Sen. Tom Cotton (R-Ark.) has officially introduced the Reforming American Immigration for Strong Employment (RAISE) Act, S. 354, in the Senate. The bill would reduce legal immigration by up to 50% by ending future chain migration and the diversity visa lottery.

Roy Beck, President and Founder of NumbersUSA responded saying, "the RAISE Act has a number -- S. 354 -- and one that we will do all possible to ensure that lives on through history as one of the great achievements of this period of our country."

The RAISE Act would:

End the Visa Lottery

Limit annual refugee admissions to 50,000

End chain migration

Reduce the worldwide level of family-sponsored immigrants from 480,000 to 88,000 by prioritizing nuclear family

Add a nonimmigrant visa for parents of adult U.S. citizens (W-Visa) 5-year renewable visa No work authorization or ability to receive public benefits



The RAISE Act would reduce legal immigration to the United States by 50% in an effort to diminish its impact on vulnerable American workers. First, it eliminates the visa lottery and limits refugee admissions to 50,000 per year, removing the ability of the President to unilaterally adjust upward refugee admissions. Further, it eliminates chain migration by limiting family-sponsored immigration to the spouses and minor children of U.S. citizens and legal permanent residents.

While U.S. citizens maintain the ability to sponsor nuclear family members without numerical limitation, the worldwide level of family-sponsored immigration is reduced from 480,000 to 88,000 to account for the elimination of the extended-family categories. Finally, a new nonimmigrant visa category is created for parents of adult U.S. citizens. Under this new category, sponsored alien parents would receive a renewable 5-year visa, but must be financially independent or supported financially by the adult son or daughter, as the visa does not authorize the alien to work or receive any form of public benefit.