Bill > HR8827

This bill, titled the ASSIMILATION Act, proposes significant changes to the Immigration and Nationality Act by establishing a "national interest" standard for all immigration, prioritizing economic self-sufficiency, cultural assimilation, and the protection of U.S. workers over family ties and diversity. Key provisions include ending certain family-sponsored immigration categories, eliminating the diversity immigrant visa program, reforming employment-based immigration by requiring a higher wage threshold for H-1B visas and establishing new criteria for national interest occupations, and ending Optional Practical Training (OPT) for international students unless specifically authorized by law. The bill also revises public charge rules to make it harder for immigrants to receive public benefits, strengthens sponsor support requirements with mandatory bonds, tightens asylum procedures by introducing a "safe third country" rule and a filing fee, mandates employment eligibility verification through the E-Verify system for all new hires, and introduces stricter penalties for visa overstays and unlawful presence. Furthermore, it revises naturalization requirements to include a higher English proficiency standard and a longer residency period, and modifies parole authority to be strictly case-by-case for urgent humanitarian reasons or significant public benefit, limited to 90 days without an act of Congress. The bill also aims to clarify birthright citizenship and introduces new definitions for terms like "means-tested public benefit" and "objective evidence" to ensure transparency and consistency in immigration law administration.