The bill, titled the "ASSIMILATION Act," aims to fundamentally restructure the U.S. immigration system by establishing a universal national interest standard . This standard requires that every visa issuance, admission, and status adjustment affirmatively furthers the economic prosperity, cultural cohesion, and national security of the United States. It seeks to replace the current family-chain and lottery-based admissions with a merit-based system prioritizing economic self-sufficiency and cultural assimilation. Significant reforms are proposed for family-sponsored immigration , narrowing the definition of "immediate relative" to only spouses and unmarried children under 18 of U.S. citizens, and limiting family-sponsored preference visas to spouses and minor children of lawful permanent residents. The bill also creates a new nonimmigrant visa for parents of U.S. citizens aged 21 or older, but these parents would be ineligible for employment or public benefits and require financial sponsorship and health insurance. Furthermore, the legislation completely eliminates the diversity immigrant category , voiding all prior selections. For employment-based immigration , the bill introduces a new national interest certification process, capping visas at 140,000 annually. Applicants must meet "presumptive positive factors" such as high compensation (90th percentile), employment in a designated National Interest Occupation , strategic federal support, extraordinary ability, or entrepreneurship with significant investment and job creation. Conversely, "presumptive negative factors" like sub-median compensation or limited English proficiency could lead to denial unless rebutted. The bill enacts substantial H-1B reforms , requiring employers to attest to paying at least 200 percent of the median wage for the position and capping the total number of H-1B visas at 50,000 annually. H-1B status would be limited to a non-renewable three-year period, and adjustment to permanent residence would require a two-year departure from the U.S. Additionally, Optional Practical Training (OPT) for F-1 nonimmigrants is eliminated unless expressly authorized by statute. Revisions to the public charge rule make aliens inadmissible or deportable if they fail to establish self-sufficiency without reliance on means-tested public benefits, with a presumption of public charge if benefits are received for over 12 months in a 36-month period. Sponsor financial requirements are significantly increased, raising the income threshold to 200 percent of the poverty line and mandating a minimum $20,000 bond for each sponsored alien, enforceable for 10 years. Naturalization requirements are made more stringent, expanding the definition of "good moral character" to include bars for felonies, multiple misdemeanors, immigration law violations, and failure to satisfy tax or child support obligations. The English proficiency standard is raised, the general residence period for naturalization is extended from five to ten years, and applicants must demonstrate tax compliance and civic integration. The bill also clarifies citizenship at birth , stating that a person born in the U.S. is "subject to the jurisdiction thereof" only if at least one parent is a U.S. citizen, national, or lawful permanent resident. Asylum procedures are tightened, introducing a "safe third country" and "transit bar" for applicants who traveled through other countries. The "credible fear" standard is raised to "more likely than not," and asylum applicants are no longer entitled to employment authorization solely based on a pending application. The bill also imposes a $500 asylum filing fee and restricts parole authority to case-by-case urgent humanitarian reasons or significant public benefit, explicitly prohibiting categorical or programmatic parole. The bill mandates a universal E-Verify system for all new hires, making it unlawful to employ individuals not ultimately confirmed by the system. It also establishes new penalties for visa overstays , voiding nonimmigrant visas after 10 days beyond authorized stay or non-compliance, and introducing criminal and civil penalties for such violations. Furthermore, it limits enforcement discretion, prohibiting policies that prospectively exempt classes of aliens from immigration enforcement.