cation (as defined in section 102(b) of 
such Act (20 U.S.C. 1002(b))); and 
‘‘(II) was classified by the Car-
negie Foundation for the Advance-
ment of Teaching on January 1, 
2012, as a doctorate-granting univer-
sity with a very high or high level of 
research activity or classified by the 
National Science Foundation after the 
date of enactment of this paragraph, 
pursuant to an application by the in-
stitution, as having equivalent re-
search activity to those institutions 
that had been classified by the Car-
negie Foundation as being doctorate- 
granting universities with a very high 
or high level of research activity.’’. 
(b) PROCEDURE FOR GRANTING IMMIGRANT STA-
TUS.—Section 204(a)(1)(E) of such Act (8 U.S.C. 
1154(a)(1)(E)) is amended— 
(1) by striking ‘‘(E)’’ and inserting ‘‘(E)(i)’’; 
(2) by striking ‘‘203(b)(1)(A),’’ and inserting 
‘‘203(b)(1)(A) or 203(b)(6),’’; 
(3) by striking ‘‘Attorney General’’ and insert-
ing ‘‘Secretary of Homeland Security’’; and 
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(4) by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘(ii) The following processing standards 
shall apply with respect to petitions under 
clause (i) relating to alien beneficiaries quali-
fying under section 203(b)(6): 
‘‘(I) The Secretary of Homeland Secu-
rity shall adjudicate such petitions not 
later than 60 days after the date on which 
the petition is filed. In the event that addi-
tional information or documentation is re-
quested by the Secretary during such 60- 
day period, the Secretary shall adjudicate 
the petition not later than 30 days after 
the date on which such information or doc-
umentation is received. 
‘‘(II) The petitioner shall be notified 
in writing within 30 days of the date of fil-
ing if the petition does not meet the stand-
ards for approval. If the petition does not 
meet such standards, the notice shall in-
clude the reasons therefore and the Sec-
retary shall provide an opportunity for the 
prompt resubmission of a modified peti-
tion.’’. 
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(c) SKILLED
WORKERS, PROFESSIONALS, 
AND 
OTHER WORKERS.—Section 203(b)(3)(A) of such Act (8 
U.S.C. 1153(b)(3)(A)) is amended by striking ‘‘28.6’’ and 
inserting ‘‘25.74’’. 
(d) GAO STUDY.—Not later than June 30, 2018, the 
Comptroller General of the United States shall provide to 
the Congress the results of a study on the use by the Na-
tional Science Foundation of the classification authority 
provided under section 203(b)(6)(B)(iii)(II) of the Immi-
gration 
and 
Nationality 
Act 
(8 
U.S.C. 
1153(b)(6)(B)(iii)(II)), as added by this section. 
(e) EFFECTIVE DATE.—The amendments made by 
this section shall take effect on October 1, 2016, and shall 
apply with respect to fiscal years beginning on or after 
such date. Nothing in the preceding sentence shall be con-
strued to prohibit the Secretary of Homeland Security 
from accepting before such date petitions under section 
204(a)(1)(E) of the Immigration and Nationality Act (8 
U.S.C. 1154(a)(1)(E)) relating to alien beneficiaries quali-
fying under section 203(b)(6) of such Act (8 U.S.C. 
1153(b)(6)) (as added by this section). 
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SEC. 3. NUMERICAL LIMITATION TO ANY SINGLE FOREIGN 
STATE. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Section 202(a)(2) of the Immi-
gration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1152(a)(2)) is 
amended— 
(1) by striking ‘‘subsections (a) and (b)’’ and 
inserting ‘‘subsection (a), and paragraphs (3), (4), 
and (5) of subsection (b),’’; 
(2) by striking ‘‘such subsections’’ and inserting 
‘‘such provisions’’. 
(b) 
RULES
FOR
EMPLOYMENT-BASED
IMMI-
GRANTS.—Section 202(a)(5) of such Act (8 U.S.C. 
1152(a)(5)) is amended— 
(1) in subparagraph (A), by striking ‘‘(1), (2), 
(3), (4), or (5)’’ and inserting ‘‘(3), (4), or (5)’’; and 
(2) in subparagraph (B)— 
(A) by inserting ‘‘paragraphs (3), (4), and 
(5) of’’ before ‘‘section 203(b) exceeds’’; and 
(B) by striking ‘‘section 203(b) consistent’’ 
and inserting ‘‘such paragraphs consistent’’. 
(c) SPECIAL RULES FOR COUNTRIES AT CEILING.— 
Section 202(e) of such Act (8 U.S.C. 1152(e)) is amend-
ed— 
(1) by striking ‘‘subsections (a) and (b)’’ each 
place such term appears and inserting ‘‘subsection 
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(a), and paragraphs (3), (4), and (5) of subsection 
(b),’’; and 
(2) by striking ‘‘(1) through (5)’’ and inserting 
‘‘(3), (4), and (5)’’. 
(d) EFFECTIVE DATE.—The amendments made by 
this section shall take effect on October 1, 2016, and shall 
apply with respect to fiscal years beginning on or after 
such date. 
SEC. 4. PERMANENT PRIORITY DATES. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Section 203 of the Immigration 
and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1153) is amended by add-
ing at the end the following: 
‘‘(i) PERMANENT PRIORITY DATES.— 
‘‘(1) IN
GENERAL.—Subject to subsection 
(h)(3) and paragraph (2), the priority date for any 
employment-based petition shall be the date of filing 
of the petition with the Secretary of Homeland Secu-
rity (or the Secretary of State, if applicable), unless 
the filing of the petition was preceded by the filing 
of a labor certification with the Secretary of Labor, 
in which case that date shall constitute the priority 
date. 
‘‘(2) SUBSEQUENT EMPLOYMENT-BASED PETI-
TIONS.—Subject to subsection (h)(3), an alien who 
is the beneficiary of any employment-based petition 
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that was approvable when filed (including self-peti-
tioners) shall retain the priority date assigned with 
respect to that petition in the consideration of any 
subsequently filed employment-based petition (in-
cluding self-petitions).’’. 
(b) EFFECTIVE DATE.—The amendment made by 
subsection (a) shall take effect on October 1, 2016, and 
shall apply to aliens who are a beneficiary of a classifica-
tion petition pending on or after such date. 
Æ 
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