IB 

Union Calendar No. 53

109TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 2293

[Report No. 109–99] 

To provide special immigrant status for aliens serving as translators with 

the United States Armed Forces. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

MAY 11, 2005

Mr. HOSTETTLER (for himself and Mr. HUNTER) introduced the following bill; 

which was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary 

MAY 26, 2005

Additional sponsor: Ms. JACKSON-LEE of Texas 

MAY 26, 2005

Reported with an amendment, committed to the Committee of the Whole 

House on the State of the Union, and ordered to be printed 

[Strike out all after the enacting clause and insert the part printed in italic] 

A BILL

To provide special immigrant status for aliens serving as 

translators with the United States Armed Forces.

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. SPECIAL IMMIGRANT STATUS FOR PERSONS 

2 SERVING AS TRANSLATORS WITH UNITED 

3 STATES ARMED FORCES. 

4 (a) IN GENERAL.—For purposes of the Immigration 

5 and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1101 et seq.), subject to 

6 subsection (c)(1), the Secretary of Homeland Security 

7 may provide an alien described in subsection (b) with the 

8 status of a special immigrant under section 101(a)(27) of 

9 such Act (8 U.S.C. 1101(a(27)), if the alien—

10 (1) files with the Secretary of Homeland Secu11 rity a petition under section 204 of such Act (8 

12 U.S.C. 1154) for classification under section 

13 203(b)(4) of such Act (8 U.S.C. 1153(b)(4)); and 

14 (2) is otherwise eligible to receive an immigrant 

15 visa and is otherwise admissible to the United States 

16 for permanent residence, except in determining such 

17 admissibility, the grounds for inadmissibility speci18 fied in section 212(a)(4) of such Act (8 U.S.C. 

19 1182(a)(4)) shall not apply. 

20 (b) ALIENS DESCRIBED.—

21 (1) PRINCIPAL ALIENS.—An alien is described 

22 in this subsection if the alien—

23 (A) is a national of Iraq or Afghanistan; 

24 (B) worked directly with United States 

25 Armed Forces as a translator for a period of at 

26 least 12 months; 
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1 (C) obtained a favorable written rec2 ommendation from the first General or Flag of3 ficer in the chain of command of the United 

4 States Armed Forces unit that was supported 

5 by the alien; and 

6 (D) prior to filing the petition described in 

7 subsection (a)(1), cleared a background check 

8 and screening, as determined by the first Gen9 eral or Flag officer in the chain of command of 

10 the United States Armed Forces unit that was 

11 supported by the alien. 

12 (2) SPOUSES AND CHILDREN.—An alien is de13 scribed in this subsection if the alien is the spouse 

14 or child of a principal alien described in paragraph 

15 (1), and is following or accompanying to join the 

16 principal alien. 

17 (c) NUMERICAL LIMITATIONS.—

18 (1) IN GENERAL.—The total number of prin19 cipal aliens who may be provided special immigrant 

20 status under this section shall not exceed 50. 

21 (2) COUNTING AGAINST SPECIAL IMMIGRANT

22 CAP.—For purposes of the application of sections 

23 201 through 203 of the Immigration and Nationality 

24 Act (8 U.S.C. 1151–1153) in any fiscal year, aliens 

25 eligible to be provided status under this section shall 
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1 be treated as special immigrants described in section 

2 101(a)(27) of such Act (8 U.S.C. 1101(a)(27)) who 

3 are not described in subparagraph (A), (B), (C), or 

4 (K) of such section. 

5 (d) APPLICATION OF IMMIGRATION AND NATION6 ALITY ACT PROVISIONS.—The definitions in subsections 

7 (a) and (b) of section 101 of the Immigration and Nation8 ality Act (8 U.S.C. 1101) shall apply in the administration 

9 of this section.

10 SECTION 1. SPECIAL IMMIGRANT STATUS FOR PERSONS 

11 SERVING AS TRANSLATORS WITH UNITED 

12 STATES ARMED FORCES. 

13 (a) IN GENERAL.—For purposes of the Immigration 

14 and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1101 et seq.), subject to sub15 section (c)(1), the Secretary of Homeland Security may 

16 provide an alien described in subsection (b) with the status 

17 of a special immigrant under section 101(a)(27) of such Act 

18 (8 U.S.C. 1101(a(27)), if the alien—

19 (1) files with the Secretary of Homeland Secu20 rity a petition under section 204 of such Act (8 

21 U.S.C. 1154) for classification under section 

22 203(b)(4) of such Act (8 U.S.C. 1153(b)(4)); and 

23 (2) is otherwise eligible to receive an immigrant 

24 visa and is otherwise admissible to the United States 

25 for permanent residence, except in determining such 
5

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1 admissibility, the grounds for inadmissibility speci2 fied in section 212(a)(4) of such Act (8 U.S.C. 

3 1182(a)(4)) shall not apply. 

4 (b) ALIENS DESCRIBED.—

5 (1) PRINCIPAL ALIENS.—An alien is described in 

6 this subsection if the alien—

7 (A) is a national of Iraq or Afghanistan; 

8 (B) worked directly with United States 

9 Armed Forces as a translator for a period of at 

10 least 12 months; 

11 (C) obtained a favorable written rec12 ommendation from the first General or Flag offi13 cer in the chain of command of the United States 

14 Armed Forces unit that was supported by the 

15 alien; and 

16 (D) prior to filing the petition described in 

17 subsection (a)(1), cleared a background check 

18 and screening, as determined by the first General 

19 or Flag officer in the chain of command of the 

20 United States Armed Forces unit that was sup21 ported by the alien. 

22 (2) SPOUSES AND CHILDREN.—An alien is de23 scribed in this subsection if the alien is the spouse or 

24 child of a principal alien described in paragraph (1), 
6

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1 and is following or accompanying to join the prin2 cipal alien. 

3 (c) NUMERICAL LIMITATIONS.—

4 (1) IN GENERAL.—The total number of principal 

5 aliens who may be provided special immigrant status 

6 under this section during any fiscal year shall not ex7 ceed 50. 

8 (2) COUNTING AGAINST SPECIAL IMMIGRANT

9 CAP.—For purposes of the application of sections 201 

10 through 203 of the Immigration and Nationality Act 

11 (8 U.S.C. 1151–1153) in any fiscal year, aliens eligi12 ble to be provided status under this section shall be 

13 treated as special immigrants described in section 

14 101(a)(27) of such Act (8 U.S.C. 1101(a)(27)) who 

15 are not described in subparagraph (A), (B), (C), or 

16 (K) of such section. 

17 (d) APPLICATION OF IMMIGRATION AND NATIONALITY

18 ACT PROVISIONS.—The definitions in subsections (a) and 

19 (b) of section 101 of the Immigration and Nationality Act 

20 (8 U.S.C. 1101) shall apply in the administration of this 

21 section. 

Union Calendar No. 53

109TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 2293

[Report No. 109–99] 

A BILL

To provide special immigrant status for aliens servForces. ing as translators with the United States Armed 

MAY 26, 2005

Reported with an amendment, committed to the Comand ordered to be printed mittee of the Whole House on the State of the Union,