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US losing Indian talent over immigration delays: Suhas
Subramanyam said immigration concerns dominate many of the conversations his office has with constituents.
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Staff Reporter - Wed, 24, Jun 2026
- 04:09 EDT
- 39
Suhas Subramanyam / House Floor
Congressman Suhas Subramanyam warned June 23 that lengthy visa and green card backlogs are preventing the United States from attracting and retaining top talent from India, calling immigration reform one of the most urgent issues facing Indian Americans.
Speaking at a Capitol Hill gathering organised by the Foundation for India and Indian Diaspora Studies (FIIDS), the Virginia Democrat said America's legal immigration system no longer resembles the one that enabled his own family to build a life in the United States.
“My parents came here in 1978 from India,” Subramanyam said.
“They got their green card at the airport, if you could believe that.”
Today, he said, many Indian immigrants face waits measured not in months but in years.
“They didn't have to wait 15 years to get their green card,” he said. “If the current rules were in place, they would never have come here in the first place.”
Subramanyam's remarks came as lawmakers, diplomats and community leaders gathered in Washington to discuss the future of India-US relations, immigration policy and the growing role of Indian Americans in public life.
The congressman argued that immigration delays are not only creating hardships for families but are also undermining America's economic competitiveness.
“We're missing out on so much talent from India,” he said.
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India remains one of the largest sources of highly skilled immigrants to the United States, particularly in technology, medicine, engineering and scientific research. Yet Indian nationals often face some of the longest waits for employment-based green cards because of country-specific limits in US immigration law.
Subramanyam said immigration concerns dominate many of the conversations his office has with constituents.
“I take calls every single day,” he said.
The problems extend beyond employment-based immigration, he noted.
“People are trying to visit their families, their families are trying to visit them to and from India,” he said.
“It's just maddening to see the backlogs and the frustration.”
The Virginia congressman said addressing these delays has become one of his top priorities in Congress.
“One of my top priorities is trying to make sure that we can address these issues,” he said.
Subramanyam, one of the newest Indian-American members of Congress, also used the occasion to encourage greater civic engagement among younger members of the community.
He recalled that, like many children of Indian immigrants, he grew up hearing that professional careers were the preferred path to success.
“When I was growing up, my parents told me doctor, lawyer, engineer — those are the three professions,” he said.
Politics, he added, was often viewed differently.
“And politics is a dirty game. It's for corrupt people. Don't get involved in it.”
Yet his own journey ultimately led him into public service.
“So here I am in Congress,” he said to laughter from the audience.
Subramanyam said political engagement is essential if communities want to shape policies that affect them.
“The way to solve the problems is to be at the table and to be part of it,” he said.
He encouraged students and young professionals, including those pursuing careers in science, technology, engineering and medicine, to participate in public policy and government.
“Even if you've got a kid, or even if you're a young person yourself, you want to go into STEM, it doesn't hurt for you to get engaged in public policy,” he said.
The congressman also highlighted internship programmes and opportunities for young Indian Americans to gain experience in government and public service.
“My office is here to help,” he told attendees.
Subramanyam's remarks reflected one of the central concerns raised throughout the Capitol Hill event. Multiple lawmakers, including Senator Roger Marshall and Congressman James Walkinshaw, also called for reforms to legal immigration pathways and reductions in visa processing delays affecting Indian professionals.
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