I
106TH CONGRESS
2D SESSION
H. R. 4681
To provide for the adjustment of status of certain Syrian nationals.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
JUNE 15, 2000
Mr. LAZIO (for himself, Mr. WEINER, Mr. FRANKS of New Jersey, Mr. NAD-
LER, Mr. GILMAN, and Mr. PALLONE) introduced the following bill; which
was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary
A BILL
To provide for the adjustment of status of certain Syrian
nationals.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. FINDINGS.
The Congress finds as follows:
(1) President Bush and President Clinton suc-
cessively conducted successful negotiations with the
Government of Syria to bring about the release of
members of the Syrian Jewish population and their
immigration to the United States.
(2) In order to accommodate the Syrian Gov-
ernment, the United States was required to admit
these aliens by first granting them temporary non-
immigrant visas and subsequently granting them
asylum, rather than admitting them as refugees (as
is ordinarily done when the United States grants
refuge to members of a persecuted alien minority
group).
(3) The asylee status of these aliens has re-
sulted in a long and unnecessary delay in their ad-
justment to lawful permanent resident status that
would not have been encountered had they been ad-
mitted as refugees.
(4) This delay has impaired these aliens’ ability
to work in their chosen professions, travel freely,
and apply for naturalization.
(5) The Attorney General should act without
further delay to grant lawful permanent resident
status to these aliens in accordance with section 2.
SEC. 2. ADJUSTMENT OF STATUS OF CERTAIN SYRIAN NA-
TIONALS.
(a) ADJUSTMENT OF STATUS.—Subject to subsection
(c), the Attorney General shall adjust the status of an
alien described in subsection (b) to that of an alien law-
fully admitted for permanent residence, if the alien—
(1) applies for adjustment of status under this
section not later than one year after the date of the
enactment of this Act or applied for adjustment of
status under the Immigration and Nationality Act
before the date of the enactment of this Act;
(2) has been physically present in the United
States for at least one year after being granted asy-
lum;
(3) is not firmly resettled in any foreign coun-
try; and
(4) is admissible as an immigrant under the
Immigration and Nationality Act at the time of ex-
amination for adjustment of such alien.
(b) ALIENS ELIGIBLE FOR ADJUSTMENT OF STA-
TUS.—The benefits provided by subsection (a) shall apply
to any alien—
(1) who—
(A) is a Jewish national of Syria;
(B) arrived in the United States after De-
cember 31, 1991, after being permitted by the
Syrian Government to depart from Syria; and
(C) is physically present in the United
States at the time of filing the application de-
scribed in subsection (a)(1); or
(2) who is the spouse, child, or unmarried son
or daughter of an alien described in paragraph (1).
(c) NUMERICAL LIMITATION.—The total number of
aliens whose status may be adjusted under this section
may not exceed 3,000.
(d) RECORD
OF PERMANENT RESIDENCE.—Upon
approval of an application for adjustment of status under
this section, the Attorney General shall establish a record
of the alien’s admission for lawful permanent residence as
of the date one year before the date of the approval of
the application.
(e) AVAILABILITY OF ADMINISTRATIVE REVIEW.—
The Attorney General shall provide to applicants for ad-
justment of status under subsection (a) the same right to,
and procedures for, administrative review as are provided
to applicants for adjustment of status under section
209(b) of the Immigration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C.
1159(b)).
(f) NO OFFSET IN NUMBER OF VISAS AVAILABLE.—
Whenever an alien is granted the status of having been
lawfully admitted for permanent residence pursuant to
this section, the Secretary of State shall not be required
to reduce the number of immigrant visas authorized to be
issued under any provision of the Immigration and Na-
tionality Act.
(g) APPLICATION
OF IMMIGRATION
AND NATION-
ALITY ACT PROVISIONS.—The definitions contained in the
Immigration and Nationality Act shall apply in the admin-
istration of this section. The fact that an alien may be
eligible to be granted the status of having been lawfully
admitted for permanent residence under this section shall
not preclude the alien from seeking such status under any
other provision of law for which the alien may be eligible.
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