Rep. John Barrow (D-Ga.) has cosponsored Rep. Phil Gingrey's (R-Ga.) Nuclear Family Priority Act, H.R.477, that would eliminate the extended family visa categories (e.g., married sons and daughters of citizens, etc.), thus ending "chain migration" as recommended by the bipartisan Barbara Jordan Commission in 1997. Current immigration law allows U.S. citizens and legal permanent residents to sponsor non-nuclear, adult family members, creating an endless chain of mass legal immigration.
H.R. 477, which is one of NumbersUSA's top legislative priorities, would reduce the annual issuance of family-sponsored visas by more than 100,000. The impact wouldn't only be felt immediately, but would have a major impact on future immigration numbers.
Rep. Gingrey's bill would also eliminate the parents category and, instead, create a renewable visa class for the parents of U.S. citizens. However, the parents would not be eligible to work in the United States and a U.S. citizen son or daughter would have to provide satisfactory proof that they can financially support their immigrant parents, including proof of health care coverage while the parents are residing in the United States.
To see the impacts of Chain Migration on our legal immigration system, view this chart.
