I 

117TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 2382 

To amend the Immigration and Nationality Act to recognize the service 

of veterans of the armed forces by providing a more navigable and 

accommodating pathway for veterans honorably discharged from the 

United States military to naturalize and seek citizenship, and for other 

purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

APRIL 8, 2021 

Ms. BARRAGA ́N (for herself and Mr. GALLEGO) introduced the following bill; 

which was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary 

A BILL 

To amend the Immigration and Nationality Act to recognize 

the service of veterans of the armed forces by providing 

a more navigable and accommodating pathway for veterans honorably discharged from the United States military to naturalize and seek citizenship, and for other 

purposes. 

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Veterans’ Pathway to 

5 Citizenship Act of 2021’’. 


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1 SEC. 2. NATURALIZATION OF VETERANS DURING PERIODS 

2 OF HOSTILITIES. 

3 (a) NATURALIZATION OF VETERANS DURING PERI4 ODS OF HOSTILITIES.—Section 329 of the Immigration 

5 and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1440) is amended by add6 ing at the end the following: 

7 ‘‘(d) REMEDIES.— 

8 ‘‘(1) IMMIGRATION STATUS.— 

9 ‘‘(A) ASSUMPTION OF LAWFUL PERMA10 NENT RESIDENT STATUS.—For purposes of this 

11 title, any current or former member of the 

12 Armed Forces who would be eligible for natu13 ralization under this section but is not by rea14 son of a failure to complete a specified period 

15 of residence or physical presence within the 

16 United States under this title or failure to 

17 maintain status as a lawful permanent resident 

18 shall, upon application for naturalization, be 

19 deemed to be a lawful permanent resident and 

20 to have fulfilled any residency and physical 

21 presence requirements solely for purposes of 

22 such current or former member’s application 

23 for naturalization. 

24 ‘‘(B) PRIOR REMOVALS.—In the case of 

25 any current or former member of the Armed 

26 Forces who is seeking naturalization under this 


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1 section, no prior removal may be taken into ac2 count for purposes of eligibility for any immi3 gration benefit or in determining deportability, 

4 or inadmissibility, including for purposes of the 

5 application of sections 212(a)(9) and 318. 

6 ‘‘(2) PARDONS.— 

7 ‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—Except as provided in 

8 subparagraph (B), in the case of a current or 

9 former member of the Armed Forces who re10 ceives a pardon for an offense, that offense may 

11 not be taken into account for purposes of an 

12 application for naturalization under this sec13 tion, including as to— 

14 ‘‘(i) requirements under section 212; 

15 and 

16 ‘‘(ii) requirements under section 316. 

17 Such benefit shall apply only as to the current 

18 or former member’s application for naturaliza19 tion. 

20 ‘‘(B) EXCEPTION.—Subparagraph (A) 

21 shall not apply if the offense pardoned was the 

22 same offense that caused that former member’s 

23 separation from the Armed Forces in any man24 ner other than honorable. 

25 ‘‘(3) NOTICE PROGRAM.— 


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1 ‘‘(A) UPON ENLISTMENT.—Every military 

2 recruiter or officer overseeing an enlistment 

3 shall provide to every recruit proper notice of 

4 that recruit’s options for naturalization under 

5 this title, and shall inform the recruit of exist6 ing programs or services that may aid in the re7 cruit’s naturalization process, including direct8 ing the recruit to the Judge Advocate General 

9 or other designated point-of-contact for natu10 ralization. 

11 ‘‘(B) UPON DISCHARGE.—The Secretary of 

12 Homeland Security, acting through the Director 

13 of the United States Customs and Immigration 

14 Services, and in coordination with the Secretary 

15 of Defense, shall provide to every former mem16 ber of the Armed Forces, upon separation from 

17 the Armed Forces, an adequate notice of that 

18 former member’s options for naturalization 

19 under this title, and shall inform that former 

20 member of existing programs and services that 

21 may aid in the naturalization process. The Sec22 retary shall issue along with this notice a copy 

23 of each form required for naturalization and a 

24 copy of the certification of honorable service reVerDate Sep 11 2014 04:19 May 26, 2021 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00004 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H2382.IH H2382

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1 quired under subsection (b)(3), at no expense to 

2 that former member. 

3 ‘‘(4) APPLICATION AUTOMATICALLY FILED.— 

4 When the current or former member who would be 

5 eligible for naturalization under this section becomes 

6 eligible for such naturalization, the Secretary of 

7 Homeland Security, in coordination with the Sec8 retary of Defense shall notify the member of his or 

9 her eligibility, and shall, unless the member requests 

10 the Secretary of Homeland Security not do so, sub11 mit an application for the naturalization on behalf of 

12 that member. 

13 ‘‘(5) VETERAN’S APPLICATION TO BE GIVEN

14 TREATMENT AS THOUGH TIMELY FILED.—In the 

15 case of any current or former member of the Armed 

16 Forces who would be eligible for naturalization 

17 under this section but is not by reason of a failure 

18 or inability to timely file application for naturaliza19 tion, the Director of United States Customs and Im20 migration Services shall review any application for 

21 naturalization submitted by or on behalf of the 

22 former member as if it were completed and timely 

23 filed.’’. 


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1 (b) PROSPECTIVE REPEAL.—Section 329 of the Im2 migration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1440) is amend3 ed by striking subsection (d)(5). 

4 (c) APPLICABILITY.— 

5 (1) EFFECTIVE DATE OF AMENDMENT.—The 

6 amendment made by subsection (a) shall take effect 

7 beginning on the date of enactment of this Act. 

8 (2) EFFECTIVE DATE OF REPEAL.—The 

9 amendment made by subsection (b) shall take effect 

10 beginning 1 year after the date of enactment of this 

11 Act. 

Æ 


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