New US Bill Puts Family and Employment-Based Green Card Sponsorships at Risk

Alabama Senator Tommy Tuberville has introduced the Americans First Immigration Act, a broad immigration bill that would replace the Diversity Visa Lottery with a merit-based system and significantly restrict family and employment-based immigration.

The bill would abolish the Diversity Visa Lottery, also known as the Green Card Lottery, which currently provides 55,000 immigrant visas each year to applicants from countries with relatively low levels of immigration to the US. It would replace the lottery with a points-based system that considers factors including education, English proficiency, job offers and military service.

The legislation would also limit family sponsorship to spouses and minor children. Parents of US citizens, who are currently classified as immediate relatives and are not subject to annual visa caps, would lose that status. Tuberville’s office has described the change as an effort to strengthen the nuclear family and reduce what Republicans call excessive chain migration.

Employment-based immigration would also undergo major changes. Existing Green Card categories would be replaced by a points-based system, initially capped at 192,000 visas worldwide. Applicants would have to meet criteria including being aged between 18 and 51, demonstrating English proficiency and having a valid US job offer. Additional points would be awarded for higher salaries and advanced degrees in science, technology, engineering, mathematics or medicine.

The bill would also impose new requirements on employers. Companies would have to show that they had first recruited American workers and could face fines of up to $50,000 for violations involving the lay-off of US employees.

The proposal comes during President Donald Trump’s second term, as his administration has increased scrutiny of the H-1B visa programme. Indian nationals, who have accounted for the majority of H-1B approvals in recent years, have been particularly affected by the changes.

Project Firewall, launched last year, has focused on alleged visa fraud. Companies including Cognizant and Cloudera have faced suspensions involving H-1B processing and PERM filings.

Tuberville has described admission to the US as a privilege and said immigrants should assimilate to American values. He said the current system should no longer prioritise foreign workers who are unwilling to assimilate and said he would support a merit-based admissions system that puts American workers first.

Congress has already adjourned for an early recess ahead of the November elections, leaving the bill’s timetable unclear.