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S 1983 112th Congress Senate Immigration Europe Foreign labor Immigration status and procedures Ireland Visas and passports

Fairness for High-Skilled Immigrants Act of 2011

Introduced: December 13, 2011 Introduced by: Schumer, Charles E. Democratic · New York See on congress.gov
This bill died when the 112th Congress ended
It never became law before the 112th Congress (2011–2012) adjourned, and bills don't carry over to the next Congress. It would have to be reintroduced. You can still save it for reference, but it won't receive updates.
 Everywhere this bill has been 2 steps
Introduced
In committee
Reported out
Passed House
Passed Senate
To President
Became law
Dec 13, 2011
Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary.
Dec 13, 2011
Introduced in Senate
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 Plain-English summary Congressional Research Service

Fairness for High-Skilled Immigrants Act of 2011 - Amends the Immigration and Nationality Act to: (1) eliminate the per country numerical limitation for employment-based immigrants, and (2) increase the per country numerical limitation for family based immigrants from 7% to 15% of the total number of family-sponsored visas.

Amends the Chinese Student Protection Act of 1992 to eliminate the provision requiring the reduction of annual Chinese (PRC) immigrant visas to offset status adjustments under such Act.

Sets forth the following transition period for employment-based second and third preference (EB-2 and EB-3) immigrant visas: (1) for FY2012, 15% of such visas allotted to natives of countries other than the two countries with the largest aggregate numbers of natives obtaining such visas in FY2010; (2) for FY2013, 10% of such visas allotted in each category to natives of countries other than the two with the largest aggregate numbers of natives obtaining such visas in FY2011; and (3) for FY2014, 10% of such visas allotted in each category to natives of countries other than the two with the largest aggregate numbers of natives obtaining such visas in FY2012.

Sets forth the following per country distribution rules: (1) for transition period visas, not more than 25% of the total number of EB-2 and EB-3 visas for natives of a single country; and (2) for non-transition period visas, not more than 85% of EB-2 and EB-3 visas for natives of a single country.

Includes nationals of Ireland coming to the United States under a treaty of commerce to perform specialty occupation services in the nonimmigrant E-3 visa category.

Transfers specified approval authority regarding the temporary admission of certain aliens not otherwise admissible from the Attorney General (DOJ) to the Secretary of Homeland Security (DHS). Expands the grounds for such approval.

What's happening now December 13, 2011

Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary.

 Related & companion bills 5
 Bill text 1 version

Source documents hosted by congress.gov.

 Committees of jurisdiction 1
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APA
U.S. Congress. (2026). S. 1983: Fairness for High-Skilled Immigrants Act of 2011. 112th Congress. Open America. https://openamerica.io/bill/112-S-1983/
MLA
"S. 1983: Fairness for High-Skilled Immigrants Act of 2011." 112th Congress, 2026, Open America, https://openamerica.io/bill/112-S-1983/.
Bluebook (legal)
S. 1983, 112th Cong. (2026), https://openamerica.io/bill/112-S-1983/.
Markdown link
[S. 1983: Fairness for High-Skilled Immigrants Act of 2011](https://openamerica.io/bill/112-S-1983/)
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