Chuck Hagle Immigration Bill from immigration-law.com
The Senator introduced four different bills in the Senate that cover wide range of immigration issues including border security, immigration enforcement, and immigration backlog reduction. The following is summary of the immigration benefits reform:
Willing Workers – To provide foreign workers for low-skilled jobs that would otherwise go unfilled, this legislation would admit a limited number of workers annually through a new temporary worker program. Employers seeking to hire foreign workers through this program must first demonstrate that no qualified U.S. worker exists and that they will provide the same wage levels and working conditions as U.S. workers. Workers will be admitted for a limited period of time and will be allowed to change employers. Visas are good for 2 years and can be renewed. Qualified workers and their families would be provided an opportunity to adjust their immigration status over time.
High-Tech Workers – To address the need for high-tech workers and to reduce the existing worker visa backlog, this legislation would allow foreign students who have earned an advanced degree in science, technology, engineering or math from U.S. universities to receive a H-1B work visa without leaving the country and without regard to the annual cap of 65,000. In addition, high-tech workers who have worked in the U.S. for three years may be allowed to adjust to permanent resident status without regard to the annual cap of 140,000. The spouses and children of immigrant workers would also be allowed to adjust status without regard to this cap.
Student Workers – To encourage more foreign students to study in the U.S., this legislation would give full-time foreign college and graduate students the opportunity to work part-time while studying at U.S. universities.
Earned Adjustment Program for Long-Term Undocumented Immigrants – This legislation would provide an opportunity for illegal aliens and their families to become invested stakeholders in the country if they can demonstrate that they have met all of the following requirements:
Passed national security and criminal background checks;
Resided in the U.S. for at least 5 years preceding the date of introduction;
Worked a minimum of 3 years in the U.S. preceding the date of introduction, and 6 years after introduction;
Paid all federal and state taxes;
Registered for Military Selective Service;
Demonstrated knowledge of English language and American civics requirements;
Paid a $2,000 fine, in addition to required application fees. Fines assessed from this program could total as much as $12 billion.
Earned Adjustment Program for Short-Term Undocumented Immigrants – Undocumented immigrants who cannot meet the work or residence requirements (2. and 3. above) will register with DHS and will be allowed to apply for a visa. However, these undocumented immigrants must return to their home country to obtain the visa and be readmitted through the legal process. These undocumented immigrants will have three years to complete the application process and will be authorized to work.
Backlog Reduction – This section of the bill would exempt certain individuals (living outside the U.S.) from existing caps on family-based immigrant visas. This section was originally included in the 2004 Hagel/Daschle Immigration Reform bill.
Cost: The new fines and fees created by this legislation will fund the new and expanded programs created in it. Fines assessed by this legislation could total as much as $12 billion. A majority of the funds will come from the $2000 fine illegal aliens would pay under the Earned Adjustment Program. The legislation has not yet been scored by the Congressional Budget Office. For the Senator's press release,
please click here.
