jiayi-li23/proxann_data huggingface dataset:
Topic: Immigration — Immigration
Subject: Immigration
Date: 2015-11-10 00:00:00

H-1B and L-1 Visa Reform Act of 2015 

This bill amends the the Immigration and Nationality Act to revise employer and government requirements regarding visas for nonimmigrant aliens rated H-1B (specialty occupation) and L-1 (intracompany transfer to the United States from abroad).

H-1B employer application requirements are revised.

 The bill establishes an H-1B visa allocation system, with first priority reserved for aliens who have earned an advanced degree in a field of science, technology, engineering, or mathematics (STEM) from a U.S. institution of higher education.

The bill requires completion of a U.S. degree (or an equivalent foreign degree) as a qualification for "specialty occupation" eligibility, eliminating experience in a specialty as an equivalent to the completion of such a degree.

 The bill prescribes an H-1B labor condition application fee.

 The Department of Labor may issue subpoenas and seek appropriate injunctive relief and specific performance of contractual obligations to ensure H-1B employer compliance.

The period of authorized admission for an H-1B nonimmigrant is reduced from six to three years, with a three-year extension available for aliens with extraordinary ability or with advanced degrees, or professors.

The bill denies an H-1B visa to any alien normally classifiable as an H-1 nonimmigrant who seeks U.S. admission to provide services in a specialty occupation.

Labor may investigate applications for fraud and conduct H-1B compliance audits.

Labor shall conduct annual audits of companies with more than 100 employees who work in the United States if more than 15% of those employees are H-1B nonimmigrants.

The bill increases certain employer penalties, including the penalty for displacing a U.S. worker.

An employer that violates any H-1B requirement shall be liable to the harmed employee for lost wages and benefits.

 The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services shall give Labor any information in materials submitted by H-1B employers as part of the petition adjudication process that indicates employer noncompliance with H-1B visa program requirements.

Labor may hire 200 additional employees to administer H-1B programs.

The bill prohibits an employer, unless it receives a waiver from Labor, from hiring an L-1 nonimmigrant for more than one year who will: (1) serve in a capacity involving specialized knowledge, and (2) be stationed primarily at the worksite of an employer other than the petitioning employer.

 No employer may replace a U.S. worker with an L-1 worker.

 The bill prescribes L-1 requirements regarding: (1) employer petitions for employment at a new office, (2) wage rates and working conditions, and (3) employer penalties.

 Labor may initiate an L-1 employer investigation.

 Authority to administer L-1 visa blanket petitions is transferred from the Department of Justice to the Department of Homeland Security.
Topic: Immigration — Immigration
Subject: Immigration
Date: 2015-11-10 00:00:00

Adoptee Citizenship Act of 2015

This bill amends the Immigration and Nationality Act to grant automatic citizenship to all qualifying children adopted by a U.S. citizen parent, regardless of the date on which the adoption was finalized.

An individual born outside of the United States who was adopted by a U.S. citizen parent shall automatically become a U.S. citizen when the following conditions have been fulfilled:

 the individual was adopted by a U.S. citizen before the individual reached age 18, the individual was physically present in the United States in the citizen parent's legal custody pursuant to a lawful admission before the individual reached age 18, the individual never acquired U.S. citizenship before the enactment of this Act, and the individual was lawfully residing in the United States on the date of enactment of this Act. An individual who meets such criteria, except for lawfully residing in the United States on the date of enactment of this Act, shall automatically become a U.S. citizen on the date on which the individual is physically present in the United States pursuant to a lawful admission.

 A visa may not be issued to such an individual unless:

 the individual was subjected to a criminal background check; and the Department of Homeland Security and the Department of State coordinated with law enforcement agencies to ensure that appropriate action is taken regarding any unresolved criminal activity.
Topic: Immigration — Immigration
Subject: Immigration
Date: 2015-11-18 00:00:00

American Security Against Foreign Enemies Act of 2015 or the American SAFE Act of 2015

This bill requires that, in addition to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) screening, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) shall take all actions necessary to ensure that each covered alien receives a background investigation before U.S. refugee admission.

A "covered alien" is any alien applying for U.S. refugee admission who:

 is a national or resident of Iraq or Syria, has no nationality and whose last habitual residence was in Iraq or Syria, or has been present in Iraq or Syria at any time on or after March 1, 2011. A covered alien:

 may not be admitted as a refugee until the FBI certifies to DHS and the Director of National Intelligence (DNI) that he or she has received a background investigation sufficient to determine whether the alien is a U.S. security threat; and may only be admitted to the United States after DHS, with the unanimous concurrence of the FBI and the DNI, certifies to Congress that he or she is not such a threat. The Inspector General of DHS shall conduct annual risk-based reviews of all certifications.

