As copied from website...::
If this ever happens, ALL the dates will be "current".
02/24/2006: Sen. Arlen Specter's "Comprehensive Immigration Reform Act of 2006" Draft
AILA has obtained and summarized the draft of Senator Specter's draft of Comprehensive Immigration Reform Act of 2006, which will be introduced in the Senate Judiciary shortly (March 2, 2006). This is basically a Republican bill that put together various pending bills with some adjustments, such as the PACE Act, McCain-Kennedy bill, and other Comprehensive Immigration Reform bills. We are happy to report that when it comes to the employment-based immigration, this bill incorporates the following key elements:
Recapture of employment-based immigration visa numbers since FY 2001
Exempt from the employment-based numerical limitation of the spouses and children of the EB immigrants
Exempt from the employment-based numerical limitation for (1) the advanced degree holders in Science, Technology, Engineering, or Mathematics with 3 years of work experience in the major fields in the U.S., or (2) National Interest Waiver EB-2. (For comparison with other bills, please revisit our summary report on 08/18/2005 in the Breaking News Archive.
Increase of employment-based immigrant quota from 140,000 to 290,000 with the allocations in EB-1=15%, EB-2=15%, EB-3 Skilled Worker/Professional=35%, Other Worker (Unskilled)=Upto 30%, and EB-4 Investor Immigrant=5%.
Special green card eligibility for the U.S. Doctorate Degree holders under the new F-4 visa program in Mathematics, Engineering, Technology or Physical Sciences with full full-time employment
Increase of H-1B annual quota from 65,000 to 115,000 or a market-based increase beyond 115,000
H-1B cap exempt for those advanced degree holders in the fields of Science, Technology, Engineering or Mathematics (not limited to the U.S. degree holders)
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02/28/2006: Western State Governors to Support Comprehensive Immigration Reform
Report indicates that more and more state governors come forward to urge support of Comprehensive Immigration Reform. It appears that this is particularly noticeable in the western states. There has been Governors conference for the last few days and reportedly the Utah Governor Jon Huntsman Jr. and Arizona Governor Janet Napolitano asked Western governors to:
* Oppose blanket amnesty to all undocumented workers and support "appropriate sanctions" for those breaking the law.
* Urge Congress to avoid creating incentives for more illegal immigration by "creating unnecessary hurdles and lengthy delays" for those wishing to immigrate legally.
* Call for full funding for law enforcement and security along the southern U.S. border, enforcement using "cutting-edge" technology, better coordination with law enforcement agents and construction of a federal correctional facility to house illegal immigrants convicted in state courts as well as reimbursement to states for incarcerating illegal immigrants.
* Request full funding for processing employment-based visas; eliminating visa-request backlogs and increasing the number of visas to meet U.S. industry needs, especially in high-tech, bio-tech and seasonal-based industries.
If this ever happens, ALL the dates will be "current".
02/24/2006: Sen. Arlen Specter's "Comprehensive Immigration Reform Act of 2006" Draft
AILA has obtained and summarized the draft of Senator Specter's draft of Comprehensive Immigration Reform Act of 2006, which will be introduced in the Senate Judiciary shortly (March 2, 2006). This is basically a Republican bill that put together various pending bills with some adjustments, such as the PACE Act, McCain-Kennedy bill, and other Comprehensive Immigration Reform bills. We are happy to report that when it comes to the employment-based immigration, this bill incorporates the following key elements:
Recapture of employment-based immigration visa numbers since FY 2001
Exempt from the employment-based numerical limitation of the spouses and children of the EB immigrants
Exempt from the employment-based numerical limitation for (1) the advanced degree holders in Science, Technology, Engineering, or Mathematics with 3 years of work experience in the major fields in the U.S., or (2) National Interest Waiver EB-2. (For comparison with other bills, please revisit our summary report on 08/18/2005 in the Breaking News Archive.
Increase of employment-based immigrant quota from 140,000 to 290,000 with the allocations in EB-1=15%, EB-2=15%, EB-3 Skilled Worker/Professional=35%, Other Worker (Unskilled)=Upto 30%, and EB-4 Investor Immigrant=5%.
Special green card eligibility for the U.S. Doctorate Degree holders under the new F-4 visa program in Mathematics, Engineering, Technology or Physical Sciences with full full-time employment
Increase of H-1B annual quota from 65,000 to 115,000 or a market-based increase beyond 115,000
H-1B cap exempt for those advanced degree holders in the fields of Science, Technology, Engineering or Mathematics (not limited to the U.S. degree holders)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
02/28/2006: Western State Governors to Support Comprehensive Immigration Reform
Report indicates that more and more state governors come forward to urge support of Comprehensive Immigration Reform. It appears that this is particularly noticeable in the western states. There has been Governors conference for the last few days and reportedly the Utah Governor Jon Huntsman Jr. and Arizona Governor Janet Napolitano asked Western governors to:
* Oppose blanket amnesty to all undocumented workers and support "appropriate sanctions" for those breaking the law.
* Urge Congress to avoid creating incentives for more illegal immigration by "creating unnecessary hurdles and lengthy delays" for those wishing to immigrate legally.
* Call for full funding for law enforcement and security along the southern U.S. border, enforcement using "cutting-edge" technology, better coordination with law enforcement agents and construction of a federal correctional facility to house illegal immigrants convicted in state courts as well as reimbursement to states for incarcerating illegal immigrants.
* Request full funding for processing employment-based visas; eliminating visa-request backlogs and increasing the number of visas to meet U.S. industry needs, especially in high-tech, bio-tech and seasonal-based industries.