Last week the House of Representatives passed the Fairness for High-Skilled Immigrants Act of 2011, a bill that would remove certain limitations for employment- and family-based immigrants. While the bill does not increase the number of available visas, it reallocates them to allow employers to recruit employees who fit their needs regardless of nationality and to make it easier for immigrants to reunite with their families. With a vote of 389-15, the House of Representatives affirmed that our immigration system must be responsive to the needs of American employers and families.
We pride ourselves on being a nation that supports family values, yet the legal immigration system forces families to wait way too long to be together. Some close relatives must wait for more than two decades to receive a family visa. The Fairness for High-Skilled Immigrants Act affirms the importance of family unity by expediting reunification processes for some family members separated by our immigration system.
The bill’s proposed changes are modest and are certainly not a substitute for comprehensive immigration reform. However, in these days, we must celebrate progress on positive immigration reforms. We have not seen enough of it in recent years. Visit the LIRS Action Center to urge your elected officials to keep working to support fair and humane immigration reform.