I 
119TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 1747 
To amend the Immigration and Nationality Act to modify the provisions 
that relate to family-sponsored immigrants. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
FEBRUARY 27, 2025 
Mr. STEUBE introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
Committee on the Judiciary 
A BILL 
To amend the Immigration and Nationality Act to modify 
the provisions that relate to family-sponsored immigrants. 
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 ‘‘Break the Chain Act’’. 
SEC. 2. FAMILY-SPONSORED IMMIGRATION PRIORITIES. 
(a) IMMEDIATE
RELATIVE
REDEFINED.—Section 
201 of the Immigration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 
1151) is amended— 
(1) in subsection (b)(2)(A)— 
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(A) in clause (i), by striking ‘‘children, 
spouses, and parents of a citizen of the United 
States, except that, in the case of parents, such 
citizens shall be at least 21 years of age.’’ and 
inserting ‘‘children and spouse of a citizen of 
the United States.’’; and 
(B) in clause (ii), by striking ‘‘such an im-
mediate relative’’ and inserting ‘‘the immediate 
relative spouse of a United States citizen’’; 
(2) by striking subsection (c) and inserting the 
following: 
‘‘(c) WORLDWIDE LEVEL
OF FAMILY-SPONSORED 
IMMIGRANTS.—(1) The worldwide level of family-spon-
sored immigrants under this subsection for a fiscal year 
is equal to 87,934 minus the number computed under 
paragraph (2). 
‘‘(2) The number computed under this paragraph for 
a fiscal year is the number of aliens who were paroled into 
the United States under section 212(d)(5) in the second 
preceding fiscal year who— 
‘‘(A) did not depart from the United States 
(without advance parole) within 365 days; and 
‘‘(B)(i) did not acquire the status of an alien 
lawfully admitted to the United States for perma-
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nent residence during the two preceding fiscal years; 
or 
‘‘(ii) acquired such status during such period 
under a provision of law (other than subsection (b)) 
that exempts adjustment to such status from the nu-
merical limitation on the worldwide level of immigra-
tion under this section.’’; and 
(3) in subsection (f)— 
(A) in paragraph (2), by striking ‘‘section 
203(a)(2)(A)’’ and inserting ‘‘section 203(a)’’; 
(B) by striking paragraph (3); 
(C) by redesignating paragraph (4) as 
paragraph (3); and 
(D) in paragraph (3), as redesignated, by 
striking ‘‘(1) through (3)’’ and inserting ‘‘(1) 
and (2)’’. 
(b) FAMILY-BASED VISA PREFERENCES.—Section 
203(a) of the Immigration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 
1153(a)) is amended to read as follows: 
‘‘(a) SPOUSES AND MINOR CHILDREN OF PERMA-
NENT RESIDENT ALIENS.—Family-sponsored immigrants 
described in this subsection are qualified immigrants who 
are the spouse or a child of an alien lawfully admitted 
for permanent residence. Such immigrants shall be allo-
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cated visas in accordance with the number computed 
under section 201(c).’’. 
(c) AGING OUT.—Section 203(h) of the Immigration 
and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1153(h)) is amended— 
(1) by striking ‘‘(a)(2)(A)’’ each place such 
term appears and inserting ‘‘(a)’’; 
(2) by amending paragraph (1) to read as fol-
lows: 
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—Subject to paragraph (2), 
for purposes of subsections (a) and (d), a determina-
tion of whether an alien satisfies the age require-
ment in the matter preceding subparagraph (A) of 
section 101(b)(1) shall be made using the age of the 
alien on the date on which a petition is filed with 
the Secretary of Homeland Security.’’; 
(3) by redesignating paragraphs (2) through 
(4) as paragraphs (3) through (5), respectively; 
(4) by inserting after paragraph (1) the fol-
lowing: 
‘‘(2) LIMITATION.—Notwithstanding the age of 
an alien on the date on which a petition is filed, an 
alien who marries or turns 25 years of age prior to 
a visa becoming available for issuance pursuant to 
subsection (a) or (d), no longer satisfies the age re-
quirement described in paragraph (1).’’; and 
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(5) in paragraph (5), as so redesignated, by 
striking ‘‘(3)’’ and inserting ‘‘(4)’’. 
(d) CONFORMING AMENDMENTS.— 
(1) DEFINITION OF V NONIMMIGRANT.—Section 
101(a)(15)(V) of the Immigration and Nationality 
Act (8 U.S.C. 1101(a)(15)(V)) is amended by strik-
ing ‘‘section 203(a)(2)(A)’’ each place such term ap-
pears and inserting ‘‘section 203(a)’’. 
