[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 3911 Introduced in House (IH)]

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118th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 3911

 To provide for adjustment of status of nationals of Ukraine, and for 
                            other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                              June 7, 2023

Mr. Keating (for himself, Mr. Fitzpatrick, Mr. Quigley, and Ms. Kaptur) 
 introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on 
                             the Judiciary

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
 To provide for adjustment of status of nationals of Ukraine, 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 ``Ukrainian Adjustment Act of 2023''.

SEC. 2. ADJUSTMENT OF STATUS FOR ELIGIBLE UKRAINIAN NATIONALS.

    (a) Streamlined Adjustment of Status for Eligible Ukrainian 
Nationals.--
            (1) In general.--Notwithstanding any other provision of 
        law, the Secretary of Homeland Security shall adjust the status 
        of an eligible Ukrainian national described in subsection (b) 
        to the status of an alien lawfully admitted for permanent 
        residence if the eligible Ukrainian national--
                    (A) submits an application for adjustment of status 
                in accordance with procedures established by the 
                Secretary of Homeland Security;
                    (B) subject to subsection (c), is otherwise 
                admissible to the United States as an immigrant, except 
                that the grounds of inadmissibility under paragraphs 
                (4), (5), and (7)(A) of section 212(a) the Immigration 
                and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1182(a)) shall not apply;
                    (C) has complied with the vetting requirements 
                under paragraphs (1) and (2) of subsection (d) to the 
                satisfaction of the Secretary of Homeland Security; and
                    (D) the Secretary of Homeland Security determines 
                that the adjustment of status of the eligible Ukrainian 
                national is not contrary to the national welfare, 
                safety, or security of the United States.
            (2) Applicability of refugee admissibility requirements.--
        The provisions relating to admissibility for a refugee seeking 
        adjustment of status under section 209(c) of the Immigration 
        and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1159(c)) shall apply to an 
        applicant for adjustment of status under this subsection.
    (b) Eligible Ukrainian National.--Notwithstanding any other 
provision of law, an eligible Ukrainian national for the purpose of 
this section is a citizen or national of Ukraine (or a person who last 
habitually resided in Ukraine) who--
            (1) completed security and law enforcement background 
        checks to the satisfaction of the Secretary of Homeland 
        Security and was subsequently--
                    (A) paroled into the United States after February 
                20, 2014; or
                    (B) paroled into the United States for the purpose 
                of accompanying or following to join as--
                            (i) the spouse or child (as defined in 
                        section 101(b)(1) of the Immigration and 
                        Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1101(b)(1))) of an 
                        individual described in subparagraph (A); or
                            (ii) the parent, legal guardian, or primary 
                        caregiver of an individual described in 
                        subparagraph (A) who is determined to be an 
                        unaccompanied child under section 462(g)(2) of 
                        the Homeland Security Act of 2002 (6 U.S.C. 
                        279(g)(2)) or section 412(d)(2)(B) of the 
                        Immigration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 
                        1522(d)(2)(B)); and
            (2) has not had such parole terminated by the Secretary of 
        Homeland Security.
    (c) Waiver.--
            (1) In general.--With respect to an applicant for 
        adjustment of status under this section, subject to paragraph 
        (2), the Secretary of Homeland Security may waive any 
        applicable ground of inadmissibility under section 212(a) of 
        the Immigration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1182(a)) (other 
        than paragraphs 2(C) or (3) of such section) for humanitarian 
        purposes, to ensure family unity, or if a waiver is otherwise 
        in the public interest.
            (2) Limitations.--The Secretary of Homeland Security may 
        not waive under this subsection any applicable ground of 
        inadmissibility under section 212(a)(2) of the Immigration and 
        Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1182(a)(2)) that arises due to 
        criminal conduct that was committed--
                    (A) on or after February 20, 2014;
                    (B) within the United States; and
                    (C) by an applicant for adjustment of status under 
                this section.
            (3) Rule of construction.--Nothing in this subsection may 
        be construed to limit any other waiver authority.
    (d) Interview and Vetting Requirements.--
            (1) In general.--The Secretary of Homeland Security shall 
        establish vetting requirements for applicants seeking 
        adjustment of status under this section that are equivalent to 
        the vetting requirements for refugees admitted to the United 
        States through the United States Refugee Admissions Program, 
        including an interview.
            (2) Rule of construction.--Nothing in this subsection may 
        be construed to limit the authority of the Secretary of 
        Homeland Security to maintain records under any other law.
    (e) Protection for Battered Spouses.--
            (1) In general.--An alien whose marriage to an eligible 
        Ukrainian national described in paragraph (1)(A) of subsection 
        (b) has been terminated shall be eligible for adjustment of 
        status under this section as an alien described in paragraph 
        (1)(B) of that subsection for not more than 2 years after the 
        date on which such marriage is terminated if there is a 
