1.This Act may be cited as—
(1)the
Immigration Driving Entrepreneurship
in America Act of 2011
; or
(2)the
IDEA Act of
2011
.
<enum>I</enum><header>Attracting and
Retaining Innovators and Job Creators</header>
<section id="HA652C259B307455883CC038DB00BA6E9"><enum>101.</enum><header>U.S. graduates
in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics</header>
<subsection id="H55A0236B76DB4B448EE1E644E24D9C33"><enum>(a)</enum><header>Advanced STEM
graduates</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">Section 203(b)(1)
of the Immigration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1153(b)(1)) is amended—</text>
<paragraph id="H574A2044B46C46BD92A6E53B51D549CE"><enum>(1)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">in the matter preceding subparagraph (A),
by striking <quote>(A) through (C)</quote> and inserting <quote>(A) through
(D)</quote>; and</text>
</paragraph><paragraph id="HD2FDA8D7F4EC4251ABD3FCC6FA0922FF"><enum>(2)</enum><text>by adding at the
end the following:</text>
<quoted-block display-inline="no-display-inline" id="H9C9D16CADE824E56B1007D9B9F8122D2" style="OLC">
<subparagraph id="HF6E1D7E95243491D88BB1D2441C0A636"><enum>(D)</enum><header>Advanced
graduates in science, technology, engineering and mathematics</header><text>An
alien is described in this subparagraph if—</text>
<clause id="HBB532E6F3E8A4A17A28BE70F7C8391EB"><enum>(i)</enum><text>the alien
possesses a graduate degree at the level of master’s or higher in a field of
science, technology, engineering, or mathematics from a United States
institution of higher education that has been designated by the Director of the
National Science Foundation as a research institution or as otherwise excelling
at instruction in such fields;</text>
</clause><clause id="H1C44AEADFB56447082F6A4BCA096273B"><enum>(ii)</enum><text>the alien has an
offer of employment from a United States employer in a field related to such
degree; and</text>
</clause><clause id="HB8DCB3FE52694616907F4C36F2544C36"><enum>(iii)</enum><text>the employer is
offering and will offer wages that are at least—</text>
<subclause id="H5F5CE5A02EAC40208FC0DB1A55E7962A"><enum>(I)</enum><text>the actual wage
level paid by the employer to all other individuals with similar experience and
qualifications in the same occupational classification; or</text>
</subclause><subclause id="H259ADFAA112B4EF18B180798C736205D"><enum>(II)</enum><text>the prevailing
wage level for the occupational classification in the area of
employment;</text>
</subclause><continuation-text continuation-text-level="clause">whichever is
greater, based on the best information available as of the time of filing the
petition.</continuation-text></clause></subparagraph><after-quoted-block>.</after-quoted-block></quoted-block>
</paragraph></subsection><subsection id="H6385F100A88D45E68822C0375080853F"><enum>(b)</enum><header>Cap
exemption</header><text>Section 201(b)(1) of the Immigration and Nationality
Act (8 U.S.C. 1151(b)(1)) is amended by adding at the end the following:</text>
<quoted-block display-inline="no-display-inline" id="H3E52D93B45F9474CA454B9C555A96C65" style="OLC">
<subparagraph id="H5364A1910D6D4312A90BBB35A7929C67" indent="up1"><enum>(F)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">Aliens described in paragraph (1)(B) or
(1)(D) of section
203(b).</text>
</subparagraph><after-quoted-block>.</after-quoted-block></quoted-block>
</subsection><subsection id="H825AD5526BBE4914A68185C699550E00"><enum>(c)</enum><header>Removing visa
hurdles for students</header>
<paragraph id="H5E70518516A441CF92F2704282E0B284"><enum>(1)</enum><header>Providing dual
intent</header>
<subparagraph id="H1BD2CC160F664332AEA546B149AFD727"><enum>(A)</enum><header>In
general</header><text>Section 101(a)(15)(F)(i) of the Immigration and
Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1101(a)(15)(F)(i)) is amended by striking <quote>an
alien having a residence in a foreign country which he has no intention of
abandoning, who is a bona fide student qualified to pursue a full course of
study and who</quote> and inserting <quote>an alien who is a bona fide student
qualified to pursue a full course of study, who (except for a student qualified
to pursue a full course of study at an institution of higher education) has a
residence in a foreign country which the alien has no intention of abandoning,
and who</quote>.</text>
</subparagraph><subparagraph id="H9837E08B054C4DD8B2DD352A51233E6A"><enum>(B)</enum><header>Conforming
amendments</header>
<clause id="H5A1404367B7848ADAAEF874948671B43"><enum>(i)</enum><text>Section 214(b) of
the Immigration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1184(b)) is amended by striking
<quote>(other than a nonimmigrant</quote> and inserting <quote>(other than a
nonimmigrant described in section 101(a)(15)(F) if the alien is qualified to
pursue a full course of study at an institution of higher education, other than
a nonimmigrant</quote>.</text>
</clause><clause id="H7694D57E74C4435C817E006D6276E76C"><enum>(ii)</enum><text>Section 214(h) of
the Immigration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1184(h)) is amended by inserting
<quote>(F) (if the alien is qualified to pursue a full course of study at an
institution of higher education),</quote> before <quote>H(i)(b)</quote>.</text>
</clause></subparagraph></paragraph><paragraph id="H08D8EB866FEE4E929BF066277E22F0DB"><enum>(2)</enum><header>Extensions in
cases of lengthy adjudications</header>
<subparagraph id="HB5778C06145B4303BADAAD99DAA78D25"><enum>(A)</enum><header>In
general</header><text>Section 214 of the Immigration and Nationality Act (8
U.S.C. 1154) is amended by adding at the end the following:</text>
<quoted-block display-inline="no-display-inline" id="H2D9939B2D7F74FFFA28B85620692C2B9" style="OLC">
<subsection id="H8A8E53E7D2004FC0AB9BD2CA4C7E9CD3"><enum>(s)</enum><header>Extensions in
cases of lengthy adjudications</header>
<paragraph id="H9E9FDC23E5F942188E98F1DFCA5B61F5"><enum>(1)</enum><header>Exemption from
limitations</header><text>Notwithstanding subsection (c)(2)(D), (g)(4) and (m),
the authorized stay of an alien described in paragraph (2) may be extended
pursuant to paragraph (3) if 365 days or more have elapsed since the filing of
any of the following:</text>
<subparagraph id="H8E51FF247BA44656B6DB6F369BC50D23"><enum>(A)</enum><text>An application for
labor certification under section 212(a)(5)(A), in a case in which
certification is required or used by an alien to obtain status under section
203(b).</text>
</subparagraph><subparagraph id="HCF12298822424F51A7564F7D45893DB3"><enum>(B)</enum><text>A petition
described in section 204(b) to accord the alien a status under section
203(b).</text>
</subparagraph></paragraph><paragraph id="H03276B0977AA4ABABCA011C088D25522"><enum>(2)</enum><header>Aliens
described</header><text>An alien is described in this paragraph if the alien
was previously issued a visa or otherwise provided nonimmigrant status
under—</text>
<subparagraph id="H2E341EBF66354D52BC862B1C49B97D72"><enum>(A)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">section 101(a)(15)(F);</text>
</subparagraph><subparagraph id="H65D54B42FE1B48049EACAD3F683FAD32"><enum>(B)</enum><text>section
101(a)(15)(H)(i)(b); or</text>
</subparagraph><subparagraph id="H2503FF6576564542A826B692DD308B49"><enum>(C)</enum><text>section
101(a)(15)(L).</text>
</subparagraph></paragraph><paragraph id="H5CD93D445BBA4305878783DC848E8294"><enum>(3)</enum><header>Extension of
status</header><text>The Secretary of Homeland Security shall extend the stay
of an alien who qualifies for an extension under paragraph (1) in one-year
increments until such time as a final decision is made—</text>
<subparagraph id="H4F2329FCBBEA45C791F773D50E7154B0"><enum>(A)</enum><text>to deny the
application described in paragraph (1)(A), or, in a case in which such
application is granted, to deny a petition described in paragraph (1)(B) filed
on behalf of the alien pursuant to such grant;</text>
</subparagraph><subparagraph id="HDBD2536230374895AD8260F3AED61943"><enum>(B)</enum><text>to deny the
petition described in paragraph (1)(B); or</text>
</subparagraph><subparagraph id="H4B3987FA7A9E4412A1EE61E8AAD85B78"><enum>(C)</enum><text>to grant or deny
the alien’s application for an immigrant visa or adjustment of status to that
of an alien lawfully admitted for permanent residence.</text>
</subparagraph><continuation-text continuation-text-level="paragraph">Work
authorization shall be provided to an alien whose stay is extended under this
paragraph.</continuation-text></paragraph></subsection><after-quoted-block>.</after-quoted-block></quoted-block>
</subparagraph><subparagraph id="HFB20EDB9C0674F368C7A5E1E321968F2"><enum>(B)</enum><header>Conforming
amendment</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">Section 106 of the
American Competitiveness in the 21st Century Act is amended by striking
subsections (a) and (b).</text>
</subparagraph></paragraph><paragraph id="H3180AAF028544261BB12DBE65EC27208"><enum>(3)</enum><header>Definitions</header><text>Section
101(a) of the Immigration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1101(a)) is amended by
adding at the end the following:</text>
<quoted-block display-inline="no-display-inline" id="HB98D75D1138E4C06BA00D5823EB1F201" style="OLC">
<paragraph commented="no" id="H8101D5795226470BA5CFEAAA47D749E0"><enum>(52)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">The term <quote>institution of higher
education</quote> has the meaning given such term in section 101(a) of the
Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1001(a)).</text>
</paragraph><paragraph id="HB8228795306146C9BE1BA9132187F983"><enum>(53)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">The term <quote>employer</quote> shall
include any group treated as a single employer under subsection (b), (c), (m),
or (o) of section 414 of the Internal Revenue Code of
1986.</text>
</paragraph><after-quoted-block>.</after-quoted-block></quoted-block>
</paragraph></subsection><subsection id="HD3BD4C6AAB8A4975ABCC8E983375884D"><enum>(d)</enum><header>Conforming
amendments</header><text>Section 204(a)(1)(F) of the Immigration and
Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1154(a)(1)(F)) is amended—</text>
<paragraph id="H66D3D5EECCC640AE95ADD6D7259DE1A4"><enum>(1)</enum><text>by inserting
<quote>203(b)(1)(D),</quote> after <quote>203(b)(1)(C),</quote>; and</text>
</paragraph><paragraph id="H18DFDB8196234C029E01229D9A7B2E58"><enum>(2)</enum><text>by striking
<quote>Attorney General</quote> and inserting <quote>Secretary of Homeland
Security</quote>.</text>
</paragraph></subsection></section><section id="H60153038E90347CDA4C8241BD3A9CD75"><enum>102.</enum><header>Entrepreneurs
who establish businesses and create jobs in the United States</header>
<subsection id="HD785606926D54DD4A35E20B5D8F0430C"><enum>(a)</enum><header>Start-Up
business and job creation visas</header><text>Section 203(b) of the Immigration
and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1153(b)) is amended—</text>
<paragraph commented="no" id="H0C2C47B0AE6D4880839B42A3C01CE73A"><enum>(1)</enum><text>by redesignating
paragraph (6) as paragraph (7); and</text>
</paragraph><paragraph commented="no" id="HB6607E89F8B740249A709BA534249DBB"><enum>(2)</enum><text>by inserting after
paragraph (5) the following:</text>
<quoted-block id="H020D3CAD2A3F47589CD47FD615BA7859" style="OLC">
<paragraph commented="no" id="H8E5E350AA79146D1B1E565025FED970C"><enum>(6)</enum><header>Start-up
entrepreneurs</header>
<subparagraph display-inline="no-display-inline" id="H4740E3AE822D4695B674263ABA03DC64"><enum>(A)</enum><header>In
general</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">Visas shall be made
available, notwithstanding subsection (a)(2) or (d) of section 201 or the
matter preceding paragraph (1) of this subsection, to qualified immigrants who
are described in subparagraph (B) or (C).</text>
</subparagraph><subparagraph id="HD7550300F3124CC7A0D9CD3AE0C2CDAA"><enum>(B)</enum><header>Venture
capital-backed start-up entrepreneurs</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">An alien is described in this subparagraph
if the alien intends to engage in a new commercial enterprise (including a
limited partnership or similar entity) in the United States—</text>
<clause id="H484B3AD0F856490694307A4943974DA2"><enum>(i)</enum><text>with respect to
which the alien has completed an investment agreement requiring an investment
in the enterprise in an amount not less than $500,000 on the part of—</text>
<subclause id="H024440F1B61B4EAD8697D9EAA6AB20A2"><enum>(I)</enum><text>a qualified
venture capital operating company;</text>
</subclause><subclause id="HF00BBBE5EEB94B2B8EDD8C4E98C75E18"><enum>(II)</enum><text>1 or more
qualified angel investors (of which at least 1 such investor is providing
$100,000 of the required investment); or</text>
</subclause><subclause id="H8E83ECFD11F34717BB5E72BC20E4300E"><enum>(III)</enum><text>a qualified
business entity; and</text>
</subclause></clause><clause id="H933877B351FB477E850E4C38BDF55DEF"><enum>(ii)</enum><text>which will
benefit the United States economy and, during the 2-year period beginning on
the date on which the visa is issued under this paragraph, will—</text>
<subclause id="HB2367BA8B1CC4B73AD1A33113FE28E8D"><enum>(I)</enum><text>create full-time
employment for at least 3 United States workers;</text>
</subclause><subclause id="H3E77E92C56AF4015B7EA416C1045523D"><enum>(II)</enum><text>raise not less
than an additional $1,000,000 in capital investment; or</text>
</subclause><subclause id="H60E4AC7FC76B4E9D925EB138D81D3D79"><enum>(III)</enum><text>generate not
less than $1,000,000 in revenue.</text>
</subclause></clause></subparagraph><subparagraph id="H66BD4B69B07F4B98A133E5D2FA276CF4"><enum>(C)</enum><header>Self-sponsored
start-up entrepreneurs</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">An
alien is described in this subparagraph if—</text>
<clause id="HD99B5D88A0404156A82D3C662E05A59F"><enum>(i)</enum><text>the alien has
engaged in a new commercial enterprise (including a limited partnership or
similar entity) in the United States that benefits the United States
economy;</text>
</clause><clause id="HB134C7B735E149A5A41CDC9C5EA127BF"><enum>(ii)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">the enterprise has created full-time
employment for at least 3 United States workers; and</text>
</clause><clause id="HAB62D1FF77824C4DA4D8B9AC349720DD"><enum>(iii)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">by not later than the end of the 2-year
period beginning on the date on which the visa is issued under this paragraph,
the enterprise will create full-time employment for a total of at least 10
United States workers (which total may include the employment described in
clause (ii)).</text>
</clause></subparagraph><subparagraph id="H4E63A83FAC7945F89833D15BC31C2C64"><enum>(D)</enum><header>Methodologies</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">The Secretary of Homeland Security, in
consultation with the Secretary of Commerce, shall recognize reasonable
methodologies for determining the number of direct and indirect jobs created by
a commercial enterprise, including such jobs that are estimated to have been
created indirectly through revenues generated from increased exports, improved
regional productivity, or increased domestic capital investment resulting from
the commercial enterprise.</text>
</subparagraph><subparagraph commented="no" id="HA7393D028F7D40BABC70290207182E65"><enum>(E)</enum><header>Definitions</header><text>For
purposes of this paragraph:</text>
<clause commented="no" id="H5506B471594D42BB9BDFFF54FF532A74"><enum>(i)</enum><header>Full-time
employment</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">The term
<term>full-time employment</term> means employment in a position that requires
at least 35 hours of service per week at any time, regardless of who fills the
position. Such employment may be satisfied on a full-time equivalent basis by
calculating the number of full-time employees that could have been employed if
the reported number of hours worked by part-time employees had been worked by
full-time employees. Full-time equivalent employment shall be calculated by
