1986 Immigration Reform and Control Act (IRCA)

Wednesday, January 01, 1986

Signed into law by President Ronald Reagan, this Act provided amnesty for established residents, granting legal permanent status to 2.7 million residents. Additionally, this Act imposed further restrictions and regulations to improve immigration enforcement, greater requirements for employers to check work authorization of immigrant workers, and split the H-2 visa program into the H-2A agricultural worker program and H-2B nonagricultural worker program.