1. United States
2. Wisc.
3. Letter

I request action on measures that modernize and reduce the employment-based immigrant visa backlog across EB-1, EB-2, and EB-3 (including Other Workers) so that already vetted talent—ranging from researchers and advanced-degree professionals to essential logistics and service roles—can fill longstanding U.S. vacancies. Structural choke points (counting dependents against caps, loss of unused numbers instead of reusing them, rigid per-country limits, and lack of provisional work authorization for fully approved cases) convert a merit- and market-tested process into multi-year inactivity. System-wide impact: Employers in high-skill innovation (EB-1), advanced professional and national interest fields (EB-2), and essential operations (EB-3) encounter the same outcome: qualified candidates screened through labor market tests or statutory criteria sit idle while vacancies persist, raising costs, slowing projects, and weakening supply chains. Illustrative example: I am an F-1 student in Wisconsin with a certified PERM (filed April 2023, approved November 2024) and an approved I-140 (December 2024, premium) for an Order Selector role at a regional food distribution facility (base wage near $25/hour, incentive potential into the low $40s). The position has remained difficult to keep filled for over two years despite recruitment and retention efforts. My inability to start is due solely to EB-3 Other Workers visa number unavailability—not any pending vetting. Total projected wait from initiating PERM to being able to adjust status and begin could reach roughly 51 months if forward movement stays minimal. This pattern is replicated in EB-1 and EB-2 where highly qualified individuals likewise wait out numerical backlogs after meeting every statutory requirement. Actionable tools (any legislative vehicle): (1) Recapture previously authorized but unused employment-based visa numbers; (2) Stop counting spouses and minor children toward employment-based numerical limits (count principals only); (3) Update per-country limits to reflect present demand distribution; (4) Allocate additional adjudicative resources and productivity metrics for DOL and USCIS; (5) Clarify dual intent for F-1 and similar categories pursuing employment-based permanent residence; (6) Provide provisional work authorization (or conditioned parole) once an I-140 (or EB-1 petition) is approved and a bona fide position remains unfilled after documented recruitment; (7) Publish transparent, data-driven forecasting of visa number usage. These steps do not expand categories arbitrarily; they activate pre-screened human capital, shorten vacancy duration, strengthen supply chains, and increase tax revenue without displacing local labor. Please prioritize and advance measures implementing these systemic backlog reductions.