DHS shall report monthly to Congress on the total number of admission applications for which a certification was made and the number of covered aliens for whom such a certification was not made for the preceding month. The report shall include for each covered alien for whom a certification was not made the concurrence or nonconcurrence of each person whose concurrence was required by the certification.
Topic: Immigration — Immigration
Subject: Immigration
Date: 2015-11-18 00:00:00

Terrorist Refugee Infiltration Prevention Act of 2015

This bill prohibits the U.S. refugee admission of an alien who is a national of, has habitually resided in, or is claiming refugee status due to events in any country containing terrorist-controlled territory (Iraq, Libya, Somalia, Syria, Yemen and any other Department of State-designated country).

Such an alien may be admitted to the United States as a refugee if the alien:

 satisfies refugee admission requirements; is a member of a group that has been designated by the State Department or by an Act of Congress as a victim of genocide (and such group does not pose a risk to U.S. security); has undergone the highest level of security screening of any category of traveler to the United States, including full multi-modal biometrics; and the State Department, the Department of Defense (DOD), the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), and the Director of National Intelligence (DNI) certify that such alien is not a threat to U.S. national security. These requirements shall not apply to the U.S. refugee admission of an alien who: (1) provided substantial assistance to the United States, and (2) would face a substantial risk of death or serious bodily injury because of that assistance if not admitted to the United States.

The State Department may designate as a country containing terrorist-controlled territory any country containing territory that is controlled, in substantial part, by a foreign terrorist organization to the exclusion of that country's recognized government.

The State Department shall maintain and continually update a list of: (1) the countries containing terrorist-controlled territory, and (2) groups identified as victims of genocide.

An alien may not be admitted into the United States under this Act solely based on his or her assertions, and DHS shall substantiate any such assertions with the State Department, DOD, the FBI, and the DNI.
Topic: Immigration — Immigration
Subject: Crime and law enforcement
Date: 2015-11-19 00:00:00

Visa Waiver Program Firearms Clarification Act of 2015

The bill amends the federal criminal code to modify the eligibility of certain foreign nationals to purchase and possess firearms in the United States.

Current law prohibits firearm sale or transfer to or possession by a foreign national (i.e., alien) who is: (1) unlawfully present in the United States, or (2) lawfully present under a nonimmigrant visa (e.g., tourist visa). The prohibitions do not apply in certain circumstances. 

This bill expands the prohibition to bar firearm sale or transfer to or possession by a foreign national who was lawfully admitted to the United States without a visa under the Visa Waiver Program. 

The prohibitions do not apply to a foreign national lawfully admitted under the Visa Waiver Program if that foreign national is a government official or law enforcement officer, or possesses a hunting license. Additionally, such foreign national may apply for a Department of Justice waiver to allow firearm possession.
Topic: Immigration — Immigration
Subject: Immigration
Date: 2015-12-01 00:00:00

Visa Waiver Program Security Enhancement Act

This bill amends the Immigration and Nationality Act regarding the visa waiver program to prohibit a national of a program country who has traveled to Iraq or Syria at any time during the most recent five-year period from traveling to the United States without a visa.

 The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) may prohibit a national of a program country from traveling to the United States under the program if the national has traveled during the past five years to a country in which: (1) a designated foreign terrorist organization has a significant presence, and (2) prohibiting the national from traveling to the United States under the program is in U.S. national security interests.

An alien must, at the time of application for program admission, have a valid, unexpired, tamper-resistant, machine-readable passport that incorporates biometric and document authentication identifiers that comply with standards of the International Civil Aviation Organization. Any alien applying for program admission must have a passport that meets these requirements. (The exception for pre-October 26, 2005, passports under the Enhanced Border Security and Visa Entry Reform Act of 2002 is eliminated.)

A program country must: (1) enter into and comply with an agreement with the United States to assist in the operation of an air marshal program, and (2) comply with U.S. aviation and airport security standards.

A country that does not fully implement information sharing agreements shall be terminated from the program.

