108TH CONGRESS

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.

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
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1 SECTION 1. AMENDMENT AND EXTENSION OF IRISH PEACE

2 PROCESS CULTURAL AND TRAINING PRO3 GRAM.

4 (a) IRISH PEACE PROCESS CULTURAL AND TRAIN5 ING PROGRAM ACT.—

6 (1) PROGRAM PARTICIPANT REQUIREMENTS.—

7 Section 2(a) of the Irish Peace Process Cultural and

8 Training Program Act of 1998 (8 U.S.C. 1101 note)

9 is amended by adding at the end the following:

10 ‘‘(5) PROGRAM PARTICIPANT REQUIREMENTS.—

11 An alien entering the United States as a participant

12 in the program shall satisfy the following require13 ments:

14 ‘‘(A) The alien shall be a citizen of the

15 United Kingdom or the Republic of Ireland.

16 ‘‘(B) The alien shall be between 21 and 35

17 years of age on the date of departure for the

18 United States.

19 ‘‘(C) The alien shall have resided continu20 ously in a designated county for not less than

21 6 months before such date.

22 ‘‘(D) The alien shall have been continu23 ously unemployed for not less than 6 months

24 before such date.

25 ‘‘(E) The alien may not have a degree

26 from an institution of higher education.’’.
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1 (2) EXTENSION OF PROGRAM.—Section 2 of the

2 Irish Peace Process Cultural and Training Program

3 Act of 1998 (8 U.S.C. 1101 note) is amended—

4 (A) in subsection (a)(3), by striking ‘‘the

5 third program year and for the 4 subsequent

6 years,’’ and inserting ‘‘each program year,’’;

7 (B) by amending subsection (d)(1) to read

8 as follows:

9 ‘‘(1) Effective October 1, 2008, this Act is re10 pealed, except for subsection (a)(3), which is re11 pealed effective October 1, 2009.’’; and

12 (C) in subsection (d)(2), by striking

13 ‘‘2006,’’ and inserting ‘‘2008,’’.

14 (3) TECHNICAL AMENDMENTS.—The Irish

15 Peace Process Cultural and Training Program Act

16 of 1998 (8 U.S.C. 1101 note) is amended—

17 (A) by striking ‘‘Attorney General’’ each

18 place such term appears and inserting ‘‘Sec19 retary of Homeland Security’’; and

20 (B) by striking ‘‘Immigration and Natu21 ralization Service’’ each place such term ap22 pears and inserting ‘‘Department of Homeland

23 Security’’.

24 (b) IMMIGRATION AND NATIONALITY ACT.—
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1 (1) REQUIREMENTS FOR NONIMMIGRANT STA2 TUS.—Section 101(a)(15)(Q) of the Immigration

3 and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1101(a)(15)(Q)) is

4 amended—

5 (A) by striking ‘‘Attorney General’’ each

6 place such term appears and inserting ‘‘Sec7 retary of Homeland Security’’; and

8 (B) in clause (ii)(I)—

9 (i) by striking ‘‘35 years of age or

10 younger having a residence’’ and inserting

11 ‘‘citizen of the United Kingdom or the Re12 public of Ireland, 21 to 35 years of age,

13 unemployed for not less than 6 months,

14 and having a residence for not less than 6

15 months’’; and

16 (ii) by striking ‘‘36 months)’’ and in17 serting ‘‘24 months)’’.

18 (2) FOREIGN RESIDENCE REQUIREMENT.—Sec19 tion 212 of the Immigration and Nationality Act (8

20 U.S.C. 1182) is amended—

21 (A) by redesignating the subsection (p) as

22 added by section 1505(f) of Public Law 106–

23 386 (114 Stat. 1526) as subsection (s); and

24 (B) by adding at the end the following:
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1 ‘‘(t)(1) Except as provided in paragraph (2), no per2 son admitted under section 101(a)(15)(Q)(ii)(I), or ac3 quiring such status after admission, shall be eligible to

4 apply for nonimmigrant status, an immigrant visa, or per5 manent residence under this Act until it is established that

6 such person has resided and been physically present in the

7 person’s country of nationality or last residence for an ag8 gregate of at least 2 years following departure from the

9 United States.

10 ‘‘(2) The Secretary of Homeland Security may waive

11 the requirement of such 2-year foreign residence abroad

12 if the Secretary determines that—

13 ‘‘(A) departure from the United States would

14 impose exceptional hardship upon the alien’s spouse

15 or child (if such spouse or child is a citizen of the

16 United States or an alien lawfully admitted for per17 manent residence); or

18 ‘‘(B) the admission of the alien is in the public

19 interest or the national interest of the United

20 States.’’.

Passed the House of Representatives October 7,

2003.

Attest:

Clerk.