I 

116TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. R. 8617 

To establish a new nonimmigrant category for alien family members of United 

States citizens and permanent residents seeking to enter the United 

States temporarily to visit their relatives, and for other purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

OCTOBER 16, 2020 

Mr. PETERS (for himself and Mr. ROONEY of Florida) introduced the 

following bill; which was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary 

A BILL 

To establish a new nonimmigrant category for alien family 

members of United States citizens and permanent residents seeking to enter the United States temporarily 

to visit their relatives, 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 ‘‘Temporary Family 

5 Visitation Act’’. 


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1 SEC. 2. NEW NONIMMIGRANT CATEGORY FOR FAMILY MEM2 BERS OF UNITED STATES CITIZENS AND PER3 MANENT RESIDENTS SEEKING TO ENTER THE 

4 UNITED STATES TEMPORARILY. 

5 Section 101(a)(15)(B) of the Immigration and Na6 tionality Act (8 U.S.C. 1101(a)(15)(B)) is amended— 

7 (1) by striking ‘‘and who is visiting the United 

8 States temporarily for business or temporarily for 

9 pleasure;’’ at the end; and 

10 (2) by adding at the end the following: ‘‘and 

11 who is visiting the United States temporarily for— 

12 ‘‘(i) business; 

13 ‘‘(ii) pleasure; or 

14 ‘‘(iii) family purposes.’’. 

15 SEC. 3. REQUIREMENTS APPLICABLE TO SECTION 

16 101(a)(15)(B)(iii) VISAS. 

17 (a) IN GENERAL.—Section 214 of the Immigration 

18 and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1184) is amended by add19 ing at the end the following: 

20 ‘‘(s) REQUIREMENTS APPLICABLE TO SECTION

21 101(a)(15)(B)(iii) VISAS.— 

22 ‘‘(1) DEFINITION.—For the purpose of this 

23 subsection and section 101(a)(15)(B)(iii)— 

24 ‘‘(A) the term ‘family purposes’ means any 

25 visits to relatives for social, occasional, or other 

26 purposes; and 


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1 ‘‘(B) the term ‘relative’ means the spouse, 

2 children, sons, daughters, grandchildren, par3 ents, grandparents, siblings, uncles, aunts, 

4 nieces, and nephews of a citizen or permanent 

5 resident of the United States. 

6 ‘‘(2) REQUIREMENT.—Any alien who seeks ad7 mission under a visa issued under section 

8 101(a)(15)(B)(iii) is inadmissible under this para9 graph unless— 

10 ‘‘(A) the person petitioning for the alien 

11 relative’s admission or any additional sponsor 

12 has executed an affidavit of support described 

13 in section 213 with respect to such alien; and 

14 ‘‘(B) the alien has obtained a travel med15 ical insurance policy for the duration of stay 

16 with minimum policy requirements determined 

17 by the Secretary of Homeland Security. 

18 ‘‘(3) PERIOD OF AUTHORIZED ADMISSION.— 

19 The period of authorized admission under section 

20 101(a)(15)(B)(iii) shall not exceed 120 days.’’. 

21 (b) ATTESTATION.—Section 213A(f)(1)(D) of such 

22 Act (8 U.S.C. 1183A(f)(1)(D)) is amended by striking 

23 ‘‘section 204’’ and inserting ‘‘section 204 and 

24 101(15)(B)(iii)’’. 


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1 SEC. 4. RESTRICTION APPLICABLE TO SECTION 

2 101(a)(15)(B)(iii) VISAS. 

3 Section 248(a)(1) of the Immigration and Nationality 

4 Act (8 U.S.C. 1258(a)(1)) is amended to read as follows: 

5 ‘‘(1) an alien classified as a nonimmigrant 

6 under subparagraph (B)(iii), (C), (D), (K), or (S) of 

7 section 101(a)(15).’’. 

8 SEC. 5. WAIVERS APPLICABLE TO SECTION 101(a)(15)(B)(iii) 

9 VISAS. 

10 The Secretary of State, in consultation with the Sec11 retary of Homeland Security, may waive any requirement 

12 applicable to section 101(a)(15)(B)(iii) visas for humani13 tarian purposes, to assure family unity, or when it is oth14 erwise in the public interest. The Secretary of State shall 

15 provide for the annual reporting to Congress of the num16 ber of waivers granted under this paragraph in the pre17 vious fiscal year and a summary of the reasons for grant18 ing such waivers. 

Æ 


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