Des Moines Sun

Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) and Ranking Member Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) have announced the reintroduction of bipartisan legislation aimed at reforming the H-1B and L-1 visa programs. The proposed H-1B and L-1 Visa Reform Act is designed to address fraud and abuse, enhance protections for both American workers and visa holders, and increase transparency in the recruitment of foreign workers.

Grassley and Durbin have worked together on H-1B visa system reforms since 2007. Last week, they sent letters to ten major U.S. employers—including Amazon, Google, and Meta—questioning their extensive use of H-1B visas while laying off large numbers of American employees.

“Congress created the H-1B and L-1 visa programs as limited pathways for businesses to acquire top talent when it can’t be found at home. But over the years, many employers have used them to cut out American workers in favor of cheap foreign labor. Congress must step in again to bring integrity back to these programs and restore dignity for American and foreign workers,” Grassley said. “There’s bipartisan acknowledgement that these programs ought to be returned to their intended purpose. Our bill would make that shared goal a reality.”

“Major companies are laying off thousands of American workers while filing thousands of visa petitions for foreign workers at depressed wages and poor working conditions. Congress must step in to protect American workers and fix our broken immigration system. Senator Grassley and I will work to make this bipartisan bill the law of the land,” Durbin said.

The bill has original cosponsors including Sens. Tommy Tuberville (R-Ala.), Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), and Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.).

The H-1B and L-1 visa programs were originally intended to help U.S. companies fill highly skilled positions when qualified domestic candidates were not available. However, there have been concerns about misuse, with some employers reportedly using these visas to replace U.S. workers or subject foreign employees to low wages and unfavorable conditions.

The proposed legislation would introduce new requirements related to wages, recruitment, and attestations for employers seeking H-1B or L-1 employees. It would require job postings on a Department of Labor website accessible by both U.S. workers and laid-off nonimmigrants holding H-1B status.

Additionally, the Department of Labor would gain authority to impose fees on labor condition applications, which would fund hiring an additional 200 staff members dedicated to oversight.

Other provisions include prioritizing H-1B visas for applicants with advanced degrees in STEM fields; revising the definition of “specialty occupation” so that only those with at least a bachelor’s degree qualify; imposing time limits on certain L-1 petitions; requiring more documentation from companies opening new offices; mandating cooperation from the Department of State in verifying foreign affiliates; and increasing penalties such as fines or debarment for wage violations.

The sponsors argue that these measures are necessary steps toward restoring integrity in employment-based immigration systems.