A Republican bill with no cosponsors
Last activity — Referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary.
In committee
Introduced and handed to a committee in the chamber it started in.
The committee holds it, and most bills are never heard from again. A hearing or a committee vote would be news; silence is the usual outcome, and it kills the bill without anyone voting against it.
Its path through Congress
- Introduced
- In Committee
What this bill would do
This bill changes our country's legal immigration rules by replacing the current system with a new skills-based points system for workers. It sets up a brand new federal board at the Department of Commerce called the SMART Board to decide how many employment-based and nonimmigrant worker visas should be given out based on economic needs. The legislation also completely gets rid of the Diversity Visa Program and narrows family-sponsored immigration so it focuses mainly on spouses and minor children. Additionally, it creates a new "Gold-Card" immigrant visa program for individuals or corporations willing to pay hefty fees starting at one million dollars. Finally, the bill replaces H-1B visas with "SMARTER" nonimmigrant visas and directs the Department of Homeland Security to use artificial intelligence to find visa overstays.
Yes· 3 of 18
- Scored +5
Would business owners be better off under this?
Business owners gain streamlined and predictable access to high-skilled global talent through industrial labor need determinations and the SMART Board.
- Scored +5
Would people with substantial wealth be better off under this?
The creation of the Gold-Card immigrant visa program directly benefits wealthy individuals willing to pay significant fees for expedited residence.
- Scored +5
Would the very wealthiest people be better off under this?
Ultra-high-net-worth individuals and corporate entities can leverage substantial financial resources to secure residency through the Gold-Card program.
The opposite· 3 of 5
- Scored -6
Does this make it easier for immigrants already here to become citizens?
The bill eliminates the Diversity Visa Program, restricts family-sponsored immigration categories, and introduces stricter hurdles to naturalization.
- Scored -5
Would immigrants be better off under this?
The bill eliminates the Diversity Visa Program, cuts family-sponsored immigration, and imposes strict hurdles such as public benefit clawbacks for naturalization.
- Scored -4
Would households on low incomes be better off under this?
The severe restrictions on family-sponsored immigration and elimination of the Diversity Visa Program disproportionately impact lower-income potential immigrants.
Who it would affect, and how
Potential Positive Impacts for People
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Encouraging High-Demand Skills: Under Section 5 (adding Section 220 to the Immigration and Nationality Act), applicants for employment-based visas earn points based on education levels, English proficiency, extraordinary achievements like a Nobel Prize, and high-earning job offers. This means people with top-tier skills and high salaries get priority, which can help drive innovation and strengthen our economy.
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Protecting American Workers' Wages: Under Section 7 (amending Section 212(p) of the Immigration and Nationality Act), the prevailing wage for foreign workers must match the median compensation received by U.S. workers with the same education and experience in the same job and location. This provision helps ensure that incoming workers are not undercutting the paychecks of hardworking Americans.
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Funding Through the Gold-Card Program: Under Section 10, the bill creates the Gold-Card immigrant visa program, making 25,000 visas available annually for individuals who pay a fee of $1,000,000 plus a $15,000 processing fee, or corporations that pay $2,000,000 plus the processing fee. These substantial fees flow directly into government funds, which could provide a major boost to federal revenues.
Potential Negative Impacts for People
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Limiting Family Reunification: Under Section 3, the bill redefines immediate relatives and guts several family-based visa categories, such as eliminating visas for parents and adult children of citizens, and restructuring worldwide family-sponsored levels. This makes it much harder for families to reunite and live together in the United States.
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Eliminating the Diversity Visa: Under Section 2, the legislation completely strikes out the Diversity Visa Program from the Immigration and Nationality Act. This takes away a key legal immigration pathway for people from countries with historically low rates of immigration to the United States.
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Blocking Citizenship for Outstanding Debts: Under Section 8 (amending Section 318 of the Immigration and Nationality Act), no person may be naturalized as a U.S. citizen if the individual who signed an affidavit of support for them fails to reimburse the federal government for any means-tested public benefits the person received. This means an immigrant could be blocked from becoming a citizen simply because their sponsor failed to repay the government for public assistance.
