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Immigration and Nationality Act of 1965

3 amendmentstracked · Side-by-side comparison of previous and amended text

November 6, 1986

Immigration Reform and Control Act (IRCA) granted amnesty to undocumented immigrants and established employer sanctions.

Previous

No penalties exist for employers who knowingly hire undocumented immigrants.

Amended

Employers are required to verify the employment eligibility of all new hires using Form I-9, and face civil and criminal penalties for knowingly hiring unauthorized workers. Undocumented immigrants who entered before January 1, 1982 may apply for legal status.

November 29, 1990

Immigration Act of 1990 increased total immigration, created the diversity visa lottery, and expanded employment-based visa categories.

Previous

Total annual immigration is limited to 270,000 with a 20,000 per-country limit.

Amended

Total annual immigration is increased to 700,000 (later adjusted to 675,000), with new diversity visa allocations of 55,000 visas for underrepresented countries and expanded employment-based preference categories.

September 30, 1996

Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act (IIRIRA) expanded grounds for deportation and created expedited removal.

Previous

Deportation proceedings require a full hearing before an immigration judge for all persons in the United States.

Amended

Immigration officers may order expedited removal of persons who arrive without valid documents or are apprehended within 14 days of entry and 100 miles of the border. Three-year and ten-year bars on reentry are imposed for persons unlawfully present.