country (or in the case of an alien having no 
nationality, the country in which the alien last 
habitually resided) that on January 1, 2017, 
was designated under section 244 or under the 
Deferred Enforced Departure program, that 
status under this section may be available. 
‘‘(B) REMOVAL
PROCEEDINGS
INITIATED 
PRIOR
TO
THE
DATE
OF
ENACTMENT.—The 
Secretary shall promptly notify any alien who is 
in removal proceedings on the date of the enact-
ment of this section and who is a national of a 
country (or in the case of an alien having no 
nationality, the country in which the alien last 
habitually resided) that on January 1, 2017, 
was designated under section 244 or under the 
Deferred Enforced Departure program, that 
status under this section may be available. 
‘‘(3) FORM.—Notices under this paragraph 
shall be provided in a form and language that the 
alien can understand. 
‘‘(e) 
TEMPORARY
TREATMENT
FOR
ELIGIBLE 
ALIENS.— 
‘‘(1) REGISTRATION NOT AVAILABLE.—In the 
case of an alien who can establish a prima facie case 
of eligibility for protected status under this section, 
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but for the fact that the period of registration under 
subsection (b)(4) has not begun, until the alien has 
had a reasonable opportunity to register during the 
first 30 days of such period, the Secretary shall pro-
vide the alien with work authorization under sub-
section (f), and shall not initiate or proceed with re-
moval proceedings against the alien. 
‘‘(2) DETERMINATION PENDING.—In the case 
of an alien who establishes a prima facie case of eli-
gibility for protected status under this section, until 
a final determination with respect to the alien’s eligi-
bility for such status has been made, the Secretary 
shall provide the alien with work authorization under 
subsection (f), and shall not initiate or proceed with 
removal proceedings against the alien. 
‘‘(f) WORK AUTHORIZATION.— 
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary shall author-
ize each alien granted protected status under this 
section to engage in employment in the United 
States and provide the alien with an ‘employment 
authorized’ endorsement or other appropriate work 
permit. 
‘‘(2) DURATION.—Work authorization provided 
under this section shall be effective throughout the 
period the alien is in protected status. 
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‘‘(g) FEES.—The Secretary may require payment of 
a reasonable fee, in an amount not to exceed $50, as a 
condition of registering an alien under this section. The 
Secretary may impose a separate, additional fee for pro-
viding an alien with documentation of work authorization. 
Notwithstanding section 3302 of title 31, United States 
Code, all fees collected under this subparagraph shall be 
credited to the appropriation to be used in carrying out 
this section. 
‘‘(h) WITHDRAWAL OF PROTECTED STATUS.—The 
Secretary shall withdraw protected status granted to an 
alien under this section if— 
‘‘(1) the Secretary finds that the alien was not 
in fact eligible for such status under this section; or 
‘‘(2) the alien fails, without good cause, to reg-
ister with the Secretary at the end of each 36-month 
period after the granting of such status, in a form 
and manner specified by the Secretary. 
‘‘(i) TREATMENT OF BRIEF, CASUAL, AND INNOCENT 
DEPARTURES AND CERTAIN OTHER ABSENCES.— 
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—For purposes of subsection 
(b)(2), an alien shall not be considered to have failed 
to maintain continuous residence in the United 
States by virtue of brief, casual, and innocent ab-
sences from the United States without regard to 
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whether such absences were authorized by the Sec-
retary. 
‘‘(2) RENEWAL OF PROTECTED STATUS.—For 
purposes of subsection (b)(2), in the case of an alien 
seeking to renew protected status under this section, 
absence from the United States for a continuous pe-
riod, beginning on the date on which the Secretary 
most recently granted or renewed the alien’s pro-
tected status under this section— 
‘‘(A) of one year or less, shall not break 
the continuity of such residency requirement; 
and 
‘‘(B) of longer than one year, shall break 
the continuity of such residence, unless the ap-
plicant establishes to the satisfaction of the 
Secretary that he did not abandon his residence 
in the United States during such period. 
‘‘(j) CONFIDENTIALITY.— 
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary may not dis-
close or use information provided under this section 
for the purpose of enforcing the immigration laws. 
‘‘(2) REFERRALS PROHIBITED.—The Secretary 
may not refer any alien granted protected status 
under this section to U.S. Immigration and Customs 
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Enforcement or to U.S. Customs and Border Protec-
tion. 