dividing the part-time hours paid by the standard number of hours for full-time
employees.</text>
</clause><clause id="HEDB83BDAF066495EAEDCECE1F623197C"><enum>(ii)</enum><header>Investment</header><text>The
term <term>investment</term> does not include any assets acquired, directly or
indirectly, by unlawful means.</text>
</clause><clause commented="no" id="HE03EF965721847EC99C406123C2A211A"><enum>(iii)</enum><header>Qualified
angel investor</header><text>The term <term>qualified angel investor</term>
means, with respect to a qualified immigrant, an individual who—</text>
<subclause commented="no" id="HFC8EA7499E3E420AAF3F18D27042B791"><enum>(I)</enum><text>is an accredited
investor (as defined in section 230.501(a) of title 17, Code of Federal
Regulations (as in effect on April 1, 2010));</text>
</subclause><subclause commented="no" id="H042E100A8C26418E98013468B4EE6628"><enum>(II)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">is a United States citizen or an alien
lawfully admitted to the United States for permanent residence; and</text>
</subclause><subclause commented="no" id="H9F781635A75F47D6A0DEEA1EC5484746"><enum>(III)</enum><text>has made at
least 2 equity investments of not less than $50,000 in each of the 3 years
before the date of a petition by the qualified immigrant for classification
under this paragraph.</text>
</subclause></clause><clause id="H92C86D60A7214DB19F41EBAC610E6F92"><enum>(iv)</enum><header>Qualified
business entity</header><text>The term <term>qualified business entity</term>
means, with respect to a qualified immigrant, an entity that—</text>
<subclause id="HAE893A427F03419DB64F9F0EC20A7BF7"><enum>(I)</enum><text>has been operating
for a period beginning on a date that is not less than 2 years before the date
of the petition for classification under this paragraph;</text>
</subclause><subclause id="HE7820B991A0D44A1A88A954230214C99"><enum>(II)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">employs not fewer than 10 United States
workers in the United States; and</text>
</subclause><subclause id="H0D83D97BFCF44D3281A1EB08B1DC8717"><enum>(III)</enum><text>has employed the
alien for not less than 1 year on the date of the petition for classification
under this paragraph.</text>
</subclause></clause><clause commented="no" id="HFF2AF0918A6B4E42BEDA956F5E7E2379"><enum>(v)</enum><header>Qualified
venture capital operating company</header><text>The term <term>qualified
venture capital operating company</term> means, with respect to a qualified
immigrant, an entity that—</text>
<subclause commented="no" id="HD169F7EED9F24915B0B0471AD241CEBE"><enum>(I)</enum><text>is classified as a
<quote>venture capital operating company</quote> under section 2510.3–101(d) of
title 29, Code of Federal Regulations (as in effect on July 1, 2009);</text>
</subclause><subclause commented="no" id="HF869601F99814BAABF1E009F88B1E5B3"><enum>(II)</enum><text>is based in the
United States;</text>
</subclause><subclause commented="no" id="HAD425010CC1043669C4F25A22287D925"><enum>(III)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">in the determination of the Secretary of
Homeland Security, is owned and controlled by United States citizens or aliens
lawfully admitted to the United States for permanent residence;</text>
</subclause><subclause commented="no" id="H44C4EA15ECA94B3C8F132B4905B0E3DB"><enum>(IV)</enum><text>has capital
commitments of not less than $10,000,000;</text>
</subclause><subclause commented="no" id="HD05F06BDC9A84327AC44CD22AA516803"><enum>(V)</enum><text>has been operating
for a period of at least 2 years before the date of the petition for
classification under this paragraph; and</text>
</subclause><subclause commented="no" id="H1CA497C0E1714853A6FBF536659AACAC"><enum>(VI)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">has made at least 2 investments of not less
than $500,000 in each of the 2 years before the date of the petition for
classification under this paragraph.</text>
</subclause></clause><clause id="H14316E0E4B3E408D92EF9F44D42D6197"><enum>(vi)</enum><header>United States
worker</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">The term <quote>United
States worker</quote> means an employee (other than the immigrant or the
immigrant’s spouse, sons, or daughters) who—</text>
<subclause id="H03BDE2BB049742BA92C2EFA8325508E5"><enum>(I)</enum><text>is a citizen or
national of the United States; or</text>
</subclause><subclause id="H59B25EAAA37B4871A722655DC4D70426"><enum>(II)</enum><text>is an alien who
is lawfully admitted for permanent residence, is admitted as a refugee under
section 207, is granted asylum under section 208, or is an immigrant otherwise
authorized to be employed in the United
States.</text>
</subclause></clause></subparagraph></paragraph><after-quoted-block>.</after-quoted-block></quoted-block>
</paragraph></subsection><subsection display-inline="no-display-inline" id="HF9B7369F61F543BF973E6C659619161F"><enum>(b)</enum><header>Procedure for
granting immigrant status</header><text>Section 204(a)(1)(H) of the Immigration
and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1154(a)(1)(H)) is amended by striking
<quote>section 203(b)(5)</quote> and inserting <quote>paragraph (5) or (6) of
section 203(b)</quote>.</text>
</subsection><subsection commented="no" id="HFB55049E07B14E5F8901AFBCA9B828CA"><enum>(c)</enum><header>Conditional
permanent resident status</header><text>Section 216A of the Immigration and
Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1186b) is amended—</text>
<paragraph commented="no" id="H4F7716358DE34E44A10E8B08C8A6E2E6"><enum>(1)</enum><text>by striking
<quote>Attorney General</quote> each place such term appears and inserting
<quote>Secretary of Homeland Security</quote>;</text>
</paragraph><paragraph commented="no" id="HFE34697B4A2441B49FA2BDF873670C19"><enum>(2)</enum><text>in subsection
(b)(1)—</text>
<subparagraph commented="no" id="H4AEC8DB5877E4A1FA7C209372B5D2BCB"><enum>(A)</enum><text>in subparagraph
(A), by striking <quote>investment</quote> and inserting <quote>investment or
engagement</quote>;</text>
</subparagraph><subparagraph id="H33EAB289BE294371BB949FC8208254F4"><enum>(B)</enum><text>by amending
subparagraph (B) to read as follows:</text>
<quoted-block id="H454D1BAF66EB4897A838BAD33071EE53" style="OLC">
<subparagraph commented="no" id="H72FC464AA76F45A688101E0720B4DAE8"><enum>(B)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">the requisite investment or engagement was
not made or was not sustained throughout the period of the alien’s residence in
the United States; or</text>
</subparagraph><after-quoted-block>;
and</after-quoted-block></quoted-block>
</subparagraph><subparagraph id="H65A90D24ADA6407F9A824C50945F8E9F"><enum>(C)</enum><text>in subparagraph
(C), by striking <quote>section 203(b)(5)</quote> and inserting
<quote>paragraph (5) or 6 of section 203(b), as applicable</quote>;</text>
</subparagraph></paragraph><paragraph commented="no" id="H486BE5828AFA443ABED37ABBFDC72618"><enum>(3)</enum><text>in subsection
(d)(1)—</text>
<subparagraph commented="no" id="HD37382A104F3438E8C8F7022ACBB128A"><enum>(A)</enum><text>in the matter
preceding subparagraph (A), by striking <quote>the alien</quote>;</text>
</subparagraph><subparagraph display-inline="no-display-inline" id="HF12AB5D410F847FA83E07B4A2AEE527D"><enum>(B)</enum><text>by amending
subparagraph (A) to read as follows:</text>
<quoted-block id="HBE3A30C3B75B47E3AE8BBEE65B60FA92" style="OLC">
<subparagraph commented="no" id="H1B9CCD910A29496084D6BD4918A0B7E8"><enum>(A)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">the requisite investment or engagement was
made and was sustained throughout the period of the alien’s residence in the
United States;
and</text>
</subparagraph><after-quoted-block>;</after-quoted-block></quoted-block>
</subparagraph><subparagraph commented="no" id="H15444FE70DFF424B9DD0EE23C11E5369"><enum>(C)</enum><text>in subparagraph
(B), by striking <quote>section 203(b)(5)</quote> and inserting
<quote>paragraph (5) or (6) of section 203(b), as applicable</quote>;
and</text>
</subparagraph></paragraph><paragraph commented="no" id="HE1A891AA355249D28EF4E0590B2E27EE"><enum>(4)</enum><text>in subsection
(f)—</text>
<subparagraph commented="no" id="HD80E529986B74B6899345F001E51CE7A"><enum>(A)</enum><text>in paragraph (1),
by striking <quote>section 203(b)(5)</quote> and inserting <quote>paragraph (5)
or (6) of section 203(b)</quote>; and</text>
</subparagraph><subparagraph commented="no" id="H4B8BC04C034C452DBF3010A1B87A37FE"><enum>(B)</enum><text>in paragraph (3),
by inserting <quote>or similar entity</quote> before the period.</text>
</subparagraph></paragraph></subsection><subsection id="HF2A2592193104B04A68FC05AF6133DBA"><enum>(d)</enum><header>Cap
exemption</header><text>Section 201(b)(1) of the Immigration and Nationality
Act (8 U.S.C. 1151(b)(1)), as amended by section 101(b) of this Act, is further
amended by striking the period at the end and inserting <quote>or section
203(b)(6).</quote>.</text>
</subsection></section><section id="H3A12F14ADECE4CB5A34D5C43C47420D2"><enum>103.</enum><header>Eliminating
green card backlogs</header>
<subsection id="H7E95E71FF8714A1196B3E44ECCAABBD0"><enum>(a)</enum><header>Recapturing
immigrant visas lost to bureaucratic delay</header>
<paragraph id="H88620DAE34E24E2C9F7FC35FA59519DB"><enum>(1)</enum><header>Employment-based
immigrants</header><text>Section 201(d) of the Immigration and Nationality Act
(8 U.S.C. 1151(d)) is amended to read as follows:</text>
<quoted-block id="H2715D8CC4E464895815FE4B420256F28" style="OLC">
<subsection id="H062894CD34AB4730B26110231BC2E51F"><enum>(d)</enum><header>Worldwide Level
of Employment-Based Immigrants</header>
<paragraph id="H7C66411870BB4CC4A2A0F252CC18450A"><enum>(1)</enum><header>In
general</header><text>The worldwide level of employment-based immigrants under
this subsection for a fiscal year is equal to the sum of—</text>
<subparagraph id="H6596BABDEC1744C7B9A71745A25BD6AF"><enum>(A)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">140,000;</text>
</subparagraph><subparagraph id="H4D95D9F99F16462694D625DBD5B44F10"><enum>(B)</enum><text>the number
computed under paragraph (2); and</text>
</subparagraph><subparagraph id="H616072545734489F8CB88717AED43A32"><enum>(C)</enum><text>the number
computed under paragraph (3).</text>
</subparagraph></paragraph><paragraph id="HF3E899FB6EDF4A9C85A06C1FE488F75B"><enum>(2)</enum><header>Previous fiscal
year</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">The number computed
under this paragraph for a fiscal year is the difference, if any, between the
maximum number of visas which may be issued under section 203(a) (relating to
family-sponsored immigrants) during the previous fiscal year and the number of
visas issued under that section during that year.</text>
</paragraph><paragraph id="H8EA1F31F101443FB96ADFB4B69125C28"><enum>(3)</enum><header>Unused
visas</header><text>The number computed under this paragraph is the difference,
if any, between—</text>
<subparagraph id="H8AF4304136034C2FB39DBF9533034903"><enum>(A)</enum><text>the difference, if
any, between—</text>
<clause id="H70086C36D02141709426954AD7CDB00F"><enum>(i)</enum><text>the sum of the
worldwide levels established under paragraph (1) for fiscal years 1992 through
2011; and</text>
</clause><clause id="H616652E78F314050B51140EF93AC27EB"><enum>(ii)</enum><text>the number of
visas actually issued under section 203(b), subject to this subsection, during
such fiscal years; and</text>
</clause></subparagraph><subparagraph id="HAE7928C2B9FB4436B0EB5162B8FC8FA0"><enum>(B)</enum><text>the number of
visas actually issued after fiscal year 2011 pursuant to an immigrant visa
number issued under section 203(b), subject to this subsection, during fiscal
years 1992 through
2011.</text>
</subparagraph></paragraph></subsection><after-quoted-block>.</after-quoted-block></quoted-block>
</paragraph><paragraph id="HA1D0B21295A2400CA43B592C0DA6E924"><enum>(2)</enum><header>Family-sponsored
immigrants</header><text>Section 201(c) of the Immigration and Nationality Act
(8 U.S.C. 1151(c)) is amended to read as follows:</text>
<quoted-block id="H904BE3C6ECE748C28AD5AF3565E90D0A" style="OLC">
<subsection id="HACDC0085CA27476DA1C07CB8C93CD7C0"><enum>(c)</enum><header>Worldwide Level
of Family-Sponsored Immigrants</header>
<paragraph id="H1316DB6BB72748AD811A2F2C1AE16023"><enum>(1)</enum><header>In
general</header>
<subparagraph id="HE5471E319697445C849047A157F6B5FD"><enum>(A)</enum><text>Subject to
subparagraph (B), the worldwide level of family-sponsored immigrants under this
subsection for a fiscal year is equal to—</text>
<clause id="H2709FDCCFA21417DAACD2175FE60E208"><enum>(i)</enum><text>480,000 minus the
number computed under paragraph (2); plus</text>
</clause><clause id="H8E7554092FEC4B8EA7E70DEA53587723"><enum>(ii)</enum><text>the sum of the
number computed under paragraph (3) and the number computed under paragraph
(4).</text>
</clause></subparagraph><subparagraph id="H7F13BE479B0749AD8804CD1E01A9C7DE"><enum>(B)</enum><text>In no case shall
the number computed under subparagraph (A)(i) be less than 226,000.</text>
</subparagraph></paragraph><paragraph id="H6EAB1F98A42243D99863A9C6C45EB981"><enum>(2)</enum><header>Immediate
relatives</header><text>The number computed under this paragraph for a fiscal
year is the number of aliens described in subparagraph (A) or (B) of subsection
(b)(2) who were issued immigrant visas, or who otherwise acquired the status of
an alien lawfully admitted to the United States for permanent residence, in the
previous fiscal year.</text>
</paragraph><paragraph id="H5E118773AFC940CF8AFF28D8A4DEA2B0"><enum>(3)</enum><header>Previous fiscal
year</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">The number computed
under this paragraph for a fiscal year is the difference, if any, between the
maximum number of visas which may be issued under section 203(b) (relating to
employment-based immigrants) during the previous fiscal year and the number of
visas issued under that section during that year.</text>
</paragraph><paragraph id="H6C31C8861A154E2698C6A8B059A93120"><enum>(4)</enum><header>Unused
visas</header><text>The number computed under this paragraph is the difference,
if any, between—</text>
<subparagraph id="H114126D93DD8486B9C416C45F83150DE"><enum>(A)</enum><text>the difference, if
any, between—</text>
<clause id="H09D62F3363B7497995BE5DCE8DBF4C0E"><enum>(i)</enum><text>the sum of the
worldwide levels established under paragraph (1) for fiscal years 1992 through
2011; and</text>
</clause><clause id="H71FA161F74344969872C642C288EFB0F"><enum>(ii)</enum><text>the number of
visas actually issued under section 203(a), subject to this subsection, during
such fiscal years; and</text>
</clause></subparagraph><subparagraph id="H59ECA531E6AC4ADC810A9E38AD0A04CD"><enum>(B)</enum><text>the number of
visas actually issued after fiscal year 2011 pursuant to an immigrant visa
number issued under section 203(a), subject to this subsection, during fiscal
years 1992 through
2011.</text>
</subparagraph></paragraph></subsection><after-quoted-block>.</after-quoted-block></quoted-block>
</paragraph></subsection><subsection display-inline="no-display-inline" id="H8FF9D623812444CF8023635AB6250A1F"><enum>(b)</enum><header>Spouses and
minor children</header><text>Section 201(b)(1) of the Immigration and
Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1151(b)(1)), as amended by this Act, is further
amended by adding at the end the following:</text>
<quoted-block display-inline="no-display-inline" id="H95B9FFF8A5414A2BA444FFAE5DE7CB85" style="OLC">
<subparagraph id="HF2BBD8B9B9884B0F8D0680C346897D1A"><enum>(G)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">Aliens who are the spouse or child of an
alien admitted as an employment-based immigrant under section
203(b).</text>
</subparagraph><after-quoted-block>.</after-quoted-block></quoted-block>
</subsection><subsection id="H1CFDF0F7DBBA4C37AD85A36637326D4A"><enum>(c)</enum><header>Eliminating
Employment-Based Per Country Levels</header><text>Section 202(a) of the
Immigration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1152(a)) is amended—</text>
