Resident status could take between eight and 13 years. Heads of household would have to return to their home countries first. Heads of household could come forward right away to claim a probationary card that would let them live and work legally in the U.S., but could not begin the path to permanent residency or citizenship until border security improvements and the high-tech worker identification program were completed. The proposed plan would shift from the current immigration system which is primarily based on family ties toward a "point system" that prioritizes preferences for people with advanced degrees and sophisticated skills. This means Family connections alone would no longer be enough to qualify for a green card — except for spouses and minor children of U.S. citizens. New limits would apply to U.S. citizens seeking to bring foreign-born parents into the country as well.

The bill will provide 18,000 more border patrol agents, and scores of radar and camera towers on the US border with Mexico. Republicans have long sought such revisions, which they say are needed to end "chain migration" that harms the economy, while some Democrats and liberal groups say it's an unfair system that rips families apart. Almost instantly, the plan brought vehement criticism from both sides of the immigration issue, including liberals who called it unfair and unworkable and conservatives who branded it an overly permissive "amnesty." U.S. Senator Jim DeMint, South Carolina,  made the following statement: "I hope we don't take a thousand page bill written in secret and try to ram it through the Senate in a few days. This is a very important issue for America and we need time to debate it." DeMint continued "But the little we do know about the bill is troubling. According to reports, the bill contains a new 'Z Visa' that allows those who entered our country illegally to stay here permanently without ever returning home.

This rewards people who broke the law with permanent legal status, and puts them ahead of millions of law-abiding immigrants waiting to come to America. I don't care how you try to spin it, this is amnesty." says DeMint. Rep Presidential Hopeful John McCain stated “Immigration reform is key to maintaining our nation’s vibrant economy. Through the reforms we have agreed to, our country will finally have a system that emphasizes immigrants that contribute to the economic and cultural growth of our nation,” McCain said. Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., another negotiator, acknowledged that the bill had flaws, but she urged Americans and fellow lawmakers: "Please, please, please don't let the perfect be the enemy of the good." Although the analyzed costs of this legislation have not yet been released- they should be soon. Robert Rector of the conservative think tank the Heritage Foundation says that the enormous cost of granting legal status to millions of illegal aliens is being wholly ignored. Rector cites statistics that nearly two-thirds of illegal immigrants are low-skilled workers. Based on a detailed analysis of the net cost of low-skill households, Rector  estimates that the typical illegal-alien household receives $19,588 more in benefits than it pays in taxes each year. He explains that these costs would increase dramatically when an illegal alien reached retirement. Rector estimates that if all current illegal aliens were granted amnesty, the net retirement costs (benefits minus taxes) could be over $2.5 trillion. US Senators Diane Feinstein and Barbara Boxer can be reached at the following if you’d like to give your opinion before the debate begins: