Seattle City Wire

Rep. Pramila Jayapal, currently serving in the U.S. Congress representing Washington’s 7th district, shared her perspectives on issues concerning H-1B visa holders and their children's citizenship rights through a series of tweets on January 24, 2025.

In one tweet, she highlighted the extensive wait times for Indian H-1B holders seeking Green Cards: "Those on H-1B visas are often stuck on never-ending waitlists for Green Cards — the waitlist for Indian H-1B holders is 200 years long. These workers help power our economy. We cannot take away the right for their children to have U.S. citizenship."

In another tweet, Rep. Jayapal reflected on her personal experience with the H-1B visa process: "I’m one of the few members of Congress who has actually been on an H-1B visa. I know what that process is like. And as our laws state, if individuals on H-1B visas — working hard and contributing to our country — have a child in the United States, that child is a citizen."

Further emphasizing her stance, she expressed concern over potential changes affecting citizenship eligibility: "Among those who would no longer gain citizenship would be the children of parents in the U.S. on H-1B visas — people who have often been here for years, working, making our economy stronger and our communities better."