H.R. 1909:
Federal Criminal Immigration Courts Act of 2007
NumbersUSA's Position:
SupportTo increase the number of Federal judgeships in certain judicial districts with heavy caseloads of criminal immigration cases.
To increase the number of Federal judgeships in certain judicial districts with heavy caseloads of criminal immigration cases.
H.R.
The bill would authorize the granting of “special immigrant” status for 500 Afghanis or Iraqis working as translators or interpreters with Federal agencies in Iraq or Afghanistan (current limit is 50 and only translators working with U.S. Armed Forces are eligible) in fiscal years 2007, 2008, and 2009, then would return the annual limit to 50 for subsequent fiscal years; would exempt these “special immigrant” translators and interpreters from employment-based immigration caps; and would allow these “special immigrants” to adjust to lawful permanent resident status.
S. 1092, High-Tech Worker Relief Act of 2007, would raise the cap on H-1B high skill nonimmigrant workers from 65,000 to 115,000 for fiscal year 2007 and to 195,000 for fiscal year 2008 and would return the cap to 65,000 for fiscal year 2009 and beyond; would eliminate the 20,000-per-year cap on visas for nonimmigrant workers who have earned a master's or higher degree from a U.S.
S. 1083, the Securing Knowledge, Innovation, and Leadership Act of 2007, would increase the annual H-1B cap from 65,000 to 115,000 and then by 20% in any following year in which the cap is met. As well, S. 1083 would increase the annual worldwide level of employment-based (EB) immigrants by 150,000 plus 340,000 spouses and minor children of EB immigrants who are exempt from the cap.
The bill would create a new criminal offense for transporting or facilitating the transportation, harboring, or concealment of an alien (or attempting or conspiring to transport, harbor, or conceal) on board a “covered vessel” (i.e., a U.S. vessel [or vessel subject to U.S.
S. 1035, the H-1B and L-1 Visa Fraud and Abuse Prevention Act, would reduce much of the fraud associated with the H-1B and L-1 visa programs by, among other things, requiring employers to attest that they had tried to hire U.S. workers before importing a foreign worker and requiring H-1B and L-1 visa holders be paid prevailing wages.
The bill would authorize the granting of “special immigrant” status for 500 Afghanis or Iraqis working as translators, interpreters, or in any other capacity with Federal agencies in Iraq and Afghanistan annually (current limit is 50 and only translators working with U.S.
H.R. 1792, the Temporary Agricultural Labor Reform Act, would make reforms to the H-2A agricultural guest-worker program that would help protect U.S. agricultural workers from job displacement and wage depression currently caused by the H-2A temporary agricultural guest-worker program.
H.R. 1843, the Save Our Small and Seasonal Businesses Act, would exempt any alien who has been present in the United States as an H-2B nonimmigrant worker for any one of the previous three fiscal years and who is returning to work as an H-2B from counting against the 66,000-per-year cap on H-2B visas. This potentially triples the number of workers in a year and would make these provisions effective for five years.