Bill Introduced in the Senate to Lower Family Based Immigration and Terminate the Diversity Visa Lottery
On February 7, 2017, the Reforming American Immigration for Strong Employment (RAISE) Act was introduced in the Senate. If this Act passes into law, it would:
• Cancel the visa category that allows United States citizens to file relative petitions for brothers and sisters
• Cancel the visa category that allows United States citizens to file relative petitions for their parents
• Cancel the visa category that allows United States citizens and Legal Permanent Residents (persons with green cards) to file relative petitions for their adult children
• Cancel the Diversity Visa Lottery program altogether
• Limit the ability of refugees in the United States to obtain permanent residence
A similar bill previously introduced to terminate sibling petitions suggested that petitions that had been filed prior to the enactment of the law would be grandfathered and processed normally, but no new petitions would be allowed. The text of this bill has not yet been released and has not yet passed either the Senate or House. There is no way to know whether this bill will pass or, if it does, how quickly.
If you have been considering filing for a brother, sister, or parent and you haven’t yet done so, NOW is the time to begin moving forward.
Call the Immigration Division at Shapiro Law, PC at 339.298.2300 to set up a consultation with an Immigration attorney now – before it’s too late.