High-skilled Immigration Reform for Employment Act
Bill: H.R.9630 | Sponsor: Rep. Krishnamoorthi, Raja (D-IL)
Policy area: Immigration

Summary:
High-skilled Immigration Reform for Employment Act
This bill increases the annual cap on H-1B visas (nonimmigrant visas for workers in specialty occupations) and authorizes grants for education.
Specifically, the bill (1) increases the cap on such visas for each fiscal year to from 65.000 to 130,000, and (2) exempts from this cap all visas for individuals with a postgraduate degree from a U.S. institution of higher education (currently, only up to 20,000 such visas are exempted each fiscal year).
The bill also modifies the criteria for determining whether an employer is an H-1B-dependent employer. (Such employers are subject to additional requirements.)
The Department of Education may make grants to states to support science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (commonly referred to as STEM) education.

To amend the Immigration and Nationality Act to expand availability of 
            H-1B nonimmgrant visas, and for other purposes.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``High-skilled Immigration Reform for 
Employment Act''.

SEC. 2. H-1B NONIMMIGRANT REFORM.

    (a) Numerical Limitations.--Section 214(g) of the Immigration and 
Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1184(g)) is amended--
            (1) in paragraph (1)(A)(vii), by striking ``65,000'' and 
        inserting ``130,000''; and
            (2) in paragraph (5), by striking ``, until the number of 
        aliens who are exempted from such numerical limitation during 
        such year exceeds 20,000''.
    (b) Expansion of H-1B-Dependent Employer.--Section 212(n)(3)(A) of 
the Immigration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1182(n)(3)(A)) is 
amended--
            (1) in clause (i)--
                    (A) in subclause (I), by striking ``25'' and 
                inserting ``50''; and
                    (B) in subclause (II), by striking ``7'' and 
                inserting ``12'';
            (2) in clause (ii)--
                    (A) in subclause (I), by striking ``at least 26 but 
                not more than 50'' and inserting ``at least 51 but not 
                more than 100''; and
                    (B) in subclause (II), by striking ``12'' and 
                inserting ``24''; and
            (3) in clause (iii)(I), by striking ``51'' and inserting 
        ``101''.

SEC. 3. PROMOTING AMERICAN INGENUITY GRANT PROGRAM.

    (a) Authorization.--The Secretary of Education may make grants to 
States, on a competitive basis, to--
            (1) strengthen elementary school and secondary school 
        education in the fields of science, mathematics, engineering, 
        and technology;
            (2) retain teachers at the elementary school and secondary 
        school levels in such fields; and
            (3) assist institutions of higher education in educating 
        students enrolled in a program of study leading to a degree in 
        such a field.
    (b) Application.--The chief executive of a State seeking a grant 
under this section shall submit to the Secretary of Education an 
application at such time, in such manner, and containing such 
information as the Secretary may reasonably require.
    (c) Authorization of Appropriations.--There is authorized to be 
appropriated $25,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2023 through 2027 to 
carry out this section.
    (d) Definitions.--In this section:
            (1) The terms ``elementary school'', ``secondary school'', 
        and ``State'' have the meanings given such terms in section 
        8101 of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 
        U.S.C. 7801).
            (2) The term ``institution of higher education'' has the 
        meaning given such term in section 102 of the Higher Education 
        Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1002).
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