WASHINGTON: Republican Senator Tommy Tuberville has introduced a sweeping immigration proposal called the “ASSIMILATION Act,” an 82-page bill aimed at overhauling the US immigration system. The legislation proposes major restrictions on employment-based visas, foreign student programs, family-sponsored immigration, and pathways to citizenship, with significant implications for Indian professionals and students.
The bill seeks to replace what it describes as “family-chain and lottery-based admissions” with a merit-based system focused on economic self-sufficiency, cultural assimilation, and protecting American workers. Tuberville said the US must remove incentives attracting people who “hate this country” and argued that immigration should remain a privilege rather than a right. One of the most impactful changes would affect the H-1B visa program, heavily used by Indian tech professionals. The proposal would reduce the annual H-1B cap to 50,000 visas and require employers to pay foreign workers at least twice the median wage for their occupation and location. H-1B visas would also be limited to a single three-year term without extensions or renewals. In addition, visa holders would be barred from applying for permanent residency unless they remain outside the US for at least two continuous years after their visa expires.
The bill also targets international students by eliminating the Optional Practical Training (OPT) program, which currently allows graduates to work in the US after completing their studies.
Family-based immigration rules would be tightened sharply. Only spouses and unmarried children under 18 of US citizens would qualify as immediate relatives for immigration. Parents of US citizens would no longer be eligible for permanent residency but could receive limited five-year nonimmigrant visas without work authorization or public benefits.
The proposal further raises the residency requirement for US citizenship from five to ten years and introduces stricter English-language standards. It also includes tougher asylum policies, mandatory nationwide E-Verify use, penalties for visa overstays, and the elimination of the diversity visa lottery program. A companion bill has also been introduced in the House by Andy Ogles. (IANS)
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