Rep. Lofgren Introduces Bill to Fix Visa Backlog

October 7, 2011

Washington, D.C. – Today, Rep. Zoe Lofgren, the ranking member on the House Judiciary Immigration Subcommittee, introduced the Protecting American Families and Businesses Act of 2011. This legislation reforms sections of our nation’s byzantine immigration laws that keep families apart and prevent American companies from recruiting the world’s best and brightest. It adjusts per country limits, recaptures previously-issued visas that go unused due to bureaucratic delay, and provides temporary relief for certain individuals caught in green card backlogs. The bill’s provisions include: 

• eliminating per country limits on the employment-based side (with a three year phase-in);
• raising the per country limit on the family-based side from 7% to 15%; • expanding “AC-21” protection to also include L and F visa holders, giving them the same protections H-1B visa holders currently have;
• creating a new “W” temporary visa for the spouses and minor children of lawful permanent residents (LPRs) caught in the green card backlogs; and,
• recapturing unused employment-based and family-based green cards to shorten green card backlogs. 
  

“Our nation gains nothing from keeping families separated and blocking companies from hiring the world’s brightest innovators,” said Rep Zoe Lofgren. “Keeping fathers and mothers separated from their families, is not the American way. This legislation reforms our current anti-family visa system, keeping spouses and children together.”