The Senate Judiciary Committee approved and passed the Senate immigration reform bill and the full Senate is likely to consider the bill, in June. The bill would bring the undocumented immigrants out of the shadows and grant them authorization to apply for legal status. Moreover, the bill would benefit the high tech industry and it would make available numerous Green Cards for foreign nationals with advanced degrees. Likewise, more number of visas would be made available for high skilled foreign workers.
This immigration reform legislation was crafted by four Democratic and four Republican senators. This bill would grant Green Cards to foreign nationals with job offers in America. Likewise, Green Cards would be issued to foreign nationals who obtain advanced degrees in STEM fields, from US schools and universities. This bill, if passed would raise cap on the H-1B visas from 65,000 to 180,000 and the cap would be increased or decreased based on demand. The bill includes certain stricter hiring requirements and the US employers will have to advertise the jobs in a government website prior to recruiting foreign workers. The bill would make sure that the American workers get the first shot at jobs.
The technology industry supports the immigration reform bill as the bill would benefit high tech industries. Only the US companies that depend entirely on H-1B visas would be required to consider US citizens prior to hiring H-1B workers. A deal on visas for high-skilled workers was finally reached and the technology industry stated that it would support the bill. The immigration reform legislation that has been passed by the Senate Judiciary Committee would provide an opportunity to the undocumented immigrants living in America to apply for US citizenship. The legislation would also create new visa programs and increase the number of high tech visas. Moreover, the bill would get rid of unauthorized immigration. The bill would not only protect the undocumented immigrants living in the country but also the American workers by making sure that the American workers get the first shot at jobs.
Apart from that, the bill would strengthen the EB-5 visa program and make the program permanent. Likewise, a new W visa program would be created and W non-immigrant visas would be issued to foreign nationals who are willing to work in registered positions, in the United States. This is a guest worker program that would be meant for low skilled foreign workers. This program would be implemented in 2015 and initially 20,000 temporary W visas would be made available and the cap would be raised, based on demand. But these W visa holders would not be permitted to work in major cities where the unemployment rate is above 8.5 percent.