SMARTER Act

The SMARTER Act proposes a comprehensive overhaul of U.S. immigration law by eliminating the Diversity Visa program, restricting family-sponsored visas to spouses and children under 18, and establishing a new points-based system for employment-based immigrants. It creates a Skilled Migration and Recruitment of Talent Board within the Department of Commerce to annually determine visa caps based on industrial labor needs, economic data, and wage growth trends. The bill replaces the H-1B visa with a "SMARTER" nonimmigrant status that allows greater job flexibility and eliminates per-country limits, while also introducing a paid "gold card" program offering 25,000 annual visas to individuals or corporations paying substantial fees. Additionally, the legislation mandates the use of artificial intelligence to identify visa overstays and requires permanent residents to have their sponsors reimburse the government for any means-tested public benefits received before they can be naturalized.