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- By Shivangi Sharma
- Mon, 08 Dec 2025 05:30 PM (IST)
- Source:JND
US Dream Act 2025: A new American immigration proposal, the Dream Act of 2025, is raising hopes for thousands of Indian families in the United States, with experts saying it could protect more than one lakh (100,000) Indian-origin children from losing their legal status.
For the first time, the proposed legislation expands protection beyond undocumented immigrants to include “Documented Dreamers”, children of legal migrants such as H-1B visa holders who risk “ageing out” of their dependent status once they turn 21, before their families receive green cards.
The scale of the crisis is tied to the massive employment-based green card backlog. As of March 2023, more than one million Indian applicants were waiting in the EB-2 and EB-3 skilled worker categories. A per-country cap that limits green cards to seven per cent for each nation, regardless of demand, has left Indian professionals facing wait times that stretch for decades.
A study by the Cato Institute estimated that over one lakh children from Indian families alone were at risk of “ageing out” before a green card became available. Once they age out, these young people lose their dependent visas and are often forced to leave the US or shift to uncertain temporary statuses.
What The Dream Act Of 2025 Would Offer
Under the proposed bill, both undocumented Dreamers and Documented Dreamers would receive conditional permanent resident status for up to eight years. This status would protect them from deportation, allow them to work legally, and permit them to travel outside the US.
To qualify, applicants must have entered the US before the age of 18, lived in the country continuously for at least four years, and passed background and medical checks. They would also need to resolve any federal tax liabilities and pay an application fee.
Who Qualifies Under The Bill
The eligibility criteria include:
– Arrival in the US before turning 18
– At least four years of continuous residence
– Clean criminal background and medical clearance
– Completion of high school (or progress toward it), college admission, or enlistment in the US Armed Forces
– Resolution of federal tax dues and payment of fees
Current DACA recipients who still meet eligibility conditions would automatically receive conditional resident status. The bill also protects those already in deportation proceedings and extends safeguards to minors who have not yet reached high school age.
If passed, the legislation could stabilise the lives of over 2.8 million young people, including around 525,000 DACA recipients, two million undocumented Dreamers, and roughly 250,000 Documented Dreamers, many of them from Indian families.