Groups and Interests Ranking
Every group the model scored this bill for, from -10 to +10. Tap or hover a score for the reason it gave.
- Demographic And Interest Groups
- Would billionaires be better off under this? — Billionaires and large corporate executives benefit from provisions facilitating the influx of high-skilled labor and investor-based immigration pathways. Would business owners be better off under this? — Business owners gain streamlined and predictable access to high-skilled global talent through industrial labor need determinations and the SMART Board. Would people with substantial wealth be better off under this? — The creation of the Gold-Card immigrant visa program directly benefits wealthy individuals willing to pay significant fees for expedited residence. Would the very wealthiest people be better off under this? — Ultra-high-net-worth individuals and corporate entities can leverage substantial financial resources to secure residency through the Gold-Card program. Would high-income households be better off under this? — High-income earners and wealthy individuals benefit from the skills-based point allocations and the creation of the Gold-Card visa program. Would Asian Americans be better off under this? — The shift toward a skills-based points system and elimination of per-country caps can benefit high-skilled applicants from countries with high applicant volumes. Would people in their twenties and thirties be better off under this? — Younger adult applicants receive favorable point allocations under the age-tiered structure of the new immigration points system. Would students be better off under this? — Graduates with degrees in STEM and qualifications from institutions with high research expenditures receive favorable point enhancements under the new system. Would union members be better off under this? — Strengthening prevailing wage requirements to match median compensation helps protect domestic workers from wage suppression by incoming labor. Would immigrants be better off under this? — The bill eliminates the Diversity Visa Program, cuts family-sponsored immigration, and imposes strict hurdles such as public benefit clawbacks for naturalization. Would households on low incomes be better off under this? — The severe restrictions on family-sponsored immigration and elimination of the Diversity Visa Program disproportionately impact lower-income potential immigrants. Would Black Americans be better off under this? — The elimination of the Diversity Visa Program removes a key immigration channel that has historically benefited applicants from underrepresented regions.
- Economy And Finance
- Is this likely to grow the economy? — Prioritizing high-skilled employment-based immigration through a points-based system is designed to drive innovation and enhance productivity growth. Is this likely to create jobs? — The bill establishes the SMART Board and a skills-based point system to align immigrant worker recruitment with economic demand and labor needs. Does this make it easier to run a small business? — The bill allows corporations and employers to sponsor skilled workers and Gold-Card applicants based on industrial and economic needs. Does this reduce what the federal government spends? — Substantial fees generated from the Gold-Card immigrant program and visa applications provide a boost to federal revenues and fiscal health.
- Governance And Ideology
- Does this give the federal government more power? — The bill establishes a new federal board (the SMART Board) at the Department of Commerce and expands federal authority over employment-based visa quotas. Does this make what the government does easier for the public to see? — The legislation mandates annual reports to Congress detailing visa issuance statistics, economic characteristics, and fiscal impacts.
- Education And Technology
- Does this put more money into scientific research? — The points system awards additional preference and points to applicants with degrees from institutions with high levels of federally financed research and development.
- National Security And Foreign Policy
- Does this better protect the country from computer attacks? — The legislation directs the Department of Homeland Security to implement artificial intelligence tools to monitor and track visa records and alien travel data. Does this strengthen ties with allied countries? — Eliminating the Diversity Visa Program and substantially reducing family-sponsored immigration pathways may negatively affect diplomatic perceptions abroad.
- Social Issues And Justice
- Does this tighten control of the border? — The legislation mandates the use of artificial intelligence to identify visa overstays and strengthens enforcement mechanisms within the immigration system. Does this make it easier for immigrants already here to become citizens? — The bill eliminates the Diversity Visa Program, restricts family-sponsored immigration categories, and introduces stricter hurdles to naturalization.
- 9/15/2026
- Referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary.
- Introduced in House
One bill Congress.gov lists as related to this one — companions in the other chamber, earlier versions, and bills this one absorbed or was folded into.