SKIL Act of 2006

Bill: 109-hr-5744
Sponsor: Rep. Shadegg, John B. [R-AZ-3]
Introduced: 2006-06-29 in the House
Policy area: Immigration
Subjects: Administrative fees
Administrative remedies
Alien labor
Aliens
Crime and Law Enforcement
Department of Homeland Security
Economics and Public Finance
Education
Employee selection
Engineering
Engineers
Foreign students
Foreign-trained physicians
Fraud
Government Operations and Politics
Government paperwork
Government publicity
Graduate education
Health
Higher education
Identification of criminals
Immigrant education
Immigrants
Infrastructure
Labor and Employment
Labor supply
Law
Mathematics
Minimum wages
Science, Technology, Communications
Scientists
Skilled labor
Temporary employment
Visas
Wages

Summary:
action_date: 2006-06-29
text: 
Securing Knowledge, Innovation, and Leadership Act of 2006 or the SKIL Act of 2006 - Amends the Immigration and Nationality Act to exempt from the annual H-1B (specialty occupation) visa cap an alien who has: (1) earned a master's or higher degree from an accredited U.S. university; or (2) been awarded a medical specialty certification based on post-doctoral training and experience in the United States.
 
Increases the annual H-1B cap, with a 20% increase for the following year if the previous year's quota is reached. 
 
Exempts from worldwide immigration caps an alien who: (1) has earned a master's or higher degree from an accredited U.S. university; (2) has been awarded medical specialty certification based on postdoctoral training and experience in the United States; (3) will work in shortage occupations; (4) has earned a master's degree or higher in science, technology, engineering, or math and has been working in a related field in the United States during the three-year period preceding his or her immigrant visa application; (5) has extraordinary ability or received a national interest waiver; or (6) is the spouse or minor child of an employment-based immigrant.
 
Increases the annual immigrant visa cap.
 
Revises student visa provisions.
 
Authorizes an L-1 (intracompany transfer) visa extension beyond the fifth or seventh year if the individual has a immigrant application pending.
 
Permits an alien with an approved labor certification to apply for permanent resident status adjustment if there is no visa immediately available by paying a $500 supplemental fee.
 
Directs the Secretary of Homeland Security to establish a pre-certification procedure for employers who file multiple employment petitions.
 
Revises certain labor certification provisions.
 
Prohibits immigration application approval until background and security checks have been completed and any fraud allegations have been resolved.
 
Authorizes temporary workers (E, H, I, L O, or P visas) who have not violated their status to renew their same category visa from within the United States.
 
States that the constitutional authority on which this Act rests is Congress' power to establish a uniform rule of naturalization and authority to provide for the general welfare as enumerated in article I, section 8 of the Constitution. 


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2006-06-29
text: Referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary.
action_date: 2006-06-29
text: Introduced in House
action_date: 2006-06-29
text: Introduced in House