SOVIET SCIENTISTS IMMIGRATION ACT OF 1992 Public Law 102–509, as amended SOVIET SCIENTISTS IMMIGRATION ACT OF 1992 509 107–228 Statute Compilation United States House of Representatives Office of the Legislative Counsel text/xml EN Pursuant to Title 17 Section 105 of the United States Code, this file is not subject to copyright protection and is in the public domain. GPO Statute Compilations USLM converter, version 20210527.1 2021-10-15 Soviet Scientists Immigration Act of 1992 1385 102 1992-10-24 SOVIET SCIENTISTS IMMIGRATION ACT OF 1992 [(Public Law 102–509, October 24, 1992)] [As Amended Through P.L. 107–228, Enacted September 30, 2002] [Currency: This publication is a compilation of the text of Public Law 102–509. It was last amended by the public law listed in the As Amended Through note above and below at the bottom of each page of the pdf version and reflects current law through the date of the enactment of the public law listed at https://www.govinfo.gov/app/collection/comps/] [Note: While this publication does not represent an official version of any Federal statute, substantial efforts have been made to ensure the accuracy of its contents. The official version of Federal law is found in the United States Statutes at Large and in the United States Code. The legal effect to be given to the Statutes at Large and the United States Code is established by statute (1 U.S.C. 112, 204).]
SECTION 1. [8 U.S.C. 1153 note] SHORT TITLE. This Act may be cited as the “Soviet Scientists Immigration Act of 1992”.
SEC. 2. [8 U.S.C. 1153 note] DEFINITIONS. For purposes of this Act— (1) the term “Baltic states” means the sovereign nations of Latvia, Lithuania, and Estonia; (2) the term “independent states of the former Soviet Union” means the sovereign nations of Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova, Russia, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Ukraine, and Uzbekistan; and (3) the term “eligible independent states and Baltic scientists” means aliens— (A) who are nationals of any of the independent states of the former Soviet Union or the Baltic states; and (B) who are scientists or engineers who have expertise in nuclear, chemical, biological or other high technology fields or who are working on nuclear, chemical, biological or other high-technology defense projects, as defined by the Attorney General.
SEC. 3. [8 U.S.C. 1153 note] WAIVER OF JOB OFFER REQUIREMENT. The requirement in section 203(b)(2)(A) of the Immigration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1153(b)(2)(A)) that an alien's services in the sciences, arts, or business be sought by an employer in the United States shall not apply to any eligible independent states or Baltic scientist who is applying for admission to the United States for permanent residence in accordance with that section.
SEC. 4. [8 U.S.C. 1153 note] CLASSIFICATION OF INDEPENDENT STATES SCIENTISTS AS HAVING EXCEPTIONAL ABILITY. (a) In General.—The Attorney General shall designate a class of eligible independent states and Baltic scientists, based on their level of expertise, as aliens who possess “exceptional ability in the sciences”, for purposes of section 203(b)(2)(A) of the Immigration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1153(b)(2)(A)), whether or not such scientists possess advanced degrees. A scientist is not eligible for designation under this subsection if the scientist has previously been granted the status of an alien lawfully admitted for permanent residence (as defined in section 101(a)(20) of the Immigration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1101(a)(20)). (b) Regulations.—The Attorney General shall prescribe regulations to carry out subsection (a). (c) Limitation.—Not more than 950 eligible independent states and Baltic scientists (excluding spouses and children if accompanying or following to join) within the class designated under subsection (a) may be allotted visas under section 203(b)(2)(A) of the Immigration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1153(b)(2)(A)). (d) Duration of Authority.—The authority under subsection (a) shall be in effect during the following periods: (1) The period beginning on the date of the enactment of this Act and ending 4 years after such date. (2) The period beginning on the date of the enactment of the Security Assistance Act of 2002 and ending 4 years after such date.