I 
117TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 2382 
To amend the Immigration and Nationality Act to recognize the service 
of veterans of the armed forces by providing a more navigable and 
accommodating pathway for veterans honorably discharged from the 
United States military to naturalize and seek citizenship, and for other 
purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
APRIL 8, 2021 
Ms. BARRAGA´N (for herself and Mr. GALLEGO) introduced the following bill; 
which was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary 
A BILL 
To amend the Immigration and Nationality Act to recognize 
the service of veterans of the armed forces by providing 
a more navigable and accommodating pathway for vet-
erans honorably discharged from the United States mili-
tary to naturalize and seek citizenship, 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 ‘‘Veterans’ Pathway to 
Citizenship Act of 2021’’. 
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SEC. 2. NATURALIZATION OF VETERANS DURING PERIODS 
OF HOSTILITIES. 
(a) NATURALIZATION OF VETERANS DURING PERI-
ODS OF HOSTILITIES.—Section 329 of the Immigration 
and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1440) is amended by add-
ing at the end the following: 
‘‘(d) REMEDIES.— 
‘‘(1) IMMIGRATION STATUS.— 
‘‘(A) ASSUMPTION
OF
LAWFUL
PERMA-
NENT RESIDENT STATUS.—For purposes of this 
title, any current or former member of the 
Armed Forces who would be eligible for natu-
ralization under this section but is not by rea-
son of a failure to complete a specified period 
of residence or physical presence within the 
United States under this title or failure to 
maintain status as a lawful permanent resident 
shall, upon application for naturalization, be 
deemed to be a lawful permanent resident and 
to have fulfilled any residency and physical 
presence requirements solely for purposes of 
such current or former member’s application 
for naturalization. 
‘‘(B) PRIOR
REMOVALS.—In the case of 
any current or former member of the Armed 
Forces who is seeking naturalization under this 
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section, no prior removal may be taken into ac-
count for purposes of eligibility for any immi-
gration benefit or in determining deportability, 
or inadmissibility, including for purposes of the 
application of sections 212(a)(9) and 318. 
‘‘(2) PARDONS.— 
‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—Except as provided in 
subparagraph (B), in the case of a current or 
former member of the Armed Forces who re-
ceives a pardon for an offense, that offense may 
not be taken into account for purposes of an 
application for naturalization under this sec-
tion, including as to— 
‘‘(i) requirements under section 212; 
and 
‘‘(ii) requirements under section 316. 
Such benefit shall apply only as to the current 
or former member’s application for naturaliza-
tion. 
‘‘(B) 
EXCEPTION.—Subparagraph 
(A) 
shall not apply if the offense pardoned was the 
same offense that caused that former member’s 
separation from the Armed Forces in any man-
ner other than honorable. 
‘‘(3) NOTICE PROGRAM.— 
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‘‘(A) UPON ENLISTMENT.—Every military 
recruiter or officer overseeing an enlistment 
shall provide to every recruit proper notice of 
that recruit’s options for naturalization under 
this title, and shall inform the recruit of exist-
ing programs or services that may aid in the re-
cruit’s naturalization process, including direct-
ing the recruit to the Judge Advocate General 
or other designated point-of-contact for natu-
ralization. 
‘‘(B) UPON DISCHARGE.—The Secretary of 
Homeland Security, acting through the Director 
of the United States Customs and Immigration 
Services, and in coordination with the Secretary 
of Defense, shall provide to every former mem-
ber of the Armed Forces, upon separation from 
the Armed Forces, an adequate notice of that 
former member’s options for naturalization 
under this title, and shall inform that former 
member of existing programs and services that 
may aid in the naturalization process. The Sec-
retary shall issue along with this notice a copy 
of each form required for naturalization and a 
copy of the certification of honorable service re-
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quired under subsection (b)(3), at no expense to 
that former member. 
‘‘(4) APPLICATION
AUTOMATICALLY
FILED.— 
When the current or former member who would be 
eligible for naturalization under this section becomes 
eligible for such naturalization, the Secretary of 
Homeland Security, in coordination with the Sec-
retary of Defense shall notify the member of his or 
her eligibility, and shall, unless the member requests 
the Secretary of Homeland Security not do so, sub-
mit an application for the naturalization on behalf of 
that member. 
‘‘(5) VETERAN’S
APPLICATION
TO
BE
GIVEN 
TREATMENT
AS
THOUGH
TIMELY
FILED.—In the 
case of any current or former member of the Armed 
Forces who would be eligible for naturalization 
under this section but is not by reason of a failure 
or inability to timely file application for naturaliza-
tion, the Director of United States Customs and Im-
migration Services shall review any application for 
naturalization submitted by or on behalf of the 
former member as if it were completed and timely 
filed.’’. 
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(b) PROSPECTIVE REPEAL.—Section 329 of the Im-
migration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1440) is amend-
ed by striking subsection (d)(5). 
(c) APPLICABILITY.— 
(1) EFFECTIVE
DATE
OF
AMENDMENT.—The 
amendment made by subsection (a) shall take effect 
beginning on the date of enactment of this Act. 
(2) 
EFFECTIVE
DATE
OF
REPEAL.—The 
amendment made by subsection (b) shall take effect 
beginning 1 year after the date of enactment of this 
Act. 
Æ 
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