In determining whether to designate a country as a program country or whether a program country should retain its designation DHS shall consider:

 the country's capacity to collect, analyze, and share data concerning dangerous individuals; the country's screening and sharing of lost or stolen passport information; whether the country collects, analyzes, and shares biometric and other information about individuals other than U.S. nationals who are applying for asylum, refugee status, or another form of non-refoulement protection in such country; and whether a country shares intelligence about foreign fighters with the United States and with multilateral organizations. DHS shall:

 ensure that each alien traveling to the United States under an approved electronic system for travel authorization has submitted biometric information, including photographs and fingerprints, before boarding a U.S.-bound conveyance; prioritize implementation of these biometric requirements in program countries that have a significant number of nationals who have traveled to fight with, or to assist, the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL); and ensure within five years that such biometric information includes photographs and fingerprints. DHS may determine that a program country is in compliance with such biometric requirements if the country implements an agreement meeting specified criteria.

Program fee provisions are revised.
Topic: Immigration — Immigration
Subject: Immigration
Date: 2015-12-08 00:00:00

State Refugee Security Act of 2015

This bill directs the Office of Refugee Resettlement to notify the state agency responsible for coordinating the placement or resettlement of an alien refugee not later than 21 days before the alien's arrival in the state.

No alien refugee shall be placed or resettled in a state if the governor certifies to the Office of Refugee Resettlement that it has failed, in the sole determination of the governor, to provide adequate assurance that such person does not present a security risk to the state.
Topic: Immigration — Immigration
Subject: Immigration
Date: 2015-12-08 00:00:00

Protecting American Jobs Act

This bill amends the Immigration and Nationality Act to reduce the fiscal year cap on H-1B nonimmigrant visas (specialty occupations) from 65,000 to 50,000.

If for a fiscal year more than 50,000 H-1B petitions are filed, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) shall allocate available visas to petitions for those workers who will earn the highest wages.

IF H-1B visa petitions seek more than 20,000 aliens who have earned a master's or higher degree from a U.S. institution of higher education, DHS shall also allocate the available visas for those petitions seeking such workers who will earn the highest wages.
Topic: Immigration — Immigration
Subject: Crime and law enforcement
Date: 2015-12-10 00:00:00

This bill amends the Immigration and Nationality Act to reauthorize the State Criminal Alien Assistance Program (SCAAP) through FY2020. SCAAP provides payments to state, local, and tribal governments to offset the costs of incarcerating certain undocumented criminal aliens.

It expands the definition of “undocumented criminal alien” to include an alien who has been charged with a felony or two or more misdemeanors.

Additionally, the bill directs the Department of Justice to reimburse a state, local, or tribal government for costs to incarcerate a criminal alien whose immigration status cannot be verified by the Department of Homeland Security. (Currently, a criminal alien with lawful immigration status does not meet the criteria for SCAAP reimbursement.)
Topic: Immigration — Immigration
Subject: Immigration
Date: 2015-12-15 00:00:00

This bill requires the Department of Homeland Security to search all public records, including Internet sites and social media profiles, to determine if an alien applying for admission to the United States is inadmissible under the Immigration and Nationality Act.
Topic: Immigration — Immigration
Subject: Immigration
Date: 2015-12-17 00:00:00

21st Century Visa Vetting Act

This bill authorizes the Department of Homeland Security to search open source information, including Internet sites and social media postings, of an alien who applies for a visa to enter the United States to determine if the alien is inadmissible under the Immigration and Nationality Act.
Topic: Immigration — Immigration
Subject: Immigration
Date: 2016-01-12 00:00:00

Cuban Immigrant Work Opportunity Act of 2016

This bill amends the Refugee Education Assistance Act of 1980, the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996, and the Immigration and Nationality Act to make Cuban nationals who enter the United States on or after the enactment of this Act ineligible for refugee/parolee assistance.

The Inspector General of the Social Security Administration shall report to Congress on methods for enforcing the loss of eligibility under title XVI (Supplemental Security Income for the Aged, Blind, and Disabled) of the Social Security Act by persons who are absent from the United States for at least one month.
Topic: Immigration — Immigration
Subject: Immigration
Date: 2016-01-20 00:00:00

Equal Protection in Travel Act of 2016

This bill amends the Immigration and Nationality Act to eliminate the prohibition against participation in the visa waiver program of an alien who, regardless of whether the alien is a national of a program country, is a national of: (1) Iraq or Syria, (2) a country designated as a country that has repeatedly provided support for acts of international terrorism, or (3) any other country or area of concern.
Topic: Immigration — Immigration
Subject: Immigration
Date: 2016-01-20 00:00:00

This bill amends the Immigration and Nationality Act, as amended by the Visa Waiver Program Improvement and Terrorist Travel Prevention Act of 2015, to include Department of State designation of a country or area as a country or area of concern among the criteria for visa waiver program ineligibility based upon an alien's nationality or presence.

