A new bipartisan bill introduced in the US House of Representatives proposes allowing individuals stuck in the green card backlog for over ten years to fast-track their applications by paying $20,000. The Dignity Act of 2025 (H.R. 4393), led by Rep. Maria Elvira Salazar (R-Florida) and Rep. Veronica Escobar (D-Texas), sets out to eliminate the legal immigration visa backlog by 2035.
The Dignity Act of 2025 is a revised version of a 2023 proposal and reflects growing bipartisan interest in immigration reform. Its full name stands for “Dignity for Immigrants while Guarding our Nation to Ignite and Deliver the American Dream”.
“This bill is not about left or right,” said Rep. Salazar. “It’s about solving a problem that’s been broken for decades. The American people are ready for a solution that is both tough and fair.”
The bill is expected to spark debate as Congress weighs options to modernize the US immigration system amid public support for reform.
$20,000 premium route to permanent residency
Under the bill, eligible applicants from family or employment-based categories who have waited over a decade will have the option to pay a premium processing fee of $20,000 to receive their visa ahead of the standard queue. The proposal places a cap on maximum wait times and aims to clear long-standing green card backlogs within ten years.
Higher country caps to reduce visa wait times
The bill also raises the per-country cap from 7% to 15% for both employment-based and family-sponsored green cards. This change is intended to reduce delays for nationals from countries with high demand, such as India and China, and to address uneven wait times across nationalities.
Path to permanent status for documented dreamers
The legislation provides permanent residency options for documented dreamers—children of long-term visa holders—who may age out of legal status. Those who have lived lawfully in the US for at least ten cumulative years would qualify for lawful permanent resident (LPR) status under this provision.
Student and employment visa updates
The Dignity Act proposes a series of legal immigration reforms:
- F-1 student visas would become dual-intent, allowing international students to pursue permanent residency after graduation without proving an intent to return home. Students on Optional Practical Training (OPT) would be required to pay Social Security and Medicare taxes.
- Derivative family members (spouses and children) of visa applicants would be excluded from the annual visa count, increasing the number of primary beneficiaries without raising caps.
- O visa eligibility would expand to include a presumption of extraordinary ability for international doctoral graduates in STEM and medical fields.
Immigration agency reform and funding
The bill proposes creating a new Immigration Agency Coordinator to improve coordination across federal agencies. A budget of $3.6 billion is allocated to address visa processing delays and work authorization backlogs across the Department of State, Department of Labor, and US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS).
