Dive summary:

• The most recent version of immigration reform – which is a wide-ranging package and far from settled – is closest to an agreement for a guest-worker program, and that plan would give the construction industry its own quotas for immigrant workers and its own, lower-capped work visas.
• The U.S. Department of Labor has a five-level classification of jobs based on how much preparation, education or training is required for a job, and construction would be limited to guest workers in the lowest two – largely helpers for several trades in the lowest category and drywall installers and carpenter's helpers in the next level up.
• Visas for construction labor would be capped within the larger program.

From the article:

Several principles have been agreed to, and the construction industry is the only industry severely limited from making much (if any) use of the planned temporary worker visa program. ...