IB 
Union Calendar No. 53
109TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 2293
[Report No. 109–99] 
To provide special immigrant status for aliens serving as translators with 
the United States Armed Forces. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
MAY 11, 2005
Mr. HOSTETTLER (for himself and Mr. HUNTER) introduced the following bill; 
which was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary 
MAY 26, 2005
Additional sponsor: Ms. JACKSON-LEE of Texas 
MAY 26, 2005
Reported with an amendment, committed to the Committee of the Whole 
House on the State of the Union, and ordered to be printed 
[Strike out all after the enacting clause and insert the part printed in italic] 
A BILL 
To provide special immigrant status for aliens serving as 
translators with the United States Armed Forces.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SPECIAL IMMIGRANT STATUS FOR PERSONS 
SERVING
AS
TRANSLATORS
WITH
UNITED 
STATES ARMED FORCES. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—For purposes of the Immigration 
and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1101 et seq.), subject to 
subsection (c)(1), the Secretary of Homeland Security 
may provide an alien described in subsection (b) with the 
status of a special immigrant under section 101(a)(27) of 
such Act (8 U.S.C. 1101(a(27)), if the alien—
(1) files with the Secretary of Homeland Secu-
rity a petition under section 204 of such Act (8 
U.S.C.
1154)
for
classification
under
section 
203(b)(4) of such Act (8 U.S.C. 1153(b)(4)); and 
(2) is otherwise eligible to receive an immigrant 
visa and is otherwise admissible to the United States 
for permanent residence, except in determining such 
admissibility, the grounds for inadmissibility speci-
fied in section 212(a)(4) of such Act (8 U.S.C. 
1182(a)(4)) shall not apply. 
(b) ALIENS DESCRIBED.—
(1) PRINCIPAL ALIENS.—An alien is described 
in this subsection if the alien—
(A) is a national of Iraq or Afghanistan; 
(B) worked directly with United States 
Armed Forces as a translator for a period of at 
least 12 months;
(C)
obtained
a
favorable
written
rec-
ommendation from the first General or Flag of-
ficer in the chain of command of the United 
States Armed Forces unit that was supported 
by the alien; and 
(D) prior to filing the petition described in 
subsection (a)(1), cleared a background check 
and screening, as determined by the first Gen-
eral or Flag officer in the chain of command of 
the United States Armed Forces unit that was 
supported by the alien. 
(2) SPOUSES AND CHILDREN.—An alien is de-
scribed in this subsection if the alien is the spouse 
or child of a principal alien described in paragraph 
(1), and is following or accompanying to join the 
principal alien. 
(c) NUMERICAL LIMITATIONS.—
(1) IN GENERAL.—The total number of prin-
cipal aliens who may be provided special immigrant 
status under this section shall not exceed 50. 
(2) COUNTING
AGAINST
SPECIAL
IMMIGRANT 
CAP.—For purposes of the application of sections 
201 through 203 of the Immigration and Nationality 
Act (8 U.S.C. 1151–1153) in any fiscal year, aliens 
eligible to be provided status under this section shall
be treated as special immigrants described in section 
101(a)(27) of such Act (8 U.S.C. 1101(a)(27)) who 
are not described in subparagraph (A), (B), (C), or 
(K) of such section. 
(d) APPLICATION
OF IMMIGRATION
AND NATION-
ALITY ACT PROVISIONS.—The definitions in subsections 
(a) and (b) of section 101 of the Immigration and Nation-
ality Act (8 U.S.C. 1101) shall apply in the administration 
of this section.
SECTION 1. SPECIAL IMMIGRANT STATUS FOR PERSONS 
SERVING AS TRANSLATORS WITH UNITED 
STATES ARMED FORCES. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—For purposes of the Immigration 
and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1101 et seq.), subject to sub-
section (c)(1), the Secretary of Homeland Security may 
provide an alien described in subsection (b) with the status 
of a special immigrant under section 101(a)(27) of such Act 
(8 U.S.C. 1101(a(27)), if the alien—
(1) files with the Secretary of Homeland Secu-
rity a petition under section 204 of such Act (8 
U.S.C. 
1154) 
for 
classification 
under 
section 
203(b)(4) of such Act (8 U.S.C. 1153(b)(4)); and 
(2) is otherwise eligible to receive an immigrant 
visa and is otherwise admissible to the United States 
for permanent residence, except in determining such
admissibility, the grounds for inadmissibility speci-
fied in section 212(a)(4) of such Act (8 U.S.C. 
1182(a)(4)) shall not apply. 
(b) ALIENS DESCRIBED.—
(1) PRINCIPAL ALIENS.—An alien is described in 
this subsection if the alien—
(A) is a national of Iraq or Afghanistan; 
(B) worked directly with United States 
Armed Forces as a translator for a period of at 
least 12 months; 
(C) obtained a favorable written rec-
ommendation from the first General or Flag offi-
cer in the chain of command of the United States 
Armed Forces unit that was supported by the 
alien; and 
(D) prior to filing the petition described in 
subsection (a)(1), cleared a background check 
and screening, as determined by the first General 
or Flag officer in the chain of command of the 
United States Armed Forces unit that was sup-
ported by the alien. 
(2) SPOUSES AND CHILDREN.—An alien is de-
scribed in this subsection if the alien is the spouse or 
child of a principal alien described in paragraph (1),
and is following or accompanying to join the prin-
cipal alien. 
(c) NUMERICAL LIMITATIONS.—
(1) IN GENERAL.—The total number of principal 
aliens who may be provided special immigrant status 
under this section during any fiscal year shall not ex-
ceed 50. 
(2) COUNTING
AGAINST
SPECIAL
IMMIGRANT 
CAP.—For purposes of the application of sections 201 
through 203 of the Immigration and Nationality Act 
(8 U.S.C. 1151–1153) in any fiscal year, aliens eligi-
ble to be provided status under this section shall be 
treated as special immigrants described in section 
101(a)(27) of such Act (8 U.S.C. 1101(a)(27)) who 
are not described in subparagraph (A), (B), (C), or 
(K) of such section. 
(d) APPLICATION OF IMMIGRATION AND NATIONALITY 
ACT PROVISIONS.—The definitions in subsections (a) and 
(b) of section 101 of the Immigration and Nationality Act 
(8 U.S.C. 1101) shall apply in the administration of this 
section.
Union Calendar No. 53
109TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION 
H. R. 2293
[Report No. 109–99] 
A BILL 
To provide special immigrant status for aliens serv-
ing as translators with the United States Armed 
Forces. 
MAY 26, 2005
Reported with an amendment, committed to the Com-
mittee of the Whole House on the State of the Union, 
and ordered to be printed