(2) PROCEDURE
FOR
GRANTING
IMMIGRANT 
STATUS.—Section 204 of such Act (8 U.S.C. 1154) 
is amended— 
(A) in subsection (a)(1)— 
(i) in subparagraph (A)(i), by striking 
‘‘to classification by reason of a relation-
ship described in paragraph (1), (3), or (4) 
of section 203(a) or’’; 
(ii) in subparagraph (B)— 
(I) in clause (i), by redesignating 
the second subclause (I) as subclause 
(II); and 
(II) by striking ‘‘203(a)(2)(A)’’ 
each place such terms appear and in-
serting ‘‘203(a)’’; and 
(iii) in subparagraph (D)(i)(I), by 
striking ‘‘a petitioner’’ and all that follows 
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through ‘‘section 204(a)(1)(B)(iii).’’ and 
inserting ‘‘an individual younger than 21 
years of age for purposes of adjudicating 
such petition and for purposes of admis-
sion as an immediate relative under section 
201(b)(2)(A)(i) or a family-sponsored im-
migrant under section 203(a), as appro-
priate, notwithstanding the actual age of 
the individual.’’; 
(B) in subsection (f)(1), by striking ‘‘, 
203(a)(1), or 203(a)(3), as appropriate’’; and 
(C) by striking subsection (k). 
(3) WAIVERS
OF
INADMISSIBILITY.—Section 
212 of such Act (8 U.S.C. 1182) is amended— 
(A) in subsection (a)(6)(E)(ii), by striking 
‘‘section 203(a)(2)’’ and inserting ‘‘section 
203(a)’’; and 
(B) in subsection (d)(11), by striking 
‘‘(other than paragraph (4) thereof)’’. 
(4) EMPLOYMENT OF V NONIMMIGRANTS.—Sec-
tion 214(q)(1)(B)(i) 
of 
such 
Act 
(8 
U.S.C. 
1184(q)(1)(B)(i)) is amended by striking ‘‘section 
203(a)(2)(A)’’ each place such term appears and in-
serting ‘‘section 203(a)’’. 
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(5) DEFINITION
OF
ALIEN
SPOUSE.—Section 
216(h)(1)(C) of such Act (8 U.S.C. 1186a(h)(1)(C)) 
is amended by striking ‘‘section 203(a)(2)’’ and in-
serting ‘‘section 203(a)’’. 
(6) CLASSES
OF
DEPORTABLE
ALIENS.—Sec-
tion 237(a)(1)(E)(ii) of such Act (8 U.S.C. 
1227(a)(1)(E)(ii)) is amended by striking ‘‘section 
203(a)(2)’’ and inserting ‘‘section 203(a)’’. 
(e) CREATION OF NONIMMIGRANT CLASSIFICATION 
FOR ALIEN PARENTS OF ADULT UNITED STATES CITI-
ZENS.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—Section 101(a)(15) of the 
Immigration 
and 
Nationality 
Act 
(8 
U.S.C. 
1101(a)(15)) is amended— 
(A) in subparagraph (T)(ii)(III), by strik-
ing the period at the end and inserting a semi-
colon; 
(B) in subparagraph (U)(iii), by striking 
‘‘or’’ at the end; 
(C) in subparagraph (V)(ii)(II), by striking 
the period at the end and inserting ‘‘; or’’; and 
(D) by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘(W) subject to section 214(s), an alien 
who is a parent of a citizen of the United 
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States, if the citizen is at least 21 years of 
age.’’. 
(2) CONDITIONS ON ADMISSION.—Section 214 
of such Act (8 U.S.C. 1184) is amended by adding 
at the end the following: 
‘‘(s)(1) The initial period of authorized admission for 
a nonimmigrant described in section 101(a)(15)(W) shall 
be 5 years, but may be extended by the Secretary of 
Homeland Security for additional 5-year periods if the 
United States citizen son or daughter of the nonimmigrant 
is still residing in the United States. 
‘‘(2) 
A 
nonimmigrant 
described 
in 
section 
101(a)(15)(W)— 
‘‘(A) is not authorized to be employed in the 
United States; and 
‘‘(B) is not eligible for any Federal, State, or 
local public benefit. 
‘‘(3) The United States citizen son or daughter shall 
file a petition with the Secretary of Homeland Security 
on behalf of the alien parent in order for the alien parent 
to be issued a visa or otherwise be provided nonimmigrant 
status under section 101(a)(15)(W). 