<paragraph id="H3428685AD35B4B64A7F5737B020CE1DF"><enum>(1)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">in paragraph (2)—</text>
<subparagraph id="H751E3E2CEE814373A6660F8280315585"><enum>(A)</enum><text>by striking
<quote>, (4), and (5)</quote> and inserting <quote>and (4)</quote>;</text>
</subparagraph><subparagraph id="H00F3471643E74119B5EE42CF787E03A7"><enum>(B)</enum><text>by striking
<quote>subsections (a) and (b) of section 203</quote> and inserting
<quote>section 203(a)</quote>;</text>
</subparagraph><subparagraph id="H51917FA15FD24E14A81A185871DB5563"><enum>(C)</enum><text>by striking
<quote>7 percent (in the case of a single foreign state) or 2 percent</quote>
and inserting <quote>10 percent (in the case of a single foreign state) or 5
percent</quote>; and</text>
</subparagraph><subparagraph id="H1101D19A720A486BA9DF8B221CB79DE3"><enum>(D)</enum><text>by striking
<quote>such subsections</quote> and inserting <quote>such section</quote>;
and</text>
</subparagraph></paragraph><paragraph id="H783FEEAEBB6048208014091F70FC7170"><enum>(2)</enum><text>by striking
paragraph (5).</text>
</paragraph></subsection><subsection id="H68A099712C43401FABD21B5830D97BF1"><enum>(d)</enum><header>Country-Specific
Offset</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">Section 2 of the
Chinese Student Protection Act of 1992 (8 U.S.C. 1255 note) is amended—</text>
<paragraph id="HB8460605AFE54B999037B72A55E4C052"><enum>(1)</enum><text>in subsection (a),
by striking <quote>subsection (e)</quote> and inserting <quote>subsection
(d)</quote>;</text>
</paragraph><paragraph id="H9DD4C139093B4CFCA9E0E89ECC59845C"><enum>(2)</enum><text>by striking
subsection (d); and</text>
</paragraph><paragraph id="H451D4DCFDB1748B2B8DB03C9F9FE5BE4"><enum>(3)</enum><text>by redesignating
subsection (e) as subsection (d).</text>
</paragraph></subsection></section><section id="HD5C16C00ECDF4304845AAACEAF55F905"><enum>104.</enum><header>Immigrant
entrepreneurs and innovators present in the United States</header><text display-inline="no-display-inline">Section 245 of the Immigration and
Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1255) is amended by adding at the end the
following:</text>
<quoted-block display-inline="no-display-inline" id="H4591B73200CE4F989E82767A06A1ED46" style="OLC">
<subsection id="H57AEFA0A94D74C5F8F3A56EEE962E058"><enum>(n)</enum><header>Immigrant
entrepreneurs and innovators present in the United States</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">An alien who is eligible to receive an
immigrant visa under paragraph (1)(D) or (6) of section 203(b) may adjust
status pursuant to subsection (a) and notwithstanding paragraph (2), (7), or
(8) of subsection (c) and paragraphs (6)(A) and (7) of section 212(a), if the
alien was present in the United States on the date of the enactment of the IDEA
Act of 2011 and has been continuously present since that
date.</text>
</subsection><after-quoted-block>.</after-quoted-block></quoted-block>
</section><enum>II</enum><header>Investing in the
Next Generation of Innovators and Job Creators</header>
<section id="H220508B74D454BD7938623DF5F5E9298"><enum>201.</enum><header>Investing in
STEM education for U.S. students</header><text display-inline="no-display-inline">Section 204(a)(1)(F) of the Immigration and
Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1154(a)(1)(F)), as amended by this Act, is further
amended—</text>
<paragraph id="HECBD2AC3BA6C41C696870DEE2315C45A"><enum>(1)</enum><text>by striking
<quote>(F)</quote> and inserting <quote>(F)(i)</quote>; and</text>
</paragraph><paragraph id="H58DA41352F234F54A8E5CE38D653F3E0"><enum>(2)</enum><text>by adding at the
end the following:</text>
<quoted-block display-inline="no-display-inline" id="HDDBD3897C5D64816B7919310BC22921A" style="OLC">
<clause id="H76571C7B80A94FAD8A55F134EC5C53E7" indent="up1"><enum>(ii)</enum><subclause commented="no" display-inline="yes-display-inline" id="idC1DCDBDF798746478BE94868EF15B224"><enum>(I)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">The Secretary of Homeland Security shall
impose a fee on an employer (excluding any employer that is a primary or
secondary education institution, an institution of higher education, a
nonprofit entity related to or affiliated with any such institution, a
nonprofit entity which engages in established curriculum-related clinical
training of students registered at any such institution, a nonprofit research
organization, or a governmental research organization) filing a petition under
clause (i) to employ an alien entitled to classification under subparagraph (B)
or (D) of section 203(b)(1), section 203(b)(2), clause (i) or (ii) of section
203(b)(3)(A), section 203(b)(5) or section 203(b)(6).</text>
</subclause><subclause id="H03BC9360C86049F7BFE71027D8A1713B" indent="up1"><enum>(II)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">The amount of the fee shall be $2,000 for
each such petition except that the fee shall be half the amount for each such
petition by any employer with not more than 25 full-time equivalent employees
who are employed in the United States.</text>
</subclause><subclause id="H8B4BB136360E4A85BDF9AE0C1716B060" indent="up1"><enum>(III)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">Fees collected under this clause shall be
deposited in the Treasury in accordance with section
286(s).</text>
</subclause></clause><after-quoted-block>.</after-quoted-block></quoted-block>
</paragraph></section><section id="HB17865F9703944A88A5331F5D5F7F6F6"><enum>202.</enum><header>U.S. STEM
education and training account</header><text display-inline="no-display-inline">Section 286(s) of the Immigration and
Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1356(s)) is amended to read as follows:</text>
<quoted-block display-inline="no-display-inline" id="H62F52A1CDA4549A48917905F2376801C" style="OLC">
<subsection id="HB177FE74BD5944AF88A36D9AD3111142"><enum>(s)</enum><header>STEM education
and training account</header>
<paragraph id="HC0F109AE0B8243DFBE3A30AA8ED8E32D"><enum>(1)</enum><header>In
general</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">There is established
in the general fund of the Treasury a separate account, which shall be known as
the <quote>STEM Education and Training Account</quote>. Notwithstanding any
other section of this title, there shall be deposited as offsetting receipts
into the account all fees collected under section 204(a)(1)(F)(ii) and
paragraphs (9) and (11) of section 214(c).</text>
</paragraph><paragraph commented="no" id="H69E3D382FCC14AEB9E33E69E2F3BE356"><enum>(2)</enum><header>Low-income STEM
scholarship program</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">Sixty
percent of the amounts deposited into the STEM Education and Training Account
shall remain available to the Director of the National Science Foundation until
expended for scholarships described in section 414(d) of the American
Competitiveness and Workforce Improvement Act of 1998 for low-income students
enrolled in a program of study leading to a degree in science, technology,
engineering, or mathematics.</text>
</paragraph><paragraph id="HE5D3E9D4BCC5484CAE60EDC1CC440261"><enum>(3)</enum><header>National Science
Foundation competitive grant program for K–12 science, technology, engineering
and mathematics education</header>
<subparagraph id="H7832FB069C3A48978A93169EC9DCE730"><enum>(A)</enum><header>In
general</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">Fifteen percent of
the amounts deposited into the STEM Education and Training Account shall remain
available to the Director of the National Science Foundation until expended to
carry out a direct or matching grant program to support improvement in K–12
education, including through private-public partnerships.</text>
</subparagraph><subparagraph id="H615C07ED557246EBB265F9A316BB91C0"><enum>(B)</enum><header>Types of
programs covered</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">The Director
shall award grants to such programs, including those which support the
development and implementation of standards-based instructional materials
models and related student assessments that enable K–12 students to acquire an
understanding of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics, as well as
to develop critical thinking skills; provide systemic improvement in training
K–12 teachers and education for students in science, technology, engineering,
and mathematics, including by supporting efforts to promote gender-equality
among students receiving such instruction; support the professional development
of K–12 science, technology, engineering and mathematics teachers in the use of
technology in the classroom; stimulate system-wide K–12 reform of science,
technology, engineering, and mathematics in rural, economically disadvantaged
regions of the United States; provide externships and other opportunities for
students to increase their appreciation and understanding of science,
technology, engineering, and mathematics (including summer institutes sponsored
by an institution of higher education for students in grades 7–12 that provide
instruction in such fields); involve partnerships of industry, educational
institutions, and community organizations to address the educational needs of
disadvantaged communities; provide college preparatory support to expose and
prepare students for careers in science, technology, engineering, and
mathematics; and provide for carrying out systemic reform activities under
section 3(a)(1) of the National Science Foundation Act of 1950 (42 U.S.C.
1862(a)(1)).</text>
</subparagraph></paragraph><paragraph id="HE26FB8F7BC9C4501BE28C1CB10088759"><enum>(4)</enum><header>STEM capacity
building at minority-serving institutions</header>
<subparagraph id="HB4BC80C3392649D4AF26494508EFCBC2"><enum>(A)</enum><header>In
general</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">Twelve percent of the
amounts deposited into the STEM Education and Training Account shall remain
available to the Director of the National Science Foundation until expended to
establish or expand programs to award grants on a competitive, merit-reviewed
basis to enhance the quality of undergraduate science, technology, engineering,
and mathematics education at minority-serving institutions of higher education
and to increase the retention and graduation rates of students pursuing degrees
in such fields at such institutions.</text>
</subparagraph><subparagraph id="H43F2131D5C404BA79BDC0A386A33B7EF"><enum>(B)</enum><header>Types of
programs covered</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">Grants
awarded under this paragraph shall be awarded to—</text>
<clause id="HA4245A77AA0F42BD934E081AFA26DB55"><enum>(i)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">minority-serving institutions of higher
education for—</text>
<subclause id="HC4FB6C454EC941B3B822430223F096F0"><enum>(I)</enum><text>activities to
improve courses and curriculum in science, technology, engineering, and
mathematics;</text>
</subclause><subclause id="H6D9CE080CD5E45E2A1CDEA6A60F6BC77"><enum>(II)</enum><text>efforts to
promote gender equality among students enrolled in such courses;</text>
</subclause><subclause id="H04834EA60D454139A17F450F6239D949"><enum>(III)</enum><text>faculty
development;</text>
</subclause><subclause id="H74E169FC77024B85BF8887EBAC688A68"><enum>(IV)</enum><text>stipends for
undergraduate students participating in research; and</text>
</subclause><subclause id="H261FFAD38475483A8DF51A4B804C7324"><enum>(V)</enum><text>other activities
consistent with subparagraph (A), as determined by the Director; and</text>
</subclause></clause><clause id="HD5BBE5752B5246138EC8EA1A130BE2F5"><enum>(ii)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">to other institutions of higher education
to partner with the institutions described in clause (i) for—</text>
<subclause id="H93E79AFEF8D84090AAE67AC497DDB002"><enum>(I)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">faculty and student development and
exchange;</text>
</subclause><subclause id="H69B3014527AF43DE98FEA1CD3EF01044"><enum>(II)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">research infrastructure development;</text>
</subclause><subclause id="H7C1BBB642F7A42A091A88710785AC0D2"><enum>(III)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">joint research projects; and</text>
</subclause><subclause id="H80486F56987546B5843F0503917F4796"><enum>(IV)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">identification and development of minority
and low-income candidates for graduate studies in science, technology,
engineering and mathematics degree programs.</text>
</subclause></clause></subparagraph><subparagraph id="HAF680015BF09450E9AECB72D0A89816F"><enum>(C)</enum><header>Institutions
included</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">In this paragraph,
the term <quote>minority-serving institutions of higher education</quote> shall
include—</text>
<clause id="HCB538A3A89E94E299473361C7D7C638E"><enum>(i)</enum><text>colleges eligible
to receive funds under the Act of August 30, 1890 (7 U.S.C. 321–326a and 328),
including Tuskegee University;</text>
</clause><clause id="H2E304231A5944B09848CE5CCA65A00E8"><enum>(ii)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">1994 Institutions, as defined in section
532 of the Equity in Educational Land-Grant Status Act of 1994 (7 U.S.C. 301
note); and</text>
</clause><clause id="H52991F0EF07246718B37E94D63129D7C"><enum>(iii)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">Hispanic-serving institutions, as defined
in section 502(a)(5) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C.
1101a(a)(5)).</text>
</clause></subparagraph></paragraph><paragraph id="H9E8FE58875B1412AA368FC2F54508AE8"><enum>(5)</enum><header>STEM job
training</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">Ten percent of
amounts deposited into the STEM Education and Training Account shall remain
available to the Secretary of Labor until expended for—</text>
<subparagraph id="H84003F64138B462A9F41FA9C229C5F71"><enum>(A)</enum><text>demonstration
programs and projects described in section 414(c) of the American
Competitiveness and Workforce Improvement Act of 1998; and</text>
</subparagraph><subparagraph commented="no" id="HB96837E924334A39A4416F4947B1B2CB"><enum>(B)</enum><text>training programs
in the fields of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics for persons
who have served honorably in the Armed Forces of the United States and have
retired or are retiring from such service.</text>
</subparagraph></paragraph><paragraph id="H5C094FF607574B58B7F5C71011FA5A4A"><enum>(6)</enum><header>Use of fees for
duties relating to petitions</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">One and one-half percent of the amounts
deposited into the STEM Education and Training Account shall remain available
to the Secretary of Homeland Security until expended to carry out duties under
paragraphs (1) (E) or (F) of section 204(a) (related to petitions for
immigrants described in section 203(b)) and under paragraphs (1) and (9) of
section 214(c) (related to petitions made for nonimmigrants described in
section 101(a)(15)(H)(i)(b)).</text>
</paragraph><paragraph id="HAABB00E81FC74C6D9E0F1E3BEE21F0E3"><enum>(7)</enum><header>Use of fees for
application processing and enforcement</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">One and one-half percent of the amounts
deposited into the STEM Education and Training Account shall remain available
to the Secretary of Labor until expended for decreasing the processing time for
applications under section 212(a)(5)(A) and section
212(n)(1).</text>
</paragraph></subsection><after-quoted-block>.</after-quoted-block></quoted-block>
</section><section id="H923C930505464C94A8AFEA998C2EC7DA"><enum>203.</enum><header>Access to
student visas for immigrant students present in the United States</header><text display-inline="no-display-inline">Notwithstanding paragraphs (6)(A) and (7) of
section 212(a) of the Immigration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1182(a)), the
Secretary of Homeland Security may adjust an alien’s status to that of a
nonimmigrant student under section 101(a)(15)(F) of such Act (8 U.S.C.
