AMIGOS Act

Bill: 117-s-1194
Sponsor: full_name: Sen. Whitehouse, Sheldon [D-RI]
Introduced: 2021-04-15
Policy area: Immigration
Subjects: Europe

Foreign labor

Immigration status and procedures

Portugal

U.S. and foreign investments

Visas and passports
Latest action: action_date: 2021-04-15
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary.

Summaries:
action_date: 2021-04-15
action_desc: Introduced in Senate
text: <p><b>Advancing Mutual Interests and Growing Our Success Act or the AMIGOS Act</b></p> <p>This bill makes Portuguese nationals eligible for E-1 and E-2 nonimmigrant visas if the government of Portugal provides similar nonimmigrant status to U.S. nationals. The bill also imposes additional requirements on such visas.</p> <p>An E-1 visa is for individuals entering the United States to engage in international trade, while an E-2 visa is for individuals investing a substantial amount of capital in the United States. Both are limited to nationals from countries that have a treaty of commerce and navigation with the United States.</p> <p>Furthermore, under this bill, if an alien who has never received an E visa became the national of an E visa-eligible foreign country by making a financial investment in that foreign country, that alien must have been domiciled in that foreign country for a continuous period of at least three years at any point before applying for an E visa.</p>

tv_txt: II 117th CONGRESS 1st Session S. 1194 IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES April 15, 2021 Mr. Whitehouse (for himself and Mr. Toomey ) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary A BILL To include Portugal in the list of foreign states whose nationals are eligible for admission into the United States as E–1 and E–2 nonimmigrants if United States nationals are treated similarly by the Government of Portugal and to otherwise modify the eligibility criteria for E visas.

1. Short titles This Act may be cited as the Advancing Mutual Interests and Growing Our Success Act or the AMIGOS Act . 2. Nonimmigrant traders and investors For purposes of clauses (i) and (ii) of section 101(a)(15)(E) of the Immigration and Nationality Act ( 8 U.S.C. 1101(a)(15)(E) ), Portugal shall be considered to be a foreign state described in such section if the Government of Portugal provides similar nonimmigrant status to nationals of the United States. 3. Modification of eligibility criteria for E visas Section 101(a)(15)(E) of the Immigration and Nationality Act ( 8 U.S.C. 1101(a)(15)(E) ) is amended— (1) in the matter preceding clause (i)— (A) by inserting (or, in the case of an alien who acquired the relevant nationality through a financial investment and who has not previously been granted status under this subparagraph, the foreign state of which the alien is a national and in which the alien has been domiciled for a continuous period of not less than 3 years at any point before applying for a nonimmigrant visa under this subparagraph) before , and the spouse ; and (B) by striking him and inserting such alien ; and (2) by striking he each place such term appears and inserting the alien .