SENATE BILL: Immigration Reform Act of 2020 (Passed)

[The world will shine with light in our nightmare]

With one vote in favor, two votes opposed, and one abstention, the amendment is rejected.

Debate resumes.

Wait what?

3.) If judged hostile by the sponsor, or if a Senator has objected, a vote shall be started by the PPT once the amendment has been on the floor twenty four hours. The vote shall last for three days or until a majority has voted in favor or against the amendment, at which point Senators who have voted shall be prohibited from changing their votes and the vote shall be declared final.

Sorry about that.  For some reason I had the time limit at 24 hours for amendment votes.

[At-Large Senator LouisvilleThunder]

Aye

[The world will shine with light in our nightmare]

With two votes in favor, three opposed, and one abstention, the amendment is rejected.

Since my amendment has been on the floor longer than 24 hours...

Section 6: Miscellaneous repeals and adjustments
1. Section 5 of the Come Out of the Shadows Act is hereby repealed
1. The Diversity Immigrant Visa Program is hereby repealed
2. The total number of immigrant visas issued per year by the Atlasian government may not be more than 1/500th of the Atlasian population, as established in the last decennial census  available. This section shall refer to the census of NPCs made by the Atlasian Census bureau; and not to the census of active players in Atlasia done by the Registrar General.
3. At the discretion of the department responsible for internal policy, the total number of visas available may be reduced by 10% for every year the unemployment rate stays above 5%. Any reduction in the total number of visas shall be accompanied by a proportional reduction in the number of family reunification visas.

Sponsor Feedback: Hostile
Status: A vote is now open on this amendment.  Senators, please vote Aye, Nay, or Abstain.

[The world will shine with light in our nightmare]

Aye

[Esteemed Jimmy]

Nay

[Former President tack50]

Nay Aye

[The world will shine with light in our nightmare]

I have to say that if section 5 is repealed in the final text, I will probably be voting against the bill.  There's an important reason that was included, and it only applies to countries where most of the undocumented immigrants are coming from.  The Secretary of State is supposed to conduct an evaluation of the foreign development assistance, and I would like to see that before we decide to end the program.

Not to mention we're waving away potentially millions of dollars in new revenue.

[Former President tack50]

Switching to Aye only to get Scott on board with the final product (though I would vote against the extension in 2021, but honestly by that time I wonder how many of us will even be in the Senate in the first place.)

[The world will shine with light in our nightmare]

Switching to Aye only to get Scott on board with the final product (though I would vote against the extension in 2021, but honestly by that time I wonder how many of us will even be in the Senate in the first place.)

Oh, I think I can name at least one person.

[YE]

Aye.

[At-Large Senator LouisvilleThunder]

Abstain

[Southern Senator North Carolina Yankee]

Aye

[Southern Senator North Carolina Yankee]

Vote on Amendment S24:11 by Scott

Aye (4): NC Yankee, Scott, Tack, and YE
Nay (1): Jimmy
Abstain (1): LT

Didn't Vote (0):

The amendment has been adopted.

[Southern Senator North Carolina Yankee]

So next item for discussion here? Lets not lose momentum on this bill.

[Esteemed Jimmy]

Proposing this amendment that excludes the repeal of the Come Out of the Shadows Act as in Scott's adopted amendment, along with some other changes:

SENATE BILL

To reform the immigration system into Atlasia

Be it enacted in both Houses of Congress Assembled,

Section 1: Name
1. This bill may be referred to as the "Immigration Reform Act of 2020"

Section 2: Categories of legal immigration to Atlasia
1. The following categories of legal permanent immigration to the Republic of Atlasia are hereby established:
a) Family Reunification
b) Job based immigration
c) Other immigration
2. This act shall not alter the composition or requirements for non-immigrant visas or for visas intended for temporary workers or students

Section 3: Family Reunification immigration
1. Family reunification visas may only be issued to the unmarried children or to the spouse of an Atlasian citizen or permanent resident; or to the unmarried brothers of an Atlasian citizen; who has been living in the Republic of Atlasia for no less than 5 years.
2. Family reunification visas shall be capped at no more than 300 000 per year.
3. During the application process for family reunification, priority shall be given to the foreign relatives of Atlasian citizens that have had no criminal records in the Republic of Atlasia for the past 10 years

Section 4: Job immigration
1a. Job immigration into the Republic of Atlasia shall be based on a points based system. All applicants who score 67 or more points shall be awarded a job immigration visa.
1b. Job immigration visas may be revoked in the event of a failure to meet any continuing requirements as described in this Section.

