Immigration Legislation

Congress has passed numerous bills regarding U.S. immigration. Some of the bills have benefited or penalized millions of immigrants while private bills have been introduced to benefit one immigrant or one family of immigrants.

This page links to the complete text of pending immigration bills introduced in the Senate and the House of Representatives. It also links to videos and the text of witness testimony before Congressional Committees and Subcommittees regarding immigration. Whether you are interested in Comprehensive Immigration Reform, the Secure Borders Act, the DREAM Act, the AgJobs bill, the Domestic Partners bill or any other piece of immigration legislation, this is a good place to begin your research.

We hope that the information contained on this page assists you in understanding how U.S. immigration laws and procedures affect you no matter whether you are a person are seeking a visa, a green card or U.S. citizenship, or whether you are an employer sponsoring foreign-born professionals for immigration benefits.

“I can honestly say that Mr. Carl Shusterman and his team are probably the best in the business when it comes to immigration matters. Carl’s greatest asset is his prior work experience as a former INS prosecutor. My family and I were on the verge of being deported from the United States. Because of Carl’s expertise and dedication, not only are we allowed to remain in this country permanently but are on path of obtaining citizenship…” (More client reviews…)

This page is divided into the following subtopics:

• Legislative Developments in the Years 2011-2012
• The Obama Administration on Immigration
• Legislative Developments in Previous Years
• How to Find Legislation, Regulations and Reports
• Congress
• Senate
• House of Representatives
• Immigration in The Media
• Congressional Research Service Reports
• Contact Congress
• State Immigration Legislation

FEDERAL LEGISLATIVE DEVELOPMENTS IN 2011-2012

• Securing the Talent America Requires for the 21st Century Act of 2012 – STAR Act (S. 3835) (5-15-12)
• VAWA Reauthorization – Passed House Judiciary Committee May 8, 2012 (H.R. 4970) (4-27-12)
• H.J. Resolution Disapproving a Rule Submitted by the Department of Labor Regarding H-2B Program (2-17-12)
• Bill to Grant E-2 Non-immigrant Visas to Israeli Nationals (2-9-12)
• Bill to Grant Residency to DREAMer Students (H.R. 3823) (1-24-2012)
• “Scott Gardner Act” Regarding Undocumented Individuals Apprehended for Driving While Intoxicated or Related Offense (H.R. 3808)(1-23-12)
• Senator Grassley’s Amendment to H.R. 3012 (12-15-2011)
• STEM Act Introduced to Promote Investment and Research in the United States (S.1986)(12-13-11)
• Bill to Eliminate Per-Country Numerical Limitation for Employment Based Immigrants and Increase Caps for Family Based Immigrants (S.1983)(12-13-11)
• “The Conrad State 30 Improvement Act” to Provide Incentives for Physicians to Practice in Rural/Medically Underserved Areas (S.1979) (12-13-11)
• Senator Grassley Places a Hold on H.R. 3012 (11-30-11)
• Bill to Eliminate/Expand Per Country Quotas Passes in the House (H.R. 3012) (11-29-2011)
• Rep. Jack Kingston (R) of Georgia to Reform the Migrant Farm Worker Program (11-17-11)
• S. 1857 “Fairness for High-Skilled Immigrants Act ” (11-10-11)
• S. 1487 Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Business Travel Cards Act of 2011 (11-8-11)
• Rep. Raul Labrador of Idaho Introduces H.R. 3146 to promote investment and research in the U.S. (10-11-11)
• Rep. Lofgren Introduces “Protecting American Families and Businesses Act of 2011″ (H.R. 3119) (10-06-11)
• Rep. Chaffetz Introduces H.R. 3012 to Lift Per-country Percentage Caps on Employment-based Visas (9-22-11)
• Senator James Inhofe of Oklahoma Introduces S.1545 Proposing to Make Taiwan a VWP Country (9-14-11)
• Rep. Daniel Lungren of California Introduces H.R. 2895 for Temporary Agricultural Workers (9-13-11)
• Rep. Lamar Smith Introduces H.R. 2885, “The Legal Workforce Act”, Making E-Verify Mandatory (9-12-11)
• Rep. Lamar Smith Introduces H.R. 2847,  “American Specialty Agriculture Act” (9-7-11)
• Rep. Lamar Smith Introduces H.R. 2497 to Stop Deferment of Deportation for Undocumented (7-12-11)
• Comprehensive Immigration Reform (CIR) Bill Introduced in the Senate (6-22-11)
• Rep. Lamar Smith Introduces H.R. 2164 to Make E-Verify Mandatory for Employers (6-14-11)
• Rep. Zoe Lofgren Introduces IDEA Act of 2011 (6-14-11)
• Rep. Lamar Smith Introduces H.R. 1932 to broaden government authority to detain noncitizens (5-23-11)
• Rep. Lamar Smith Introduces H.R. 1933 to Allow Foreign Nurses to Work in Underserved Areas (5-23-11)
• Rep. James Sensenbrenner Introduces H.R. 1929 to Reduce Nurse Shortage (5-16-11)
• President Obama’s Immigration Speech (5-10-11)
• Border Security Enforcement Act of 2011 (04-13-11)
• Birthright Citizenship Act of 2011 (04-05-11)
• The Start-Up Visa Act of 2011 (3-17-11)
• Electronic Employment Eligibility Verification and Immigration Control Act (1-26-11)
• Senator Harry Reid Introduces S.6 to Reform America’s Immigration System (1-26-11)
• Rep. Zoe Lofgren Introduces H.R. 398 to Toll, During Active-duty Service Abroad in the Armed Forces, the Periods of Time to File a Petition and Appear for Interview to Remove Conditions (1-26-11)
• Rep. Jeff Flake Introduces H.R. 399 to Authorize Aliens with a Ph.D. Degree from an American Institutions in Certain Fields to Obtain Permanent Residence (1-26-11)
• Rep. Lucille Roybal-Allard introduces H.R. 393, a private bill for our client the Duran Family (1-20-11)
• Rep. Gallegly Introduces H.R. 282 To Require Federal Contractors to participate in the E-Verify Program for Employment Eligibility Verification (1-12-11)
• Rep. Steve King Introduces H.R. 140 to Amend Section 301, INA to Clarify Classes of Individuals Born in the U.S. Who are Nationals and Citizens of the U.S. (1-06-11)
• Rep. Darrell Issa Introduces H.R. 46 to Amend the Immigration and Nationality Act (1-06-11)
• Rep. Darrell Issa Introduces H.R. 43 to Eliminate the Visa Lottery and Give 55,000 Green Cards to Persons with Advanced Degrees from U.S. Universities (1-06-11)

