| 1 | 1 | | I |
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| 2 | 2 | | 119THCONGRESS |
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| 3 | 3 | | 1 |
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| 4 | 4 | | STSESSION H. R. 1348 |
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| 5 | 5 | | To authorize the Secretary of Homeland Security to adjust the status of |
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| 6 | 6 | | certain aliens who are nationals of Venezuela to that of aliens lawfully |
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| 7 | 7 | | admitted for permanent residence, and for other purposes. |
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| 8 | 8 | | IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES |
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| 9 | 9 | | FEBRUARY13, 2025 |
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| 10 | 10 | | Mr. S |
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| 11 | 11 | | OTO(for himself, Ms. SALAZAR, Ms. WASSERMANSCHULTZ, and Ms. |
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| 12 | 12 | | W |
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| 13 | 13 | | ILSONof Florida) introduced the following bill; which was referred to |
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| 14 | 14 | | the Committee on the Judiciary |
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| 15 | 15 | | A BILL |
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| 16 | 16 | | To authorize the Secretary of Homeland Security to adjust |
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| 17 | 17 | | the status of certain aliens who are nationals of Ven- |
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| 18 | 18 | | ezuela to that of aliens lawfully admitted for permanent |
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| 19 | 19 | | residence, and for other purposes. |
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| 20 | 20 | | Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-1 |
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| 21 | 21 | | tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 2 |
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| 22 | 22 | | SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 3 |
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| 23 | 23 | | This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Venezuelan Adjust-4 |
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| 24 | 24 | | ment Act’’. 5 |
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| 25 | 25 | | SEC. 2. VENEZUELAN REFUGEE IMMIGRATION FAIRNESS. 6 |
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| 26 | 26 | | (a) D |
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| 27 | 27 | | EFINITIONS.—In this section: 7 |
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| 29 | 29 | | kjohnson on DSK7ZCZBW3PROD with $$_JOB 2 |
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| 30 | 30 | | •HR 1348 IH |
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| 31 | 31 | | (1) IN GENERAL.—Except as otherwise specifi-1 |
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| 32 | 32 | | cally provided, any term used in this Act that is 2 |
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| 33 | 33 | | used in the immigration laws shall have the meaning 3 |
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| 34 | 34 | | given the term in the immigration laws. 4 |
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| 35 | 35 | | (2) I |
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| 36 | 36 | | MMIGRATION LAWS.—The term ‘‘immigra-5 |
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| 37 | 37 | | tion laws’’ has the meaning given the term in section 6 |
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| 38 | 38 | | 101(a)(17) of the Immigration and Nationality Act 7 |
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| 39 | 39 | | (8 U.S.C. 1101(a)(17)). 8 |
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| 40 | 40 | | (3) S |
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| 41 | 41 | | ECRETARY.—The term ‘‘Secretary’’ means 9 |
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| 42 | 42 | | the Secretary of Homeland Security. 10 |
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| 43 | 43 | | (b) A |
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| 44 | 44 | | DJUSTMENT OFSTATUS.— 11 |
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| 45 | 45 | | (1) I |
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| 46 | 46 | | N GENERAL.—Except as provided in para-12 |
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| 47 | 47 | | graph (3), the Secretary shall adjust the status of 13 |
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| 48 | 48 | | an alien described in subsection (c) to that of an 14 |
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| 49 | 49 | | alien lawfully admitted for permanent residence if 15 |
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| 50 | 50 | | the alien— 16 |
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| 51 | 51 | | (A) applies for adjustment not later than 17 |
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| 52 | 52 | | 3 years after the date of the enactment of this 18 |
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| 53 | 53 | | Act; 19 |
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| 54 | 54 | | (B) is otherwise eligible to receive an im-20 |
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| 55 | 55 | | migrant visa; and 21 |
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| 56 | 56 | | (C) subject to paragraph (2), is admissible 22 |
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| 57 | 57 | | to the United States for permanent residence. 23 |
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| 58 | 58 | | (2) A |
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| 59 | 59 | | PPLICABILITY OF GROUNDS OF INADMIS -24 |
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| 60 | 60 | | SIBILITY.—In determining the admissibility of an 25 |
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| 62 | 62 | | kjohnson on DSK7ZCZBW3PROD with $$_JOB 3 |
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| 63 | 63 | | •HR 1348 IH |
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| 64 | 64 | | alien under paragraph (1)(C), the grounds of inad-1 |
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| 65 | 65 | | missibility specified in paragraphs (4), (5), (6)(A), 2 |
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| 66 | 66 | | and (7)(A) of section 212(a) of the Immigration and 3 |
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| 67 | 67 | | Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1182(a)) shall not apply. 4 |
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| 68 | 68 | | (3) E |
