[Congressional Bills 105th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 2917 Introduced in House (IH)]







105th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 2917

 To temporarily increase the number of visas available for backlogged 
spouses and children of lawful permanent resident aliens and to provide 
 for certain limitations on the adjustment of status of nonimmigrants 
    physically present in the United States to permanent residence.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                            November 7, 1997

  Mr. Shays introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
                       Committee on the Judiciary

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
 To temporarily increase the number of visas available for backlogged 
spouses and children of lawful permanent resident aliens and to provide 
 for certain limitations on the adjustment of status of nonimmigrants 
    physically present in the United States to permanent residence.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. 5-YEAR INCREASE IN VISAS FOR BACKLOGGED SPOUSES AND CHILDREN 
              OF LAWFUL PERMANENT RESIDENT ALIENS.

    (a) In General.--In addition to any immigrant visa numbers 
otherwise available, 60,000 immigrant visa numbers shall be made 
available in each of the fiscal years 1999 through 2004 for aliens who 
have petitions approved for classification under section 203(a)(2)(A) 
of the Immigration and Nationality Act for the fiscal year.
    (b) Priority.--
            (1) Subject to paragraph (2), visa numbers under this 
        section shall be made available in the order in which a 
        petition, on behalf of each such immigrant for classification 
        under section 203(a)(2)(A) of the Immigration and Nationality 
        Act, is filed with the Attorney General under section 204 of 
        such Act.
            (2) Visa numbers shall first be made available to aliens 
        for whom the petitioning alien did not become an alien lawfully 
        admitted for permanent residence through the operation of 
        section 210 or 245A of the Immigration and Nationality Act.
            (3) The per country numerical limitations of section 202 of 
        such Act shall not apply with respect to visa numbers made 
        available under this section, and visa numbers made available 
        under this section shall not be counted in determining whether 
        there are excess family admissions in a fiscal year under 
        section 201(c)(3)(B) of the Immigration and Nationality Act.

SEC. 2. ADJUSTMENT OF STATUS OF NONIMMIGRANT PHYSICALLY PRESENT IN THE 
              UNITED STATES TO THAT OF PERSON ADMITTED FOR PERMANENT 
              RESIDENCE.

    (a) Increase in Fee.--Section 245(i)(1) of the Immigration and 
Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1225(i)(1)) is amended by striking ``$1,000'' 
and inserting ``$2,000''.
    (b) Application of Provision Limited to Aliens For Whom a Petition 
for Classification Has Been Filed Before October 1, 1998.--Section 
245(i)(1) of such Act is amended by striking ``who--'' and inserting 
``for whom a petition for classification has been filed under section 
203(a) or 203(b) not later than September 30, 1998, who--''.
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