1101(a)(15)(F)) if the alien—</text>
<paragraph display-inline="no-display-inline" id="H0A68B7BDDBE74DC291F3D0410F5C906B"><enum>(1)</enum><text>is a bona fide
student enrolled in a full course of study at a United States institution of
higher education;</text>
</paragraph><paragraph display-inline="no-display-inline" id="HF6933F7C3B35431895F4E2212281365B"><enum>(2)</enum><text>was present in the
United States on the date of the enactment of this Act and has been
continuously present since that date; and</text>
</paragraph><paragraph display-inline="no-display-inline" id="H75DBC05472A14B8E87DA3830C2B2218E"><enum>(3)</enum><text>was 15 years of
age or younger on the date the alien initially entered the United
States.</text>
</paragraph></section><enum>III</enum><header>Reducing
Administrative Hurdles To Foster Innovation and Job Creation</header>
<section id="HB85D719B7D534D5E95B94A3019CB6F25"><enum>301.</enum><header>Streamlining
labor certifications</header>
<subsection id="H45F956E652C841968B785070366E9F72"><enum>(a)</enum><header>In
general</header><text>Section 212(a)(5)(A) of the Immigration and Nationality
Act (8. U.S.C. 1182(a)(5)(A)) is amended—</text>
<paragraph id="H55C41AEB01EF4002972059A03EEF2281"><enum>(1)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">in clause (ii)—</text>
<subparagraph id="H2A901A4E4B9442ACB708BA0A65FAFB9F"><enum>(A)</enum><text>in subclause (I),
by striking <quote>or</quote>;</text>
</subparagraph><subparagraph id="H10D10C6F0CC44F21AB3AAE4C649746B5"><enum>(B)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">in subclause (II), by striking the period
and inserting <quote>, or</quote>;</text>
</subparagraph><subparagraph id="HE5852FCAA3E44F03B4F08A72AF9F6AD7"><enum>(C)</enum><text>by adding at the
end the following new subclause:</text>
<quoted-block display-inline="no-display-inline" id="H23D63BC4C9F243D5810E82155FCFA6D8" style="OLC">
<subclause id="H52C967DC78674E4D8BECC2E337877270"><enum>(III)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">is the beneficiary of a labor certification
application filed by an employer designated as an Established U.S. Recruiter
under clause (vii).</text>
</subclause><after-quoted-block>;
and</after-quoted-block></quoted-block>
</subparagraph></paragraph><paragraph id="H8CA13BEE2E5B41FEB92FCEBD1683E1B2"><enum>(2)</enum><text>by adding at the
end the following new clauses:</text>
<quoted-block display-inline="no-display-inline" id="H66CB55E0B8FC401DB5E3224874C599EC" style="OLC">
<clause id="H2E8D572D455149DE97B1FD82658ED72C"><enum>(v)</enum><header>Processing
standards</header>
<subclause id="H0DE27B5CE7F84096953098E9366E56D6"><enum>(I)</enum><header>Timeframes</header><text>The
Secretary of Labor shall adjudicate an application for certification under
clause (i) not later than 120 days after the date on which the application is
filed. In the event that additional information or documentation is requested
by the Secretary during such 120-day period, the Secretary shall adjudicate the
application not later than 60 days after the date on which such information or
documentation is received.</text>
</subclause><subclause id="HDB86AA95347543449D67718FE71A3FB7"><enum>(II)</enum><header>Notice within
30 days of deficiencies</header><text>The employer shall be notified in writing
within 30 days of the date of filing if the application does not meet the
standards (other than that described in clause (i)(I)) for approval. If the
application does not meet such standards, the notice shall include the reasons
therefor and the Secretary shall provide an opportunity for the prompt
resubmission of a modified application.</text>
</subclause></clause><clause id="H23AFAEEAAC8D486785F89121641F9A43"><enum>(vi)</enum><header>Fees</header>
<subclause id="HB5795D3431F94EEA8EBA93DA76AE2BA3"><enum>(I)</enum><header>Application
fee</header><text>In addition to any other fees authorized by law, the
Secretary of Labor shall impose a fee on an employer that submits an
application for certification under clause (i). The amount of the fee shall be
$295 for each such application.</text>
</subclause><subclause id="H69810A889D8041DF81490A528E736B01"><enum>(II)</enum><header>Premium
processing</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">The Secretary of
Labor is authorized to establish and collect an optional premium fee for
processing of applications for certification under clause (i). This fee shall
be set at $1,000 and shall be paid in addition to the application fee under
subclause (I). For an application in which the premium processing fee is paid,
the Secretary shall adjudicate the application not later than 30 days after the
date on which the application is filed. In the event that additional
information or documentation is requested by the Secretary with respect to such
application during the 30-day period, the Secretary shall adjudicate the
application not later than 30 days after the date on which such information or
documentation is received. If the Secretary does not comply with these
timeframes, the Secretary shall refund the premium processing fee to the
applicant.</text>
</subclause><subclause id="HF87B0BA873BF425882D07643F69DC710"><enum>(III)</enum><header>Deposit of
fees</header><text>Fees collected under subclauses (I) and (II) shall be
deposited in the Treasury in accordance with section 286(w).</text>
</subclause><subclause id="H8BC515B4FF354F42829C8892FB492614"><enum>(IV)</enum><header>Prohibition on
employer accepting reimbursement of fee</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">An employer subject to a fee under this
clause shall not require or accept reimbursement of or other compensation for
all or part of the cost of such fee, directly or indirectly, from the alien on
whose behalf the application is filed.</text>
</subclause></clause><clause id="H9FCA848EFDAA4624B82578774E3C2142"><enum>(vii)</enum><header>Established
U.S. recruiters</header>
<subclause id="H46FB87494D3445CD90E5F6E6FE2D6C9B"><enum>(I)</enum><header>In
general</header><text>The Secretary of Labor shall establish a process for
employers to apply for designation as an Established U.S. Recruiter. An
employer seeking such designation must file an application with the Secretary
stating the following:</text>
<item id="HE42E8B3229F1406FB4B8362BFEDAB03B"><enum>(aa)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">At least 80 percent of the employer’s
workforce in the United States are United States workers.</text>
</item><item id="H080C3CEDBEEB48FF8EE1F4D9B5FB13FE"><enum>(bb)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">At least 80 percent of the employer’s new
hires in the United States in the 5 years preceding the filing of the
application are United States workers.</text>
</item><item id="H3EBB443989AA453A9CE8D73620540341"><enum>(cc)</enum><text>The
employer regularly posts employment opportunities on a publicly accessible
Internet Web site and has engaged in at least 3 other forms of active
recruitment on an annual basis over the preceding 3 years.</text>
</item><item id="HED6C248711A549E7970ED6CAB3E5FDB8"><enum>(dd)</enum><text>The
employer will continue to engage in the recruitment efforts described in item
(cc) during the certification period.</text>
</item><continuation-text continuation-text-level="subclause">For the
purposes of this clause, the term <quote>United States worker</quote> shall
include an alien with a pending or approved petition under subparagraph (E) or
(F) of section 204(a)(1).</continuation-text></subclause><subclause id="H6D0A2D58A0BB494D8BF7A11B4EAA2738"><enum>(II)</enum><header>Designation</header>
<item id="H26CADC9794D643F3B8D384FE4E1682CF"><enum>(aa)</enum><header>Timely
adjudications</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">The Secretary
of Labor shall adjudicate an application for designation under subclause (I)
not later than 30 days after the date on which the application is filed. In the
event that additional information or documentation is requested by the
Secretary, the Secretary shall adjudicate the application not later than 30
days after the receipt of such information or documentation.</text>
</item><item id="HCBD3B71940AE439AAB3DD78723D3F96A"><enum>(bb)</enum><header>Application
fee</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">In addition to any other
fees authorized by law, the Secretary of Labor may impose a fee on an employer
that submits an application for designation under subclause (I). The amount of
the fee shall be $500 for each such application. Fees collected under this
clause shall be deposited in the Treasury in accordance with section
286(w).</text>
</item><item id="H3AB2660274B045AA95B87DB7C65888E8"><enum>(cc)</enum><header>Period of
designation</header><text>Unless terminated under item (dd), a designation
issued under this clause shall be valid for 3 years.</text>
</item><item id="H6DCFD9F98B504F8E8422D8FFE418C32A"><enum>(dd)</enum><header>Termination</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">The Secretary of Labor may terminate a
designation under subclause (I) if the Secretary determines that the
employer—</text>
<subitem id="HBED238D465D64546A0601632089668DC"><enum>(AA)</enum><text>did not fulfill
the requirements of such subclause at the time the certification was issued;
or</text>
</subitem><subitem id="H241118140EBA420CB0C8136E92D5419D"><enum>(BB)</enum><text>failed to meet
the requirements under subclause (I)(ee) during the designation period
described in item (cc).</text>
</subitem></item></subclause><subclause id="HBE9C72EB86D449FD812F5D2977C43122"><enum>(III)</enum><header>Active
recruitment</header><text>For the purposes of this clause <quote>active
recruitment</quote> means any of the following:</text>
<item id="H949EE67A07BD45DBAAA505FE1534B7B7"><enum>(aa)</enum><header>Employee
referral program</header><text>The employer operates an employee referral
program that includes meaningful incentives for employees to refer workers for
job openings.</text>
</item><item id="H540EC45B5D4945A9B923C7BBB3BE14CB"><enum>(bb)</enum><header>In-house
recruiters</header><text>The employer retains an in-house recruiter on a
full-time basis to recruit workers for job openings.</text>
</item><item id="H3D9D7708036C405199EB4E6EE2C9C0C4"><enum>(cc)</enum><header>Job
fairs</header><text>The employer recruits workers at job fairs that are
advertised in newspaper advertisements in which the employer is named as a
participant in such fairs.</text>
</item><item id="H822BFE543CA842D5AFBE08933E0AE14B"><enum>(dd)</enum><header>Military
recruiting</header><text>The employer recruits workers during recruiting events
that are organized by the Armed Forces of the United States.</text>
</item><item id="H7111BC922FE14B348C3C5BD6B9594539"><enum>(ee)</enum><header>On-campus
recruiting</header><text>The employer recruits workers at institutions of
higher education during recruiting events that are organized by such
institutions.</text>
</item><item id="HB6BC601E40D84F0686A47B273FC856AA"><enum>(ff)</enum><header>Private
employment firms</header><text>The employer regularly engages private
employment firms or placement agencies to recruit workers for job
openings.</text>
</item><item id="HA52DD1F12A334D39A93894BA98892885"><enum>(gg)</enum><header>Trade or
professional organizations</header><text>The employer regularly advertises with
trade or professional organizations to recruit workers for job
openings.</text>
</item></subclause></clause><after-quoted-block>.</after-quoted-block></quoted-block>
</paragraph></subsection><subsection id="H3FF7D4D0752C494087085828F68A8FF9"><enum>(b)</enum><header>Establishment of
account and use of funds</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">Section 286 of the Immigration and
Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1356) is amended by adding at the end the following
new subsection:</text>
<quoted-block display-inline="no-display-inline" id="H86019E91345B4160ABE2B4650C5A3924" style="OLC">
<subsection id="H23EEA9A94B5C40AB86BC732BA4EDBC38"><enum>(w)</enum><header>Labor
certification application fee account</header>
<paragraph id="H31FF373BDC2E43AC9878846A4BD4D71A"><enum>(1)</enum><header>In
general</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">There is established
in the general fund of the Treasury a separate account, which shall be known as
the <quote>Labor Certification Application Fee Account</quote>. Notwithstanding
any other section of this title, there shall be deposited as offsetting
receipts into the account all fees collected under section 212(a)(5)(A).</text>
</paragraph><paragraph id="HF16E5AD5670D425295F87D4DF6E49044"><enum>(2)</enum><header>Use of
fees</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">Amounts deposited into
the Labor Certification Application Fee Account shall remain available to the
Secretary of Labor until expended for carrying out labor certification
activities under section 212(a)(5)(A) (including providing premium processing
services) and to make infrastructure improvements in the adjudications and
customer-service processes related to such
activities.</text>
</paragraph></subsection><after-quoted-block>.</after-quoted-block></quoted-block>
</subsection></section><section id="H0F87CE0A53054DAD871F6D531B19C640"><enum>302.</enum><header>Streamlining
petitions for established employers</header><text display-inline="no-display-inline">Section 214(c) of the Immigration and
Nationality Act (8. U.S.C. 1184) is amended by adding at the end the
following:</text>
<quoted-block display-inline="no-display-inline" id="H917FAB63516949CB873674E4951FE3CE" style="OLC">
<paragraph id="HD92383E714C74FD8864EA51CBA470B94" indent="up1"><enum>(15)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">The Secretary of Homeland Security shall
establish a pre-certification procedure for employers who file multiple
petitions described in this subsection or section 203(b). Such precertification
procedure shall enable an employer to avoid repeatedly submitting documentation
that is common to multiple petitions and establish, through a single filing,
criteria relating to the employer and the offered employment
opportunity.</text>
</paragraph><after-quoted-block>.</after-quoted-block></quoted-block>
</section><section id="H5FF2356B92F641C6AE1790F02F78B801"><enum>303.</enum><header>Premium
processing</header><text display-inline="no-display-inline">Section 286(u) of
the Immigration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1356(u)) is amended—</text>
<paragraph id="H9FEBD5C9CE6345F8AF076F4DC1393813"><enum>(1)</enum><text>by striking
<quote>is authorized to</quote> and inserting <quote>shall</quote>; and</text>
</paragraph><paragraph id="HB7131789B0AB4C35AF1D530AFDFB51C8"><enum>(2)</enum><text>at the end of the
first sentence, by striking <quote>applications.</quote> and inserting
<quote>applications, including an administrative appeal of any decision on an
employment-based immigrant petition.</quote>.</text>
</paragraph></section><enum>IV</enum><header>Protecting
American Workers</header>
<section commented="no" id="H6F7C2634269A4CE887CCA00F98116621"><enum>401.</enum><header>Strengthening
the prevailing wage system to protect American
workers<editorial></editorial></header><text display-inline="no-display-inline">Section 212(p) of the Immigration and
Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1182(p)) is amended to read as follows:</text>
<quoted-block display-inline="no-display-inline" id="H69889F4DD64D49B2863A361B5E21F1DC" style="traditional">
<subsection commented="no" id="HD422430507DB4D258AEEC5163157D189"><enum>(p)</enum><header>Computation of
prevailing wage level</header>
<paragraph commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="HF3C8D48EA99740F4BB7D26F11067E951"><enum>(1)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">The Secretary of Labor shall make available
to employers a governmental survey to determine the prevailing wage for each
occupational classification by metropolitan statistical area in the United
States. Such survey, or other survey approved by the Secretary of Labor, shall