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| 69 | 69 | | XCEPTIONS.—An alien shall not be eligible 5 |
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| 70 | 70 | | for adjustment of status under this subsection if the 6 |
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| 71 | 71 | | Secretary determines that the alien— 7 |
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| 72 | 72 | | (A) has been convicted of any aggravated 8 |
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| 73 | 73 | | felony; 9 |
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| 74 | 74 | | (B) has been convicted of two or more 10 |
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| 75 | 75 | | crimes involving moral turpitude (other than a 11 |
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| 76 | 76 | | purely political offense); or 12 |
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| 77 | 77 | | (C) has ordered, incited, assisted, or other-13 |
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| 78 | 78 | | wise participated in the persecution of any per-14 |
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| 79 | 79 | | son on account of race, religion, nationality, 15 |
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| 80 | 80 | | membership in a particular social group, or po-16 |
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| 81 | 81 | | litical opinion. 17 |
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| 82 | 82 | | (4) R |
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| 83 | 83 | | ELATIONSHIP OF APPLICATION TO CER -18 |
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| 84 | 84 | | TAIN ORDERS.— 19 |
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| 85 | 85 | | (A) I |
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| 86 | 86 | | N GENERAL.—An alien present in the 20 |
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| 87 | 87 | | United States who has been subject to an order 21 |
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| 88 | 88 | | of exclusion, deportation, removal, or voluntary 22 |
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| 89 | 89 | | departure under any provision of the Immigra-23 |
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| 90 | 90 | | tion and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1101 et 24 |
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| 91 | 91 | | seq.) may, notwithstanding such order, submit 25 |
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| 93 | 93 | | kjohnson on DSK7ZCZBW3PROD with $$_JOB 4 |
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| 94 | 94 | | •HR 1348 IH |
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| 95 | 95 | | an application for adjustment of status under 1 |
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| 96 | 96 | | this subsection if the alien is otherwise eligible 2 |
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| 97 | 97 | | for adjustment of status under paragraph (1). 3 |
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| 98 | 98 | | (B) S |
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| 99 | 99 | | EPARATE MOTION NOT REQUIRED .— 4 |
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| 100 | 100 | | An alien described in subparagraph (A) shall 5 |
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| 101 | 101 | | not be required, as a condition of submitting or 6 |
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| 102 | 102 | | granting an application under this subsection, 7 |
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| 103 | 103 | | to file a separate motion to reopen, reconsider, 8 |
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| 104 | 104 | | or vacate an order described in subparagraph 9 |
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| 105 | 105 | | (A). 10 |
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| 106 | 106 | | (C) E |
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| 107 | 107 | | FFECT OF DECISION BY SEC -11 |
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| 108 | 108 | | RETARY.— 12 |
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| 109 | 109 | | (i) G |
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| 110 | 110 | | RANT.—If the Secretary adjusts 13 |
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| 111 | 111 | | the status of an alien pursuant to an appli-14 |
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| 112 | 112 | | cation under this subsection, the Secretary 15 |
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| 113 | 113 | | shall cancel any order described in sub-16 |
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| 114 | 114 | | paragraph (A) to which the alien has been 17 |
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| 115 | 115 | | subject. 18 |
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| 116 | 116 | | (ii) D |
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| 117 | 117 | | ENIAL.—If the Secretary makes 19 |
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| 118 | 118 | | a final decision to deny such application, 20 |
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| 119 | 119 | | any such order shall be effective and en-21 |
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| 120 | 120 | | forceable to the same extent that such 22 |
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| 121 | 121 | | order would be effective and enforceable if 23 |
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| 122 | 122 | | the application had not been made. 24 |
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| 125 | 125 | | •HR 1348 IH |
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| 126 | 126 | | (c) ALIENSELIGIBLE FORADJUSTMENT OF STA-1 |
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| 127 | 127 | | TUS.— 2 |
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| 128 | 128 | | (1) I |
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| 129 | 129 | | N GENERAL.—The benefits provided under 3 |
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| 130 | 130 | | subsection (b) shall apply to any alien who— 4 |
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| 131 | 131 | | (A)(i) is a national of Venezuela; 5 |
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| 132 | 132 | | (ii) entered the United States before or on 6 |
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| 133 | 133 | | December 31, 2021; and 7 |
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| 134 | 134 | | (iii) has been continuously physically 8 |
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| 135 | 135 | | present in the United States for not less than 9 |
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| 136 | 136 | | 1 year as of the date on which the alien submits 10 |
