On CNN’s State of the Union Sunday, Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL) discussed the version of the DREAM Act he’s in the midst of crafting, and explained that “it allows you to get an immigrant visa through one of the existing visa programs.”
Rubio spokesman Alex Conant confirmed to TPM that the senator was referring to a non-immigrant visa, not an immigrant visa.
The distinction is important because an “immigrant visa” is defined by the U.S. government as permanent residency that essentially guarantees citizenship after several years. A “non-immigrant visa” provides temporary legal residency, after which the recipient can seek options for permanent status.
The Democrats’ DREAM Act entails the former; Rubio’s bill entails the latter.
Conant didn’t immediately return a follow-up on which visa category the bill would tap.
