S. 3720 · 117th Congress
H–1B and L–1 Visa Reform Act of 2022
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Never voted on. It didn't reach a floor vote before the 117th Congress ended, so it expired. A bill has to be introduced again to be considered in a new Congress.
D
DurbinSponsor6 cosponsors · 2 D, 3 R, 1 I
6 signed on when it was introduced; the rest joined later. Cosponsors who withdrew aren't shown.
This bill modifies requirements related to H-1B (specialty occupation) and L-1 (intracompany transfers) nonimmigrant visas and contains related provisions.
What it does: CRS summary · Introduced in Senate · Mar 1, 2022
H-1B and L-1 Visa Reform Act of 2022
This bill modifies requirements related to H-1B (specialty occupation) and L-1 (intracompany transfers) nonimmigrant visas and contains related provisions.
Provisions relating to H-1B visas include
- requiring the Department of Labor to review petitions for indicators of fraud or misrepresentation of material fact;
- requiring the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to prioritize certain petitions, with top priority for workers with advanced degrees in science, technology, or engineering;
- requiring an H-1B worker to possess at minimum a bachelor's degree to meet specialty occupation requirements (currently, relevant experience may be used instead); and
- prohibiting an alien classifiable in certain H-1B categories from obtaining a B-1 (temporary business visitor) visa.
Provisions relating to L-1 visas include
- requiring a waiver from Labor for an L-1 worker to be primarily stationed with an employer other than the petitioning employer;
- prohibiting an alien from receiving an L-1 visa to open or be employed in a new office if the alien has received two or more such visas in the last two years; and
- increasing the L-1 worker minimum wage to the highest of certain amounts, such as the median wage for the worker's occupational classification in the area of employment (currently, an L-1 worker must be paid at least the higher of the federal or state minimum wage).
In regards to both visas, the bill (1) expands the authority of DHS and Labor to take various enforcement actions, and (2) directs DHS to conduct annual audits of a certain percentage of employers.
Written by the nonpartisan Congressional Research Service. All summary versions on Congress.gov
About this bill and sources
Official title: H–1B and L–1 Visa Reform Act of 2022
Latest action (Mar 1, 2022): Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary. (text: CR S877-883)
Policy area: Immigration · Origin: Senate · Introduced: Mar 1, 2022
Official page on Congress.gov · Bill text (GovInfo) · Status record (XML)
No recorded floor vote found.