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| 137 | 137 | | an application under such subsection (b); or 11 |
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| 138 | 138 | | (B) is the spouse, child, or unmarried son 12 |
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| 139 | 139 | | or daughter of an alien described in subpara-13 |
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| 140 | 140 | | graph (A). 14 |
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| 141 | 141 | | (2) D |
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| 142 | 142 | | ETERMINATION OF CONTINUOUS PHYS -15 |
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| 143 | 143 | | ICAL PRESENCE.—For purposes of establishing the 16 |
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| 144 | 144 | | period of continuous physical presence referred to in 17 |
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| 145 | 145 | | paragraph (1)(A)(ii), an alien shall not be consid-18 |
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| 146 | 146 | | ered to have failed to maintain continuous physical 19 |
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| 147 | 147 | | presence based on one or more absences from the 20 |
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| 148 | 148 | | United States for one or more periods amounting, in 21 |
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| 149 | 149 | | the aggregate, to not more than 180 days. 22 |
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| 150 | 150 | | (d) S |
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| 151 | 151 | | TAY OFREMOVAL.— 23 |
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| 152 | 152 | | (1) I |
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| 153 | 153 | | N GENERAL.—The Secretary shall promul-24 |
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| 154 | 154 | | gate regulations establishing procedures by which an 25 |
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| 156 | 156 | | kjohnson on DSK7ZCZBW3PROD with $$_JOB 6 |
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| 157 | 157 | | •HR 1348 IH |
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| 158 | 158 | | alien who is subject to a final order of deportation, 1 |
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| 159 | 159 | | removal, or exclusion, may seek a stay of such order 2 |
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| 160 | 160 | | based on the filing of an application under sub-3 |
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| 161 | 161 | | section (b). 4 |
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| 162 | 162 | | (2) D |
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| 163 | 163 | | URING CERTAIN PROCEEDINGS .— 5 |
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| 164 | 164 | | (A) I |
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| 165 | 165 | | N GENERAL.—Except as provided in 6 |
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| 166 | 166 | | subparagraph (B), notwithstanding any provi-7 |
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| 167 | 167 | | sion of the Immigration and Nationality Act (8 8 |
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| 168 | 168 | | U.S.C. 1101 et seq.), the Secretary may not 9 |
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| 169 | 169 | | order an alien to be removed from the United 10 |
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| 170 | 170 | | States if the alien— 11 |
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| 171 | 171 | | (i) is in exclusion, deportation, or re-12 |
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| 172 | 172 | | moval proceedings under any provision of 13 |
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| 173 | 173 | | such Act; and 14 |
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| 174 | 174 | | (ii) has submitted an application for 15 |
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| 175 | 175 | | adjustment of status under subsection (b). 16 |
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| 176 | 176 | | (B) E |
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| 177 | 177 | | XCEPTION.—The Secretary may 17 |
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| 178 | 178 | | order an alien described in subparagraph (A) to 18 |
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| 179 | 179 | | be removed from the United States if the Sec-19 |
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| 180 | 180 | | retary has made a final determination to deny 20 |
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| 181 | 181 | | the application for adjustment of status under 21 |
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| 182 | 182 | | subsection (b) of the alien. 22 |
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| 183 | 183 | | (3) W |
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| 184 | 184 | | ORK AUTHORIZATION.— 23 |
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| 185 | 185 | | (A) I |
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| 186 | 186 | | N GENERAL.—The Secretary may— 24 |
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| 189 | 189 | | •HR 1348 IH |
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| 190 | 190 | | (i) authorize an alien who has applied 1 |
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| 191 | 191 | | for adjustment of status under subsection 2 |
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| 192 | 192 | | (b) to engage in employment in the United 3 |
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| 193 | 193 | | States during the period in which a deter-4 |
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| 194 | 194 | | mination on such application is pending; 5 |
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| 195 | 195 | | and 6 |
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| 196 | 196 | | (ii) provide such alien with an ‘‘em-7 |
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| 197 | 197 | | ployment authorized’’ endorsement or 8 |
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| 198 | 198 | | other appropriate document signifying au-9 |
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| 199 | 199 | | thorization of employment. 10 |
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| 200 | 200 | | (B) P |
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| 201 | 201 | | ENDING APPLICATIONS.—If an appli-11 |
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| 202 | 202 | | cation for adjustment of status under sub-12 |
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| 203 | 203 | | section (b) is pending for a period exceeding 13 |
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| 204 | 204 | | 180 days and has not been denied, the Sec-14 |