‘‘(4) An alien is ineligible to be issued a visa or other-
wise be provided nonimmigrant status under section 
101(a)(15)(W), or to be admitted into the United States 
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as a nonimmigrant described in section 101(a)(15)(W), 
unless the alien provides satisfactory proof that the United 
States citizen son or daughter has arranged for health in-
surance coverage for the alien, at no cost to the alien, dur-
ing the anticipated period of the alien’s residence in the 
United States.’’. 
(3) AFFIDAVIT OF SUPPORT.— 
(A) GROUND
OF
INADMISSIBILITY.—Sec-
tion 212(a)(4)(C) of the Immigration and Na-
tionality Act (8 U.S.C. 1182(a)(4)(C)) is 
amended— 
(i) in the heading by adding at the 
end the following: ‘‘AND NONIMMIGRANTS’’; 
and 
(ii) in the matter preceding clause (i), 
by striking ‘‘section 201(b)(2) or 203(a)’’ 
and inserting ‘‘section 101(a)(15)(W), 
201(b)(2), or 203(a)’’. 
(B) AFFIDAVIT REQUIRED.—Section 213A 
of the Immigration and Nationality Act (8 
U.S.C. 1183a) is amended— 
(i) in subsection (a)(2)— 
(I) by striking ‘‘An affidavit of 
support’’ and inserting the following: 
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‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—Except as provided in 
subparagraph (B), an affidavit of support’’; and 
(II) by adding at the end the fol-
lowing: 
‘‘(B) SPECIAL RULE.—In the case of an 
alien who has been issued a visa or otherwise 
provided nonimmigrant status under section 
101(a)(15)(W), an affidavit of support shall be 
enforceable with respect to benefits provided for 
an alien while the alien is physically present in 
the United States.’’; and 
(ii) in subsection (f)(1)(D), by insert-
ing after ‘‘section 204’’ the following: ‘‘or 
petitioning for the alien to be provided a 
visa under or accorded status under sec-
tion 101(a)(15)(W)’’. 
(f) EFFECTIVE DATE; APPLICABILITY.— 
(1) EFFECTIVE DATE.—The amendments made 
by this section shall take effect on October 1, 2025. 
(2) INVALIDITY
OF
CERTAIN
PETITIONS
AND 
APPLICATIONS.— 
(A) IN
GENERAL.—No person may file, 
and the Secretary of Homeland Security and 
the Secretary of State may not accept, adju-
dicate, or approve any petition under section 
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204 of the Immigration and Nationality Act (8 
U.S.C. 1154) filed on or after the date of enact-
ment of this Act seeking classification of an 
alien under section 201(b)(2)(A)(i) with respect 
to a parent of a United States citizen, or under 
section 203(a)(1), (2)(B), (3), or (4) of such 
Act (8 U.S.C. 1151(b)(2)(A)(i), 1153(a)(1), 
(2)(B), (3), or (4)). Any application for adjust-
ment of status or an immigrant visa based on 
such a petition shall be invalid. 
(B) PENDING
PETITIONS.—Neither the 
Secretary of Homeland Security nor the Sec-
retary of State may adjudicate or approve any 
petition under section 204 of the Immigration 
and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1154) pending 
as of the date of enactment of this Act seeking 
classification 
of 
an 
alien 
under 
section 
201(b)(2)(A)(i) with respect to a parent of a 
United 
States 
citizen, 
or 
under 
section 
203(a)(1), (2)(B), (3), or (4) of such Act (8 
U.S.C. 1151(b)(2)(A)(i), 1153(a)(1), (2)(B), 
(3), or (4)). Any application for adjustment of 
status or an immigrant visa based on such a 
petition shall be invalid. 
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(3) APPLICABILITY
TO
WAITLISTED
APPLI-
CANTS.— 
(A) IN
GENERAL.—Notwithstanding the 
amendments made by this section, an alien with 
regard to whom a petition or application for 
status under paragraph (1), (2)(B), (3), or (4) 
of section 203(a) of the Immigration and Na-
tionality Act (8 U.S.C. 1153(a)), as in effect on 
September 30, 2020, was approved prior to the 
date of the enactment of this Act, may be 
issued a visa pursuant to that paragraph in ac-
cordance with the availability of visas under 
subparagraph (B). 
(B) AVAILABILITY OF VISAS.—Visas may 
be issued to beneficiaries of approved petitions 
under each category described in subparagraph 
(A), but only until such time as the number of 
visas that would have been allocated to that 
category in fiscal year 2025, notwithstanding 
the amendments made by this section, have 
been issued. When the number of visas de-
scribed in the previous sentence have been 
issued for each category described in subpara-
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graph (A), no additional visas may be issued for 
that category. 
Æ 
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