RELIEF Act

Summary

Resolving Extended Limbo for Immigrant Employees and Families Act or the RELIEF Act This bill revises provisions related to family- and employment-based visas. The bill (1) increases the per-country cap on family-based immigrant visas from 7% of the total number of such visas available that year to 15%, (2) eliminates the 7% cap for employment-based immigrant visas, and (3) removes an offset that reduced the number of visas for individuals from China. The annual cap for visas for the unmarried children of citizens is increased, and the formula for calculating the cap for the unmarried children of residents is revised. The bill also establishes transition rules for employment-based visas from FY2020-FY2022, by reserving a percentage of EB-2 (workers with advanced degrees or exceptional ability), EB-3 (skilled and other workers), and EB-5 (investors) visas for individuals not from the two countries with the largest number of recipients of such visas. Of the unreserved visas, not more than 85% shall be allotted to immigrants from any single country. The Department of State shall increase allocations of family- and employment-based visas by the number of beneficiaries of such applications filed before this bill's enactment, to be allocated FY2020-FY2024 to beneficiaries of applications filed before this bill's enactment who have not yet received a visa. The minor children and spouses of permanent residents and those accompanying a qualified alien shall be treated as an immediate relative for immigration purposes. Whether an alien qualifies as a minor shall be determined according to the alien's age at the time a relevant petition is filed.

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Timeline

1. 16 October 2019

   Introduced

   Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary. (text: CR S5843-5845)

   Source: IntroReferral

2. 16 October 2019

   Introduced

   Introduced in Senate

   Source: IntroReferral

Votes

No vote records are attached yet.

Versions

• Introduced in Senate · 16 October 2019 · Official file

Documents

3 official files

• Introduced in Senate (text)

  Introduced in Senate · EN · 16 October 2019

  ViewDownloadOpen at official source

• Introduced in Senate (PDF)

  Introduced in Senate · EN · 16 October 2019

  ViewDownloadOpen at official source

• Introduced in Senate

  summary · EN · 16 October 2019

  Open at official source

Sponsors

• Richard Durbin · D · Sponsor
• Sen. Leahy, Patrick J. [D-VT] · D · Sponsor
• Sen. Hirono, Mazie K. [D-HI] · D · Sponsor
• Tammy Duckworth · D · Cosponsor
• Patty Murray · D · Cosponsor
• Richard Blumenthal · D · Cosponsor
• Catherine Cortez Masto · D · Cosponsor
• · ssju00 · Standing

Related records

• related to → Fairness for High-Skilled Immigrants Act of 2020
• related to → Fairness for High-Skilled Immigrants Act of 2019
• related to → RELIEF Act
• related to ← RELIEF Act