114TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION S. 1300 

AN ACT 

To amend the section 221 of the Immigration and Nationality Act to provide relief for adoptive families from 

immigrant visa fees in certain situations. 

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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†S 1300 ES

1 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

2 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Adoptive Family Relief 

3 Act’’. 

4 SEC. 2. WAIVER OF FEES FOR RENEWAL OF IMMIGRANT 

5 VISA FOR ADOPTED CHILD IN CERTAIN SITU6 ATIONS. 

7 Section 221(c) of the Immigration and Nationality 

8 Act (8 U.S.C. 1201(c)) is amended to read as follows: 

9 ‘‘(c) PERIOD OF VALIDITY; RENEWAL OR REPLACE10 MENT.— 

11 ‘‘(1) IMMIGRANT VISAS.—An immigrant visa 

12 shall be valid for such period, not exceeding six 

13 months, as shall be by regulations prescribed, except 

14 that any visa issued to a child lawfully adopted by 

15 a United States citizen and spouse while such citizen 

16 is serving abroad in the United States Armed 

17 Forces, or is employed abroad by the United States 

18 Government, or is temporarily abroad on business, 

19 shall be valid until such time, for a period not to ex20 ceed three years, as the adoptive citizen parent re21 turns to the United States in due course of his serv22 ice, employment, or business. 

23 ‘‘(2) NONIMMIGRANT VISAS.—A nonimmigrant 

24 visa shall be valid for such periods as shall be by 

25 regulations prescribed. In prescribing the period of 

26 validity of a nonimmigrant visa in the case of na-
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1 tionals of any foreign country who are eligible for 

2 such visas, the Secretary of State shall, insofar as 

3 practicable, accord to such nationals the same treat4 ment upon a reciprocal basis as such foreign country 

5 accords to nationals of the United States who are 

6 within a similar class; except that in the case of 

7 aliens who are nationals of a foreign country and 

8 who either are granted refugee status and firmly re9 settled in another foreign country or are granted 

10 permanent residence and residing in another foreign 

11 country, the Secretary of State may prescribe the 

12 period of validity of such a visa based upon the 

13 treatment granted by that other foreign country to 

14 alien refugees and permanent residents, respectively, 

15 in the United States. 

16 ‘‘(3) VISA REPLACEMENT.—An immigrant visa 

17 may be replaced under the original number during 

18 the fiscal year in which the original visa was issued 

19 for an immigrant who establishes to the satisfaction 

20 of the consular officer that the immigrant— 

21 ‘‘(A) was unable to use the original immi22 grant visa during the period of its validity be23 cause of reasons beyond his control and for 

24 which he was not responsible; 
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1 ‘‘(B) is found by a consular officer to be 

2 eligible for an immigrant visa; and 

3 ‘‘(C) pays again the statutory fees for an 

4 application and an immigrant visa. 

5 ‘‘(4) FEE WAIVER.—If an immigrant visa was 

6 issued, on or after March 27, 2013, for a child who 

7 has been lawfully adopted, or who is coming to the 

8 United States to be adopted, by a United States cit9 izen, any statutory immigrant visa fees relating to a 

10 renewal or replacement of such visa may be waived 

11 or, if already paid, may be refunded upon request, 

12 subject to such criteria as the Secretary of State 

13 may prescribe, if— 

14 ‘‘(A) the immigrant child was unable to 

15 use the original immigrant visa during the pe16 riod of its validity as a direct result of extraor17 dinary circumstances, including the denial of an 

18 exit permit; and 
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1 ‘‘(B) if such inability was attributable to 

2 factors beyond the control of the adopting par3 ent or parents and of the immigrant.’’. 

Passed the Senate July 14, 2015. 

Attest: 

Secretary. 
114TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION S. 1300 

AN ACT 

To amend the section 221 of the Immigration and 

ations. families from immigrant visa fees in certain situNationality Act to provide relief for adoptive