provide 3 levels of wages commensurate with experience, education, and level of
supervision. Such wage levels shall be determined as follows:</text>
<subparagraph commented="no" id="H5CBBCE8384934376B7856447406D19D6"><enum>(A)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">The first level shall be the mean of the
lowest two-thirds of wages surveyed, but in no case less than 80 percent of the
mean of the wages surveyed.</text>
</subparagraph><subparagraph commented="no" id="H4F3882C1CEE94A4EBEAC0B5BE7DB5E63"><enum>(B)</enum><text>The second level
shall be the mean of wages surveyed.</text>
</subparagraph><subparagraph commented="no" id="H2F9714C673BD4CD5A5EBE4F298E0F2A6"><enum>(C)</enum><text>The third level
shall be the mean of the highest two-thirds of wages surveyed.</text>
</subparagraph></paragraph><paragraph commented="no" id="H9627252756404E6BA9334898958D7DA3"><enum>(2)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">The prevailing wage level required to be
paid pursuant to section 203(b)(1)(D) and subsections (a)(5)(A),
(n)(1)(A)(i)(II), and (t)(1)(A)(i)(II) of this section shall be 100 percent of
the wage level determined pursuant to those sections.</text>
</paragraph><paragraph commented="no" id="HD084F7D535794F84989ECDD3556B6090"><enum>(3)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">In computing the prevailing wage level for
an occupational classification in an area of employment for purposes of section
203(b)(1)(D) and subsections (a)(5)(A), (n)(1)(A)(i)(II), and (t)(1)(A)(i)(II)
of this section in the case of an employee of—</text>
<subparagraph commented="no" id="H4C05FBB08AAA46AFB44EFA003E429BBC"><enum>(A)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">an institution of higher education, or a
related or affiliated nonprofit entity, or</text>
</subparagraph><subparagraph commented="no" id="H2A43D7B41AA14D4D8C9B2855AF13F9C8"><enum>(B)</enum><text>a nonprofit
research organization or a Governmental research organization,</text>
</subparagraph><continuation-text commented="no" continuation-text-level="paragraph">the prevailing wage level shall only
take into account employees at such institutions and organizations in the area
of employment.</continuation-text></paragraph><paragraph commented="no" id="H793B0AF35D2C4959A498B3821C9D58A5"><enum>(4)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">With respect to a professional athlete (as
defined in subsection (a)(5)(A)(iii)(II)) when the job opportunity is covered
by professional sports league rules or regulations, the wage set forth in those
rules or regulations shall be considered as not adversely affecting the wages
of United States workers similarly employed and be considered the prevailing
wage.</text>
</paragraph></subsection><after-quoted-block>.</after-quoted-block></quoted-block>
</section><section id="HD6533C0D25B94CD5A532AAEC1FE2244F"><enum>402.</enum><header>Reforming the
H–1B visa program to protect American workers</header>
<subsection commented="no" id="HF37D1897384C413693511A2048DEBA3F"><enum>(a)</enum><header>Strengthening
wage protections</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">Section
214(g)(3) of the Immigration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1184(g)(3)) is
amended—</text>
<paragraph commented="no" id="H74783276749340C58FA43F38E826A085"><enum>(1)</enum><text>by striking
<quote>Aliens who</quote> and inserting <quote>(A) Aliens who</quote>;
and</text>
</paragraph><paragraph commented="no" id="HB92B0AE5937D4AAE8C9D0E5C09EF143B"><enum>(2)</enum><text>by adding at the
end the following:</text>
<quoted-block display-inline="no-display-inline" id="H473BC57EF1AE4906A581CB4AFF8EB069" style="OLC">
<subparagraph commented="no" id="HF82AAC1A05724E94B9DB26407F281595" indent="up1"><enum>(B)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">If, on any given date, the number of
petitions filed under subparagraph (A) exceeds the number of visas remaining
under paragraph (1), the Secretary shall consider such petitions in the
following order:</text>
<clause commented="no" id="HB547D349468540CBAC1299193D7BF5B9"><enum>(i)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">petitions in which the offered wage level
meets or exceeds the wage set by section 212(p)(1)(C);</text>
</clause><clause commented="no" id="HD577298A290C4246974BB35458F0B560"><enum>(ii)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">petitions in which the offered wage level
meets or exceeds the wage set by section 212(p)(1)(B); and</text>
</clause><clause commented="no" id="H4E1DE4A4D0394DCC81CE7EC51E492C6B"><enum>(iii)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">any remaining
petitions.</text>
</clause></subparagraph><after-quoted-block>.</after-quoted-block></quoted-block>
</paragraph></subsection><subsection id="H88F40B50A1B04AB9B317A528C607F6D5"><enum>(b)</enum><header>Prohibiting
displacement of U.S. workers</header>
<paragraph id="H5FEAF261A40B44E5A179C93564CBFC1D"><enum>(1)</enum><header>Prohibiting
displacement by employer</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">Section 212(n)(1)(E) of the Immigration and
Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1182(n)(1)(E)) is amended—</text>
<subparagraph id="HD5A3BC3FF218435089DABFB3567CBE57"><enum>(A)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">in clause (i) by striking <quote>In the
case of an application described in clause (ii), the</quote> and inserting
<quote>The</quote>; and</text>
</subparagraph><subparagraph id="H693D1E9DDD8B4C25922CDFCF523C6EFD"><enum>(B)</enum><text>by striking clause
(ii).</text>
</subparagraph></paragraph><paragraph id="HC3FC7C3BEF01467FA1068BCBD4DAA315"><enum>(2)</enum><header>Prohibiting
displacement by third-party employer</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">Section 212(n)(1)(F) of the Immigration and
Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1182(n)(1)(F)) is amended by striking <quote>In the
case of an application described in subparagraph (E)(ii), the</quote> and
inserting <quote>The</quote>.</text>
</paragraph><paragraph id="HF874FB4B94E3428D997A083E4AA38A6C"><enum>(3)</enum><header>Definition of
displace</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">Section 212(n)(4)(B)
of the Immigration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1182(n)(4)(B)) is amended
by—</text>
<subparagraph id="H87ED39D36D724E27B56A2A2006C35F68"><enum>(A)</enum><text>inserting
<quote>and skills</quote> after <quote>responsibilities</quote>; and</text>
</subparagraph><subparagraph id="HE57400EFD43A44D5BE1FE77097BEA4B4"><enum>(B)</enum><text>inserting
<quote>working in the same division, project or product line</quote> after
<quote>experience</quote>.</text>
</subparagraph></paragraph></subsection><subsection id="HD080A82A0A844C6FB639D8623B0500F0"><enum>(c)</enum><header>Strengthening
recruitment requirements</header>
<paragraph id="H8E98D6E5678E484EBC618E7C40B780D6"><enum>(1)</enum><header>Requiring
recruitment of U.S. workers</header>
<subparagraph id="H2B3965991D4C4C868AEAF9977125648A"><enum>(A)</enum><header>In
general</header><text>Section 212(n)(1)(G)(i) of the Immigration and
Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1182(n)(1)(G)(i)) is amended by striking <quote>In
the case of an application described in subparagraph (E)(ii), subject to clause
(ii)</quote> and inserting <quote>Subject to clauses (ii) and
(iii)</quote>.</text>
</subparagraph><subparagraph id="H8A7E1B24DBE948CE8A20B02B366AB930"><enum>(B)</enum><header>Dependent
employers</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">Section
212(n)(1)(G)(ii) of the Immigration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C.
1182(n)(1)(G)(ii)) is amended to read as follows:</text>
<quoted-block display-inline="no-display-inline" id="H93E21D0A4F2C41A48880EF852DD85F41" style="OLC">
<clause id="HD8C8885BD95449E1AAB5751DCA00E85A"><enum>(ii)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">The employer shall be required to comply
with additional supervised recruitment activities as specified by the Secretary
of the Labor if the employer—</text>
<subclause id="H579EE738F53C495C9AEE2695C8D4571B"><enum>(I)</enum><text>employs 50 or more
employees in the United States and less than 50 percent of such employees are
United States workers; and</text>
</subclause><subclause id="HBC54953F73FF4AB0A7211E9E01F46DEC"><enum>(II)</enum><text>is offering wages
below the wage level set by subsection (p)(1)(B) (relating to the mean wage for
the occupational classification in the area of employment).</text>
</subclause><continuation-text continuation-text-level="clause">For purposes
of this clause, the term <quote>United States worker</quote> shall include an
alien with a pending or approved petition under subparagraph (E) or (F) of
section
204(a)(1).</continuation-text></clause><after-quoted-block>.</after-quoted-block></quoted-block>
</subparagraph><subparagraph id="HA233A8A4C3CB421D999E787EE2AAC7A1"><enum>(C)</enum><header>Recruitment
report</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">Section 212(n)(1) of
the Immigration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1182(n)(1)) is amended, in the
flush text following subparagraph (G), by striking <quote>Nothing in
subparagraph (G)</quote> and inserting <quote>An employer required to recruit
under subparagraph (G) shall submit to the Secretary, along with an application
under this paragraph, a recruitment report containing evidence that the
employer posted the employment opportunity on a publicly accessible Internet
Web site and engaged in at least 3 other forms of active recruitment (as
defined in subsection (a)(5)(A)(vii)(III)). The employer shall maintain an
audit file of recruitment activities, including information on United States
worker applicants, for 3 years after the date the application was filed with
the Secretary. Nothing in Subparagraph (G)</quote>.</text>
</subparagraph></paragraph><paragraph id="H3CC956A967CD4DD28293EEDD2B827D7E"><enum>(2)</enum><header>Exception for
employers who pay increased wages</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">Section 212(n)(1)(G) of the Immigration and
Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1182(n)(1)(G)), as amended by this subsection, is
further amended by adding at the end the following:</text>
<quoted-block display-inline="no-display-inline" id="H46C451AE3F2141969179623741742880" style="OLC">
<clause id="HDA3C7AF624CE443C87554B04BCEDA535"><enum>(iii)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">The conditions described in clause (i)
shall not apply to an application filed with respect to the employment of an
H–1B nonimmigrant—</text>
<subclause id="H6DDF511C7FE7453D94A5018C74437BA6"><enum>(I)</enum><text>who is described
in subparagraph (A), (B), or (C) of section 203(b)(1); or</text>
</subclause><subclause id="H54CCF3FBA2CE4A4DB34EA2C90BBB698F"><enum>(II)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">if the wages being offered to such
nonimmigrant meet or exceed the wage level set by subsection (p)(1)(B)
(relating to the mean wage for the occupational classification in the area of
employment) and the applicant is designated as an Established U.S. Recruiter
under section
212(a)(5)(A)(vii).</text>
</subclause></clause><after-quoted-block>.</after-quoted-block></quoted-block>
</paragraph><paragraph id="HB95517E6B23A457299A940FC0F081E04"><enum>(3)</enum><header>Eliminating
redundant testing of labor market</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">Section 212(a)(5)(D) of the Immigration and
Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1182(a)(5)(D)) is amended—</text>
<subparagraph id="HBF737496B83D4F3E9E1A8F2EE5D1C449"><enum>(A)</enum><text>by striking
<quote>The grounds</quote> and inserting <quote>(i) Except as provided in
clause (ii), the grounds</quote>; and</text>
</subparagraph><subparagraph id="HA742C84AA534497DBDC96B1F38696F88"><enum>(B)</enum><text>by adding at the
end the following:</text>
<quoted-block display-inline="no-display-inline" id="HBF702568EFBC423280066E0D3F15EFE0" style="OLC">
<clause id="H8F2C62FC926F449294DF1A22ED3DDD4D" indent="up1"><enum>(ii)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">Clause (i) shall not apply to an alien
seeking admission or adjustment of status who is presently a nonimmigrant
described under section 101(a)(15)(H)(i)(b) if—</text>
<subclause id="H6C893486D55E4C739D45089FC686115E"><enum>(I)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">the
alien obtained such nonimmigrant status based on a petition filed after the
effective date of the IDEA Act of 2011;</text>
</subclause><subclause id="H82D0A2544D054A23AE9B4A71B0D47BA8"><enum>(II)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">the
alien is the subject of a petition described in section 204(a)(1)(F) and is
seeking admission or adjustment of status through such petition; and</text>
</subclause><subclause id="H8241532C2EDC4973867E12FCF2315635"><enum>(III)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">the
petition described in subclause (II) was filed by the alien’s employer within
18 months after the date on which the alien obtained nonimmigrant status under
section
101(a)(15)(H)(i)(b).</text>
</subclause></clause><after-quoted-block>.</after-quoted-block></quoted-block>
</subparagraph></paragraph></subsection><subsection id="H031DFD70502F4F6AA0D0E3C53D2B2D6D"><enum>(d)</enum><header>Improving
protections for U.S. workers</header>
<paragraph id="H735510C99AAB4BCCB103BA3E2E4C20DE"><enum>(1)</enum><header>In
general</header><text>Section 212(n)(2) of the Immigration and Nationality Act
(8 U.S.C. 1182(n)(2)) is amended to read as follows:</text>
<quoted-block id="H1BB97768DED447A3A77C94D06824EB13" style="OLC">
<paragraph id="HF51DE096B2CC4C148CED73965B4C2CA2"><enum>(2)</enum><subparagraph commented="no" display-inline="yes-display-inline" id="H9C37F48F31A14C83BDF816737E81AB6A"><enum>(A)</enum><header>In
general</header><text>The Secretary of Labor shall establish a process for the
receipt, investigation, and disposition of complaints, which may be filed by
any aggrieved person or organization (including bargaining representatives),
respecting an employer’s compliance with this subsection. The Secretary, either
pursuant to this complaint process or otherwise, may investigate employers as
necessary to determine such compliance. The Secretary shall audit at least 5
percent of the employers who file applications under paragraph (1) in a given
year to determine compliance with this subsection.</text>
</subparagraph><subparagraph id="HECC06E4CBC4A4BCA9A565E29D7849A5D" indent="up1"><enum>(B)</enum><header>Penalties</header><text>If the
Secretary of Labor finds, after notice and an opportunity for a hearing—</text>
<clause id="H45E1B9E023484170B46964834585C49E"><enum>(i)</enum><text>a substantial failure to meet any
of the conditions of the application described under paragraph (1), a
misrepresentation of a material fact in such application, or a violation of
subparagraph (C) or (D)—</text>
<subclause id="HB31B8C3C5AA948489D0814B9D4196CBD"><enum>(I)</enum><text>the Secretary of Labor shall, in addition
to any other remedy authorized by law, impose such administrative remedies
(including civil monetary penalties in an amount not to exceed $10,000 per
violation) as the Secretary determines to be appropriate; and</text>
</subclause><subclause id="H0A465C33C35543C6A5235029C30DB18D"><enum>(II)</enum><text>the Secretary of Labor may not approve
applications with respect to that employer under paragraph (1) during a period
of at least 1 year but not more than 5 years for aliens to be employed by the
employer; and</text>
</subclause></clause><clause id="H2D3BB68AF2D845668FF7CD536E6CA073"><enum>(ii)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">a substantial failure to meet any of the
conditions of the application described under paragraph (1) or a
misrepresentation of a material fact in such application, in the course of
which failure or misrepresentation the employer displaced a United States