‘‘(3) EXCEPTION.—Notwithstanding paragraphs 
(1) and (2), the Secretary may disclose information 
provided under this section to Federal security and 
law enforcement agencies— 
‘‘(A) for assistance in the consideration of 
an application for protected status under this 
section; 
‘‘(B) to identify or prevent fraudulent 
claims for protected status under this section; 
‘‘(C) for national security purposes; and 
‘‘(D) in relation to the investigation or 
prosecution of any felony not related to the 
alien’s immigration status. 
‘‘(4) PENALTY.—Whoever knowingly discloses 
or uses information in violation of this subsection 
shall be fined not more than $10,000. 
‘‘(k) TREATMENT DURING PERIOD OF PROTECTED 
STATUS.—During a period in which an alien is granted 
protected status under this section— 
‘‘(1) the alien shall be considered a qualified 
alien for purposes of title IV of the Personal Re-
sponsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation 
Act of 1996; 
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‘‘(2) the alien may travel abroad without the 
prior consent of the Secretary; and 
‘‘(3) for purposes of adjustment of status under 
section 245 and change of classification under sec-
tion 248, 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. 
‘‘(l) CLARIFICATION.—Nothing in this section shall 
be construed as authorizing the Secretary to deny pro-
tected status to an alien based on the alien’s immigration 
status or to require any alien, as a condition of being 
granted such status, either to relinquish nonimmigrant or 
other status the alien may have or to execute any waiver 
of other rights under this chapter. The granting of pro-
tected status under this section shall not be considered 
to be inconsistent with the granting of nonimmigrant sta-
tus under this chapter. 
‘‘(m) ADJUSTMENT OF STATUS IN CASES OF EX-
TREME HARDSHIP.— 
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—Notwithstanding any other 
provision of law, including section 244(h), the Sec-
retary of Homeland Security shall adjust the status 
of an alien to that of an alien lawfully admitted for 
permanent residence if the alien— 
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‘‘(A) meets the eligibility requirements of 
paragraphs (1) and (3) of subsection (b); 
‘‘(B) establishes that removal would result 
in extreme hardship to the alien or to the 
alien’s United States citizen or lawful perma-
nent resident spouse, parent, or child; and 
‘‘(C) submits an application to the Sec-
retary. 
‘‘(2) 
NUMERICAL
LIMITATIONS
DO
NOT 
APPLY.—The numerical limitations of sections 201 
and 202 shall not apply to the adjustment of aliens 
to lawful permanent resident status under this sec-
tion. 
‘‘(3) RULE
OF
CONSTRUCTION.—This sub-
section does not prevent an alien granted protected 
status under this section who does not meet the re-
quirement of paragraph (1)(B) from adjusting sta-
tus under section 245. 
‘‘(n) REVIEW.—The Secretary shall establish a proc-
ess for an alien denied protected status under this section 
to seek review of such a determination. Such process shall 
not prevent an alien from asserting eligibility for status 
under this section in removal proceedings.’’. 
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SEC. 3. TEMPORARY PROTECTED STATUS CLARIFICATIONS. 
(a) EXPUNGED CONVICTIONS NOT A BAR.—Section 
244(c)(2) of the Immigration and Nationality Act (8 
U.S.C. 1254a(c)(2)) is amended by adding at the end the 
following: 
‘‘(C) CONVICTION.—For purposes of this 
paragraph, the term ‘conviction’ does not in-
clude an adjudication or judgment of guilt that 
has been dismissed, expunged, deferred, an-
nulled, invalidated, withheld, or vacated, an 
order of probation without entry of judgment, 
or any similar disposition.’’. 
(b) ALIENS CONSIDERED INSPECTED AND ADMIT-
TED INTO THE UNITED STATES.—Section 244(f)(4) of 
the 
Immigration 
and 
Nationality 
Act 
(8 
U.S.C. 
1254a(f)(4)) is amended by inserting after ‘‘considered’’ 
the following: ‘‘as having been inspected and admitted into 
the United States, and’’. 
SEC. 4. REPORT ON PROTECTED STATUS. 
On the date that is 90 days after the date of the en-
actment of this Act, and every 90 days thereafter, the Sec-
retary of Homeland Security shall submit to the Commit-
tees on the Judiciary of the House of Representatives and 
of the Senate a report that includes, for the previous 90- 
day period— 
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(1) the number of aliens who submitted applica-
tions to the Secretary for protected status under sec-
tion 244A of the Immigration and Nationality Act; 
(2) the number of such applications that were 
approved; 
(3) the number of aliens present in the United 
States with protected status, including information 
related to the States in which such aliens reside, the 
ages of such aliens, and the duration of their resi-
dence in the United States; and 
(4) any additional information determined ap-
propriate by the Secretary. 
Æ 
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