BILL ANALYSIS �
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THIRD READING
Bill No: SJR 13
Author: Yee (D)
Amended: 6/10/13
Vote: 21
SUBJECT : Immigration reform: F3 and F4 visa categories
SOURCE : Author
DIGEST : This resolution memorializes the President and
Congress of the United States to support immigration reform
efforts that do not hurt families by eliminating or negatively
impacting the F3 and F4 visa categories, or that end the
discrimination against same-sex couples. This resolution
memorializes the President and Congress to take a comprehensive,
bipartisan, and well reasoned approach to immigration issues
that maintains the fair and appropriate priority for family
reunification, including same-sex partners.
Senate Floor Amendments of 6/10/13 add findings and declarations
relating to the impacts of immigration reform efforts on
specified groups and persons.
ANALYSIS : This resolution makes the following legislative
findings:
1. Immigrants are a vibrant, productive, and vital part of
California's growing economy, diverse cultural fabric, and
changing demographics.
2. Federal legislation has been proposed that offers a path to
CONTINUED
SJR 13
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citizenship for many of the 11 million undocumented
immigrants already living in the U.S.
3. Unfortunately, the proposed law eliminates the F4 visa
category so that U.S. citizens will no longer be able to
sponsor their brothers and sisters. It also places an age
cap on the F3 visa category so that U.S. citizens can only
sponsor their adult children if they are not more than 30
years old.
4. Eliminating the ability of U.S. citizens to sponsor their
loved ones such as brothers, sisters, and adult married
children 31 years of age and older, runs counter to the
family values that are a cornerstone of our nation. It is
also counterproductive since it limits the ability of
immigrant families to contribute to the entrepreneurship and
innovation that have been vital drivers of economic growth
throughout our nation's history.
5. Eliminating the F4 and altering the F3 visa categories will
have a profound impact on Asian Americans and Pacific
Islanders. In November 2012, there were 4.3 million people
in the family immigration backlog, nearly one-half of whom
were from Asian countries. Asian Americans and Pacific
Islanders sponsored over 40% of all family-based visas in
2010. Some Asian immigrants have been forced to wait as long
as 23 years to be reunited with their families in the U.S.,
largely due to the limitations and inefficiencies of our
legal immigration system.
6. We support the expansion of availability of H-1B visas as
well as other visas necessary to bring needed workers into
our country to grow our economy.
7. One and one-half million Latinos are on the waiting list for
family reunification, making up one-third of the backlog,
with some waiting as long as 20 years.
8. Unfortunately, the proposed law also does not offer same-sex
couples the same preference as heterosexual couples.
9. The inability of U.S. citizens to sponsor their same-sex
partner will divide families, and this practice clearly holds
LGBT families in a second-class status.
SJR 13
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This resolution memorializes the President and Congress of the
U.S. to support immigration reform efforts that do not hurt
families by eliminating or negatively impacting the F3 and F4
visa categories, or that end the discrimination against same-sex
couples. This resolution memorializes the President and
Congress to take a comprehensive, bipartisan, and well reasoned
approach to immigration issues that maintains the fair and
appropriate priority for family reunification, including
same-sex partners.
FISCAL EFFECT : Fiscal Com.: No
JG:k 6/11/13 Senate Floor Analyses
SUPPORT/OPPOSITION: NONE RECEIVED
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