The money will be awarded to the groups through the state's Office of New Americans and can be put toward immigrant defense services that would prevent deportation, green card application processing as well as job assistance. (nystateofpolitics.com)
The NPA has been following bill HR 6429 that would increase eligibility for Green card applications for PhD and Master holders (from US institutions) in the STEM fields (this is done by decreasing the number of Green Cards gained through the «lottery» system). (nationalpostdoc.org)
The visa can last up to 6 years and can be extended beyond that time in the event that the applicant has a pending Green card application that was filed before the expiration of the 5th year. (iloanhomemortgage.com)