High-skilled Immigration Reform for Employment Act

Bill: 118-hr-4647
Sponsor: full_name: Rep. Krishnamoorthi, Raja [D-IL-8]
Introduced: 2023-07-14
Policy area: Immigration
Latest action: action_date: 2023-07-14
text: Referred to the Committee on Education and the Workforce, and in addition to the Committee on the Judiciary, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.

Summaries:
action_date: 2023-07-14
action_desc: Introduced in House
text: <p><strong>High-skilled Immigration Reform for Employment Act</strong></p> <p>This bill increases the annual cap on H-1B visas (nonimmigrant visas for workers in specialty occupations) and authorizes grants for education.</p> <p>Specifically, the bill (1) increases the cap on such visas for each fiscal year 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).</p> <p>The bill also modifies the criteria for determining whether an employer is an H-1B-dependent employer. (Such employers are subject to additional requirements.)</p> <p>The Department of Education may make grants to states to support science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (commonly referred to as STEM) education. </p>

tv_txt: I 118th CONGRESS 1st Session H. R. 4647 IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES July 14, 2023 Mr. Krishnamoorthi introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Education and the Workforce , and in addition to the Committee on the Judiciary , for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned A BILL To amend the Immigration and Nationality Act to expand availability of H–1B nonimmgrant visas, and for other purposes.

1. Short title This Act may be cited as the High-skilled Immigration Reform for Employment Act . 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 . 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 2024 through 2028 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 ).