worker employed by the employer within the period beginning 180 days before and
ending 180 days after the date of filing of any visa petition supported by the
application—</text>
<subclause id="HDA11350BCCCC455389A1D63F5D857F12"><enum>(I)</enum><text>the Secretary of Labor shall impose such
administrative remedies (including civil monetary penalties in an amount not to
exceed $35,000 per violation) as the Secretary determines to be appropriate;
and</text>
</subclause><subclause id="H1184F6FE0CAA4450964D85BB48E801D8"><enum>(II)</enum><text>the Secretary of Labor may not approve
applications with respect to that employer under paragraph (1) during a period
of at least 5 years for aliens to be employed by the employer.</text>
</subclause></clause></subparagraph><subparagraph id="HB2468524DFFC4271ADCDC2D1B174C0AA" indent="up1"><enum>(C)</enum><header>Discrimination or retaliation
prohibited</header><text>It is a violation of this subparagraph for an employer
who has filed an application under this subsection to intimidate, threaten,
restrain, coerce, discharge, or in any other manner discriminate or retaliate
against an employee (including a former employee or an applicant for
employment) because the employee—</text>
<clause id="H8F4820D2FC1B47E3B61A521E0E144F7E"><enum>(i)</enum><text>has disclosed information to the
employer, or to any other person, that the employee reasonably believes
evidences a violation of this subsection, or any rule or regulation pertaining
to this subsection; or</text>
</clause><clause id="H177C4509B4CE4C5CB995382C22A94755"><enum>(ii)</enum><text>seeks legal assistance or counsel
related to any such violation, or cooperates, or seeks to cooperate, in an
investigation or other proceeding concerning the employer’s compliance with the
requirements of this subsection, or any rule or regulation pertaining to this
subsection.</text>
</clause><continuation-text continuation-text-level="subparagraph">The
Secretary of Labor and the Secretary of Homeland Security shall devise a
process under which an H–1B nonimmigrant who files a complaint regarding a
violation of this subparagraph and is otherwise eligible to remain and work in
the United States may be allowed to seek other appropriate employment in the
United States for a period not to exceed the maximum period of stay authorized
for such nonimmigrant classification.</continuation-text></subparagraph><subparagraph id="HF6DF6750A34141839D696E2F5445A514" indent="up1"><enum>(D)</enum><header>Prohibited fees</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">It is a violation of this subparagraph for
an employer who has filed an application under this subsection—</text>
<clause id="H89D658571C2A4DEB89B7D825FCAB3A17"><enum>(i)</enum><text>to require an H–1B nonimmigrant to
pay a penalty for ceasing employment with the employer prior to a date agreed
to by the nonimmigrant and the employer; or</text>
</clause><clause id="H83B2F9D71B3D4599939F72CC665B9AEA"><enum>(ii)</enum><text>to require or accept reimbursement
or any other form of compensation from an alien with respect to a fee imposed
on the employer under section 214(c)(9).</text>
</clause></subparagraph><subparagraph id="HCC9B43EDDF534C83ACDAAC496B6E376D" indent="up1"><enum>(E)</enum><header>Benching prohibited</header>
<clause id="H1CCF63731D7546598DE05BF4EE14DB29"><enum>(i)</enum><header>In general</header><text>It is a
violation of paragraph (1)(A) for an employer, who has filed an application
under this subsection and who places an H–1B nonimmigrant, after the
nonimmigrant has entered into employment with the employer, in nonproductive
status due to a decision by the employer (based on factors such as lack of
work), or due to the nonimmigrant’s lack of a permit or license, to fail to pay
the nonimmigrant full-time wages in accordance with paragraph (1)(a) for all
such nonproductive time (if the nonimmigrant was designated as a full-time
employee on the petition filed under section 214(c)(1)) or otherwise for such
hours as are designated on such petition consistent with the rate of pay
identified on such petition.</text>
</clause><clause id="H13744B9931B848A99EE09E3714A56290"><enum>(ii)</enum><header>Exceptions</header>
<subclause id="H8CD7F4192AE642ECAF50CE33E8F6F905"><enum>(I)</enum><text>In the case of an H–1B nonimmigrant who
has not yet entered into employment with an employer who has had approved an
application under this subsection, and a petition under section 214(c)(1), with
respect to the nonimmigrant, subclause (i) shall apply to the employer
beginning 30 days after the date the nonimmigrant first is admitted into the
United States pursuant to the petition, or 60 days after the date the
nonimmigrant becomes eligible to work for the employer (in the case of a
nonimmigrant who is present in the United States on the date of the approval of
the petition).</text>
</subclause><subclause id="H1F5FCB4CE0774DBD8450248F413112A5"><enum>(II)</enum><text>Clause (i) does not apply to a failure
to pay wages to an H–1B nonimmigrant for nonproductive time due to
non-work-related factors, such as the voluntary request of the nonimmigrant for
an absence or circumstances rendering the nonimmigrant unable to work.</text>
</subclause><subclause id="H86EBCFF15F3A4394BD8D3FB8CB1876A5"><enum>(III)</enum><text>Clause (i) shall not be construed as
prohibiting an employer that is a school or other educational institution from
applying to an H–1B nonimmigrant an established salary practice of the
employer, under which the employer pays to H–1B nonimmigrants and United States
workers in the same occupational classification an annual salary in
disbursements over fewer than 12 months, if—</text>
<item id="H864A39B882C24AA9ABF30EEB06D97C61"><enum>(aa)</enum><text>the nonimmigrant agrees to the
compressed annual salary payments prior to the commencement of the employment;
and</text>
</item><item id="HD9DD978B26954AD8BF87051FF85B9C23"><enum>(bb)</enum><text>the application of the salary
practice to the nonimmigrant does not otherwise cause the nonimmigrant to
violate any condition of the nonimmigrant’s authorization under this chapter to
remain in the United States.</text>
</item></subclause></clause><clause id="H2BFB044B0CF14E9981ECAF6568D286A5"><enum>(iii)</enum><header>Relation to subparagraph
(G)</header><text>This subparagraph shall not be construed as superseding
subparagraph (G).</text>
</clause></subparagraph><subparagraph id="H61F2A3F2199A47FF9C7D29158B3F8021" indent="up1"><enum>(F)</enum><header>Treatment</header><text>It is a
violation of paragraph (1)(A) for an employer who has filed an application
under this subsection to fail to offer to an H–1B nonimmigrant, during the
nonimmigrant’s period of authorized employment, benefits and eligibility for
benefits (including the opportunity to participate in health, life, disability,
and other insurance plans; the opportunity to participate in retirement and
savings plans; and cash bonuses and noncash compensation, such as stock options
(whether or not based on performance)) on the same basis, and in accordance
with the same criteria, as the employer offers to United States workers.</text>
</subparagraph><subparagraph id="H4CF99203A27D4CEDAEF6AF1E481E03FD" indent="up1"><enum>(G)</enum><header>Back wages</header><text>If the
Secretary of Labor finds, after notice and an opportunity for a hearing, that
recovery of back wages, fees or costs is necessary to address a violation of
this subsection or any other law, the Secretary of Labor may recover such back
wages, fees or costs on behalf of the worker.</text>
</subparagraph><subparagraph id="HD1792DC5FF8B44A388406FD534634653" indent="up1"><enum>(H)</enum><header>Good faith compliance</header>
<clause id="HC4AA3F60EC864034843E76DBB4EDDDA1"><enum>(i)</enum><text>Except as provided in clauses (ii)
and (iii), a person or entity is considered to have complied with the
requirements of this subsection, notwithstanding a technical or procedural
failure to meet such requirements, if there was a good faith attempt to comply
with the requirements.</text>
</clause><clause id="HE3218083AF474CDE957494A0ADFB5153"><enum>(ii)</enum><text>Clause (i) shall not apply
if—</text>
<subclause id="H3014A571977F47A481961D2D01FD7855"><enum>(I)</enum><text>the Department of Labor (or another
enforcement agency) has explained to the person or entity the basis for the
failure;</text>
</subclause><subclause id="H4CACBEFF1EBC4818807F392FFB5AE337"><enum>(II)</enum><text>the person or entity has been provided a
period of not less than 10 business days (beginning after the date of the
explanation) within which to correct such failure; and</text>
</subclause><subclause id="H80E61B605A9F44B9BA83E6756843D6CD"><enum>(III)</enum><text>the person or entity has not corrected
the failure voluntarily within such period.</text>
</subclause></clause><clause id="H8C6A70242A4E493383AB2A7BC81A37AD"><enum>(iii)</enum><text>A person or entity that, in the
course of an investigation, is found to have violated the prevailing wage
requirements set forth in paragraph (1)(A), shall not be assessed fines or
other penalties for such violation if the person or entity can establish that
the manner in which the prevailing wage was calculated was consistent with
recognized industry standards and practices.</text>
</clause><clause id="H05FC5E2F21BC4158A06C62EDC0B6F037"><enum>(iv)</enum><text>Clauses (i) and (iii) shall not
apply to a person or entity that has engaged in or is engaging in a pattern or
practice of willful violations of this paragraph.</text>
</clause></subparagraph><subparagraph id="H3DB2C85FB1B94E82B050B391BE9C6241" indent="up1"><enum>(I)</enum><header>Authority to ensure
compliance</header><text>The Secretary of Labor is authorized to take other
such actions, including issuing subpoenas and seeking appropriate injunctive
relief and specific performance of contractual obligations, as may be necessary
to assure employer compliance with the terms and conditions under this
subsection. The rights and remedies provided to H–1B nonimmigrants by this
subsection are in addition to, and not in lieu of, any other contractual or
statutory rights and remedies of such nonimmigrants, and are not intended to
alter or affect such rights and remedies.</text>
</subparagraph><subparagraph id="HA84A8552AA22423389530BEFD08A9DA3" indent="up1"><enum>(J)</enum><header>Substantial failure
defined</header><text>The term <quote>substantial failure</quote> means the
repeated, reckless or willful failure to comply with the requirements of this
section that constitute a significant deviation from the requirements of this
section or the terms and conditions of an application filed under this
section.</text>
</subparagraph></paragraph><after-quoted-block>.</after-quoted-block></quoted-block>
</paragraph><paragraph id="H468852131D134B3EA564A3B1E9B57C5C"><enum>(2)</enum><header>Conforming
amendment</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">Section 212(n) of
the Immigration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1182(n)) is amended by striking
paragraphs (3) and (5) and redesignating paragraph (4), as amended by this
section, as paragraph (3).</text>
</paragraph></subsection><subsection id="H262B2432259148BCAEB41C5EF8CF2A68"><enum>(e)</enum><header>Eliminating H–1B
Extensions for Exclusively Temporary Workers</header><text>Section 214(g)(4) of
the Immigration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1184(g)(4)) is amended by
striking <quote>6</quote> and inserting <quote>3</quote>.</text>
</subsection><subsection id="HD788976F81004C78AE93DEC18ED37453"><enum>(f)</enum><header>Increased
Portability for H–1B Employees</header>
<paragraph id="H04FEF8B139F141A8ACBE39FCA16B84B5"><enum>(1)</enum><header>Grace
period</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">Section 214(g)(4) of
the Immigration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1184(g)(4)), as amended by this
Act, is further amended by adding at the end the following:</text>
<quoted-block display-inline="no-display-inline" id="HEFFA4EAB28024F79AB985AE8FE7730F2" style="OLC">
<subparagraph id="HF9B27FFE76B3462E9F75BE79521BB984" indent="up1"><enum>(C)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">If
a nonimmigrant described in section 101(a)(15)(H)(i)(b) is terminated or laid
off by the nonimmigrant’s employer, or otherwise ceases employment with the
employer, the nonimmigrant’s status shall continue for 60 days or until the
last date of the previously approved status, whichever is
earlier.</text>
</subparagraph><after-quoted-block>.</after-quoted-block></quoted-block>
</paragraph><paragraph id="HB0C5010FBF0E428CB5D6D4C96FF2557F"><enum>(2)</enum><header>Allowing
promotions</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">Section 204(j) of
the Immigration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1154(j)) is amended by—</text>
<subparagraph id="HD012680F9CF741F797B4AE4DAB03467D"><enum>(A)</enum><text>striking
<quote>(a)(1)(D)</quote> and inserting <quote>(a)(1)(F)</quote>;</text>
</subparagraph><subparagraph id="HBA247B3FBA624866A96D50A87DF7529D"><enum>(B)</enum><text>striking <quote>if
the new job is in the same or similar occupational classification as the job
for which the petition was filed.</quote> and inserting <quote>if the new
job—</quote>; and</text>
</subparagraph><subparagraph id="H06DDDC8F0AFB4BF9926BD54869B51960"><enum>(C)</enum><text>inserting at the
end the following:</text>
<quoted-block display-inline="no-display-inline" id="H821E1E5D20A7402F9ED43B30A8367992" style="OLC">
<paragraph id="H52EBFEA63E3244E99C33EFC4D3EDB4A9"><enum>(1)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">is in the same or similar occupational
classification as the job for which the petition was filed; or</text>
</paragraph><paragraph id="H456FC6D70CC3491DACD1AF25B256A97E"><enum>(2)</enum><text>is in a different
occupational classification that is in a field related to the job for which the
petition was filed and involves an increase in wages of at least 5
percent.</text>
</paragraph><after-quoted-block>.</after-quoted-block></quoted-block>
</subparagraph></paragraph><paragraph id="H551A916B66224A648072FA2D167D06D1"><enum>(3)</enum><header>Retention of
priority date</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">Section 203 of
the Immigration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1153), as amended by this Act, is
further amended by adding at the end the following new subsection:</text>
<quoted-block display-inline="no-display-inline" id="H34ACD720FF5E4051838138DAE4281C5C" style="OLC">
<subsection id="H314A669C9CFE4D22B7C15C5D93D14036"><enum>(i)</enum><header>Retention of
priority date</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">The priority
date for any immigrant petition shall be the date of filing with the Secretary
of Homeland Security or the Secretary of State, unless the filing was preceded
by the filing of a labor certification with the Secretary of Labor, in which
case the date of filing of such labor certification shall constitute the
priority date. The beneficiary of any petition shall retain the earliest
priority date based on any approved petition filed on the beneficiary’s behalf,
regardless of the category of subsequent
petitions.</text>
</subsection><after-quoted-block>.</after-quoted-block></quoted-block>
</paragraph><paragraph id="HA3A3461EE0B84C4CB80455592A485BC9"><enum>(4)</enum><header>Employment of
spouses</header><text>Section 214(c)(2)(E) of the Immigration and Nationality
Act (8 U.S.C. 1184(c)(2)(E)) is amended by striking <quote>section
101(a)(15)(L)</quote> and inserting <quote>subparagraph (H) or (L) of section
101(a)(15)</quote>.</text>
</paragraph></subsection><subsection id="H1DC54456AAD248EA90C12B116AB42A40"><enum>(g)</enum><header>Elimination of
H–1B classification for fashion models</header>
<paragraph id="HC841DC7115D24C06A49CD9D87087934A"><enum>(1)</enum><header>In
general</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">Section
101(a)(15)(H)(i)(b) of the Immigration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C.
