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[Congressional Bills 108th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 2655 Engrossed in House (EH)]

  1st Session

                               H. R. 2655

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 AN ACT

   To amend and extend the Irish Peace Process Cultural and Training 
                          Program Act of 1998.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
108th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 2655

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 AN ACT

 
   To amend and extend the Irish Peace Process Cultural and Training 
                          Program Act of 1998.

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

SECTION 1. AMENDMENT AND EXTENSION OF IRISH PEACE PROCESS CULTURAL AND 
              TRAINING PROGRAM.

    (a) Irish Peace Process Cultural and Training Program Act.--
            (1) Program participant requirements.--Section 2(a) of the 
        Irish Peace Process Cultural and Training Program Act of 1998 
        (8 U.S.C. 1101 note) is amended by adding at the end the 
        following:
            ``(5) Program participant requirements.--An alien entering 
        the United States as a participant in the program shall satisfy 
        the following requirements:
                    ``(A) The alien shall be a citizen of the United 
                Kingdom or the Republic of Ireland.
                    ``(B) The alien shall be between 21 and 35 years of 
                age on the date of departure for the United States.
                    ``(C) The alien shall have resided continuously in 
                a designated county for not less than 6 months before 
                such date.
                    ``(D) The alien shall have been continuously 
                unemployed for not less than 6 months before such date.
                    ``(E) The alien may not have a degree from an 
                institution of higher education.''.
            (2) Extension of program.--Section 2 of the Irish Peace 
        Process Cultural and Training Program Act of 1998 (8 U.S.C. 
        1101 note) is amended--
                    (A) in subsection (a)(3), by striking ``the third 
                program year and for the 4 subsequent years,'' and 
                inserting ``each program year,'';
                    (B) by amending subsection (d)(1) to read as 
                follows:
            ``(1) Effective October 1, 2008, this Act is repealed, 
        except for subsection (a)(3), which is repealed effective 
        October 1, 2009.''; and
                    (C) in subsection (d)(2), by striking ``2006,'' and 
                inserting ``2008,''.
            (3) Technical amendments.--The Irish Peace Process Cultural 
        and Training Program Act of 1998 (8 U.S.C. 1101 note) is 
        amended--
                    (A) by striking ``Attorney General'' each place 
                such term appears and inserting ``Secretary of Homeland 
                Security''; and
                    (B) by striking ``Immigration and Naturalization 
                Service'' each place such term appears and inserting 
                ``Department of Homeland Security''.
    (b) Immigration and Nationality Act.--
            (1) Requirements for nonimmigrant status.--Section 
        101(a)(15)(Q) of the Immigration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 
        1101(a)(15)(Q)) is amended--
                    (A) by striking ``Attorney General'' each place 
                such term appears and inserting ``Secretary of Homeland 
                Security''; and
                    (B) in clause (ii)(I)--
                            (i) by striking ``35 years of age or 
                        younger having a residence'' and inserting 
                        ``citizen of the United Kingdom or the Republic 
                        of Ireland, 21 to 35 years of age, unemployed 
                        for not less than 6 months, and having a 
                        residence for not less than 6 months''; and
                            (ii) by striking ``36 months)'' and 
                        inserting ``24 months)''.
            (2) Foreign residence requirement.--Section 212 of the 
        Immigration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1182) is amended--
                    (A) by redesignating the subsection (p) as added by 
                section 1505(f) of Public Law 106-386 (114 Stat. 1526) 
                as subsection (s); and
                    (B) by adding at the end the following:
    ``(t)(1) Except as provided in paragraph (2), no person admitted 
under section 101(a)(15)(Q)(ii)(I), or acquiring such status after 
admission, shall be eligible to apply for nonimmigrant status, an 
immigrant visa, or permanent residence under this Act until it is 
established that such person has resided and been physically present in 
the person's country of nationality or last residence for an aggregate 
of at least 2 years following departure from the United States.
    ``(2) The Secretary of Homeland Security may waive the requirement 
of such 2-year foreign residence abroad if the Secretary determines 
that--
            ``(A) departure from the United States would impose 
        exceptional hardship upon the alien's spouse or child (if such 
        spouse or child is a citizen of the United States or an alien 
        lawfully admitted for permanent residence); or
            ``(B) the admission of the alien is in the public interest 
        or the national interest of the United States.''.

            Passed the House of Representatives October 7, 2003.

            Attest:

                                                                 Clerk.
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