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119-s-4546119th CongressWALLET

ASSIMILATION Act

Sponsored By: Senator Tuberville, Tommy [R-AL]

Introduced

Summary

This bill would create a national-interest, merit-based system that narrows family immigration, caps employment visas, and tightens admission and naturalization rules. It emphasizes high-wage, self-sufficiency, and stricter public-charge and asylum limits.

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  • Families: Immediate Relative eligibility focuses on spouses and unmarried children under 18. Family-sponsored visas are capped at 88,000 per year and sponsors must meet 200% of the federal poverty level.
  • Workers and employers: Employment-based immigrant visas are capped at 140,000 per year and DHS must certify national-interest cases using high-wage and other criteria. H-1B specialty visas would be capped at 50,000 per year.
  • Border, asylum, and enforcement: Asylum eligibility is narrowed by a broad transit-country bar and a $500 asylum filing fee. Public-charge rules create a presumption of dependency after receiving means-tested benefits for more than 12 months in any 36-month period and allow deportability and rescission in such cases.

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Bill Overview

Analyzed Economic Effects

9 provisions identified: 1 benefits, 4 costs, 4 mixed.

Harder path to U.S. citizenship

If enacted, it would become harder and slower to naturalize. You would generally need 10 years of continuous U.S. residence to apply. You would have to submit official federal tax-return transcripts for each year and be current on taxes or on an approved payment plan. English language skill would be raised to about CEFR B2. Certain crimes, fraud involving public benefits, serious immigration violations, gang participation, DUI-like offenses, or willful failure to pay taxes or child support could bar you.

Tighter work visas and green cards

If enacted, the H-1B program would be capped at 50,000 per year and H-1B status limited to a single period of up to 3 years with no extensions. Employers would have to offer at least 200% of the median wage for the job and area before approval. The bill would also set a worldwide employment-based green-card cap of 140,000 per year. Many employment approvals would require a National Interest showing with objective evidence of material public benefit.

Pending petitions and visa changes

If enacted, petitions and applications filed under categories the bill repeals could be voided or denied. The Diversity Visa (green-card lottery) would end and prior selections could no longer lead to visas after enactment. Pending petitions would be decided under the new rules in this bill. The bill would generally take effect on the date it is enacted unless stated otherwise.

Narrower public-charge benefit rules

If enacted, the bill would define 'means-tested public benefit' and list benefits that do not count for public-charge tests. Excluded items include emergency medical assistance, short-term in-kind disaster relief, public-health vaccines and treatment, school lunch and child nutrition programs, foster care and adoption assistance, and in-kind community life-or-safety services. These exclusions would reduce how those services affect immigration public-charge decisions.

Tighter parole and enforcement limits

If enacted, DHS parole would be allowed only case-by-case for urgent humanitarian reasons or a significant public benefit and only for up to 90 days. Categorical, class-wide, or programmatic parole would be barred. The bill would also bar broad nonenforcement policies for whole groups and allow only individual deferrals of up to 180 days, with written determinations. Those deferrals would not give lawful status or work authorization unless another law says so.

Higher pay floor for farm guest workers

If enacted, H-2A farm worker pay would be set at the highest of three measures: the DOL prevailing wage for the job and area, the federal or state minimum wage, or the average hourly wage for U.S. workers in that job and area (rounded up). The Labor Department would publish these rates before each season and update them at least annually. This would raise pay for many farm workers while increasing labor costs for employers.

Mandatory E-Verify for new hires

If enacted, every employer hiring a new employee would have to enroll in and use E-Verify by the date the employee completes Form I-9. DHS would provide a free basic verification and an optional identity-authentication service. Employers must treat non-confirmed workers as provisionally authorized while DHS reviews, and penalties would apply only where the employer had actual knowledge or failed to update information. Good-faith compliance would be a defense.

New rules for children and family detention

If enacted, DHS would be required to detain a noncitizen charged only with misdemeanor unlawful entry when they entered with a child, and the parent would be detained with the child while the charge is pending. States could not require licensing of immigration detention facilities used for children or families. The bill would also tighten unaccompanied-child procedures: children who do not meet specified criteria would be transferred to HHS custody within 30 days, some screenings would include a judge hearing within 14 days, and HHS must verify proposed caregivers and check for abuse risks before placement.

Stricter asylum screening and rules

If enacted, the credible-fear standard in expedited removal would be raised so an applicant must show it is more likely than not they qualify for asylum and that their statements are more likely than not true. DHS would be required to use standard questions, quality-assurance checklists, competent interpreters, and audio or video recording of interviews where practicable. The bill would also bar asylum for people who transited other countries unless they exhausted protection appeals in transit countries, were trafficking victims unable to apply, or the transit countries were not parties to key refugee treaties at the time.

Sponsors & CoSponsors

Sponsor

Tuberville, Tommy [R-AL]

AL • R

Cosponsors

There are no cosponsors for this bill.

Roll Call Votes

No roll call votes available for this bill.

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