Immigration Moratorium Act of 1994

Summary: Immigration Moratorium Act of 1994 - Imposes a five-year immigration moratorium, with exceptions for refugees, certain priority and skilled workers, and immediate relatives of U.S. citizens and permanent resident aliens.

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE; REFERENCES IN ACT.

    (a) Short Title.--This Act may be cited as the ``Immigration 
Moratorium Act of 1994''.
    (b) References in Act.--Except as otherwise expressly provided, 
whenever in this Act an amendment is expressed in terms of an amendment 
to a section or other provision, the reference shall be considered to 
be made to a section or other provision of the Immigration and 
Nationality Act.

SEC. 2. IMMIGRATION MORATORIUM DEFINED.

    As used in this Act, the term ``immigration moratorium'' means the 
5-year period beginning on October 1, 1994, and ending on September 30, 
1999.

SEC. 3. WORLDWIDE LEVELS OF IMMIGRATION.

    Notwithstanding section 201 of the Immigration and Nationality Act 
(8 U.S.C. 1151), during the immigration moratorium in lieu of the 
worldwide levels of immigration under section 201 (c), (d) and (e)--
            (1) the worldwide level of family-sponsored immigrants for 
        a fiscal year under section 201(c) is 325,000, minus the sum 
        of--
                    (A) the number of refugees admitted under section 
                207;
                    (B) the number of spouses and children of a citizen 
                of the United States admitted under section 
                201(b)(2)(A); and
                    (C) the number of employment-based immigrants 
                described in sections 203(b) (1) or (2) who were issued 
                immigrant visas, or who otherwise acquired the status 
                of aliens lawfully admitted to the United States for 
                permanent residence.
            (2) the worldwide level of employment-based immigrants for 
        a fiscal year under section 201(d) is 50,000; and
            (3) the worldwide level of diversity immigrants for a 
        fiscal year under section 201(e) is zero.

SEC. 4. ALLOTMENT OF VISAS.

    (a) Notwithstanding section 203 of the Immigration and Nationality 
Act (8 U.S.C. 1153), during the immigration moratorium, visas may be 
allotted in any fiscal year under section 203 only as follows--
            (1) spouses and unmarried children of permanent resident 
        aliens who qualify under section 203(a)(2)(A) and who were 
        holding priority dates as of the effective date of this Act 
        shall be allotted visas in a number equal to 40 percent of the 
        worldwide level of immigration of family-sponsored immigrants 
        under section 3(1) of this Act;
            (2) in lieu of the number of visas that otherwise would be 
        available to parents of a citizen of the United States under 
        section 201(b)(2) of the Immigration and Nationality Act (8 
        U.S.C. 1153), the number of visas that shall be allotted in any 
        fiscal year to such parents of a citizen of the United States 
shall, notwithstanding section 201(b), be a number equal to 60 percent 
of the worldwide level of immigration of family-sponsored immigrants 
for that fiscal year under section 3(1) of this Act;
            (3) qualified immigrants holding priority dates as of the 
        effective date of this Act who are sons and daughters of United 
        States citizens shall be allocated visas in a number equal to 
        75 percent of the maximum number of visas available but not 
        issued under paragraphs (1) and (2);
            (4) qualified immigrants holding priority dates as of the 
        effective date of this Act who are the sons and daughters of 
        permanent resident aliens shall be allocated visas in a number 
        equal to 25 percent of the maximum number of visas available 
        but not issued under paragraphs (1) and (2);
            (5) qualified immigrants holding priority dates as of the 
        effective date of this Act who are the brothers or sisters of 
        citizens of the United States, if such citizens are at least 21 
        years of age, shall be allocated visas in a number equal to the 
        number of visas available but not issued for the classes 
        specified in paragraphs (3) and (4);
            (6) employment-based immigrants who qualify under sections 
        203(b) (1) or (2) shall be allotted not more than 50,000 visas;
            (7) the number of visas that shall be allotted to other 
        aliens subject to the worldwide level of employment-based 
        immigrants shall be zero; and
            (8) the number of visas that shall be allotted to diversity 
        immigrants under section 203(c) shall be zero.
    (b) Nothing in this Act shall limit the number of visas that 
otherwise are available to spouses and children of a citizen of the 
United States under section 201(b)(2)(A) of the Immigration and 
Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1151(b)(2)(A)).

SEC. 5. GRANTING IMMIGRANT STATUS.

    During the immigration moratorium, the Attorney General may not 
accept or approve any petition for classification under section 204 of 
the Immigration and Nationality Act except for classification by reason 
of being--
            (1) a spouse or child of a citizen of the United States as 
        described in section 201(b)(2)(A);
            (2) a spouse or child of a permanent resident alien as 
        described in section 203(a)(2)(A);
            (3) a parent of a citizen of the United States as described 
        in section 201(b)(2)(A) to the extent allowed by section 
        4(a)(2) of this Act;
            (4) qualified immigrants holding priority dates as of the 
        effective date of this Act who are sons and daughters of United 
        States citizens or of permanent resident aliens or brothers or 
        sisters as specified in paragraphs (3), (4), and (5) of section 
        4 of this Act; or
            (5) by reason of employment-based immigrant status under 
        sections 203(b) (1) or (2) of the Immigration and Nationality 
        Act.
Petitions submitted during the moratorium that may not be accepted or 
approved shall be returned to the persons who filed the petitions.

SEC. 6. ANNUAL ADMISSION OF REFUGEES.

    Notwithstanding any other provision of law, during the immigration 
moratorium, the number of refugees who may be admitted under section 
207 of the Immigration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1157), including 
the number of admissions made available to adjust to the status of 
permanent residence the status of aliens granted asylum under section 
209(b) of the Immigration and Nationality Act, shall not exceed 50,000 
in any fiscal year.

SEC. 7. IMMEDIATE RELATIVES DEFINED.

    During the immigration moratorium, the term ``immediate relatives'' 
for purposes of section 201(b) means the children and spouse of a 
citizen of the United States who shall have acquired citizenship under 
chapter 1 of title III of the Immigration and Nationality Act.

SEC. 8. EFFECTIVE DATE.

    This Act shall take effect upon enactment.