United States · Bill · HR
H.R. 2161 (112th)
IDEA Act of 2011
Introduced
14 June 2011
Last action
8 September 2011 · Referred
Status
Referred to the Subcommittee on Workforce Protections.
Sponsors
Rep. Lofgren, Zoe [D-CA-18], Rep. Capuano, Michael E. [D-MA-8], Rep. Chu, Judy [D-CA-28], Rep. Conyers, John, Jr. [D-MI-13], Rep. Eshoo, Anna G. [D-CA-18], Rep. Gutierrez, Luis V. [D-IL-4], Sen. Heinrich, Martin [D-NM], Rep. Honda, Michael M. [D-CA-15], Rep. Maloney, Carolyn B. [D-NY-12], Rep. Miller, George [D-CA-11], Rep. Polis, Jared [D-CO-2], Rep. Sánchez, Linda T. [D-CA-38], Sen. Schiff, Adam B. [D-CA], Rep. Rush, Bobby L. [D-IL-1], Rep. Crowley, Joseph [D-NY-14], Rep. Schakowsky, Janice D. [D-IL-9], Rep. Filner, Bob [D-CA-51], Rep. Ellison, Keith [D-MN-5], Rep. Deutch, Theodore E. [D-FL-22], Rep. Connolly, Gerald E. [D-VA-11], Rep. Israel, Steve [D-NY-3], Rep. Smith, Adam [D-WA-9], Rep. Stark, Fortney Pete [D-CA-13], Rep. Lowey, Nita M. [D-NY-17], Rep. Capps, Lois [D-CA-24], Rep. Napolitano, Grace F. [D-CA-32], Rep. McDermott, Jim [D-WA-7]
Subjects
Immigration, Education
Source updated
23 March 2026
Summary
Immigration Driving Entrepreneurship in America Act of 2011 or the IDEA Act of 2011 - Amends the Immigration and Nationality Act to establish a priority worker immigrant visa for an alien who has a qualifying: (1) master's or higher degree in a field of science, technology, engineering, or mathematics (STEM degree) from a U.S. institution of higher education; and (2) employment offer from a U.S. employer. Eliminates the foreign residency requirement for certain foreign students. Allows extensions of stay based upon a lengthy labor certification or priority adjudication for: (1) foreign students, (2) speciality occupation aliens, and (3) intracompany transfers. Establishes an immigrant visa category for qualifying venture capital-backed start-up entrepreneurs and for self-sponsored start-up entrepreneurs who intend to engage in, or have engaged in, new commercial enterprises in the United States. Provides for the recapture of unused employment-based and family-based immigrant visas. Exempts spouses and minor children from counting against numerical limits. Revises per country (and dependent) area limits to: (1) eliminate employment-based limits, and (2) increase family-based limits. Amends the Chinese Student Protection Act of 1992 to eliminate the provision requiring the reduction of annual Chinese (PRC) immigrant visas to offset status adjustments under such Act. Establishes in the Treasury the STEM Education and Training Account. Requires that 60% of Account funds be used for a STEM scholarship program for low-income U.S. students enrolled in degree programs in science, technology, engineering, or mathematics. Authorizes certain undocumented higher education students who first entered the United States when they were 15 years old or younger to adjust to nonimmigrant student status. Revises labor certification provisions, including: (1) requiring the Department of Labor to adjudicate an application within 120 days, (2) creating an Established U.S. Recruiter designation for recruiters who regularly recruit U.S. workers, and (3) authorizing a premium application processing fee. Revises the prevailing wage level computation formula. Revises H-1B visa (specialty occupation) provisions regarding: (1) wages, (2) U.S. worker displacement and protections, (3) recruitment requirements, (4) portability, (5) creation of a P-visa for fashion models in lieu of H-1B visa inclusion, (6) elimination of extensions for certain short-term workers, and (7) retention of petition priority date. Revises L-visa (intracompany transferee) provisions regarding: (1) wage requirements for certain L-1B visa (specialized knowledge) employees, (2) investigations of complaints against employers, and (3) the blanket petition process for employers who hire large numbers of intracompany transferees. Revises EB-5 employment creation investor provisions to: (1) require a visa set-aside for an employment creation regional center program, (2) provide a preapproval procedure for new commercial enterprises, (3) revise targeted employment area provisions, and (4) provide a limited extension for employers to meet program requirements. Establishes in the Treasury the Immigrant Entrepreneur Account.
