Recent Developments in Immigration Law

Originally published December 2005

Congressional Alert: The House and Senate Consider Measures to Provide H-1B Visa and Employment Based Immigration Relief

The Senate and the House of Representatives have recently passed legislation affecting H-1B and L-1 visas, as well as employment-based immigrant visa categories. Provisions of the Senate bill would:

• Impose a new $500 fee on immigrant visa petitions for the first, second and third employment preference categories;
• Recapture unused employment-based immigrant visas from prior years, which would result in the immediate availability of up to 90,000 visas per year;
• Exempt spouses and minor children from counting against the cap of employment-based immigrant visas;