Washington, September 25, 2026 (Yes Punjab News)
A Republican senator has introduced legislation that would replace the existing employment-based green card system in the US with a points-based framework, a proposal that could have significant implications for Indian professionals who have been waiting for permanent residency.
Alabama Senator Tommy Tuberville’s Americans First Immigration Act would replace current employment-based immigrant visa categories with a points-based system. According to the bill text, many pending employment-based petitions would become invalid once the new system takes effect. Applications for adjustment of status or immigrant visas based on those petitions could consequently be rejected, denied or invalidated.
Beneficiaries with approved petitions before the effective date would be allowed to receive visas only until the annual allocation for their existing category in the fiscal year of enactment is exhausted. No further visas would be issued under that category.
The provision could particularly affect Indian applicants who have approved employment-based petitions but remain in lengthy green card queues.
“Our current immigration system does little to evaluate the type of people we let in — it’s a free-for-all,” Tuberville said. “Coming to the United States is a privilege, and we need to ensure that anyone immigrating to our country is willing to go by our laws and contribute to our society.”
The proposed system would provide 192,000 points-based immigrant visas annually worldwide, subject to a reduction linked to certain migrants who were not detained or were released from mandatory detention in the previous fiscal year.
Applicants would need a genuine US job offer, score at least 16 points, be aged between 18 and 51 and achieve at least a fifth-decile score on an English-language proficiency test. Points would be awarded for factors including salary, education, English proficiency, military service and extraordinary achievement, with visas going to the highest-scoring applicants.
Applicants without a qualifying US degree would generally require a job offering at least 200 per cent of the median wage in the state where they would work. Those with a qualifying US degree would need an offer of at least 150 per cent of the state median wage.
Employers would also have to recruit US workers first and offer the position to an American worker who is equally or better qualified. They would be barred from laying off workers in equivalent positions beginning 90 days before filing the required attestation.
Green cards issued under the proposed points system would initially be conditional for two years. The status of the principal applicant and their spouse and children could be terminated under specified circumstances, including receipt of a means-tested public benefit, conviction for certain offences or failure to remain in qualifying employment.
The bill would also eliminate the Diversity Visa Lottery and restrict family-sponsored immigration to spouses and minor children, ending green card routes for parents, siblings and adult children of US citizens.
Another provision would require non-permanent-resident immigrants to pay at least the tuition and fees charged to out-of-state students at US colleges. Institutions violating the requirement could lose approval to enrol international students for five years.
The legislation is a proposal and would have to pass Congress and be signed into law before any of its provisions could take effect. Tuberville has previously backed legislation seeking changes to US immigration policy, including measures focused on border enforcement and immigration priorities.
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