I'm tracking the progress over on my ILW blog.

The National Foundation for American Policy, a Washington non-partisan thinktank, has issued a compelling study on the importance of the H-1B program to the US economy and dispelling many of the myths regarding the impact on US workers. Well worth reading.

The Senate has begun debate on the big immigration bill. I've recorded my audio summary of the bill.

I've posted my wrap up of the day's news on CIR on my blog over at ILW.com.

Here is my comprehensive review of S.1348, currently on the Senate floor. This is the bill as it stood this weekend.

Another anti-immigrant Republican, Jim Bunning of Kentucky, is speaking out against the bill. No surprise here given his votes and rhetoric in the past.

Senator Sessions (R-AL), perhaps the most anti-immigrant member of Congress, is on the floor now giving a rerun of his attack on immigration reform from last year.

Reid has just announced that Senator Jeff Bingaman (D-NM) will offer an amendment to halve the size of the Y-1 visa program from 400,000 to 200,000.

I'm keeping an eye on the proceedings and will be live blogging as news develops. Senator Reid is speaking now.

I've received a copy of the text of the Senate bill that will be introduced on Monday. It's more than 1000 pages and I'm analyzing this weekend. I'll post a section by section summary shortly.

Senate negotiators have reached agreement on the terms of a comprehensive immigration reform bill. Though a bill has many hurdles to pass, this agreement represents perhaps the most important benchmark. While Democrats and the President have largely been on the same side and the Democrats’ gaining control of the Senate and the House of Representatives is seen as crucial, the minority party in the Senate still has the power of the filibuster and can stop legislation from moving forward if the majority has fewer than 60% support. There is no such legislative tool in the House of Representatives and passage of an immigration bill is seen as more likely in that body.

The compromise measure will likely make many stakeholders in the pro-immigration and anti-immigration communities uncomfortable. While most of the bill will likely resemble last year’s Senate Bill 2611, there are a number of significant changes, including a massive change in the way family immigration cases are handled.

According to today’s Washington Post, among the items agreed to by the Democratic and Republican Senate negotiators are the following (though we have not independently confirmed what media reports are saying the bill includes)

* a legalization program for those illegal aliens who arrived before January 1, 2007. Such individuals will immediately be eligible for a Z visa and the Z visa will be renewable indefinitely. Within 8 years, the alien must pay a $5000 fine. The visa can be converted to permanent residency if the head of household applies within 8 years and departs the US to collect the visa at a consulate. There will also be a filing fee for a Z visa, but it’s not clear what it will be yet.

* There will be a guest worker program with a number set at 400,000. The visa will be valid for two years at a time and renewable up to three times but only via application at a consulate. The guest worker program will not be implemented until various triggers are met including implementation of various border and worksite enforcement measures (such as hiring 18,000 new Border Patrol agents and implementing a new electronic employment verification system). To get a green card, applicants will need to go through the existing employment-based, family-based or the new points-based immigration system.

* The family immigration system will be modified and supplemented by a new point system. Immediate relative cases and the Family 2-A green card categories would remain untouched, but adult children and sibling categories will be rolled in to a new point system where family relationships will garner applicants’ points and points will be available for other factors such as English language proficiency, job skills and educational credentials. It is not clear yet what happens to people currently in line.

Various media outlets are reporting that Senate negotiators have moved further along toward completing a deal and, according to Majority Leader Harry Reid, the parties are 80% finished.

While the precise details are being kept close the vest, expect the following:

1. Most illegal immigrants would be eligible for Z visas and have eight years to work in non-immigrant status. Within the eight years, a $5000 fee must be paid. The head of household would need to travel outside the US and collect the green card after the eight year Z visa period ends.

2. The family immigration system would be dramatically modified by converting the system to a point system where having family in the US is one of several factors (including English language skills, education, work experience, etc.).

3. There will likely be a guest worker program, but the specific details are still being negotiated. But it is appearing likely that there will not be a path to citizenship for these individuals outside of the already existing green card strategies. Also, it looks increasingly doubtful that spouses and children will be eligible to join the guest worker. The guest worker provision also will not likely start until various "triggers" are met.

Monday is now the deadline to get the language written. That's when Senator Reid is scheduled to begin floor debate on a bill and he has threatened to bring the bill passed last year up for a vote - and likely filibuster - if a new bill is not ready.

USCIS drew fire from Democrats a few months back when it announced proposed massive fee increases. The agency is now set to announce the actual fee increases. Will the agency heed the warning of congressional leaders to keep the increases reasonable or will they risk the wrath of the legislative branch and not scale back the fee hikes?

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