Congress Poised to Extend Four Immigration Programs for Three Years

House and Senate conferees completed their negotiations on the final version of the fiscal year 2010 Department of Homeland Security appropriations bill (H.R. 2892) on October 7, 2009. The final conference report includes a three-year extension for four immigration programs:

1. the E-Verify program;
2. the EB-5 immigrant investor regional center program;
3. certain EB-4 religious workers; and
4. the Conrad State 30 program for certain J-1 foreign doctors.

The final three-year compromise emerged after a very contentious internal debate and a nearly successful effort by some members of Congress to eliminate all immigration “extender” provisions from the bill.

The conference version of the bill will now go to the House and Senate for final votes and then to President Obama for signature. The President is expected to sign the bill before October 31, when the four programs are currently scheduled to expire.