I 

115TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 4488 

To amend the Immigration and Nationality Act to provide conditional protected status for certain individuals who came to the United States 

as children, and for other purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

NOVEMBER 30, 2017 

Mr. PEARCE introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 

Committee on the Judiciary 

A BILL 

To amend the Immigration and Nationality Act to provide 

conditional protected status for certain individuals who 

came to the United States as children, 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 ‘‘Preserving Opportuni5 ties for Childhood Arrivals Act’’. 


lotter on DSKBCFDHB2PROD with BILLS
2 

•HR 4488 IH

1 SEC. 2. CONDITIONAL PROTECTED STATUS FOR CERTAIN 

2 INDIVIDUALS WHO CAME TO THE UNITED 

3 STATES AS CHILDREN. 

4 (a) IN GENERAL.—The Immigration and Nationality 

5 Act (8 U.S.C. 1101 et seq.) is amended by inserting after 

6 section 244 the following: 

7 ‘‘SEC. 244A. CONDITIONAL PROTECTED STATUS FOR CER8 TAIN INDIVIDUALS WHO CAME TO THE 

9 UNITED STATES AS CHILDREN. 

10 ‘‘(a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary of Homeland Se11 curity shall grant conditional protected status to an alien 

12 who— 

13 ‘‘(1) meets the eligibility requirements under 

14 subsection (b); 

15 ‘‘(2) files an application with the Secretary 

16 seeking such status; and 

17 ‘‘(3) pays a registration fee, not to exceed $50, 

18 to the Secretary. 

19 ‘‘(b) ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA.—An alien is eligible for 

20 conditional protected status under this section if the 

21 alien— 

22 ‘‘(1) was a recipient of deferred action pursuant 

23 to the memorandum of the Secretary of Homeland 

24 Security entitled ‘Exercising Prosecutorial Discre25 tion with Respect to Individuals Who Came to the 


lotter on DSKBCFDHB2PROD with BILLS
3 

•HR 4488 IH

1 United States as Children’ dated June 15, 2012, 

2 and was in such status on September 5, 2017; 

3 ‘‘(2) is admissible under section 212 and is not 

4 deportable under section 237, except that the Sec5 retary shall waive the grounds of inadmissibility 

6 under paragraphs (5), (6), (7), and (9)(B) of section 

7 212(a) and the grounds of deportability under sub8 paragraphs (A) through (C) of paragraph (1) and 

9 paragraph (3) of section 237(a); 

10 ‘‘(3) has not been convicted of a violent mis11 demeanor offense; and 

12 ‘‘(4) has been continuously physically present 

13 and continuously resided in the United States since 

14 the date on which the alien was granted deferred ac15 tion. 

16 ‘‘(c) EMPLOYMENT AUTHORIZATION.—The Secretary 

17 shall grant employment authorization, or other appro18 priate work permit, to each alien granted conditional pro19 tected status under this section, which shall be effective 

20 throughout the period the alien maintains such status. 

21 ‘‘(d) TREATMENT OF BRIEF, CASUAL, AND INNO22 CENT DEPARTURES.—For purposes of subsection (b)(3), 

23 an alien shall not be considered to have failed to maintain 

24 continuous physical presence or continuous residence in 

25 the United States by virtue of brief, casual, and innocent 


lotter on DSKBCFDHB2PROD with BILLS
4 

•HR 4488 IH

1 absences from the United States, without regard to wheth2 er such absences were authorized by the Attorney General. 

3 ‘‘(e) TERM; RENEWALS.—The term of conditional 

4 protected status under this section shall be for a 10-year 

5 period, which may be renewed for additional 10-year peri6 ods. 

7 ‘‘(f) ADJUSTMENT OF STATUS.—For purposes of ad8 justment of status under section 245 or change of status 

9 under section 248— 

10 ‘‘(1) the alien shall be considered as having 

11 been inspected and admitted into the United States, 

12 and as being in, and maintaining lawful status as a 

13 nonimmigrant; and 

14 ‘‘(2) the Secretary shall waive the grounds of 

15 inadmissibility and the grounds of deportability de16 scribed in subsection (b)(2). 

17 ‘‘(g) ALIEN NOT CONSIDERED A QUALIFIED

18 ALIEN.—An alien granted conditional protected status 

19 under this section shall not be considered a qualified alien 

20 for purposes of title IV of the Personal Responsibility and 

21 Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996 (8 U.S.C. 

22 1601 et seq.).’’. 

23 (b) CLERICAL AMENDMENT.—The table of contents 

24 for the Immigration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1101 


lotter on DSKBCFDHB2PROD with BILLS
5 

•HR 4488 IH

1 note) is amended by inserting after the item relating to 

2 section 244 the following: 

‘‘244A. Conditional protected status for certain individuals who came to the 

United States as children.’’. 

Æ 


lotter on DSKBCFDHB2PROD with BILLS