Republican Senator Tommy Tuberville of Alabama introduced the Americans First Immigration Act on September 23, 2026, a proposal that would reshape employment-based green cards, narrow family-sponsored immigration, and end the Diversity Visa lottery. The bill was read twice and referred to the Senate Judiciary Committee.
The Most Important Point: It Is Not Law
The bill is a proposal only. Existing green card, family immigration, and Diversity Visa rules remain unchanged. As of September 25, it had no Senate co-sponsors, according to reporting citing the National Immigration Forum. Applicants, including Indian professionals on H-1B or other temporary visas, should keep following guidance from US Citizenship and Immigration Services and the State Department while watching the bill's progress.
What the Bill Would Change
Employment-based green cards. The bill would replace the current preference system, including EB-1, EB-2, and EB-3, with a points-based framework. According to Tuberville's office, points would reward factors such as education, English proficiency, high-paying job offers, military service, and extraordinary achievement, with skills, economic contribution, and self-sufficiency given more weight overall. The bill would preserve a capped allocation for religious workers while eliminating what it calls lower-priority pathways, and it also includes provisions aimed at employers.
Family-sponsored immigration. The proposal would narrow the categories of relatives eligible to be sponsored. Details of exactly which relatives would qualify are best confirmed against the bill text as it becomes available.
The Diversity Visa lottery. The bill would eliminate the program and replace it with a points-based model weighing education, English proficiency, and job offers.
Why This Matters for Indian Applicants
For Indian applicants, the biggest potential shift is the move from the current employment-based system to points. Today, a strict 7% per-country cap leaves applicants from India and China waiting more than a decade in some categories, and the September 2026 Visa Bulletin shows EB-2 India unavailable after fiscal 2026 numbers ran out. Whether a points system would shorten or lengthen those waits would depend on the final design, which is far from settled.
The Current System Is Already Under Strain
The bill lands amid real turbulence in the existing system. September 30 is the deadline for issuing DV-2026 lottery visas, and the law does not allow selections to carry over to the next year. Selectees have faced delays even after a federal court ruled against a pause in the program. The State Department told consulates to resume processing on September 10, though reports say most consulates showed little movement. A separate January policy that suspended immigrant visa issuance for nationals of 75 countries was struck down in August. One immigration attorney advised anyone with an affected case to follow up directly with the consulate and document every exchange. Registration for DV-2027 had not opened as of the latest guides, roughly eleven months later than usual.
What Happens Next
A bill referred to committee often goes no further, and this one starts without co-sponsors. Any move toward passage would require committee action, floor votes in both chambers, and a presidential signature. For now, the practical advice is unchanged: rely on current USCIS and State Department rules. For the reporting behind this story, see the Business Standard report.
This article is general information, not legal advice. Anyone with a pending case should consult a licensed immigration attorney.