To add Ireland to the E-3 nonimmigrant visa program.
Bill: H.R.8761 | Sponsor: Rep. Neal, Richard E. (D-MA)
Policy area: Immigration

Summary:
This bill expands the E-3 visa program to cover Irish nationals. The E-3 visa is a nonimmigrant visa currently only available to Australian nationals coming to the United States for employment in a specialty occupation. For Irish E-3 initial applications, the Department of State may approve each fiscal year no more than 10,500 minus the number of Australian initial applications approved the previous fiscal year.

To add Ireland to the E-3 nonimmigrant visa program.

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

SECTION 1. E-3 VISAS FOR IRISH NATIONALS.

    (a) In General.--Section 101(a)(15)(E)(iii) of the Immigration and 
Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1101(a)(15)(E)(iii)) is amended by inserting 
``or, on a basis of reciprocity as determined by the Secretary of 
State, a national of Ireland,'' after ``Australia''.
    (b) Employer Requirements.--Section 212 of the Immigration and 
Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1182) is amended--
            (1) by redesignating the second subsection (t) (as added by 
        section 1(b)(2)(B) of Public Law 108-449 (118 Stat. 3470)) as 
        subsection (u); and
            (2) by adding at the end of subsection (t)(1) (as added by 
        section 402(b)(2) of Public Law 108-77 (117 Stat. 941)) the 
        following:
                    ``(E) In the case of an attestation filed with 
                respect to a national of Ireland described in section 
                101(a)(15)(E)(iii), the employer is, and will remain 
                during the period of authorized employment of such 
                Irish national, a participant in good standing in the 
                E-Verify program described in section 403(a) of the 
                Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility 
                Act of 1996 (8 U.S.C. 1324a note).''.
    (c) Application Allocation.--Paragraph (11) of section 214(g) of 
the Immigration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1184(g)(11)) is amended 
to read as follows:
            ``(11)(A) The Secretary of State may approve initial 
        applications submitted for aliens described in section 
        101(a)(15)(E)(iii) only as follows:
                            ``(i) For applicants who are nationals of 
                        the Commonwealth of Australia, not more than 
                        10,500 for a fiscal year.
                            ``(ii) For applicants who are nationals of 
                        Ireland, not more than a number equal to the 
                        difference between 10,500 and the number of 
                        applications approved in the prior fiscal year 
                        for aliens who are nationals of the 
                        Commonwealth of Australia.
                    ``(B) The approval of an application described 
                under subparagraph (A)(ii) shall be deemed for 
                numerical control purposes to have occurred on 
                September 30 of the prior fiscal year.
                    ``(C) The numerical limitation under subparagraph 
                (A) shall only apply to principal aliens and not to the 
                spouses or children of such aliens.''.
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