October 5, 2010
On September 29, 2010, Senator Menendez (D-NJ) and Senator Leahy (D-VT) introduced the Comprehensive Immigration Reform Act of 2010 (S. 3932).
Contained in the bill are provisions aimed at mandatory employment verification, repairs to the business and family visa systems, a plan for the legalization of the millions of undocumented, and enhanced border security. David Leopold, president of the American Immigration Lawyers Association, stated, “The time is now for comprehensive immigration reform. CIR would aid our economy and provide fairness to taxpayers, job creators, and families that now get hopelessly entangled in the dysfunctional immigration system.”
Specific provisions in the bill pertaining to employment-based immigration include:
- The requirement that all employers adopt an employment verification system within five years;
- The creation of a Standing Commission on Immigration, Labor Markets and the National Interest to evaluate labor market and economic conditions and recommend quotas for employment-based visa programs;
- The significant expansion of labor protections in H-1B and L-1 visa programs;
- The implementation of protections to ensure the number of family and employment green cards authorized by Congress do not expire because of processing delays;
- Incorporation of the AgJOBS bill, to provide a path to residency for farm workers.
