In an opinion piece, to be published tomorrow, Friday, March 19, 2010, at the Washington Post, Senators Charles Schumer (D-NY) and Lindsay Graham (R-SC) have unveiled their proposal for comprehensive immigration reform.   The plan, as outlined in the Washington Post piece, sets several four broad principles for immigration reform.

Biometric Social Security Cards to Prevent Illegal Employment

The plan would require all U.S. citizens and legal immigrants who want jobs to obtain a high-tech, fraud-proof Social Security card.  Each card’s unique biometric identifier would be stored only on the card; no government database would house everyone’s information. The cards would not contain any private information, medical information or tracking devices. The card would be a high-tech version of the Social Security card that citizens already have.

Prospective employers would be responsible for swiping the cards through a machine to confirm a person’s identity and immigration status. Employers who refused to swipe the card or who otherwise knowingly hired unauthorized workers would face stiff fines and, for repeat offenses, prison sentences.

Strong Border Security and Interior Enforcement

The plan aims to bolster efforts to secure the borders by increasing the Border Patrol’s staffing and funding for infrastructure and technology.  Additionally, other steps include expanding domestic enforcement to better apprehend and deport those who commit crimes and completing an entry-exit system that tracks people who enter the United States on legal visas and reports those who overstay their visas to law enforcement databases.

Creating a Process for Admitting Temporary Workers

The plan aims to attract the world’s “best and brightest.”   The legislation would award green cards to immigrants who receive PhD or master’s degree in science, technology, engineering or math (STEM) from a U.S. university.

Also, the plan calls for a system for admitting lower-skilled workers.  The plan would facilitate the circular migration” of lower-skilled workers by allowing employers to hire immigrants if they can show they were unsuccessful in recruiting an American to fill an open position; allowing more lower-skilled immigrants to come here when our economy is creating jobs and fewer in a recession; and permitting workers who have succeeded in the workplace, and contributed to their communities over many years, the chance to earn a green card.

Tough But Fair Path to Legalization for Unlawful Aliens

A tough but fair process is intended to allow unlawful aliens to find a way forward.  Such aliens would be required to admit they broke the law and to pay their debt to society by performing community service and paying fines and back taxes.  They would also be required to pass background checks and be proficient in English before going to the back of the line of prospective immigrants to earn the opportunity to work toward lawful permanent residence.

Conclusion

The Schumer/Graham plan has drawn an immediate vow of support by President Obama who has urged Congress “to act at the earliest possible opportunity.”    Mr. Obama’s pledge to support the plan should suggest that some sort of immigration reform may be forthcoming; however, the Senators have not offered a concrete plan and have not suggested a timetable.    Additionally, the White House has indicated that their top priorities (after health care, that is) are financial regulatory reform and campaign finance legislation.

Despite mixed messages from the White House, the Schumer/Graham proposal should help comprehensive immigration reform proponents in moving towards producing a bill and enacting it into law.  We will continue monitoring any developments and reporting them.

USCIS published a notice in the Federal Register with proposed changes to Form I-129 which is used for H-1B, L-1, TN, among other visa type filings.   Please see the DRAFT proposed Form I-129 (and draft instructions).  The proposed changes are significant and are likely to impact most, if not all, employers who file Form I-129.

More Amendments Will Be Required

The proposed draft contemplates that an H-1B amendment filing will be required for ANY material change in employment.  The instructions provide as an example of material change in employment a change on primary job duties or change in the geographic location of the job.    Currently, H-1B petitions do not always have to be amended when there is a change in the geographic location of the job.   Under current guidance, a valid Labor Condition Application (LCA) is required for such geographic location job change.

Under the proposed Form I-129, an H-1B amendment, in addition to LCA filing, will be required for any job change with respect to geographic location.  While this is unlikely to affect many employers who employ their H-1B workers onsite; the proposed change will be very burdensome to consulting companies and companies with roving employees.

Furthermore, the requirement of filing H-1B amendments for geographic location job changes will create another level of uncertainty associated with the H-1B amendment process.  The cost (filing fees and preparation expenses) of having to prepare such amendments is also likely to be significant and impact consulting and roving-employee companies.

Export License Acknowledgement

The draft revised Form I-129 requires a deemed export license acknowledgment.   Certain H-1B, L-1 and O-1A workers must have a “Deemed Export License” issued by the Department of Commerce to be eligible for employment pursuant to H-1B, L-1 or O-1A status.   Accordingly, the employer must submit evidence that a review of the deemed export license requirements has been completed (under 15 C.F.R. 734.2).

If a deemed export license is required, a copy of the Department of Commerce approved license must be supplied.  Alternatively, if a deemed export license is not required, the employer will have to indicate whether the technology with which the foreign worker will be engaged is subject to Export Administration Regulations (EAR) and identify the Export Control Classification Number (ECCN) of the technology in which the beneficiary will have access to.

Evidence of Valid Status Required

The draft instructions also indicate that evidence of valid status will  be required as initial evidence with any Form I-129 petition.   USCIS will require, for all change or extension of status petitions, copies of the last two paystubs and Form W-2 in addition to Form I-94 and Form I-797 approval notice to support that the beneficiary has maintained a valid status.

Third-party Worksite Attestations

In cases where the worker will be placed at a third-party worksite, the revised Form I-129 requires certain attestations – name of the company where the worker will be placed, the work address and a contact person.  Although changes to the language may be necessary due to apparent misuse of terms, the petitioning employer will also have to attest that the worker will receive at least the prevailing wage or the offered wage (same under current H-1B regulations).

