ASSIMILATION Act

Key Points

• The bill dramatically narrows family-based immigration by limiting "immediate relatives" to spouses and children under 18, eliminating categories for parents and adult children. Parents of U.S. citizens would get a new temporary nonimmigrant visa lasting 5 years, but they could not work or receive any government benefits.
• The diversity visa lottery would be completely eliminated, even for people who were already selected before the bill's passage. The bill replaces the current employment-based system with a merit-based model requiring high salaries, extraordinary ability, or work in designated shortage occupations.
• Naturalization requirements would become far stricter: the residency period doubles from 5 to 10 years, English proficiency must reach B2 level (upper intermediate), and applicants must prove they paid all federal taxes and never used means-tested public benefits during that decade.
• The bill redefines birthright citizenship so that children born in the U.S. would only be citizens if at least one parent is a citizen, national, or lawful permanent resident. This would end automatic citizenship for children born to undocumented immigrants or temporary visa holders.
• H-1B visas would be capped at 50,000 per year (down from 85,000), limited to 3 years with no extensions, and employers would need to pay at least 200% of the median wage for the position. Optional Practical Training (OPT) for international students would be eliminated entirely.
• E-Verify would become mandatory for all employers, asylum seekers would face a $500 filing fee and a "safe third country" transit bar, and visa overstays would become criminal offenses punishable by up to 6 months in jail for first offenses and 2 years for repeat violations.