Senators agree to illegals overhaul

KEY senators in both US parties announced agreement with the White House yesterday on an immigration overhaul that would grant quick legal status to millions of illegal immigrants already in the US and fortify the border.

The plan would create a temporary worker programme to bring new arrivals to the US. A separate programme would cover agricultural workers. New hi-tech enforcement measures would also be instituted to verify that workers are there legally.

The compromise came after weeks of painstaking closed-door negotiations that brought the most liberal Democrats and the most conservative Republicans together with President George W Bush’s cabinet officers to produce a highly complex measure that carries heavy political consequences.

Many expect Mr Bush to endorse the agreement.

The key breakthrough came when negotiators struck a bargain on a so-called point system that would for the first time prioritise immigrants’ education and skill level over family connections in deciding how to award green cards.

The draft bill “gives a path out of the shadows and toward legal status for those who are currently here” illegally, said senator Dianne Feinstein.

The immigration issue divides both parties in the house, which isn’t expected to act unless the senate passes a bill first.

The proposed agreement would allow illegal immigrants to come forward and obtain a “Z visa” and — after paying fees and a $5,000 fine — ultimately get on track for permanent residency, which could take between eight and 13 years.

Heads of households would have to return to their home countries first.