H.R. 6412: Attracting the Best and Brightest Act of 2012

112th Congress · introduced 2012-09-14 · Immigration · Latest: Referred to the Subcommittee on Immigration Policy and Enforcement.

federal

Follow this bill, step by step

Where it came from: introduced 2012-09-14 · official record
Who proposed it: Rep. Lofgren, Zoe [D-CA-16] · what a sponsor is
What happened next: no floor votes in our records yet. Why?
Where it stands now: Referred to the Subcommittee on Immigration Policy and Enforcement. Not final yet: this can still change. We check for updates every day.
If it becomes law and spends money: follow the money to money laws, then agencies and contracts and grants.

What does this mean?

Official title

Attracting the Best and Brightest Act of 2012

Plain summary

Attracting the Best and Brightest Act of 2012 - Amends the Immigration and Nationality Act to make up to 50,000 visas available to qualified immigrants who: (1) possess a graduate degree at the level of master's or higher in a field of science, technology, engineering, or mathematics (STEM degree) from a qualifying U.S. research institution of higher education; (2) have an employment offer from a U.S. employer in a field related to such degree; (3) are the subject of an approved labor certification; and (4) will receive a wage for such employment that is at least the actual wage paid by the employer to all other individuals with similar experience and qualifications. Makes unused STEM visas available for other employment-based visa categories. Requires: (1) employers of foreign STEM graduates to submit a job order for the position with the appropriate state workforce agency, (2) such agency to post the position on its website for at least 30 days, and (3) employers to demonstrate that the total amount of compensation to be paid to a foreign STEM graduate meets or exceeds the total amount of compensation paid by the employer to all other employees with similar experience and qualifications working in the same occupational classification. Requires the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to make available on its website specified information regarding foreign STEM employers, the number of aliens granted STEM status, and their occupations. Repeals such STEM and related provisions two years after enactment of this Act. Eliminates the foreign residency requirement for certain foreign students. States that a determination of whether an alien is a child for purposes of: (1) a petition for immigrant status or a petition for adjustment of refugee status to immigrant status shall be made using the alien's age on the date on which the petition is filed with DHS, and (2) a petition for nonimmigrant admission or an application for adjustment of status from nonimmigrant to conditional (fiance) immigrant shall be made using the alien's age on the date on which the petition is filed with DHS to classify such alien's parent as the fiance of a U.S. citizen. States that the permanent priority date for any family- or employment-based petition shall be the date on which the petition is filed with DHS (or the Secretary of State, if applicable), unless such filing was preceded by the filing of a labor certification with the Secretary of Labor, in which case that date shall constitute the priority date. States that an alien who is the beneficiary of a family- or employment-based petition that was approvable when filed shall retain such petition's priority date in the consideration of any subsequently filed family- or employment-based petition.

Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in House), quoted unchanged (nonpartisan). Read the source.

What a vote does

A “Yea” vote

If it passes both chambers and is signed, it becomes law.

A “Nay” vote

If it is not passed, current law stays as it is.

PSI Sci description of the legislative step (not an opinion).

What does this mean? (plain words)

Official text

Attracting the Best and Brightest Act of 2012

Source: Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in House)

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The strongest published arguments

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Alternatives

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How did my representative vote? · This bill's floor votes

Officials and money

Sponsor: Rep. Lofgren, Zoe [D-CA-16] · 65 cosponsors

Cost estimate: No cost estimate published yet.

Cosponsors on this site

Doris O. Matsui (D-CA), Linda T. Sánchez (D-CA), Rick Larsen (D-WA), Betty McCollum (D-MN), Judy Chu (D-CA), James P. McGovern (D-MA), Lloyd Doggett (D-TX), Kathy Castor (D-FL), Jerrold Nadler (D-NY), James A. Himes (D-CT), Mike Quigley (D-IL), Diana DeGette (D-CO), Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC), Suzanne Bonamici (D-OR), Mike Thompson (D-CA), Christopher Murphy (D-CT), John B. Larson (D-CT), Yvette D. Clarke (D-NY) and 5 more.

Sponsor's campaign money: Rep. Lofgren, Zoe [D-CA-16] reported raising $2.0 million (2025–2026). Details. Shown for context only; it does not mean any donor supported this bill.

No linked floor roll calls in our collected records yet. This does not mean the bill has never had a vote. Check the official bill history.

Words on this page, explained (2)

Appropriation: Money a legislature sets aside by law for a specific purpose. Government agencies may spend public money only as it has been appropriated.
Securities: Financial investments that can be bought and sold, such as stocks and bonds.

Plain meanings written from linked sources. All words.

Sources

Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in House)
Congress.gov
Data: GovInfo BILLSTATUS bulk data (Library of Congress), BILLSTATUS-112hr6412.xml <https://www.govinfo.gov/bulkdata/BILLSTATUS/112/hr>

Record fed-us-cong112-hr6412 · catalog fed-us-congress-bills-cong112 · updated 2026-11-15 by psicol fed-bills-cong112