March 2008
New American Innovators Act (H.R. 5634 - Introduced 3/13/08). "A bill to exempt from numerical limitations any alien who has received a Ph.D. from an institution of higher education within the 3-year period preceding such alien's petition for special immigrant status." H.R. 5634 exempts from numerical limitations on employment-based visas (green cards), any foreign national who has earned a Ph.D. from a U.S. educational institution within the previous three years. This facilitates their transition from temporary student (non-immigrant) status to legal permanent resident (immigrant).
Strengthening United States Technology And Innovation Now Act
SUSTAIN Act (H.R. 5642 - Introduced 3/14/08). "A bill to increase the numerical limitation with respect to H-1B non-immigrants for fiscal years 2008 and 2009." The bill will triple the current annual H1-B visa cap for 2 years.
April-June 2006
Securing Knowledge, Innovation, and Leadership Act (H.R. 5744 - Introduced 6/29/06): "A bill to amend the Immigration and Nationality Act to increase competitiveness in the United States, and for other purposes." A House companion bill to S. 2691 (see below).
Securing Knowledge, Innovation, and Leadership Act (S. 2691 - Introduced 5/2/06): "A bill to amend the Immigration and Nationality Act to increase competitiveness in the United States, and for other purposes." 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, and increases the annual H-1B cap, with a 20% increase for the following year if the previous year's quota is reached, among many other provisions.
Comprehensive Immigration Reform Act (S. 2611 - Introduced 4/7/06): "A bill to provide for comprehensive immigration reform and for other purposes."
Note: The three bills (S. 2611, S. 2691 and H.R. 5744 all call for significant increases in permanent employment-based immigrant admissions, a major increase in temporary admissions under the H-1B (Specialty Occupation) work visa program and expedited adjustment to legal permanent residence (green card) status for foreign students who earn graduate degrees in science, technology, engineering or mathematics (STEM) fields from U.S. colleges and universities …The other major House bill, H.R. 4437, is limited in scope to border security, interior enforcement and illegal immigration control provisions (as reported by the IEEE.org).