Exceptions to program ineligibility shall include include an alien who was present in a prohibited country to perform official duties as an employee of an international organization for a program country.

 Visa waiver program disqualification under the Visa Waiver Program Improvement and Terrorist Travel Prevention Act of 2015 shall not take effect until 180 days after enactment of such Act for an alien: (1) who, regardless of whether the alien is a national of a program country, is a national of Iraq or Syria, a national of a country designated as supporting terrorism, or a national of any other country or area of concern; or (2) who has been present in such countries or areas on or after March 1, 2011.

The Department of Homeland Security or the State Department may waive such prohibition for a period of up to 90 days if either determines that the waiver is in U.S. national security interests.
Topic: Immigration — Immigration
Subject: Immigration
Date: 2016-02-10 00:00:00

ICE Agent Support Act of 2016

This bill directs the Department of the Treasury to refund out of the Immigration Enforcement Account the amount paid out of any appropriation for expenses incurred by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) for:

 identification, investigation, apprehension, detention, and removal of criminal aliens, including providing staffing levels within the Enforcement and Removal Operations division of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement; maintenance and updating of systems used by the division to identify and track criminal aliens, deportable aliens, inadmissible aliens, and aliens illegally entering the United States; and purchase of firearms, vehicles, and other safety or apprehension equipment for the division. DHS shall establish the percentage of positions within the division that shall be classified as a criminal investigator position.
Topic: Immigration — Immigration
Subject: International affairs
Date: 2016-02-22 00:00:00

Protection of Children Act of 2016

This bill amends the William Wilberforce Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act of 2008 to eliminate the special repatriation requirements for unaccompanied alien children (UAC) who are nationals or residents of a country contiguous to the United States. (Applies the same removal requirements to all UACs who are not victims of a severe form of trafficking in persons and who do not have a fear of returning to their country of nationality or last habitual residence.)

An immigration officer who finds an inadmissible UAC at a land border or port of entry shall return the child to his or her country of nationality or of last habitual residence. (Such authority is now only discretionary.)

The Department of State shall negotiate agreements between the United States and other countries for the repatriation of children. (Under current law the Secretary is required to negotiate agreements between the United States and countries contiguous to the United States for the repatriation of children.)

An unaccompanied child who is not a victim of a severe form of trafficking in persons, and does not have a fear of returning to his or her country of nationality or last habitual residence, but who is:

 in removal proceedings shall have a hearing before an immigration judge within 14 days, in federal custody shall be transferred to Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) custody within 30 days, and in HHS or Department of Homeland Security (DHS) custody shall have access to legal counsel at no cost to the government. HHS, before placing a child with an individual, shall provide DHS with the individual's name, Social Security number, date of birth, residence location, and immigration status, if known.

DHS shall investigate the immigration status of the individual with whom the child is placed, and initiate removal proceedings if that individual is unlawfully present in the United States.

 Such requirements shall apply to any unauthorized child apprehended on or after June 15, 2012.

The Immigration and Nationality Act is amended with respect to: (1) special immigrant juvenile status, and (2) jurisdiction of asylum applications.
Topic: Immigration — Immigration
Subject: Immigration
Date: 2016-03-17 00:00:00

Religious Persecution Relief Act

This bill declares that Syrian nationals who are religious minorities in their country of origin:

 shall be classified as refugees of special humanitarian concern, shall be eligible for priority two processing under the refugee resettlement priority system, and may apply directly to the U.S. refugee admissions program for admission to the United States. The Immigration and Nationality Act is amended to authorize, in addition to the current worldwide refugee resettlement quota, the refugee admission of up to 10,000 religious-minority Syrian nationals for each of FY2016-FY2020.

The Foreign Operations, Export Financing, and Related Programs Appropriations Act, 1990 is amended to establish as a protected refugee category persons who:

 are or were nationals and residents of the Syrian Arab Republic; as members of a religious minority in Syria, share common characteristics that identify them as targets of persecution in that state on account of religion, creed, or ethnicity; and have been underrepresented in the U.S. refugee resettlement program during the five-year period ending on September 30, 2015, when compared to their representation in the Syrian population as a whole.