dependents under their H1-B visa-holder parents due to US immigration laws. Previously, they had a two-year window to transition to another visa status after turning 21, but recent policy changes have put their future at risk.
Many affected individuals are now considering alternative immigration pathways, such as moving to Canada or the UK, which offer more flexible visa options. The ongoing backlog in the US employment-based green card system has disproportionately impacted Indian immigrants, with some applications facing delays ranging from 12 to 100 years.
H-1B Visa Registration Opens Amid Policy Shifts
Meanwhile, the US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has announced the registration period for H-1B visas for the fiscal year 2026, running from March 7 to March 24. The H-1B program, which allows US companies to hire foreign professionals in specialized fields, remains capped at 65,000 visas annually, with an additional 20,000 reserved for applicants with US master's degrees. To enhance fairness and reduce fraud, USCIS has introduced a beneficiary-centric selection process, with the new registration fee set at $215.
Policy Setbacks and Growing Concerns
As of March 2023, nearly 1.34 lakh Indian children were expected to age out of their dependent visa status before their families could obtain green cards. The situation has worsened due to a Texas court ruling blocking new applicants from obtaining work permits under the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program. DACA had previously provided temporary protection from deportation for undocumented youth, including those aging out of dependent visas.
Criticism and Legislative Proposals
US Senator Bernie Sanders has been vocal about the shortcomings of the H-1B program, arguing that it benefits corporations more than skilled foreign workers. He claims that businesses use the program to replace well-paying American jobs with lower-wage guest workers, who are often bound to their employers with limited rights.
Sanders has proposed an amendment to the Laken Riley Act, which would double H-1B visa fees to generate $370 million annually. These funds would support nearly 20,000 scholarships for American STEM students. Additionally, he suggests raising wages for H-1B employees to at least the median local wage to prevent salary undercutting.
He has also criticized billionaires like Tesla CEO Elon Musk and Indian-American entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy for supporting the H-1B program, arguing that claims of a worker shortage are exaggerated. Citing data from the Economic Policy Institute, Sanders noted that between 2022 and 2023, the top 30 H-1B employers laid off 85,000 American workers while hiring over 34,000 foreign workers through the program.
With immigration policies tightening and green card backlogs worsening, thousands of young Indian immigrants in the US now face the distressing reality of self-deportation.
