Bill · H.R. 5098· House(119-HR-5098)
Strengthening Our Workforce Act of 2025
- Introduced
- 9/2/2025
- Last activity
- 9/2/2025 — Referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary.
- Sponsored by
- Gabe Vasquez
- Cosponsors
- - 4 - 0
- Introduced
- In Committee
What this bill would do
The Strengthening Our Workforce Act of 2025 allows the Secretary of Homeland Security to grant conditional lawful permanent residency to certain aliens. Eligible individuals must have been present in the U.S. as of January 1, 2024, and have worked at least 100 days in a covered profession. This conditional status lasts for two years and includes employment authorization. After this period, the status can be adjusted to lawful permanent residency provided the person pays a fee and passes a background check. This process is not subject to worldwide numerical limits.
Yes· 3 of 29
Would immigrants be better off under this?+10
Provides a critical pathway to legal residency and employment authorization.
Would Hispanic Americans be better off under this?+9
Extremely positive as a large portion of the target population for this bill is Hispanic/Latino.
Does this make it easier for immigrants already here to become citizens?+9
Creates a direct conditional and then permanent residency pathway for eligible aliens.
The opposite
No question was scored the opposite.
Who it would affect, and how
Potential Positive Impacts for People
- Pathway to Residency: Certain aliens can adjust their status to conditional lawful permanent residents and eventually to lawful permanent residents (Section 2(a) and 2(e)).
- Work Authorization: People granted this status receive employment authorization concurrently (Section 2(b)).
- Broad Eligibility: The bill includes people without lawful status, those with DACA, or nonimmigrants with employment authorization who were present on January 1, 2024 (Section 2(c)(3)).
- Exemption from Caps: Those adjusting status under this act are not subject to worldwide numerical limitations (Section 2(f)).
- Humanitarian Waivers: The Secretary can waive certain grounds of inadmissibility for family unity, humanitarian purposes, or the public interest (Section 2(c)(6) and 2(g)(2)).
- Flexible Criminal Bars: The bill excludes minor traffic offenses and certain cannabis-related offenses from the criminal bars to eligibility (Section 2(g)(1)(B)).
Potential Negative Impacts for People
- Financial Burden: Eligible individuals are required to pay fees established by the Secretary both for the initial application and for the final adjustment of status (Section 2(c)(2) and 2(e)(2)).
- Strict Residency and Work Requirements: Recipients must remain continuously physically present in the U.S. and maintain at least 100 days of annual employment in a covered profession for two consecutive years (Section 2(d)(1) and 2(d)(2)).
- Legal Vulnerability: Individuals with this status remain subject to all grounds of deportability under section 237 (Section 2(d)(3)).
- Criminal Disqualifications: People convicted of any felony or certain combinations of misdemeanors are generally ineligible for this status (Section 2(g)(1)(B)).
Groups and Interests Ranking
Every group the model scored this bill for, from -10 to +10. Hover a score for the reason it gave.
- Demographic And Interest Groups
- Good For Immigrants+10Good For Hispanic Americans+9Good For Low Income Households+7Good For Young Adults+7Good For Middle Aged+6Good For Children+5Good For Farmers+5Good For Students+5Good For Business Owners+4Good For Men+4Good For Rural Residents+4Good For Urban Residents+4Good For Women+4Good For African Americans+3Good For Asian Americans+3
- Social Issues And Justice
- Improves Pathway To Citizenship+9Improves Poverty Reduction+5Improves Racial Equity+4Improves Childcare Affordability+3Improves Affordable Housing+2Reduces Homelessness+2
- Economy And Finance
- Improves Economic Growth+3Improves Small Business Support+3Increases Job Creation+2
- Environment Energy And Infrastructure
- Improves Rural Development+3Improves Disaster Relief And F E M A+2
- Governance And Ideology
- Improves Due Process+3Increases Federal Power+2
- Healthcare
- Improves Healthcare Access+4
- 9/2/2025
- Referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary.
- 4 Cosponsors added.
- Introduced in House
Angie CraigDemocrat · Minnesota
Delia RamirezDemocrat · Illinois
Nydia VelázquezDemocrat · New York
Juan VargasDemocrat · California