Official and definitive | The United States will automatically approve green cards for all workers who meet this key requirement — El Cronista reports
Key Takeaways
- It has been reported that the U.S. will automatically grant green cards to workers who meet a single "key requirement" — allegedly having an approved employer-sponsored immigrant petition and an available immigrant visa number.
- If true, the change would mainly affect employment‑based immigrants (EB-1, EB-2, EB-3) and could shorten waits for those with long priority‑date backlogs.
- Automatic approvals would still be subject to admissibility checks (medical, criminal, national‑security) and the separate roles of USCIS (U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services) and the State Department.
- This claim remains unverified; applicants should await official USCIS/DOS guidance and consult immigration counsel before acting.
What was reported
It has been reported by El Cronista that the United States will automatically approve green cards for all workers who meet a single key requirement. The report alleges the requirement is having an approved employer‑sponsored immigrant petition together with an available immigrant visa number — the basic components that normally make someone eligible to file for adjustment of status or to be scheduled for consular processing. This account has not been confirmed by USCIS or the U.S. Department of State, so it should be treated as unverified for now.
Legal and procedural context
Under current law, employment‑based permanent residency typically requires a certified labor application (PERM) where applicable, an approved Form I‑140 (immigrant petition for alien worker), and that the applicant’s priority date be current under the Visa Bulletin — the monthly chart the State Department uses to allocate immigrant visa numbers. USCIS adjudicates adjustment of status petitions (Form I‑485) for applicants in the U.S., while the State Department handles immigrant visas for those abroad. An "automatic approval" process would be a major operational shift; even with an eligible petition and visa number, USCIS still imposes admissibility checks (medical exams, criminal background, national security reviews) and may request evidence before approving a green card.
Who this would affect and what it means for applicants
The reported change would principally affect employment‑based categories (EB‑1, EB‑2, EB‑3) — including H‑1B and other nonimmigrant workers who have spent years waiting for priority dates to become current, particularly nationals of India and China who face multi‑year backlogs. For affected families, automatic approval could reduce years of uncertainty and the need for repeated extensions. But automatic approval would not override inadmissibility grounds, and security and medical clearances would likely remain in place, so some applicants would still face denials or delays.
What to do now
Because the report remains unconfirmed, applicants should not assume automatic approval will apply to their case. Monitor official USCIS and Department of State announcements, and consult an immigration attorney for individualized advice. In the meantime, keep records up to date (current I‑94s, passports, employer documentation), be prepared for routine requests for evidence, and consider contingency plans such as consular processing if timing and country limits make that preferable.
Source: Original Article