2. People awarded a Job immigration visa may also award another job immigration visa to their spouse, regardless of whether their spouse fulfills the necessary requirements or not

32a. Up to 24 points may be awarded for proficiency in the English language; 6 each for Reading comprehension, Writing, Listening and Speaking.
32b. Immigrants scoring below an IELTS level of 5.5 (or equivalent) many not apply for a job immigration visa.
32c. Points shall be awarded for scoring 5.5 or above in each of the 4 categories described in section 2.3a; with 2 points for scoring between 5.5 and 5.99; 4 points for scoring between 6 and 6.99, 5 points for scoring between 7 and 7.99 and 6 points for scoring 8 or more points.

43. Up to 25 points may be awarded for education proficiency, according to the following equivalency list:
a) High School diploma: 5 points
b) 2 year apprenticeship after high school: 10 points
c) 3 year college degree after high school: 15 points
d) 4 year Bachelor's degree: 20 points
e) Double Bachelor: 22 points
f) Master's degree: 23 points
g) PHD: 25 points

54a. Up to 15 points may be awarded for prior job experience on an skilled job:
a) Less than 1 year of job experience: 0 points
b) Between 1 and 2 years of job experience: 9 points
c) Between 2 and 3 years of job experience: 11 points
d) Between 3 and 6 years of job experience: 13 points
e) 6 or more years of job experience: 15 points
54b. Skilled job shall be defined as a management job; a professional job that usually calls for a college degree (for example doctors or architects) or a technical job that usually calls for a college diploma or apprenticeship (for example plumbers or electricians)
54c. Part time jobs, defined as jobs comprising less than 30 hours per week of work; shall count as half for the purposes of counting the years from sections 3.5a4a.(a-e).
4d. a) Medical doctors who intend to work in an area, as determined by the Atlasian Census Bureau, to be rural or impoverished, shall be awarded an additional 7 points.
)b Any person who is awarded a job visa because of meeting the requirement in 5d. a) shall have 90 days to gain employment, or to regain employment after a job loss, in such area, or the job visa shall be revoked.

65a. Up to 12 points may be awarded for an applicant's age. Applicants between the ages of 18 and 35 shall be awarded the full 12 points. For each year after that, the number of points awarded shall be reduced by 1 per year, until reaching 0 at age 47.
65b. No persons under the age of 18 may apply for a job immigration visa to the Republic of Atlasia

76. Up to 15 extra points shall be awarded to any workers who attempt to immigrate to the Republic of Atlasia with a job offer for a job that is full time and skilled. These immigrants shall receive the full 15 points, everyone else shall receive 0 points

87. Up to 10 15 points may be awarded for extra requirements. Each of these requirements shall give the applicant an extra 5 points unless specified otherwise:
-Their spouse having a 5.5 level of competence in an IELTS English test.
-The applicant or their spouse having completed high school or a college degree in Atlasia shall award 5 points in this section
-Having any sort of legal job experience in Atlasia for at least one year shall award 10 points in this section
-Having a relative living legally in the Republic of Atlasia. Relative shall be defined as the applicant's sibling, parent, grandparent, child or grandchild.

78. If the number of applicants surpasses the maximum amount of people who may apply for an immigrant visa, priority shall be given to the highest scoring applicants. In the case of a score tie; the applicants with job offers shall be admitted first.

Section 5. Other immigration
1. The following extra categories of permanent immigration to the Republic of Atlasia are hereby retained, with their current requirements:
a) Outstandingly skilled people, as currently immigrating through the EB1 visa program
b) Certain special categories of immigrants, as currently immigrating through the EB4 visa program
c) Investors, as currently immigrating through the EB5 visa program
2. A new immigration visa shall be created, targeted at retirees who desire to move to the Republic of Atlasia. People immigrating through this visa shall prove that they are financially independent, able to afford their retirement in Atlasia and may not be allowed to take any job offers in Atlasia. The details of this visa shall be devised by the department in charge of internal policy in Atlasia.

