[Congressional Bills 106th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 1520 Introduced in House (IH)]







106th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 1520

 To amend the Immigration and Nationality Act to give priority, in the 
    allotment of immigrant visas to unmarried sons and daughters of 
citizens, to an alien who attains the age of 21 after the date on which 
   a petition to classify the alien is filed, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             April 22, 1999

Mr. Smith of Texas (for himself and Mr. Rogan) introduced the following 
       bill; which was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
 To amend the Immigration and Nationality Act to give priority, in the 
    allotment of immigrant visas to unmarried sons and daughters of 
citizens, to an alien who attains the age of 21 after the date on which 
   a petition to classify the alien is filed, and for other purposes.

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

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Child Status Protection Act of 
1999''.

SEC. 2. PRIORITY IN IMMIGRANT VISA ISSUANCE FOR CERTAIN YOUNGER 
              UNMARRIED SONS AND DAUGHTERS OF CITIZENS.

    (a) In General.--Section 203(e)(1) of the Immigration and 
Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1153(e)(1)) is amended--
            (1) by striking ``(1) Immigrant'' and inserting ``(1)(A) 
        Subject to subparagraph (B), immigrant''; and
            (2) by adding at the end the following:
    ``(B)(i) In issuing immigrant visas made available under subsection 
(a)(1), priority shall be given to an eligible unmarried son or 
daughter who is an alien described in clause (ii), and is the 
beneficiary of an approved petition under section 204 that is, or 
derives from, the petition described in such clause. Subject to the 
conditions on availability in subsection (a)(1) and sections 201(a)(1), 
201(c), and 202, the alien shall be considered eligible to apply for an 
immigrant visa under subsection (a)(1) regardless of the date on which 
the petition described in clause (ii) was filed with the Attorney 
General.
    ``(ii) The aliens, and the petitions, described in this clause are 
as follows:
            ``(I) An alien who was a child of a citizen of the United 
        States on the date on which a petition was filed with the 
        Attorney General under section 204 to classify the alien as a 
        immediate relative under section 201(b)(2)(A)(i).
            ``(II) An alien who was a child of a parent lawfully 
        admitted for permanent residence on the date on which a 
        petition was filed with the Attorney General under section 204 
        to classify the alien as an immigrant under subsection 
        (a)(2)(A), and who was a child on the date of such parent's 
        naturalization.
            ``(III) An alien who was a married son or daughter of a 
        citizen of the United States on the date on which a petition 
        was filed with the Attorney General under section 204 to 
        classify the alien as an immigrant under subsection (a)(3), and 
        who was under 21 years of age on the date of the legal 
        termination of the alien's marriage.
    ``(iii) The Secretary of State shall maintain information on the 
number of visas issued pursuant to this subparagraph.''.
    (b) Applicability.--The amendments made by subsection (a) apply to 
immigrant visas made available on or after the date of the enactment of 
this Act under section 203(a)(1) of the Immigration and Nationality 
Act, without regard to when any classification petition referred to in 
section 203(e)(1)(B) of such Act (as added by such amendments) was 
filed.
                                 <all>