FOREIGN POLICY & IMMIGRATION »» IMMIGRATION »» VISAS »» Dec 25, 2023

Each year, more than 30 million non-immigrants cross our borders. These travelers include students, tourists, workers and businesspeople. Many of these visitors overstay their visas and remain here, hoping to elude detection by our Immigration and Customs Enforcement service. Our government also has mutual agreements with about 30 friendly nations that permit citizens to cross each other's borders without visas or any prescreening. About 25 million people enter our country this way each year. Each year our State Dept. releases a report on the number of immigrant visa applicants who are waiting in line for their priority dates to become current so they can apply for an immigrant visa (green card) through a U.S. embassy or consulate in a foreign country. Many people applying for visas already have a family member working in the U.S. These workers include EB-2 (workers with advanced degrees or exceptional ability), EB-3 (skilled and other workers), and EB-5 (investors) However, there is a growing backlog – delays in excess of 180 days - which has kept families separated for many years, and in some cases have split families apart. Currently, the visa backlog is estimated to be about 4 million applicants. Advocates claim the inability to bring family members here makes it harder for U.S. companies to attract the workers they need, and workers who do come may be less productive if forced to endure a long separation from their families. Proposed Legislation: Reintroduction of S.3721 - Resolving Extended Limbo for Immigrant Employees and Families Act or the RELIEF Act or the RELIEF Act (117th Congress 2021-2022) Prospective Sponsor: Sen. Richard Durbin (IL) I oppose reforming current visa policy and wish to donate resources to the campaign committee of Leader Charles Schumer (NY). I support revising provisions related to family- and employment-based visas by: 1.) Increasing the per-country cap on family-based immigrant visas from 7% of the total number of such visas available that year to 15%. 2.) Eliminating the 7% cap for employment-based immigrant visas. 3.) Removing an offset that reduced the number of visas for individuals from China. The annual cap for visas for the unmarried children of citizens is increased, and the formula for calculating the cap for the unmarried children of residents is revised. 4.) Establishing transition rules for employment-based visas from 2024-2026, by reserving a percentage of EB-2 (workers with advanced degrees or exceptional ability), EB-3 (skilled and other workers), and EB-5 (investors) visas for individuals not from the two countries with the largest number of recipients of such visas. Of the unreserved visas, not more than 85% shall be allotted to immigrants from any single country. 5.) Increase allocations of family- and employment-based visas by the number of beneficiaries of such applications filed before this bill's enactment, to be allocated 2024-2028 to beneficiaries of applications filed before this bill's enactment who have not yet received a visa. 6.) Allowing the minor children and spouses of permanent residents and those accompanying a qualified alien to be treated as an immediate relative for immigration purposes. Whether an alien qualifies as a minor shall be determined according to the alien's age at the time a relevant petition is filed. And wish to donate resources to the campaign committee of Sen. Richard Durbin (IL) and/or to an advocate group currently working with this issue.

Winning Option »» I support revising provisions related to family- and employment-based visas by: 1.) Increasing the per-country cap on family-based immigrant visas from 7% of the total number of such visas available that year to 15%. 2.) Eliminating the 7% cap for employment-based immigrant visas. 3.) Removing an offset that reduced the number of visas for individuals from China. The annual cap for visas for the unmarried children of citizens is increased, and the formula for calculating the cap for the unmarried children of residents is revised. 4.) Establishing transition rules for employment-based visas from 2024-2026, by reserving a percentage of EB-2 (workers with advanced degrees or exceptional ability), EB-3 (skilled and other workers), and EB-5 (investors) visas for individuals not from the two countries with the largest number of recipients of such visas. Of the unreserved visas, not more than 85% shall be allotted to immigrants from any single country. 5.) Increase allocations of family- and employment-based visas by the number of beneficiaries of such applications filed before this bill's enactment, to be allocated 2024-2028 to beneficiaries of applications filed before this bill's enactment who have not yet received a visa. 6.) Allowing the minor children and spouses of permanent residents and those accompanying a qualified alien to be treated as an immediate relative for immigration purposes. Whether an alien qualifies as a minor shall be determined according to the alien's age at the time a relevant petition is filed. And wish to donate resources to the campaign committee of Sen. Richard Durbin (IL) and/or to an advocate group currently working with this issue.

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