Section 6: Miscellaneous repeals and adjustments
1. The Diversity Immigrant Visa Program is hereby repealed.
2. The total number of immigrant visas issued per year by the Atlasian government may not be more than 1/500th of the Atlasian population, as established in the last decennial census  available. This section shall refer to the census of NPCs made by the Atlasian Census bureau; and not to the census of active players in Atlasia done by the Registrar General.
3. At the discretion of the department responsible for internal policy, the total number of visas available may be reduced by 10% for every year the unemployment rate stays above 5%. Any reduction in the total number of visas shall be accompanied by a proportional reduction in the number of family reunification visas.

Section 7: Enactment
1. This bill shall become enacted on July 1st, 2020 90 days after the passage of this Act.

[Former President tack50]

Friendly I suppose though I plan on counter-amending a couple sections (specifically the changes to section 3 and to section 4.1)

[Southern Senator North Carolina Yankee]

Senators have 24 hours to object.

[Esteemed Jimmy]

No objections.

[Southern Senator North Carolina Yankee]

The amendment is adopted.

[Former President tack50]

As promised, here is my partial counteramentment:

SENATE BILL

To reform the immigration system into Atlasia

Be it enacted in both Houses of Congress Assembled,

Section 1: Name
1. This bill may be referred to as the "Immigration Reform Act of 2020"

Section 2: Categories of legal immigration to Atlasia
1. The following categories of legal permanent immigration to the Republic of Atlasia are hereby established:
a) Family Reunification
b) Job based immigration
c) Other immigration
2. This act shall not alter the composition or requirements for non-immigrant visas or for visas intended for temporary workers or students

Section 3: Family Reunification immigration
1. Family reunification visas may only be issued to the unmarried children, parents above the age of 65, unmarried siblings or to the spouse of an Atlasian citizen or permanent resident who has been living in the Republic of Atlasia for no less than 5 years.
2. Family reunification visas shall be capped at no more than 300 000 per year.
3. During the application process for family reunification, priority shall be given to the foreign relatives of Atlasian citizens that have had no criminal records in the Republic of Atlasia for the past 10 years

Section 4: Job immigration
1a. Job immigration into the Republic of Atlasia shall be based on a points based system. All applicants who score 67 or more points shall be awarded a job immigration visa.
1b. Job immigration visas may be revoked in the event of a failure to meet any continuing requirements as described in this Section.
1b. Immigrants receiving a job visa may be able to bring with them to Atlasia as permanent residents their spouse as well as any children below 18 years of age.


2a. Up to 24 points may be awarded for proficiency in the English language; 6 each for Reading comprehension, Writing, Listening and Speaking.
2b. Immigrants scoring below an IELTS level of 5.5 (or equivalent) many not apply for a job immigration visa.
2c. Points shall be awarded for scoring 5.5 or above in each of the 4 categories described in section 3a; with 2 points for scoring between 5.5 and 5.99; 4 points for scoring between 6 and 6.99, 5 points for scoring between 7 and 7.99 and 6 points for scoring 8 or more points.

3. Up to 25 points may be awarded for education proficiency, according to the following equivalency list:
a) High School diploma: 5 points
b) 2 year apprenticeship after high school: 10 points
c) 3 year college degree after high school: 15 points
d) 4 year Bachelor's degree: 20 points
e) Double Bachelor: 22 points
f) Master's degree: 23 points
g) PHD: 25 points

4a. Up to 15 points may be awarded for prior job experience on an skilled job:
a) Less than 1 year of job experience: 0 points
b) Between 1 and 2 years of job experience: 9 points
c) Between 2 and 3 years of job experience: 11 points
d) Between 3 and 6 years of job experience: 13 points
e) 6 or more years of job experience: 15 points
4b. Skilled job shall be defined as a management job; a professional job that usually calls for a college degree (for example doctors or architects) or a technical job that usually calls for a college diploma or apprenticeship (for example plumbers or electricians)
4c. Part time jobs, defined as jobs comprising less than 30 hours per week of work; shall count as half for the purposes of counting the years from sections 4a.(a-e).
4d. a) Medical doctors who intend to work in an area, as determined by the Atlasian Census Bureau, to be rural or impoverished, shall be awarded an additional 7 points.
)b Any person who is awarded a job visa because of meeting the requirement in 5d. a) shall have 90 days to gain employment, or to regain employment after a job loss, in such area, or the job visa shall be revoked.

