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Green Card Bill that Would Help Millions, H-1B Holders Renewed
The proposal would update a 1972 cutoff and could make more than 8 million long-term residents eligible for green cards, Padilla’s office said.
On Monday, July 27, 2026, Senator Alex Padilla reiterated support for the 'Renewing Immigration Provisions of the Immigration Act of 1929' bill, which provides a pathway to lawful permanent residency for millions of long-term United States residents.
The legislation replaces a fixed 1972 eligibility cutoff with a rolling date, addressing an outdated Registry provision that allowed only 305 people to adjust their status between 2015 and 2019.
More than eight million people would become eligible for permanent residency, including H-1B visa holders facing estimated wait times of 15 years or longer due to per-country visa caps.
The bill has received endorsements from more than 30 organisations, though the Trump administration continues tightening immigration enforcement, recently reviving a rule denying green cards to immigrants using public benefits.
Padilla framed the proposal as a "commonsense" fix to counter "systemic attacks" on migrants, arguing Congress must modernize immigration laws for residents living in the United States at least seven years.