Tommy Tuberville introduces Americans First Immigration Act

Alabama Republican Senator Tommy Tuberville has introduced the ‘Americans First Immigration Act’ (S. 5485), a legislative proposal aimed at abolishing the Diversity Visa Lottery and restructuring the permanent residency process in the United States.

The bill seeks to replace current residency categories with a competitive points-based system for workers, capped at 192,000 visas annually. Requirements for these applicants include English proficiency, an age range of 18 to 51, and a job offer with wages exceeding 150% to 200% of the state median. Successful applicants would initially receive two-year conditional residency.

Regarding family sponsorship, the proposal would exclude parents of U.S. citizens from the ‘immediate relative’ category, limiting that path to spouses and minor children. Family preferences for residents would be capped at 87,934 visas. Additionally, the act establishes an annual quota of 3,000 visas for religious workers.

Applicants must sign an ‘American Values Protection’ affidavit requiring constitutional adherence and the rejection of serious crimes, including sexual assault and domestic violence. The Senate version expands upon a previous House proposal by Representative Barry Moore, including stricter criminal prohibitions and increasing maximum fines for intentional employer non-compliance to $25,000, while also introducing criminal penalties.