WASHINGTON -- The bipartisan Senate immigration reform bill introduced Wednesday shares many similarities with the last sweeping overhaul attempt, in 2007. But there are key differences -- enough, the Senate group behind the bill hopes, to get a measure passed this time around.
The Migration Policy Institute has compiled a preliminary comparison between both bills based on a 17-page outline of the new 844-page proposed law drafted by the "Gang of Eight," the bipartisan coalition of senators that met behind closed doors for weeks to come up with the bill.
Both measures called for eliminating the diversity visa lottery.
The 2007 bill required those seeking a chance to legalize their status to return their countries, but the 2013 one allows them to live and work in the United States under a legal provisional visa. They would be able to become legal permanent residents after more than a decade, given that they meet a strict set of criteria.
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