A deal has been reached in Senate on proposed legislation for a new points based system for immigration to the US along the lines of the Canadian system. The same legislation would end the green card lottery and seriously curb family sponsorship, ending sponsorship of adult children or siblings and introducing a new parents visa as the number of green cards for parents will be capped. This is part of a general move to gear immigration more towards merit and less towards family ties of chance of birthplace.

Under The Merit System, Future Immigrants Applying For Permanent Residency In The United States Will Be Assigned Points For Skills, Education, Employment Background And Other Attributes That Further Our National Interest. These skills include:
Ability to speak English.
Level of schooling, including added points for training in science, math, and technology.
Job offer in a high-demand field.
Work experience in the United States.
Employer endorsement.
Family ties to the United States.
Ending Chain Migration

In Place Of The Current System Where Nearly Two-Thirds Of Green Cards Are Awarded To Relatives Of U.S. Citizens, Our Immigration System Will Be Reformed To Better Balance The Importance Of Family Connections With The Economic Needs Of Our Country.

Visas for parents of U.S. citizens are capped, while green cards for the siblings and adult children of U.S. citizens and green card holders are eliminated.
A new Parents Visitor visa is created to ensure that parents are allowed to visit their children in the United States regularly and for extended periods of time.
The Diversity Lottery Program, which grants 50,000 green cards per year through random chance, is ended.
These rebalanced green cards are used to clear the Family Backlog in eight years and then applied to the new Merit System for future immigration once the backlog is cleared.
Clearing The Family Backlog Within Eight Years

Family Members Who Have Applied Legally, And Lawfully Waited Their Turn In Line, Will Receive Their Green Card Within The Next Eight Years. Today, millions of family members of U.S. citizens wait years in line for a green card, with some waits estimated at as long as 30 years.