H.R. 2705: Nuclear Family Priority Act

This bill, known as the Nuclear Family Priority Act, proposes changes to the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) regarding family-sponsored immigrants. The main objectives and provisions of the bill can be summarized as follows:

Immediate Relative Definition

The bill modifies the definition of "immediate relatives" for immigration purposes. Currently, this category includes children, spouses, and parents of U.S. citizens. Under the proposed changes, it will only include children and spouses, effectively removing parents from this category.

Changes to Family-Sponsored Immigrant Categories

The bill revises the category of family-sponsored immigrants, specifically stating that visas will only be allotted to spouses and children of permanent resident aliens, with a cap on the number of visas issued globally set at 88,000 per fiscal year.

Reduction in Family-Sponsored Immigrants

It also reduces the total number of family-sponsored immigrants allowed in the United States. The bill eliminates certain categories of visas previously available, and the number of visas will be calculated based on the new cap of 88,000, minus any adjustments accounted for in the bill.

Amendments to Visa Issuance

The proposed legislation includes specific rules related to how visas are issued to family-sponsored immigrants, stating that 75% of available visas will not be subject to per country limits, while the remaining 25% will only be available to countries that have not exceeded their set limits.

Conditions for Nonimmigrant Status for Parents

The bill creates a new category for the nonimmigrant status of parents of adult U.S. citizens. Eligible parents who are 21 years or older must meet certain conditions, including maintaining health insurance during their stay in the U.S. They would not be authorized to work and would have to rely on their citizen child for support.

Effective Date

The changes proposed in the bill would take effect on the first day of the second fiscal year following its enactment. Any petitions or applications for immigrant visas related to categories eliminated by the bill that are filed after the bill's introduction would be invalid.

Relevant Companies

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