The campaign of Joe Biden released plans Saturday to make it easier for Indian Americans to immigrate and work in the United States. The announcement coincided with the 74th anniversary of India’s Independence Day, The Times of India reports.
Biden’s stated aim is to reform the H-1B visa system and eliminate country-quotas for green cards.
H-1B visas are non-immigrant based work visas usually provided for professionals that tend to come from countries such as China and India. Biden previously pledged to lift the Trump administration’s ban on H-1B visas.
On the other hand, country quotas for green cards limit the number of immigrants from the same countries, usually elongating wait times by several decades.
The Times of India notes that Biden’s move is the “first time that a Democratic presidential candidate has come out with an exclusive policy document for Indian Americans.”
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These moves, including the selection of Kamala Harris (who is Indian American) as his running mate, are attempts to woo the Indian American voting bloc, which has gained attention and power in the recent years, USA Today reports.
Indian Americans are an “attractive” demographic as the population tends to be highly educated with average household incomes far above the nationwide average –making the group a good source of donors.
Furthermore, populations of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders (with Indian Americans as the largest share) have skyrocketed in states such as Arizona, Florida, Georgia and Texas –all states that are closely contested in the upcoming November election.
“Those are the places with significant enough Indian populations that they could make a difference,” Karthick Ramakrishnan, a UC Riverside professor who runs the AAPI Data survey of Asian American attitudes, said, USA Today reports.
The Trump administration isn’t unaware of the power of the Indian American vote either. Several Trump appointees have had Indian heritage, including former UN ambassador Nikki Haley and Federal Communications Commission chairman Ajit Pai.
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