This text is taken from the official record. PoliticalRepo does not editorialize.
Timeline
14 June 2011
Introduced
Referred to the Committee on the Judiciary, and in addition to the Committee on Education and the Workforce, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
Source: IntroReferral
14 June 2011
Introduced
Introduced in House
Source: IntroReferral
14 June 2011
Introduced
Introduced in House
Source: IntroReferral
11 July 2011
Referred
Referred to the Subcommittee on Immigration Policy and Enforcement.
Source: Committee
8 September 2011
Referred
Referred to the Subcommittee on Early Childhood, Elementary, and Secondary Education.
Source: Committee
Votes
No vote records are attached yet.
Versions
- Introduced in House · 14 June 2011 · Download file
Documents
3 official files
Introduced in House (text)
This file cannot be previewed here. Use View or Download.
Leesvertaling
Vertaal dit document naar jouw taal. PoliticalRepo bewaart geen aparte kopie per EU-taal.
Documentvertaling op verzoek met downloadbare PDF (logo + link naar de officiële bron). Het bronbestand blijft leidend.
Introduced in House (text)
Introduced in House · EN · 14 June 2011
Introduced in House (PDF)
Introduced in House · EN · 14 June 2011
ViewDownloadOpen at official source
Leesvertaling
Vertaal dit document naar jouw taal. PoliticalRepo bewaart geen aparte kopie per EU-taal.
Documentvertaling op verzoek met downloadbare PDF (logo + link naar de officiële bron). Het bronbestand blijft leidend.
Introduced in House
summary · EN · 14 June 2011
Leesvertaling
Vertaal dit document naar jouw taal. PoliticalRepo bewaart geen aparte kopie per EU-taal.
Documentvertaling op verzoek met downloadbare PDF (logo + link naar de officiële bron). Het bronbestand blijft leidend.
Sponsors
- Rep. Lofgren, Zoe [D-CA-18] · D · Sponsor
- Rep. Capuano, Michael E. [D-MA-8] · D · Sponsor
- Rep. Chu, Judy [D-CA-28] · D · Sponsor
- Rep. Conyers, John, Jr. [D-MI-13] · D · Sponsor
- Rep. Eshoo, Anna G. [D-CA-18] · D · Sponsor
- Rep. Gutierrez, Luis V. [D-IL-4] · D · Sponsor
- Sen. Heinrich, Martin [D-NM] · D · Sponsor
- Rep. Honda, Michael M. [D-CA-15] · D · Sponsor
- Rep. Maloney, Carolyn B. [D-NY-12] · D · Sponsor
- Rep. Miller, George [D-CA-11] · D · Sponsor
- Rep. Polis, Jared [D-CO-2] · D · Sponsor
- Rep. Sánchez, Linda T. [D-CA-38] · D · Sponsor
- Sen. Schiff, Adam B. [D-CA] · D · Sponsor
- Rep. Rush, Bobby L. [D-IL-1] · D · Sponsor
- Rep. Crowley, Joseph [D-NY-14] · D · Cosponsor
- Rep. Schakowsky, Janice D. [D-IL-9] · D · Cosponsor
- Rep. Filner, Bob [D-CA-51] · D · Cosponsor
- Rep. Ellison, Keith [D-MN-5] · D · Cosponsor
- Rep. Deutch, Theodore E. [D-FL-22] · D · Cosponsor
- Rep. Connolly, Gerald E. [D-VA-11] · D · Cosponsor
- Rep. Israel, Steve [D-NY-3] · D · Cosponsor
- Rep. Smith, Adam [D-WA-9] · D · Cosponsor
- Rep. Stark, Fortney Pete [D-CA-13] · D · Cosponsor
- Rep. Lowey, Nita M. [D-NY-17] · D · Cosponsor
- Rep. Capps, Lois [D-CA-24] · D · Cosponsor
- Rep. Napolitano, Grace F. [D-CA-32] · D · Cosponsor
- Rep. McDermott, Jim [D-WA-7] · D · Cosponsor
- · hsed00 · Standing
- · hsju00 · Standing
Related records
- related to ← American Innovation and Education Act of 2011
- related to ← STEM Visa Act of 2011
Sources
PoliticalRepo is an index and interpretation layer, not the authoritative legal source.
- Official source: https://www.congress.gov/bill/112th-congress/house-bill/2161
- Open data entity: https://api.congress.gov/v3/bill/112/hr/2161
- us · 112-hr-2161 · source updated 23 March 2026