On July 15, 2025, bipartisan lawmakers officially introduced the Dignity Act of 2025 (HR 4393). It is currently under review by multiple committees in the U.S. House of Representatives and has not yet completed the legislative process. The Act, led by Republican Congresswoman Maria Elvira Salazar and Democratic Congresswoman Veronica Escobar, has garnered support from at least 18 members from both parties. Its objectives include enhancing border security, optimizing the immigration system, and providing a pathway to legal status for undocumented immigrants who have long resided in the United States.
Main Contents：
I.U.S. Border Security Act
A.Border Security
The Act proposes utilizing $46.5 billion provided by the One Big Beautiful Bill Act to construct an integrated border wall system that includes physical barriers, detection technologies, lighting, and roads. An additional $10 billion will be allocated over five years for upgrading and building modern port facilities. Illegal re-entry offenders can face up to 10 years in prison, with repeat offenders facing up to 20 years. The minimum wage for GS-12 level border patrol personnel will also be increased by at least 14%.
B.Asylum Reform
The Act establishes three humanitarian campuses along the southern border to house incoming migrants, offering medical care, social work, mental health services, and legal aid. To expedite processing, USCIS must hire at least 300 additional asylum officers.
The Act sets up a 60-day expedited adjudication mechanism divided into two phases:
Initial Screening (First 15 Days): Applicants are given a 72-hour rest period followed by criminal background checks, biometric data analysis, identity verification, medical evaluations, trafficking victim screenings, and initial credible fear interviews. Those failing this interview will be swiftly deported.
Secondary Screening and Asylum Decision (Days 15 to 60): Those passing the initial screening will undergo secondary reviews by two USCIS asylum officers within 45 days, leading to one of three outcomes:
- Consensus approval: Applicant is released into the U.S. community.
- Consensus denial: Applicant is deported.
- Disagreement or complex/uncertain cases: The case is referred to an immigration judge. Even if referred, applicants will be released into the community but must adhere to strict case management plans and electronic monitoring (such as tracking devices) to ensure the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) can monitor their whereabouts at all times.
C.Mandatory E-Verification
All employers must verify workers’ employment eligibility through a new Employment Eligibility Verification System (EEVS) administered by DHS in phases. Violators will face severe civil and criminal penalties.
II.Dignity and American Commitment
A.Dream Act
“Dreamers”, individuals who entered the U.S. as children, can directly apply for green cards via education, military service, or work, benefiting approximately 2.5 million people.
Conditional Green Card：
To qualify as a “conditional permanent resident,” Dreamers and DACA (Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals) recipients must have continuously lived in the U.S. since January 1, 2021, entered the U.S. at 18 years old or younger, undergo a criminal background check, and graduated from high school, obtained a GED, and/or be admitted or enrolled in secondary school.
Permanent Green Card：
- Obtain a college degree or a postsecondary credential from a career and technical education school;
- Serve in the U.S. military for at least three years; and/or,
- Demonstrate employment for at least four years and at least 75 percent of the time the individual has had a work permit.
This program applies to undocumented immigrants residing in the U.S. continuously since December 31, 2020 (excluding beneficiaries of the “Dreamer” program).
Applicants must pass a criminal background check, pay all historical and current taxes, pay a $7,000 fine over seven years, meet work or education requirements (at least four years of paid labor or education), join a health insurance plan, and report their status to DHS every two years.
Those meeting these conditions can apply for a seven-year deferred action program, including employment and travel authorization. Maintaining good standing without criminal records allows for a renewable seven-year lawful residency, though they cannot access federal benefits. Some funds generated by this program will be deposited into the American Workers Foundation to fund training programs for U.S. workers.
III.American Prosperity and Competitiveness
A.U.S. Family Reunification Act
1)Spouses and Children of U.S. Citizens
The Act establishes a statutory presumption that family separation causes hardship to U.S. citizen relatives. For spouses and children of U.S. citizens (regardless of current legal status), the Act authorizes DHS to protect family unity by refraining from: removing or excluding individuals, issuing Notices to Appear (NTAs), or issuing removal orders; and by allowing applications for advance parole.
2)New 90-Day Family Visa for Relatives of U.S. Citizens and LPRs
A new non-immigrant visa category for family purposes allows relatives of U.S. citizens and lawful permanent residents (LPRs) to visit the U.S. for family activities like weddings, birthdays, funerals, etc., valid for 90 days. This covers a broad range of relatives including spouses, children, grandchildren, parents, grandparents, siblings, and aunts/uncles.
3)Accelerated Naturalization for Military Personnel
The Act simplifies the naturalization process for military personnel, creating a unified path for citizenship during peacetime and wartime.
B.Fair Treatment of Legal Immigrants
1)Expedited Processing for Applications with Over 10 Years of Backlog
Legal immigration visa backlogs are reduced to a maximum of ten years. Applicants who have waited more than ten years in the backlog—whether in family-sponsored or employment-based categories—may pay a $20,000 expedited processing fee to receive immediate adjudication and approval. The Act aims to eliminate all existing legal immigration visa backlogs exceeding ten years by 2035.
2)Increase in Per-Country Green Card Cap from 7% to 15%
The Act raises the annual per-country limit for employment-based and family-sponsored immigrant visas from 7% to 15% of the total number issued each year. This provision aims to reduce and ultimately eliminate country-specific backlogs in conjunction with other reforms.
3)Derivative Beneficiaries Who Grew Up In The U.S. (With at Least 10 Years of Legal Residence) May Obtain Green Cards After Turning 21
The Act protects “Documented Dreamers”—children who grew up in the United States as beneficiaries of their parents’ work visas—from losing status upon turning 21 due to age. It also provides an opportunity for “Documented Dreamers” who have legally resided in the U.S. for at least 10 years to obtain lawful permanent resident status.
C.Employment and Student Visas
1)Derivative Beneficiaries Not Counted in Total Visa Numbers
Derivative applicants (spouses and children) will not count towards the total annual visa numbers, only the principal applicant will be counted.
2)F-1 Visa as Dual Intent
The F-1 visa changes from single intent to dual intent, meaning international students completing their studies no longer need to prove their “intent to return home”. If choosing to stay, they still need to go through employment-based visa qualifications. Additionally, students participating in Optional Practical Training (OPT) must pay Social Security and Medicare taxes.
3)Presumption of O-1 Visa Eligibility for STEM PhDs
Establishes a presumption of eligibility for the O-1 visa for PhD graduates in STEM fields or related medical areas, allowing them to be directly recognized as eligible for the O visa.
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