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The Y visa and the Z visa were proposed as new visa classes in immigration reform legislation proposed in 2007. The legislation was not enacted, so these visa classes were never created.
Y Visas
The Y visa would have been available for "guest workers" to enter the United States temporarily to fill jobs that employers couldn't find U.S. workers to do.
Z Visas
The Z visa would have been available to immigrants living illegally in the United States as of Jan. 1, 2008. It offered a path to citizenship that involved paying a fine and back taxes and first applying for legal resident status.
The Legislation
The legislation was worked out in 2007 between the administration of President George W. Bush and a group of senators from both parties. The bill died in June 2007 with the failure of an attempt to end Senate debate and proceed to a final vote.
Criticism
Opponents of the legislation focused particularly on the Z visa provision, which they called an amnesty program for illegal immigrants.
Prospects
As of fall 2009, there was no legislation pending in Congress to establish Y and Z visas.
Source:
Homeland Security Department Fact Sheet on Legislation (PDF)
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