Today, the U.S. House of Representatives approved H.R. 1044, the Fairness for High-Skilled Immigrants Act of 2019, that eliminates per-country quotas for all employment-based immigrant visa petitions by a wide, bipartisan vote of 365-65.
The bill includes language helpful to the EB-5 program relating to a transition period for implementation, as explained –
Fairness for High-Skilled Immigrants Act of 2019
This bill increases the per-country cap on family-based immigrant visas from 7% of the total number of such visas available that year to 15%, and eliminates the 7% cap for employment-based immigrant visas. It also removes an offset that reduced the number of visas for individuals from China.
The bill also establishes transition rules for employment-based visas from FY2020-FY2022, by reserving a percentage of EB-2 (workers with advanced degrees or exceptional ability), EB-3 (skilled and other workers), and EB-5 (investors) visas for individuals not from the two countries with the largest number of recipients of such visas. Of the unreserved visas, not more than 85% shall be allotted to immigrants from any single country.
A companion bill, S. 386 (Sen. Lee, R-UT) was being discussed for Senate floor consideration last month. The bill drew H-1B compliance provisions that slowed momentum and interested Senators continue negotiations.
Please contact your GT attorney for specific questions. We will update this matter as information becomes available.