Immigration Bills

To increase the number of Federal judgeships in certain judicial districts with heavy caseloads of criminal immigration cases.

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. 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.

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.

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.