        demonstrated connection between the termination of the marriage 
        and battering or extreme cruelty perpetrated by the principal 
        applicant.
            (2) Applicability of other law.--In reviewing an 
        application for adjustment of status under this section with 
        respect to spouses and children who have been battered or 
        subjected to extreme cruelty, the Secretary of Homeland 
        Security shall apply section 204(a)(1)(J) of the Immigration 
        and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1154(a)(1)(J)) and section 384 of 
        the Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act 
        of 1996 (8 U.S.C. 1367).
    (f) Date of Approval.--Upon the approval of an application for 
adjustment of status under this section, the Secretary of Homeland 
Security shall create a record of the alien's admission as a lawful 
permanent resident as of the date on which the alien was inspected and 
admitted or paroled into the United States.
    (g) Prohibition on Further Authorization of Parole.--
            (1) In general.--Except as provided in paragraph (2), an 
        individual who is a national of Ukraine shall not be authorized 
        for an additional period of parole if such individual--
                    (A) is eligible to apply for adjustment of status 
                under this section; and
                    (B) fails to submit an application for adjustment 
                of status by the later of--
                            (i) the date that is 1 year after the date 
                        on which final guidance described in subsection 
                        (h)(2) is published; or
                            (ii) the date that is 1 year after the date 
                        on which such individual becomes eligible to 
                        apply for adjustment of status under this 
                        section.
            (2) Exception.--An individual described in paragraph (1)(A) 
        may be authorized for an additional period of parole if such 
        individual--
                    (A) within the period described in paragraph 
                (1)(B), seeks an extension to file an application for 
                adjustment of status under this section; or
                    (B) has previously submitted to a vetting 
                equivalent of the vetting required under subsection 
                (d).
            (3) Deadline for application.--Except as provided in 
        paragraph (2), a national of Ukraine who does not submit an 
        application for adjustment of status within the timeline 
        provided in paragraph (1)(B) may not later adjust status under 
        this section.
    (h) Implementation.--
            (1) Interim guidance.--
                    (A) In general.--Not later than 180 days after the 
                date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of 
                Homeland Security shall issue guidance implementing 
                this section.
                    (B) Publication.--Notwithstanding section 553 of 
                title 5, United States Code, such guidance--
                            (i) may be published on the internet 
                        website of the Department of Homeland Security; 
                        and
                            (ii) shall be effective on an interim basis 
                        immediately upon such publication but may be 
                        subject to change and revision after notice and 
                        an opportunity for public comment.
            (2) Final guidance.--Not later than 1 year after the date 
        of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Homeland 
        Security shall finalize guidance implementing this section.
    (i) Administrative Review.--The Secretary of Homeland Security 
shall provide applicants for adjustment of status under this section 
with the same right to, and procedures for, administrative review as 
are provided to applicants for adjustment of status under section 245 
of the Immigration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1255).
    (j) Prohibition on Fees.--The Secretary of Homeland Security may 
not charge a fee to any eligible Ukrainian national in connection 
with--
            (1) an application for adjustment of status or employment 
        authorization under this section; or
            (2) the issuance of a permanent resident card or an 
        employment authorization document.
    (k) Pending Applications.--During the period beginning on the date 
on which an alien files a bona fide application for adjustment of 
status under this section and ending on the date on which the Secretary 
of Homeland Security makes a final administrative decision regarding 
such application, any alien and any dependent included in such 
application who remains in compliance with all application requirements 
may not be--
            (1) removed from the United States unless the Secretary of 
        Homeland Security makes a prima facie determination that the 
        alien is, or has become, ineligible for adjustment of status 
        under this section;
            (2) considered unlawfully present under section 
        212(a)(9)(B) of the Immigration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 
        1182(a)(9)(B)); or
            (3) considered an unauthorized alien (as defined in section 
        274A(h)(3) of the Immigration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 
        1324a(h)(3))).
    (l) VAWA Self Petitioners.--Section 101(a)(51) of the Immigration 
and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1101(a)(51)) is amended--
            (1) in subparagraph (F), by striking ``or'';
            (2) in subparagraph (G), by striking the period at the end 
        and inserting ``; or''; and
            (3) by adding at the end the following:
                    ``(H) section 2(a) of the Ukrainian Adjustment Act 
                of 2023.''.
    (m) Exemption From Numerical Limitations.--Aliens granted 
adjustment of status under this section shall not be subject to the 
numerical limitations under sections 201, 202, and 203 of the 
Immigration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1151, 1152, and 1153).
    (n) Rule of Construction.--Nothing in this section may be construed 
to preclude an eligible Ukrainian national from applying for or 
receiving any immigration benefit to which the eligible Ukrainian 
national is otherwise entitled.
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