5a. Up to 12 points may be awarded for an applicant's age. Applicants between the ages of 18 and 35 shall be awarded the full 12 points. For each year after that, the number of points awarded shall be reduced by 1 per year, until reaching 0 at age 47.
5b. No persons under the age of 18 may apply for a job immigration visa to the Republic of Atlasia

6. Up to 15 extra points shall be awarded to any workers who attempt to immigrate to the Republic of Atlasia with a job offer for a job that is full time and skilled. These immigrants shall receive the full 15 points, everyone else shall receive 0 points

7. Up to 15 points may be awarded for extra requirements:
-The applicant having completed high school or a college degree in Atlasia shall award 5 points in this section
-Having any sort of legal job experience in Atlasia for at least one year shall award 10 points in this section
-5 points shall be awarded for having a relative living legally in the Republic of Atlasia. Relative shall be defined as the applicant's sibling, parent, grandparent, child or grandchild.

8. If the number of applicants surpasses the maximum amount of people who may apply for an immigrant visa, priority shall be given to the highest scoring applicants. In the case of a score tie; the applicants with job offers shall be admitted first.

Section 5. Other immigration
1. The following extra categories of permanent immigration to the Republic of Atlasia are hereby retained, with their current requirements:
a) Outstandingly skilled people, as currently immigrating through the EB1 visa program
b) Certain special categories of immigrants, as currently immigrating through the EB4 visa program
c) Investors, as currently immigrating through the EB5 visa program
2. A new immigration visa shall be created, targeted at retirees who desire to move to the Republic of Atlasia. People immigrating through this visa shall prove that they are financially independent, able to afford their retirement in Atlasia and may not be allowed to take any job offers in Atlasia. The details of this visa shall be devised by the department in charge of internal policy in Atlasia.

Section 6: Miscellaneous repeals and adjustments
1. The Diversity Immigrant Visa Program is hereby repealed.
2. The total number of immigrant visas issued per year by the Atlasian government may not be more than 1/500th of the Atlasian population, as established in the last decennial census  available. This section shall refer to the census of NPCs made by the Atlasian Census bureau; and not to the census of active players in Atlasia done by the Registrar General.
3. At the discretion of the department responsible for internal policy, the total number of visas available may be reduced by 10% for every year the unemployment rate stays above 5%. Any reduction in the total number of visas shall be accompanied by a proportional reduction in the number of family reunification visas.

Section 7: Enactment
1. This bill shall become enacted 90 days after the passage of this Act[/color].

[Esteemed Jimmy]

Not going to object, but I'll support another version of this amendment if the original 1b. is also kept.

[Former President tack50]

Not going to object, but I'll support another version of this amendment if the original 1b. is also kept.

What exactly do you have in mind?

[YE]

Well with YE objecting in full I will not bother doing a partial objection though I may take the parts from Jimmy's amendment that I agree with and compiling them into a counterproposal.

As for the bill itself, I may have more of a problem of letting large tech companies have larger control on our immigration system but I also understand the economic need for it to a certain extent.

Also family reunification visas are limited to 480,000 per year per this and is about 65% of immigrants in total. This would drop it down to 300,000. Not on board with this probably.

Could you elaborate on how this would let "large tech companies have larger control on our immigration system"?

As for that, yeah; that is (part of) the point of the bill; this would shift Atlasia's focus on immigration from family reunification to skills-based immigration. I think overall the numbers actually expand the number of visas by a very small amount if I am doing my math correctly

Popping in to the old chamber to advocate against repealing section 5 of Come out of the Shadows.

Those visas are specific to Mexico, Guatemala, and El Salvador. They are part of a program combined with 5 years of high priority foreign development assistance to discourage illegal immigration by improving living conditions there, improving Atlasia's relationship with their governments, and creating a culture of legal immigration between Atlasia and those three countries. It doesn't impact immigration from other countries.

I'd like to ask Senators to reconsider repealing that.

Given that section has a sunset provision and how it has been in place for a long time already, I suppose we could just make it expire a year earlier (so in 2020 instead of 2021); and possibly amend the start of this bill to January 1st 2021.

The more merit based the immigration system, the more control large employers have in like Silicon Valley over hiring immigrants and I'm not sure it's worth cutting back on family immigration just to increase the number of merit visas (which to be fair for better or for worse is also often necessary).

[YE]

With that said, catching up on things here, the latest amendment from Tack is a bit of an improvement.

[Southern Senator North Carolina Yankee]

Senators have 24 hours to object to the Tack amendment.