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AILA Releases Full Summary of Day 2 of S.744 Markup

On May 14, 2013, the Senate Judiciary Committee wrapped up Day 2 of its review and markup of the Senate's Immigration Reform Bill (S. 744), getting through most of Title IV of the Bill regarding changes to non-immigrant visa provisions. Republican and Democrat lawmakers passed fifteen (15) amendments. The "Gang of Eight" remained committed to the core provisions of the Bill, with the two Republican Committee members of the "Gang of Eight" (Senators Flake (AZ) and Graham (SC)) joining the ten Democratic Committee Members on certain proposed amendments, including the rejection of a proposed amendment tying certain provisions to the enactment of a biometric entry/exit system. Only one of Senator Hatch's (R-Utah) proposed amendments was passed (a provision that increases the labor certification fee to be used to improve STEM education and training in the US), although talks are still ongoing between the "Gang of Eight" and Senator Hatch for some of his other proposed amendments. Other amendments that were passed include Senator Grassley's (R-Utah) proposals for requiring additional information in internet job postings relating to the H-1B visa, requiring institutions accepting F-1 students to be accredited, and requiring the Secretary of Homeland Security to implement the SEVIS system to CBP databases.
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