I 
115TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 4488 
To amend the Immigration and Nationality Act to provide conditional pro-
tected 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. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Preserving Opportuni-
ties for Childhood Arrivals Act’’. 
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SEC. 2. CONDITIONAL PROTECTED STATUS FOR CERTAIN 
INDIVIDUALS WHO CAME TO THE UNITED 
STATES AS CHILDREN. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—The Immigration and Nationality 
Act (8 U.S.C. 1101 et seq.) is amended by inserting after 
section 244 the following: 
‘‘SEC. 244A. CONDITIONAL PROTECTED STATUS FOR CER-
TAIN 
INDIVIDUALS 
WHO 
CAME 
TO 
THE 
UNITED STATES AS CHILDREN. 
‘‘(a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary of Homeland Se-
curity shall grant conditional protected status to an alien 
who— 
‘‘(1) meets the eligibility requirements under 
subsection (b); 
‘‘(2) files an application with the Secretary 
seeking such status; and 
‘‘(3) pays a registration fee, not to exceed $50, 
to the Secretary. 
‘‘(b) ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA.—An alien is eligible for 
conditional protected status under this section if the 
alien— 
‘‘(1) was a recipient of deferred action pursuant 
to the memorandum of the Secretary of Homeland 
Security entitled ‘Exercising Prosecutorial Discre-
tion with Respect to Individuals Who Came to the 
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United States as Children’ dated June 15, 2012, 
and was in such status on September 5, 2017; 
‘‘(2) is admissible under section 212 and is not 
deportable under section 237, except that the Sec-
retary shall waive the grounds of inadmissibility 
under paragraphs (5), (6), (7), and (9)(B) of section 
212(a) and the grounds of deportability under sub-
paragraphs (A) through (C) of paragraph (1) and 
paragraph (3) of section 237(a); 
‘‘(3) has not been convicted of a violent mis-
demeanor offense; and 
‘‘(4) has been continuously physically present 
and continuously resided in the United States since 
the date on which the alien was granted deferred ac-
tion. 
‘‘(c) EMPLOYMENT AUTHORIZATION.—The Secretary 
shall grant employment authorization, or other appro-
priate work permit, to each alien granted conditional pro-
tected status under this section, which shall be effective 
throughout the period the alien maintains such status. 
‘‘(d) TREATMENT OF BRIEF, CASUAL, AND INNO-
CENT DEPARTURES.—For purposes of subsection (b)(3), 
an alien shall not be considered to have failed to maintain 
continuous physical presence or continuous residence in 
the United States by virtue of brief, casual, and innocent 
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absences from the United States, without regard to wheth-
er such absences were authorized by the Attorney General. 
‘‘(e) TERM; RENEWALS.—The term of conditional 
protected status under this section shall be for a 10-year 
period, which may be renewed for additional 10-year peri-
ods. 
‘‘(f) ADJUSTMENT OF STATUS.—For purposes of ad-
justment of status under section 245 or change of status 
under section 248— 
‘‘(1) the alien shall be considered as having 
been inspected and admitted into the United States, 
and as being in, and maintaining lawful status as a 
nonimmigrant; and 
‘‘(2) the Secretary shall waive the grounds of 
inadmissibility and the grounds of deportability de-
scribed in subsection (b)(2). 
‘‘(g) ALIEN
NOT
CONSIDERED
A
QUALIFIED 
ALIEN.—An alien granted conditional protected status 
under this section shall not be considered a qualified alien 
for purposes of title IV of the Personal Responsibility and 
Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996 (8 U.S.C. 
1601 et seq.).’’. 
(b) CLERICAL AMENDMENT.—The table of contents 
for the Immigration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1101 
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note) is amended by inserting after the item relating to 
section 244 the following: 
‘‘244A. Conditional protected status for certain individuals who came to the 
United States as children.’’. 
Æ 
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