December 11, 2003

President Signs the Basic Pilot Program Extension and Expansion Act of 2003 (P.L. 108-156) into Law

On December 3, The President signed into law a bill extending and expanding the employment eligibility verification pilot program established by the Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigration Responsibility Act (IIRIRA) and extending the EB-5 immigrant investor regional center pilot program.

The Employment Eligibility Verification Pilot Program was set up as an agreement between the Social Security Administration (SSA), the CIS (formerly the INS) and the Employer and instructs that the employment eligibility of all newly hired employees should be confirmed after the Form I-9 has been completed. This bill now extends the basic pilot program for employment eligibility verification through 2008 and mandates the program’s expansion to all 50 states no later than December 1, 2004.

The bill also extends the immigrant investor regional center pilot program for an additional five years. This pilot program facilitates foreign investment in areas in need of economic incentives and encourages the use of the Alien Entrepreneur program on a more wide-spread basis.

We will provide a full text version of this law when it becomes available.