# Heartland Visa Act of 2024
The Heartland Visa Act creates a new visa category designed to attract skilled foreign workers to economically struggling counties across the United States. The bill establishes 50,000 visas annually for high-skilled immigrants willing to live and work in counties experiencing slow population growth or population decline. Eligible counties must meet specific criteria, such as having minimal population growth between 2010 and 2020 and median home values below the national average. Participating counties are selected based on factors including available skilled labor shortages, housing affordability, and proximity to educational institutions.
The visa program uses a wage-bidding system to allocate visas quarterly, with higher salaries prioritized and younger workers receiving enhanced salary multipliers to encourage long-term economic contributions. Visa holders must reside in a participating county for three years, meet minimum salary requirements, and can renew for an additional three-year term. After completing two three-year terms, visa holders may apply for permanent resident status if they meet specified income thresholds. Spouses and dependent children may accompany visa holders on dependent visas and receive automatic work authorization.
The bill requires comprehensive background vetting through the National Vetting Center and collects application fees to cover program costs, plus a $2,805 premium fee for expedited processing. The Department of Homeland Security must issue implementing regulations within 180 days, and the program is subject to periodic review and evaluation to assess its impact on participating counties and visa holders.
Take Action
Your position
Add a comment
to comment on this bill.
Annotate the text
Highlight any passage on the Summary or Full Text tab to attach a note. Annotations appear on the Annotations tab.