Immigration Bills

S. 1387, the Border Security and Immigration Reform Act, would create a temporary guestworker program for illegal aliens with an amnesty-on-installment program.

H.R. 946, the Mass Immigration Reduction Act, called for deep reductions in all categories of immigration, including: ending chain migration categories such as parents of adult children and siblings of adults, reducing the category of skilled workers to 5,000 per year from its current ceiling of 120,060 per year, limiting refugee admissions and asylee adjustments to a total of 25,000 annually and require that refugees and asylees reside legally in the United States for five years before they could apply for adjustment to permanent resident status, and ending the visa lottery. H.R.

H.R. 3222, the High-tech Work Fairness and Economic Stimulus Act, would reduce the annual number of H-1B visas from 195,000 for FY 2001-2003 to 65,000. In addition the bill would have allowed for a lower annual cap if necessitated by unemployment rates.

S. 1518, the Visa Integrity and Security Act, would have required H-1B employers to report to the INS as soon an H-1B visa holder has been fired or laid off. This reporting requirement would help deter visa overstays on the part of H-1B visa holders. It also would have implemented an entry-exit tracking system for visa holders. This would have helped reduce illegal immigration by signaling authorities when people who enter the U.S. legally on visas do not leave as then should and stay here illegally.

S. 1161, the Agricultural Job Opportunity Benefits and Security Act, would grant amnesty to certain illegal aliens who have been working in the agricultural industry and displace American workers with more foreign workers.