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| 205 | 205 | | retary shall authorize employment for the appli-15 |
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| 206 | 206 | | cable alien. 16 |
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| 207 | 207 | | (e) R |
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| 208 | 208 | | ECORD OFPERMANENTRESIDENCE.—On the 17 |
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| 209 | 209 | | approval of an application for adjustment of status under 18 |
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| 210 | 210 | | subsection (b) of an alien, the Secretary shall establish 19 |
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| 211 | 211 | | a record of admission for permanent residence for the 20 |
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| 212 | 212 | | alien as of the date of the arrival of the alien in the United 21 |
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| 213 | 213 | | States. 22 |
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| 214 | 214 | | (f) A |
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| 215 | 215 | | VAILABILITY OFADMINISTRATIVEREVIEW.— 23 |
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| 216 | 216 | | The Secretary shall provide applicants for adjustment of 24 |
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| 218 | 218 | | kjohnson on DSK7ZCZBW3PROD with $$_JOB 8 |
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| 219 | 219 | | •HR 1348 IH |
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| 220 | 220 | | status under subsection (b) with the same right to, and 1 |
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| 221 | 221 | | procedures for, administrative review as are provided to— 2 |
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| 222 | 222 | | (1) applicants for adjustment of status under 3 |
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| 223 | 223 | | section 245 of the Immigration and Nationality Act 4 |
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| 224 | 224 | | (8 U.S.C. 1255); and 5 |
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| 225 | 225 | | (2) aliens subject to removal proceedings under 6 |
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| 226 | 226 | | section 240 of such Act (8 U.S.C. 1229a). 7 |
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| 227 | 227 | | (g) L |
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| 228 | 228 | | IMITATION ONJUDICIALREVIEW.— 8 |
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| 229 | 229 | | (1) I |
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| 230 | 230 | | N GENERAL.—A determination by the Sec-9 |
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| 231 | 231 | | retary with respect to the adjustment of status of 10 |
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| 232 | 232 | | any alien under this section is final and shall not be 11 |
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| 233 | 233 | | subject to review by any court. 12 |
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| 234 | 234 | | (2) R |
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| 235 | 235 | | ULE OF CONSTRUCTION .—Nothing in 13 |
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| 236 | 236 | | paragraph (1) shall be construed to preclude the re-14 |
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| 237 | 237 | | view of a constitutional claim or a question of law 15 |
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| 238 | 238 | | under section 704 of title 5, United States Code, 16 |
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| 239 | 239 | | with respect to a denial of adjustment of status 17 |
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| 240 | 240 | | under this section. 18 |
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| 241 | 241 | | (h) N |
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| 242 | 242 | | OOFFSET INNUMBER OFVISASAVAILABLE.— 19 |
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| 243 | 243 | | The Secretary of State shall not be required to reduce the 20 |
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| 244 | 244 | | number of immigrant visas authorized to be issued under 21 |
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| 245 | 245 | | any provision of the Immigration and Nationality Act (8 22 |
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| 246 | 246 | | U.S.C. 1101 et seq.) to offset the adjustment of status 23 |
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| 247 | 247 | | of an alien who has been lawfully admitted for permanent 24 |
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| 248 | 248 | | residence pursuant to this section. 25 |
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| 251 | 251 | | •HR 1348 IH |
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| 252 | 252 | | (i) APPLICATION OF IMMIGRATION AND NATION-1 |
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| 253 | 253 | | ALITYACTPROVISIONS.— 2 |
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| 254 | 254 | | (1) S |
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| 255 | 255 | | AVINGS PROVISION.—Nothing in this Act 3 |
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| 256 | 256 | | may be construed to repeal, amend, alter, modify, ef-4 |
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| 257 | 257 | | fect, or restrict the powers, duties, function, or au-5 |
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| 258 | 258 | | thority of the Secretary in the administration and 6 |
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| 259 | 259 | | enforcement of the Immigration and Nationality Act 7 |
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| 260 | 260 | | (8 U.S.C. 1101 et seq.) or any other law relating to 8 |
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| 261 | 261 | | immigration, nationality, or naturalization. 9 |
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| 262 | 262 | | (2) E |
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| 263 | 263 | | FFECT OF ELIGIBILITY FOR ADJUSTMENT 10 |
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| 264 | 264 | | OF STATUS.—The eligibility of an alien to be law-11 |
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| 265 | 265 | | fully admitted for permanent residence under this 12 |
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| 266 | 266 | | section shall not preclude the alien from seeking any 13 |
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| 267 | 267 | | status under any other provision of law for which 14 |
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| 268 | 268 | | the alien may otherwise be eligible. 15 |
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| 269 | 269 | | Æ |
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