1101(a)(15)(H)(i)(b)) is amended—</text>
<subparagraph id="HCC50CAB301404961B8EB4B847FD2963C"><enum>(A)</enum><text>by striking
<quote>or as a fashion model</quote>; and</text>
</subparagraph><subparagraph id="HEF3DAF0EF5574088816AA0A55EC554B4"><enum>(B)</enum><text>by striking
<quote>or, in the case of a fashion model, is of distinguished merit and
ability</quote>.</text>
</subparagraph></paragraph><paragraph id="H96A6BDCA89A249418A437CC2AB49ED70"><enum>(2)</enum><header>Addition to P
nonimmigrant classification</header>
<subparagraph id="HEBE8E2B4E8E2413C9CE415FADF2EA77B"><enum>(A)</enum><header>New
classification</header><text>Section 101(a)(15)(P) of the Immigration and
Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1101(a)(15)(P)) is amended—</text>
<clause id="H9B469D1C86F34DEDB7E1AFBCE57C356C"><enum>(i)</enum><text>in
clause (iii), by striking <quote>or</quote> at the end;</text>
</clause><clause id="H71FA3BE45E124596A212873EF5328BBD"><enum>(ii)</enum><text>in
clause (iv), by striking <quote>clause (i), (ii), or (iii)</quote> and
inserting <quote>clause (i), (ii), (iii), or (iv)</quote>;</text>
</clause><clause id="H767FB12EE93B4FB1800CE25C7C01351C"><enum>(iii)</enum><text>by
redesignating clause (iv) as clause (v);</text>
</clause><clause id="H21FC8BBC28ED42F084EA065C321264F5"><enum>(iv)</enum><text>by
inserting after clause (iii) the following:</text>
<quoted-block id="HDBF862F6A9ED42068F429BD330007BBA" style="OLC">
<clause id="HE0684448031A4904B35E7FA0E852E5A7"><enum>(iv)</enum><text>is a fashion
model who is of distinguished merit and ability and who is seeking to enter the
United States temporarily to perform fashion modeling services that involve
events or productions which have a distinguished reputation or that are
performed for an organization or establishment that has a distinguished
reputation for, or a record of, utilizing prominent modeling talent;
or</text>
</clause><after-quoted-block>; and</after-quoted-block></quoted-block>
</clause><clause id="H4D87B9F0925046CA8283F387296D7A83"><enum>(v)</enum><text>by
striking <quote>having a foreign residence which the alien has no intention of
abandoning</quote>.</text>
</clause></subparagraph><subparagraph id="H6AD99AA0F5EE405097E924ABF220BE59"><enum>(B)</enum><header>Authorized
period of stay</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">Section
214(a)(2) of the Immigration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1184(a)(2)) is
amended—</text>
<clause id="HAA58C2D082DC4E37AD76D69903FBD197"><enum>(i)</enum><text>in
paragraph (B) by inserting <quote>(i), (ii), and (iii)</quote> after
<quote>1101(a)(15)(P)</quote> each place that term appears; and</text>
</clause><clause id="HC07F70180457438482855436F55C50AA"><enum>(ii)</enum><text>by
inserting <quote>or fashion model</quote> after <quote>athlete</quote>.</text>
</clause></subparagraph><subparagraph id="HA0EEA493E5644689916DED0C4AB92BE4"><enum>(C)</enum><header>Consultation</header>
<clause id="H9161E5D3F8A64DCC931ADE024C5BF02F"><enum>(i)</enum><header>In
general</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">Section 214(c)(4)(D)
of the Immigration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1184(c)(4)(D)) is amended by
striking <quote>clause (i) or (iii)</quote> and inserting <quote>clause (i),
(iii), or (iv)</quote>.</text>
</clause><clause id="H54B74F51340F46DD81200D570DB6B786"><enum>(ii)</enum><header>Advisory
opinion</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">Section 214(c)(6)(A)
of the Immigration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1184(c)(6)(A)) is amended by
inserting at the end new clause to read as follows—</text>
<quoted-block id="H0962BAA44B344CE781061E717C904422" style="OLC">
<clause id="HA440E069C69D49F497C9CEBE194294B9"><enum>(iv)</enum><text>To meet the
consultation requirement of paragraph (4)(D), in the case of a petition for a
nonimmigrant described in section 101(a)(15)(P)(iv) of this Act, the petitioner
shall submit with the petition an advisory opinion from a peer group, labor
organization, or other person or persons of its choosing with expertise in the
field of fashion modeling.</text>
</clause><after-quoted-block></after-quoted-block></quoted-block>
</clause><clause id="HD68D0F6834734371B07F3279EA1ECBD9"><enum>(iii)</enum><header>Expedited
procedures</header><text>Section 214(c)(6)(E)(i) of the Immigration and
Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1184(c)(6)(E)(i)) is amended by striking
<quote>artists or entertainers</quote> and inserting <quote>artists,
entertainers, or fashion models</quote>.</text>
</clause></subparagraph></paragraph><paragraph id="H8EF58D1CECB54B4F8255960AD4B076E8"><enum>(3)</enum><header>Conforming
amendments</header><text>Section 214 (a) and (c) of the Immigration and
Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1184 (a) and (c)) are amended by striking the term
<quote>Attorney General</quote> each place it appears and inserting
<quote>Secretary of Homeland Security</quote>.</text>
</paragraph><paragraph id="H1885E5D2E6564F93A92815E5A5B153E7"><enum>(4)</enum><header>Construction</header><text>Nothing
in this subsection shall be construed as preventing an alien who is a fashion
model from obtaining nonimmigrant status under section 101(a)(15)(O)(i) of the
Immigration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1101(a)(15)(O)(i)) if such alien is
otherwise qualified for such status.</text>
</paragraph></subsection></section><section id="H49EE25CA547745D788AC553B03F29716"><enum>403.</enum><header>Reforming the L
visa program to protect American workers</header>
<subsection id="HA306AF24A034446A80E77698D30A2A07"><enum>(a)</enum><header>Requiring
prevailing wage for certain L–1B nonimmigrants</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">Section 214(c)(2) of the Immigration and
Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1184(c)(2)) is amended by adding at the end the
following:</text>
<quoted-block display-inline="no-display-inline" id="H7E97D0949BE94469909CFC01E1CA8D9C" style="OLC">
<subparagraph id="H9C3E52C52D504B78A19C1AF552D7C4B1"><enum>(G)</enum><clause commented="no" display-inline="yes-display-inline" id="H0768CF9272654FE8AAC0DF92D7E51A2D"><enum>(i)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">No alien described in clause (ii) may be
admitted or provided status under section 101(a)(15)(L) unless the employer has
filed with the Secretary of Labor an application stating that the
employer—</text>
<subclause id="H2CF47A76B4FB4347AF802021E2CAD85E" indent="up1"><enum>(I)</enum><text>is offering and will offer during the
period of authorized employment wages that are at least—</text>
<item id="HC689B1E58EF34C888B421D2428CC0CEE"><enum>(aa)</enum><text>the actual wage level paid by the
employer to all other individuals with similar experience and qualifications
for the specific employment in question, or</text>
</item><item id="H0D0F1DE7EEC7402B9754ECA6B0AF4109"><enum>(bb)</enum><text>the prevailing wage level for the
occupational classification in the area of employment,</text>
</item><continuation-text continuation-text-level="subclause">whichever
is greater, based on the best information available as of the time of filing
the application; and</continuation-text></subclause><subclause id="H25CE3FBA6FE84B398C02DBA9F548E3F5" indent="up1"><enum>(II)</enum><text>will provide working conditions for such
alien that will not adversely affect the working conditions of workers
similarly employed.</text>
</subclause></clause><clause id="HE876CDA44DE443B182F77AC35BCCFE0A" indent="up1"><enum>(ii)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">An alien is described in this clause if the
alien will serve in a capacity involving specialized knowledge under section
101(a)(15)(L) and the alien—</text>
<subclause id="HB63734E903434263891AE8E8891F876E"><enum>(I)</enum><text>will be employed in the United States for
a cumulative period of time in excess of 18 months over a 3-year period,
or</text>
</subclause><subclause id="HB6499D8FF5A14472970627FF696570AC"><enum>(II)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">will
be employed in the United States for a cumulative period of time in excess of
90 days over a 3-year period and will be stationed primarily at the worksite of
an employer other than the petitioning employer or its affiliate, subsidiary,
or parent, including pursuant to an outsourcing, leasing, or other contracting
agreement.</text>
</subclause></clause><clause id="H5BA41E202FFA404989C3ED618DAE5B2A" indent="up1"><enum>(iii)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">An employer may comply with the
requirements of clause (i) by establishing that the total amount of
compensation to be paid by the employer to the alien (including the value of
benefits paid by the employer to the alien in the alien’s home country,
employer-provided housing or housing allowances, employer-provided vehicles or
transportation allowances, and other benefits provided to the alien as an
incident of the assignment in the United States) meets or exceeds the total
amount of compensation paid by the employer to all other employees with similar
experience and qualifications working in the same occupational
classification.</text>
</clause></subparagraph><after-quoted-block>.</after-quoted-block></quoted-block>
</subsection><subsection id="H6C58498C9E944F12AA2497F44446DF08"><enum>(b)</enum><header>Investigation
and disposition of complaints against L–1 employers</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">Section 214(c)(2) of the Immigration and
Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1184(c)(2)), as amended by this section, is further
amended by adding at the end the following:</text>
<quoted-block id="HB2B219536C3E4AB9AE434410674E3EA9" style="OLC">
<subparagraph id="H88233FD50A454C1AA65968F4563ABF41"><enum>(H)</enum><clause commented="no" display-inline="yes-display-inline" id="H6A0CB36BE39D48DA94C0E3E982E0856B"><enum>(i)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">The Secretary of Labor shall establish a
process for the receipt, investigation and disposition of complaints, which may
be filed by any aggrieved person or organization (including bargaining
representatives), respecting an employer’s compliance with this paragraph and
the conditions of an application under paragraph (1) for a nonimmigrant under
section 101(a)(15)(L). The Secretary, either pursuant to this complaint process
or otherwise, may investigate employers as necessary to determine such
compliance. The Secretary shall audit at least 5 percent of the employers who
file applications under subparagraph (G) in a given year to determine
compliance with this subsection.</text>
</clause><clause id="HF8431B1F5BDC46D7A8DE4E1E5358E1B3" indent="up1"><enum>(ii)</enum><text>If the Secretary finds, after
notice and an opportunity for a hearing, a substantial failure to meet any of
the conditions of this paragraph, a misrepresentation of a material fact in an
application under paragraph (1) for a nonimmigrant under section 101(a)(15)(L),
or a violation of clause (iii) or (iv)—</text>
<subclause id="H682E2E6560014AA7B4FF4DDC54CDB99F"><enum>(I)</enum><text>the Secretary shall, in addition to any
other remedy authorized by law, impose such administrative remedies (including
civil monetary penalties in an amount not to exceed $10,000 per violation) as
the Secretary determines to be appropriate; and</text>
</subclause><subclause id="H53A8F6BEC9824ACAB39055281C1E8AB7"><enum>(II)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">the
Secretary may not approve applications with respect to that employer under
paragraph (1) for a nonimmigrant under section 101(a)(15)(L) during a period of
at least 1 year but not more than 5 years for aliens to be employed by the
employer.</text>
</subclause></clause><clause id="HB89648B2047146649A77749EB0567447" indent="up1"><enum>(iii)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">It is a violation of this subparagraph for
an employer who has filed an application under paragraph (1) for a nonimmigrant
under section 101(a)(15)(L) to intimidate, threaten, restrain, coerce,
discharge, or in any other manner discriminate or retaliate against an employee
(including a former employee or an applicant for employment) because the
employee—</text>
<subclause id="H3840C673E2A8471BBA624BFD396C7CDE"><enum>(I)</enum><text>has disclosed information to the
employer, or to any other person, that the employee reasonably believes
evidences a violation of this subsection, or any rule or regulation pertaining
to this subsection; or</text>
</subclause><subclause id="H3DE2DCB3BE6F42FD957346239B1C76FD"><enum>(II)</enum><text>seeks legal assistance or counsel
related to any such violation, or cooperates, or seeks to cooperate, in an
investigation or other proceeding concerning the employer’s compliance with the
requirements of this subsection, or any rule or regulation pertaining to this
subsection.</text>
</subclause><continuation-text continuation-text-level="clause">The Secretary
shall devise a process under which a nonimmigrant under section 101(a)(15)(L)
who files a complaint regarding a violation of this subparagraph and is
otherwise eligible to remain and work in the United States may be allowed to
seek other appropriate employment in the United States for a period not to
exceed the maximum period of stay authorized for such nonimmigrant
classification.</continuation-text></clause><clause id="HDDC332492EA74229B89FDE7674C7050B" indent="up1"><enum>(iv)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">It is a violation of this subparagraph for
an employer who has filed an application under paragraph (1) for a nonimmigrant
under section 101(a)(15)(L)—</text>
<subclause id="H08C7F53D856444DD880BB6B955473FBB"><enum>(I)</enum><text>to require such nonimmigrant to pay a
penalty for ceasing employment with the employer prior to a date agreed to by
the nonimmigrant and the employer; or</text>
</subclause><subclause id="HE83A7B748BF548E285242D6AB2C5251B"><enum>(II)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">to
require or accept reimbursement or any other form of compensation from an alien
with respect to a fee imposed on the employer related to such
application.</text>
</subclause></clause><clause display-inline="no-display-inline" id="H1D5259D258EF419F878D4556A0431F4F" indent="up1"><enum>(v)</enum><text>If the Secretary finds, after
notice and an opportunity for a hearing, that recovery of back wages, fees or
costs is necessary to address a violation of this subparagraph or any other
law, the Secretary may recover such back wages, fees or costs on behalf of the
worker.</text>
</clause><clause id="H4874ACF0D273407D811F038BF8B53967" indent="up1"><enum>(vi)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">The Secretary is authorized to take other
such actions, including issuing subpoenas and seeking appropriate injunctive
relief and specific performance of contractual obligations, as may be necessary
to assure employer compliance with the terms and conditions under this
paragraph. The rights and remedies provided to nonimmigrants under section
101(a)(15)(L) by this paragraph are in addition to, and not in lieu of, any
other contractual or statutory rights and remedies of such nonimmigrants, and
are not intended to alter or affect such rights and remedies.</text>
</clause><clause id="HB0F892F3F968455BBFC554C2B95BEA60" indent="up1"><enum>(vii)</enum><subclause commented="no" display-inline="yes-display-inline" id="HAA224E4EB61948D990D59FC135B85A09"><enum>(I)</enum><text>Except as provided in
subclauses (II) and (III), a person or entity is considered to have complied
with the requirements of this paragraph, notwithstanding a technical or
procedural failure to meet such requirements, if there was a good faith attempt
to comply with the requirements.</text>
</subclause><subclause id="H5BABA99397BC446A9B7FFB264C35CF21"><enum>(II)</enum><text>Subclause (I) shall not apply if—</text>
<item id="H81965292CBF845A9BE54FB3B40946524"><enum>(aa)</enum><text>the Secretary of Homeland Security
(or another enforcement agency) has explained to the person or entity the basis
for the failure;</text>
</item><item id="H51BA6963205D4868B2785B0399EE3BB6"><enum>(bb)</enum><text>the person or entity has been
provided a period of not less than 10 business days (beginning after the date
of the explanation) within which to correct such failure; and</text>
</item><item id="HC668738D0CDB4EDAA5058B79A975691A"><enum>(cc)</enum><text>the person or entity has not
corrected the failure voluntarily within such period.</text>
</item></subclause><subclause id="H3FD684DBA8BA41AEBA031389D5B7B679"><enum>(III)</enum><text>A person or entity that, in the course
of an investigation, is found to have violated the prevailing wage requirements
set forth in subparagraph (G), shall not be assessed fines or other penalties
for such violation if the person or entity can establish that the manner in
which the prevailing wage was calculated was consistent with recognized
industry standards and practices.</text>
</subclause><subclause id="HBA35DB40D68640C1AF1CD83088925896"><enum>(IV)</enum><text>Subclauses (I) and (III) shall not apply
to a person or entity that has engaged in or is engaging in a pattern or
practice of willful violations of this paragraph.</text>
</subclause></clause><clause id="H1D2474A3E9604DF49FF3C3737A175DBA" indent="up1"><enum>(viii)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">The term <quote>substantial failure</quote>
means the repeated, reckless or willful failure to comply with the requirements
of this paragraph that constitute a significant deviation from the requirements
of this paragraph or the terms and conditions of an application filed under
paragraph (1) for nonimmigrants under section
101(a)(15)(L).</text>
</clause></subparagraph><after-quoted-block>.</after-quoted-block></quoted-block>
</subsection><subsection id="H698A98862F6A476F878CBF9AECD24935"><enum>(c)</enum><header>Technical
Amendment</header><text>Section 214(c)(2) of the Immigration and Nationality
Act (8 U.S.C. 1184(c)(2)), as amended by this section, is further amended by
striking <quote>Attorney General</quote> each place such term appears and
inserting <quote>Secretary of Homeland Security</quote>.</text>
</subsection><subsection id="H592CF21C247A4EC1B49952B5DF0601FE"><enum>(d)</enum><header>Report on L–1
nonimmigrants</header><text>Section 214(c)(8) of the Immigration and
Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1184(c)(8)) is amended—</text>
<paragraph id="H5C40B020BFAB417CB45278A6F337DA20"><enum>(1)</enum><text>by striking
<quote>Attorney General</quote> and inserting <quote>Secretary of Homeland
Security or Secretary of State, as appropriate,</quote>;</text>
</paragraph><paragraph id="H783CCA73F28C4DDBADF05BCF6E3DB0E5"><enum>(2)</enum><text>by inserting
<quote>(L),</quote> after <quote>(H),</quote>; and</text>
</paragraph><paragraph id="H8AA96C3DA6864F1FB7143EF39E055EAF"><enum>(3)</enum><text>by adding at the
end the following:</text>
<quoted-block id="HC68403A0DAAE4822AB9EFA4CDC169113" style="OLC">
<subparagraph id="HFC4DAAB3100548F3987CB5A4E4CD28B7"><enum>(F)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">The number of applications for
nonimmigrants described under section 101(a)(15)(L), based on an approved
blanket petition under paragraph (2)(A), which have been filed.</text>
</subparagraph><subparagraph id="H6205F5FFF0204F12890731D4423F7A6F"><enum>(G)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">The number of applications for
nonimmigrants described under section 101(a)(15)(L), based on an approved
blanket petition under paragraph (2)(A), which have been
approved.</text>
</subparagraph><after-quoted-block>.</after-quoted-block></quoted-block>
</paragraph></subsection><subsection id="H83763A5FD947475A95F4E19EFAB0973E"><enum>(e)</enum><header>Report on L–1
blanket petition process</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">Not
later than 12 months after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Inspector
General of the Department of Homeland Security, in cooperation with the
Inspector General of the Department of State, shall submit to the Committee on
the Judiciary of the House of Representatives and the Committee on the
Judiciary of the Senate a report regarding the use of blanket petitions under
section 214(c)(2)(A) of the Immigration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C.