THE OBAMA ADMINISTRATION ON IMMIGRATION

• The White House Immigration Page
• On One-Year Anniversary of Startup America Initiative President Obama Sends Startup America Legislative Agenda to Congress (January 31, 2012)
• Executive Order Establishing Visa and Foreign Visitor Processing Goals (January 19, 2012)
• The Startup America Legislative Agenda
• The White House Blog – Immigration Update: Maximizing Public Safety and Better Focusing Resources (August 18, 2011)
• The White House Blog – Immigration & Winning the Future (January 27, 2010)
• Statement by the President on the Passage of the Southwest Border Security Bill (August 12, 2010)
• President Obama’s Immigration Speech: Full Transcript & Video (July 1, 2010)
• Working Together for Immigration Reform (June 25, 2009)

LEGISLATIVE DEVELOPMENTS IN PREVIOUS YEARS

• 2009-2010

• 2008

• 2007

• 2006 and Earlier

HOW TO FIND LEGISLATION, REGULATIONS, REPORTS, ETC.

• The Immigration and Nationality Act (USCIS)
  • Public Laws Amending the INA (USCIS)
• Search Immigration Regulations in the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR)

The following information may be useful in conducting your search:

8 C.F.R. Citizenship and Immigration Service

20 C.F.R. Department of Labor (Employment and Training Administration

22 C.F.R. Department of State

29 C.F.R. Department of Labor (Employment Standards Administration)

42 C.F.R. Public Health Service

• Browse the USCIS Regulations
• USCIS Operations Instructions
• USCIS Interpretations
• The Federal Register (Daily listing of Federal Regulations)
  • USCIS Federal Register Announcements
• Search the United States Code (Titles 1 – 50)
• Search the Congressional Record
• How A Bill Becomes A Law
• Thomas: Legislative Information on the Internet
• To Obtain/Download Full Text of Legislation
• Congressional Immigration Hearings (1923-2006) – Library of Congress
• Congressional Research Service (CRS) Reports – Immigration
• General Accountability Office (GAO) Immigration Reports
GAO Report: Action Needed to Address Risks and Strengthen Overstay Enforcement (12-7-11)

CONTACT CONGRESS