S. 3185: STAR Act of 2012
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S. 3185: STAR Act of 2012
112th Congress · introduced 2012-05-15 · Immigration · Latest: Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary.
federal
Follow this bill, step by step
- Where it came from: introduced 2012-05-15 · official record
- Who proposed it: Sen. Cornyn, John [R-TX] · what a sponsor is
- What happened next: no floor votes in our records yet. Why?
- Where it stands now: Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary. 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.
Official title
STAR Act of 2012
Plain summary
Securing the Talent America Requires for the 21st Century Act of 2012 or the STAR Act of 2012 - Amends the Immigration and Nationality Act to allocate 55,000 annual immigrant visas for eligible STEM field (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) advanced degree graduates of qualifying U.S. research institutions who have job offers in related fields. Exempts from regular labor certification requirements an alien who holds a master's degree in a STEM field from a U.S. research institution if the alien will be employed by an employer who engages in a competitive recruitment and selection process and determines that the alien is more qualified than any U.S. worker who applied for the job. Deems as a shortage occupation a job described in an employment-based immigrant preference petition filed on behalf of an alien who holds a doctorate degree from a U.S. research institution in a STEM field. Permits the petitioner to apply for a certification directly with the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). Includes among employment-based immigrant preferences aliens who graduate from a U.S. research institution with a doctorate or master's degree in a STEM field and intend to work in a related field. Excludes an alien student who intends to pursue an advanced STEM field degree in a U.S. research institution from the foreign student visa requirement that an alien student has a foreign residence which he or she has no intention of abandoning.
Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in Senate), quoted unchanged (nonpartisan). Read the source.
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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.
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Alternatives
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How did my representative vote? · This bill's floor votes
Officials and money
Sponsor: Sen. Cornyn, John [R-TX] · 0 cosponsors
Cost estimate: No cost estimate published yet.
Sponsor's campaign money: Sen. Cornyn, John [R-TX] reported raising $8.6 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 (1)
- 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 Senate)
- Congress.gov
- Data: GovInfo BILLSTATUS bulk data (Library of Congress), BILLSTATUS-112s3185.xml <https://www.govinfo.gov/bulkdata/BILLSTATUS/112/s>
Record fed-us-cong112-s3185 · catalog fed-us-congress-bills-cong112 · updated 2026-11-15 by psicol fed-bills-cong112