On July 15, 2025, a bipartisan group of U.S. Representatives led by Representatives Maria Elvira Salazar (R-FL-27) and Veronica Escobar (D-TX-16) introduced an updated version of the comprehensive bipartisan immigration reform bill, the Dignity Act of 2025 (H.R. 4393). With 21 original cosponsors, 10 Republicans and 11 Democrats, the bill is a productive bipartisan effort towards necessary reform to the outdated dysfunctional immigration system.  

Under the heading Unleashing American Prosperity and Competitiveness, the bill includes key provisions to attract and retain international students who meet the need for talented people to contribute to the American economy and advance innovation and competitiveness.  

International Students

  • Expands dual intent for international student (F) visa applicants. The bill removes the requirement that F visa applicants prove they have no intent to remain permanently in the United States after completing their studies. (Sec. 3304)
  • Expands FICA tax to all international students on optional practical training (OPT). Under current law, FICA (social security and Medicare) tax is not required for international students until they have been in the United States for 5 years. Requiring employers to pay FICA taxes for all international students on OPT removes the accusation that employers get a discount for hiring international students. (Sec. 3302)
  • PhD STEM graduate access to O status. Provides eligibility for O visa status for extraordinary ability or achievement for STEM PhD graduates, including healthcare and medical students, from American universities. (Sec. 3303)

Green cards/lawful permanent residency

  • Improves counting of employment-based green cards. No longer counts spouses and children against the employment-based green card cap, freeing up more than half the annual allocation. (Sec. 3201)
  • Relief from per-country caps.  Raises the per-country green card cap allocation from 7% to 15%. (Sec. 3202)
  • Protects children stuck in backlogs. Ends the problem of children “aging out” of eligibility for a green card based on their parent’s employment-based green card filing because of long backlogs. (Sec. 3203)
  • Expensive backlog relief. Creates a premium processing option for someone waiting at least 10 years (calculated by priority date) for a green card based on family or employment. This premium processing fee is $20,000. (Sec. 3201) 

Efficiencies

  • Additional resources for visa processing. To reduce delays and improve visa processing, the bill provides appropriated funds to U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services operations, the Bureau of Consular Affairs and Visa Service at the State Department, and the Office of Foreign Labor Certification at Department of Labor. (Sec. 3305)
  • Creates an Immigration Agency Coordinator. The Immigration Agency Coordinator is to provide recommendations to harmonize the work of and sharing information among the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, Department of Labor and Department of State. (Sec. 3305)

Other Relief

  • Conditional permanent residency for Dreamers and DACAmented. Children are eligible for conditional permanent resident status if they have been continuously present in the US since January 1, 2021, were 18 years old or younger when they entered the United States, and meet other requirements (e.g. no felony offenses).  
  • Discretion to end the separation of U.S. citizens from their undocumented spouses and children. The Department of Homeland Security is given the authority to grant discretionary relief on a case-by-case basis for undocumented spouses and children of U.S. citizens to prevent the separation of families.  
     

A more complete summary of the bill is available from the National Immigration Forum.  Additional information is also available on Representative Salazar’s website.