H-1B Worker Will Have to Sign Data Collection Supplement

Under the revised form, the H-1B worker will be required to sign the Data Collection Supplement.  The purpose of this is to attest that the worker has accepted the terms of the job offer, including offsite placement and the possibility of relocation.  Currently, the employee does not have to sign or otherwise acknowledge any portion of the H-1B filing paperwork.

Duplicate Forms Required

The proposed instructions also require that all of the forms and supporting evidence be submitted in duplicate.  Currently, duplicates are necessary for petitions requesting consular processing.   However, since each H-1B worker is, at some point of their H-1B period, likely to apply for a visa at a U.S. consulate abroad, this requirement is certainly helpful to eliminate visa processing delays associated with lack of information in the consular service database due to lack of duplicate copy.

It is our office’s practice to almost always submit duplicate copies of the petitions and all supporting evidence, so this change should not affect our practice.

Conclusion

The proposed changes to Form I-129 are fairly significant and create a number of additional requirements and burdens on at least some, if not all, employers using Form I-129 to petition for foreign workers.  Our office will remain involved in this comment period and we will provide updates on this proposed Form I-129 draft and any developments related to it.  Please consider subscribing to our free weekly newsletter to receive email updates on this and related immigration law developments.

The Texas Service Center (TSC), in a meeting with AILA, has provided some helpful updates regarding processing of petitions filed with TSC.

Processing Times

TSC has confirmed that the pending application reports posted on the USCIS status check website are generally correct.  I-485s filed prior to March 26, 2009 that are still pending should be in for processing and for those I-485s, a streamline request is appropriate.  Similarly, TSC has completed review of derivative I-485 that have become separated from the primary I-485, so a streamline request may be appropriate in such cases as well.

AC21 Porting Notifications

TSC is expecting guidance from USCIS headquarters regarding cases in which the I-485 has been preadjudicated and waiting visa number but where a request for recent job verification may be necessary.  Currently, there are a high number of preadjudicated I-485 waiting for a visa number; however, many of these I-485 applicants have changed jobs pursuant to the AC21 portability provisions.

It is currently unclear whether TSC will issue an RFE requesting a more recent employment verification letter for these preadjudicated cases.  While TSC has indicated a preference to receive AC21 notifications generally, such notifications are not required.  Pending USCIS headquarters guidance, we still recommend that AC21 change of employer notifications be filed to “preemt” a possible RFE regarding employment verification even for preadjudicated I-485 cases.

Transfers from TSC to National Benefits Center (NBC)

TSC has confirmed that generally, the reason for transferring unadjudicated cases to NBC is when a I-485 requries an interview.  TSC transfers the “A file” to NBC which will then send it to a local office for interview.   Generally, TSC does not transfer cases to other centers for workload reasons.

The April 2010 Visa Bulletin was just released by the State Department.  The seventh visa bulletin for the fiscal year 2010 brings gradual forward movement.  There is some gradual forward movement across most employment-based categories except EB-2 India and EB-3 Mexico which did not change this month.   A notable movement is in EB-3 India category where the priority date moved forward by over two months.

Here is a summary of the April 2010 Visa Bulletin:

• EB-1 remains current across the board.
• EB-2 ROW remains current, EB-2 China moves forward by six (6) weeks to August 22, 2005, and EB-2 India remains unchanged at February 1, 2005.
• EB-3 ROW moves forward by almost fix (6) weeks to February 1, 2003, EB-3 China moves forward also by six (6) weeks to February 1, 2003, while EB-3 India moves forward by over two (2) months to September 8, 2001.
• Other worker visa numbers remains unchanged at June 1, 2001.

Today’s Wall Street Journal has a recap of recent high-level meetings and plans regarding an immigration reform, a topic which President Obama said he will tackle during his first year in office.

Washington has been busy for the past few months with health care, wars and the economic crisis.  Not surprisingly, immigration reform has not been high on the President’s agenda.

A pair of senators trying to put together a comprehensive immigration bill showed their outline to President Barack Obama Thursday and asked his help in recruiting additional Senate backers. But with a full plate already and elections looming, it was unclear how involved the White House plans to get on the issue.

According to the Wall Street Journal, while President Obama remains “fully committed” to immigration reform, his administration has taken a more hands-off approach and has left Congress to propose the outline of the reform plans and to “sell” it on Capitol Hill.

The Schumer/Graham plan, proposed by Senators Charles Schumer (D-NY) and Linsay Graham (R-SC), was presented to the President.  However, Sen. Graham is looking for another Republican sponsor, but has been unable to find one.  Senator McCain (R-AZ) who supported a similar plan when President Bush proposed it, has not been willing to sign on.

The Schumer/Graham Plan Outline

While the Senators have not released their plan formally,  it may include many of the building blocks from the last failed effort, including a path to citizenship for those here illegally, now estimated at 10.8 million people; a guest worker program; and, in a new twist, a mandatory biometric identification card for workers to stem the flow of illegal workers into the country in future years.

Immigration Reform – Slow Movement

In this political climate, it seems that immigration reform, if it happens, will move forward very slowly.   The President has seemingly delegated to Congress finding support for the immigration reform, and the current political gridlock in Congress will not help.   We will provide to monitor the current state of the immigration reform from our offices in Washington, DC, and provide further updates.   To stay up-to-date on this and other immigration topics, please consider subscribing to our free weekly immigration newsletter.