1184(c)(2)(A)). Such report shall assess the efficiency and reliability of the
process for reviewing such blanket petitions and adjudicating visa applications
filed under an approved blanket petition, including whether the process
includes adequate safeguards against fraud and abuse.</text>
</subsection></section><enum>V</enum><header>Promoting
Investment in the American Economy</header>
<section id="H82954BA6FCF048C9845717BBA5156437" section-type="subsequent-section"><enum>501.</enum><header>EB–5 Employment
Creation Investor Program</header>
<subsection id="HE4347B26404E448C9332BE8B9453B6B0"><enum>(a)</enum><header>Authorization of
EB–5 employment creation regional center program</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">Section 203(b)(5) of the Immigration and
Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1153(b)(5)) is amended by adding at the end the
following new subparagraph:</text>
<quoted-block display-inline="no-display-inline" id="HB0563B4186BD45CFBBE27D0E3987E465" style="OLC">
<subparagraph id="H6A3D9BE13ABB4A689989E5843900F5DF"><enum>(E)</enum><header>Set-aside for
employment creation regional centers</header>
<clause id="H8244B5E0B12E483AA6A544623D4027A3"><enum>(i)</enum><header>In
general</header><text>Of the visas otherwise available under this paragraph,
the Secretary of State, together with the Secretary of Homeland Security, shall
set aside at least 5,000 visas for a program involving regional centers
designated by the Secretary of Homeland Security, on the basis of a general
proposal, for the promotion of economic growth, including improved regional
productivity, job creation, or increased domestic capital investment. A
regional center shall have jurisdiction over a specific geographic area, which
shall be described in the proposal and consistent with the purpose of
concentrating pooled investment in defined economic zones. The establishment of
a regional center under this subparagraph may be based on general predictions,
contained in the proposal, concerning the kinds of new commercial enterprises
that will receive capital from aliens under this paragraph, the jobs that will
be created (directly or indirectly) as a result of such capital investments and
the other positive economic effects such capital investments will have.</text>
</clause><clause id="H9C123E6EC22040C6A4E59055DCE70DD7"><enum>(ii)</enum><header>Methodologies</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">In determining compliance with this
subparagraph, and notwithstanding requirements applicable to investors not
involving regional centers, the Secretary of Homeland Security, in consultation
with the Secretary of Commerce, shall recognize reasonable methodologies for
determining the number of jobs created by a designated regional center,
including such jobs that are estimated to have been created indirectly through
revenues generated from increased exports, improved regional productivity, or
increased domestic capital investment resulting from the regional center. The
Secretary may consider estimated job creation outside the geographic boundary
of a designated regional center if such estimate is supported by substantial
evidence and constitutes no more than 50 percent of the overall number of jobs
estimated to be created by such regional center.</text>
</clause><clause commented="no" id="H259DE757F83E4E9ABC60915DEC971D01"><enum>(iii)</enum><header>Preapproval of
new commercial enterprises</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">The Secretary of Homeland Security shall
establish a preapproval procedure for commercial enterprises that—</text>
<subclause commented="no" id="HECB2BDC6E6794BB6AD3BF59E1260D153"><enum>(I)</enum><text>allows a regional
center to apply to the Secretary for approval of a new commercial enterprise
before any alien files a petition for classification under this paragraph by
reason of investment in the new commercial enterprise;</text>
</subclause><subclause commented="no" id="HA34FA6DEFBA44732B60852DAF7D14149"><enum>(II)</enum><text>in considering an
application under subclause (I), requires that the Secretary make final
decisions on all issues under this paragraph other than those issues unique to
each individual investor in the new commercial enterprise; and</text>
</subclause><subclause commented="no" id="H0AECFDB49BAE49C899F65A92EAD41501"><enum>(III)</enum><text>requires that
the Secretary eliminate the need for the repeated submission of documentation
that is common to multiple petitions for classification under this paragraph
through a regional center.</text>
</subclause></clause><clause id="H338C213C4DB64787950E352C427854EF"><enum>(iv)</enum><header>Fee for
regional center designation</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">In addition to any other fees authorized by
law, the Secretary of Homeland Security shall impose a fee to apply for
designation as an EB–5 regional center under this paragraph. Fees collected
under this paragraph shall be deposited in the Treasury in accordance with
section
286(y).</text>
</clause></subparagraph><after-quoted-block>.</after-quoted-block></quoted-block>
</subsection><subsection display-inline="no-display-inline" id="H41F25EB8BAAC4E19876A5C762499ECD1"><enum>(b)</enum><header>Targeted
employment areas</header><text>Section 203(b)(5)(B) of the Immigration and
Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1153(b)(5)(B)) is amended as follows:</text>
<paragraph id="H7A421849BB7E497394D3FA37C4A215F5"><enum>(1)</enum><header>Targeted
employment area defined</header><text>In clause (ii), to read as
follows:</text>
<quoted-block id="H8056434D27F4494D936F0DB15C0DDFAF" style="OLC">
<clause id="HD1774AEEEDD049DEA0AF5FB32DCC041B"><enum>(ii)</enum><header>Targeted
employment area defined</header><text>In this paragraph, the term
<term>targeted employment area</term> means—</text>
<subclause id="HABDE8D4532F24F4488D1E482FA494C37"><enum>(I)</enum><text>a rural
area;</text>
</subclause><subclause id="HEC7B335B9BF54B59B80E30BF33C9C6BD"><enum>(II)</enum><text>an area that has
experienced high unemployment (of at least 150 percent of the national average
rate) within the preceding 12 months;</text>
</subclause><subclause id="HCC4553A079424C98B8C1B8B57EC58906"><enum>(III)</enum><text>a county that
has had a 20 percent or more decrease in population since 1970; or</text>
</subclause><subclause id="HEB20278CED8946699653D7462BD6772F"><enum>(IV)</enum><text>an area that is
within the boundaries established for purposes of a State or Federal economic
development incentive program, including areas defined as Enterprise Zones,
Renewal Communities and Empowerment
Zones.</text>
</subclause></clause><after-quoted-block>.</after-quoted-block></quoted-block>
</paragraph><paragraph commented="no" id="H8D7462B0F86F47F7B9556EBBAE80A0D7"><enum>(2)</enum><header>Rural area
defined</header><text>In clause (iii), by striking <quote>within a metropolitan
statistical area or</quote>.</text>
</paragraph><paragraph id="H68259F33B470432CBF0BDAEA7E08CAFB"><enum>(3)</enum><header>Effect of prior
determination</header><text>By adding at the end the following:</text>
<quoted-block id="H2CEBEBCD531A427B8A9AF866AEC3F013" style="OLC">
<clause id="H4ACCD956F5304A16A7E494FFFB40BAB6"><enum>(iv)</enum><header>Effect of prior
determination</header><text>In a case in which a geographic area is determined
under clause (ii) to be a targeted employment area, such determination shall
remain in effect during the 2-year period beginning on the date of the
determination for purposes of any alien seeking a visa reserved under this
subparagraph.</text>
</clause><after-quoted-block>.</after-quoted-block></quoted-block>
</paragraph></subsection><subsection id="H56822F29A605472995E6B994B8729C78"><enum>(c)</enum><header>Calculating job
creation</header><text>Section 203(b)(5)(D) of such Act (8 U.S.C.
1153(b)(5)(D)) is amended to read as follows:</text>
<quoted-block id="H6BC9BBF6806C431FA7C0D2E11BD5BC03" style="OLC">
<subparagraph id="H43FCD8780679415FBFA8D822CD45490C"><enum>(D)</enum><header>Full-time
employment</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">In this paragraph,
the term <term>full-time employment</term> means employment in a position that
requires at least 35 hours of service per week at any time, regardless of who
fills the position. Such employment may be satisfied on a full-time equivalent
basis by calculating the number of full-time employees that could have been
employed if the reported number of hours worked by part-time employees had been
worked by full-time employees. Full-time equivalent employment shall be
calculated by dividing the part-time hours paid by the standard number of hours
for full-time
employees.</text>
</subparagraph><after-quoted-block>.</after-quoted-block></quoted-block>
</subsection><subsection commented="no" id="HD4C614B5B7A34B2EA4153589402AFBF0"><enum>(d)</enum><header>Capital</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">Section 203(b)(5)(C) of the Immigration and
Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1153(b)(5)(C)) is amended by adding at the end the
following:</text>
<quoted-block display-inline="no-display-inline" id="H31B148F6CFB1434EAECFB5601F8E19E6" style="OLC">
<clause commented="no" id="H4EDF907AD448411B9EE6D2ABA250CAC9"><enum>(iv)</enum><header>Capital
defined</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">For purposes of this
paragraph, the term <term>capital</term> does not include any assets acquired,
directly or indirectly, by unlawful
means.</text>
</clause><after-quoted-block>.
</after-quoted-block></quoted-block>
</subsection><subsection commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="H2F3D1A130C93472991BCE7D1E1606F91"><enum>(e)</enum><header>Type of
investment</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">Section
203(b)(5)(A) of the Immigration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1153(b)(5)(A)),
is amended by adding <quote>or similar entity</quote> after <quote>including a
limited partnership</quote>.</text>
</subsection><subsection id="H7E48130923914A61AC4BFD2899AF32FD"><enum>(f)</enum><header>Extension</header><text>Subparagraph
(A) of section 216A(d)(2) of the Immigration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C.
1186b(d)(2)(A)) is amended by adding at the end the following: <quote>A date
specified by the applicant (but not later than the fourth anniversary) shall be
substituted for the second anniversary in applying the preceding sentence if
the applicant demonstrates that the applicant has attempted to follow the
applicant’s business model in good faith, provides an explanation for the delay
in filing the petition that is based on circumstances outside of the
applicant’s control, and demonstrates that such circumstances will be able to
be resolved within the specified period.</quote>.</text>
</subsection><subsection id="HFF5B366CF8B94DA1BBDD61284D1D24B5"><enum>(g)</enum><header>Study</header>
<paragraph id="H1E1FCF6C2CF44CEBAE578C0A51CF7753"><enum>(1)</enum><header>In
general</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">The Secretary of
Homeland Security, in appropriate consultation with the Secretary of Commerce
and other interested parties, shall conduct a study concerning—</text>
<subparagraph id="H04BA7323B4584FFC8A9B4A68C28F547C"><enum>(A)</enum><text>current job
creation counting methodology and initial projections under section 203(b)(5)
of the Immigration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1153(b)(5)); and</text>
</subparagraph><subparagraph id="HC1E8A8B4BF3F499986A15FDFCA48D203"><enum>(B)</enum><text>how to best
promote the employment creation program described in such section overseas to
potential immigrant investors.</text>
</subparagraph></paragraph><paragraph id="H9921AF4BA7A34EFE80486DC46A286629"><enum>(2)</enum><header>Report</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">The Secretary of Homeland Security shall
submit a report to the Committee on the Judiciary of the House of
Representatives and the Committee on the Judiciary of the Senate not later than
1 year after the date of the enactment of this Act containing the results of
the study conducted under paragraph (1).</text>
</paragraph></subsection><subsection commented="no" id="H422C26CF66EC436F9B221C54B45648D8"><enum>(h)</enum><header>Biennial
report</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">Beginning on the date
that is one year after the date of enactment of this Act, and every 2 years
thereafter, the Secretary of Homeland Security shall submit a report to the
Committee on the Judiciary of the House of Representatives and the Committee on
the Judiciary of the Senate that measures the economic impact of the regional
center program described in section 203(b)(5)(E) of the Immigration and
Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1153(b)(5)(E)), including—</text>
<paragraph commented="no" id="H6687D046B42F4A68B22BF75DC9BCBBA7"><enum>(1)</enum><text>foreign and
domestic capital investment;</text>
</paragraph><paragraph commented="no" id="H474E482E8FC24EF38AA0BBD85A69C385"><enum>(2)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">the number of jobs directly and indirectly
created;</text>
</paragraph><paragraph commented="no" id="H023B2A2CD7454FF0B705C3496F4883DE"><enum>(3)</enum><text>any other economic
benefits related to foreign investment under such program; and</text>
</paragraph><paragraph commented="no" id="HDD9DC38887544B90AD9B9299E2ADB63A"><enum>(4)</enum><text>the number of
petitions under such section approved or denied for each regional
center.</text>
</paragraph></subsection><subsection id="HE306434A44324BA0BF8FB7D05B449730"><enum>(i)</enum><header>Rulemaking</header><text>Not
later than 120 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary
of Homeland Security shall prescribe regulations to implement the amendments
made by this section.</text>
</subsection></section><section commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="HA84C616214CD432A9141B9EDDA5627AC" section-type="subsequent-section"><enum>502.</enum><header>Concurrent filing;
adjustment of status</header><text display-inline="no-display-inline">Section
245 of the Immigration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1255) is amended—</text>
<paragraph commented="no" id="HC821FF255FB84A1A82B237E3A8F076AE"><enum>(1)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">in subsection (k), in the matter preceding
paragraph (1), by striking <quote>(1), (2), or (3)</quote> and inserting
<quote>(1), (2), (3), (5), or (6)</quote>; and</text>
</paragraph><paragraph commented="no" id="H433F805EBE114D3398AB45D8EEEAD5C5"><enum>(2)</enum><text>by adding at the
end the following:</text>
<quoted-block id="H70BAB19D64614506818B2054B1AE9012" style="OLC">
<subsection commented="no" id="H2D126BC7B26B4631BA39723F96602CD1"><enum>(n)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">If, at the time a petition is filed under
section 204 for classification under paragraph (5) or (6) of section 203(b),
approval of the petition would make a visa immediately available to the alien
beneficiary, the alien beneficiary’s adjustment application under this section
shall be considered to be properly filed whether the application is submitted
concurrently with, or subsequent to, the visa
petition.</text>
</subsection><after-quoted-block>.
</after-quoted-block></quoted-block>
</paragraph></section><section id="HB1AB655F855C4852B0FF87BF57BC8F9D"><enum>503.</enum><header>Fees; premium
processing</header>
<subsection id="H23EB28CF8BA74DCEB52ADB27D918CF4C"><enum>(a)</enum><header>Establishment of
account; use of fees</header><text>Section 286 of the Immigration and
Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1356), as amended by this Act, is further amended by
adding at the end the following:</text>
<quoted-block id="H544D1329A0C44560BB42A679CAB961A0" style="OLC">
<subsection id="H14343D9C12AA4531801D4B1BDEF96E33"><enum>(y)</enum><header>Immigrant
entrepreneur account</header>
<paragraph id="H177633E2E42048EFB4F226C65D4F63B1"><enum>(1)</enum><header>In
general</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">There is established
in the general fund of the Treasury a separate account, which shall be known as
the <quote>Immigrant Entrepreneur Account</quote>. Notwithstanding any other
provision of law, there shall be deposited as offsetting receipts into the
account all fees collected under paragraph (5) or (6) of section 203(b) of this
Act or section 610(b) of the Departments of Commerce, Justice, and State, the
Judiciary, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 1993 (8 U.S.C. 1153
note).</text>
</paragraph><paragraph id="H4943C6DF0A0040EFBAF1206AC4785589"><enum>(2)</enum><header>Use of
fees</header><text>Fees collected under this section may only be used by the
Secretary of Homeland Security to administer and operate the employment
creation program described in paragraph (5) or (6) of section
203(b).</text>
</paragraph></subsection><after-quoted-block>.</after-quoted-block></quoted-block>
</subsection><subsection id="H1700B900AB3B43E58DF4DE7F637B96A0"><enum>(b)</enum><header>Premium
processing</header><text>Section 286(u) of the Immigration and Nationality Act
(8 U.S.C. 1356(u)) is amended by adding at the end the following: <quote>In the
case of a petition filed under section 204(a)(1)(H) for classification under
paragraph (5) or (6) of section 203(b), if the petitioner desires a guarantee
of a decision on the petition in 60 days or less, the premium processing fee
under this subsection shall be set at $2,500 and shall be deposited as
offsetting receipts in the Immigrant Entrepreneur Account established under
subsection (y).</quote>.</text>
</subsection></section>