American Worker Information Technology Skills Improvement Act of 2000 (AWITSIA)
Referred to the Subcommittee on Immigration and Claims.
Congressional Research Service
Official summary
Version 00 · Introduced in House · Apr 6, 2000
American Worker Information Technology Skills Improvement Act of 2000 (AWITSIA) - Title I: Provisions Relating to H-1B Nonimmigrants - Subtitle A: Provisions Relating to Numerical Limitations - Amends the Immigration and Nationality Act to increase the number of authorized annual H-1B specialty occupation (nonimmigrant) visas, with reductions in periods of specified unemployment. Allocates specified H-1B visas for aliens with master's or PhD degrees.Subtitle B: Provisions Relating to H1-B (sic) Nonimmigrant Petitioner Fees - Amends the Act to revise collection and use of H-1B employer fee provisions. Exempts certain academic and research institutions from such fees. Obligates specified amounts for the Information Technology Training Initiative (established by this Act).Amends the American Competitiveness and Workforce Improvement Act of 1998 to expand low-income scholarship program eligibility.Amends the Act to obligate specified funds for the Kids 2000 and Net Prep Gyrls programs.Subtitle C: Information Technology Training - Directs the Secretary of Labor to establish in the Department of Labor the Information Technology Training Initiative to provide U.S. workers with information technology skills through grants to local workforce investment boards. Targets specified under-represented populations for program inclusion.Subtitle D: Obligations of Petitioning Employers - Sets forth employer attestation provisions.Title II: Provisions Relating to Employment-Based Immigration - Amends the Act to make employment-based immigrant visas available on a quarterly basis without regard to per-country limitations if unused visas are available.Authorizes a U.S.-residency extension for a nonimmigrant alien for whom an employment-based immigrant petition has been filed but who is subject to the per-country limit until resolution of such alien's application for status adjustment.Title III: Kids 2000 - Directs the Attorney General to make grants to the Boys and Girls Clubs of America for after-school technology programs, such as PowerUp.Title IV: Legal Amnesty Restoration Act of 2000 - Amends the Act to permit the Attorney General to create a record of lawful admission for permanent residence for certain aliens who entered the United States prior to 1986 (currently 1972).Title V: Central American and Haitian Adjustment Act - Amends the Nicaraguan Adjustment and Central American Relief Act to: (1) extend permanent resident status adjustment provisions to qualifying Salvadoran, Guatemalan, Honduran, and Haitian nationals; and (2) extend the application filing deadline.Permits certain pending applications filed by Salvadoran, Guatemalan, or Haitian (under the Haitian Refugee Immigration Fairness Act of 1998) nationals to be converted to status adjustment applications.Amends such Acts to: (1) authorize the Attorney General to waive certain grounds of inadmissibility; and (2) provide for issuance of immigrant visas to certain spouses and children.Provides for the limited reopening of certain orders of deportation, exclusion, or removal by certain Haitian, Cuban, or Nicaraguan nationals.
Referred to the Subcommittee on Immigration and Claims.
Referred to the Committee on the Judiciary, and in addition to the Committee on Education and the Workforce, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
Referred to the Committee on the Judiciary, and in addition to the Committee on Education and the Workforce, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
Referred to the Committee on the Judiciary, and in addition to the Committee on Education and the Workforce, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
Introduced in House
Introduced in House
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Bill text & related measures
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Source last updated: Aug 20, 2025. Consult Congress.gov for the current record.
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