Dignity Act Explained: Who Qualifies and What It Costs

The bipartisan Dignity Act would give long-term undocumented immigrants renewable work status for a $7,000 payment, but not a green card, and it has never cleared a House committee.

With Democrats set to control both chambers when the new Congress convenes on Jan. 3, 2027, the Dignity Act is the bill most often named as a possible bipartisan starting point. Business groups led by the American Business Immigration Coalition urged Congress and the White House the day after the election to take up the bill in the lame-duck session, Breitbart News reported, while the White House said on Wednesday that it would never allow mass amnesty, as we covered in our report on the administration’s first post-election signals.

Our look at DACA after the midterms covered what the bill would do for Dreamers. Most people it would reach are not Dreamers, though. Here is what the bill actually contains for them, what it would cost an applicant, what it would not provide, and where it stands procedurally.

What is the Dignity Act?

The DIGNIDAD (Dignity) Act of 2025, H.R. 4393, was introduced in July 2025 by Rep. María Elvira Salazar (R-Fla.) and Rep. Veronica Escobar (D-Texas). It is a successor to Salazar’s 2023 bill, H.R. 3599, which never received a floor vote. As of spring 2026 it had 39 to 40 cosponsors split almost evenly between the parties, according to the National Law Review and PolitiFact. The bill combines three pieces: a temporary legal status for long-term undocumented immigrants, a separate path to permanent residence for Dreamers, and a package of border, asylum and worksite enforcement measures.

Who would qualify for the Dignity Program?

According to Salazar’s office and independent summaries, an applicant would need to meet several conditions:

Continuous presence: living in the United States since before Dec. 31, 2020. People who arrived in 2021 or later would not qualify.
Clean record: passing criminal background checks, with no criminal record, and continuing to comply with federal and state law.
Taxes: paying any back taxes owed.
Work or school: PolitiFact and the National Law Review describe a requirement to stay employed or enrolled in school. Salazar’s own summary does not list it, so the exact terms should be checked against the bill text.
Check-ins: reporting to DHS every two years.

How much would it cost?

The central cost is $7,000 in restitution, paid within the seven-year program, which would go into a fund for training U.S. workers. Salazar’s office also describes a 1% levy deducted from the wages of program participants who receive work authorization, with the money directed to immigration infrastructure and debt reduction. Back taxes come on top of both. The public summaries do not set out an installment schedule or a separate application fee, so those details would depend on the bill text and any implementing rules.

What would participants get, and what would they not get?

Seven years of protection: work authorization, protection from deportation and permission to travel during the program.
Renewable “Dignity Status” afterward: participants who complete the program could apply for a status that, according to Salazar’s office, can be renewed indefinitely with good conduct and requires no further payments.
No green card or citizenship: Salazar’s office, the National Law Review and PolitiFact all describe Dignity Status as not leading to permanent residence or citizenship. Earlier versions included a separate citizenship track, which the 2025 bill dropped.
No federal benefits: participants would not be eligible for federal public benefits.

That design is why supporters call the bill earned status, not amnesty, while critics, including Rep. Brandon Gill (R-Texas), have called it mass amnesty. PolitiFact rated Gill’s claim Half True in April, noting the large number of people covered but the absence of a path to citizenship for most of them.

How is the Dreamer track different?

Dreamers, including DACA recipients, would follow a separate route: 10 years of conditional permanent residence, then a green card through education, military service or work. Unlike the Dignity Program, that track can lead to permanent residence and eventually citizenship.

What enforcement does the bill add?

Mandatory E-Verify: required for all U.S. employers, phased in by company size. Vice President Vance has said worksite enforcement is an area where the administration is open to change.
Border: physical barriers and technology, more Border Patrol agents and CBP officers, DNA testing to verify family relationships, and tougher penalties for smugglers.
Asylum: humanitarian processing campuses at the southern border and a target of a final asylum decision within about 60 days, along with recording of expedited removal interviews.

Where the bill stands now

H.R. 4393 was referred to the House Judiciary Committee and several others and has had no markup, no floor vote and no Senate companion, according to the bill’s legislative record. Bills that do not pass by the end of the 119th Congress expire, so unless the House and Senate act in the lame-duck session, sponsors would have to reintroduce it in 2027. The election also cost the bill several Republican cosponsors, including Reps. David Valadao, Mike Lawler and Gabe Evans, the Daily Caller reported.

Even with Democratic majorities, the bill would need 60 Senate votes and President Trump’s signature. The White House has not said whether it considers the Dignity Program amnesty, and that definition, discussed in our look at what a 2027 reform bill could include, is likely to decide whether the bill becomes a negotiating vehicle or a marker.

Quick answers

Is the Dignity Act law? No. It has not passed either chamber, and there is nothing to apply for.

Who would be covered? Undocumented immigrants present since before Dec. 31, 2020 who pass background checks, pay back taxes and meet the program’s ongoing conditions.

What would the Dignity plan cost? $7,000 in restitution over seven years, plus back taxes and a 1% wage levy for participants with work permits.

Does it lead to a green card? Not for most participants. Only the Dreamer track leads to permanent residence.

Could it pass before January? It would need House and Senate votes in the lame-duck session and the president’s signature, none of which is scheduled.

Should I do anything now? No filing is possible. Anyone charging fees to enroll people in the Dignity Program is offering something that does not exist.

This article is for general information and is not legal advice.

Sources

Vasanth Vaidyanathan, Esq.

Administrator

Vasanth Vaidyanathan is an immigration attorney with over 20 years of experience focused exclusively on U.S. immigration and nationality law. He holds an LL.M. from California Western School of Law, San Diego and advises individuals and businesses on employment and family-based immigration matters, including H-1B, PERM, EB categories, and adjustment of status. He has also been a featured speaker at immigration seminars across the U.S. To reach Vasanth visit: https://www.vnathan.com/

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