Immigration Bills

S. 1033, the Secure America and Orderly Immigration Act, would: 1) increase permanent, legal immigration by adding an extra 254,000 family-based visas annually; 2) reward virtually all illegal aliens (except those with criminal records or terrorist connections) with amnesty, potentially rewarding 9 million illegal aliens; and 3) create a brand new guest worker program that would bring in 400,000 unskilled workers the first year, potentially allowing for a total increase of anywhere from 10 to 20 percent each year thereafter.

S.Con.Res. 12 would prohibit international trade and investment agreements from increasing foreign-worker importation.

H.R. 5413 would implement higher wage requirements and other worker protections that would make it more difficult for H-1B employers to displace U.S. workers and depress wages of U.S. workers and H-1B visa holders.

H.R.

H.R. 4166, the American Workforce Improvement and Jobs Protection Act, would exempt from the annual H-1B cap aliens holding a Master's degree or higher, up to 20,000. However, the bill would have reinstated tougher employer attestation requirements, a $1,000 application fee, and Labor Department investigative authorities, that expired in the fall of 2003.