On July 10, 2019, the U.S. House of Representatives passed H.R. 1044, the Fairness for High-Skilled Immigrants
Act of 2019, by a vote of 365 to 65. The bill is intended to
reduce lengthy immigrant visa (green card) wait times by
eliminating per-country caps for employment-based green cards. In
addition, senators have reportedly reached an agreement on a
version of a companion bill (S. 386) in the U.S. Senate that presently
includes an amendment imposing tighter restrictions on recruitment
and creating new reporting requirements for H-1B visa sponsors. If
enacted, the legislation would take effect on September 30, 2019,
and apply to fiscal year 2020.
The following is a summary of the key changes proposed by the
House bill:
