COMPETE Act of 2006
PL 109-463 (S.3821), enacted 12/22/2006

120 STAT. 3477
PUBLIC LAW 109–463—DEC. 22, 2006
Public Law 109–463
109th Congress
An Act
To authorize certain athletes to be admitted temporarily into the United States
to compete or perform in an athletic league, competition, or performance.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of
the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as either the ‘‘Creating Opportunities
for Minor League Professionals, Entertainers, and Teams through
Legal Entry Act of 2006’’ or the ‘‘COMPETE Act of 2006’’.
SEC. 2. NONIMMIGRANT ALIEN STATUS FOR CERTAIN ATHLETES.
(a) IN GENERAL.—Section 214(c)(4)(A) of the Immigration and
Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1184(c)(4)(A)) is amended by striking
clauses (i) and (ii) and inserting the following:
‘‘(i)(I) performs as an athlete, individually or as part of
a group or team, at an internationally recognized level of
performance;
‘‘(II) is a professional athlete, as defined in section 204(i)(2);
‘‘(III) performs as an athlete, or as a coach, as part of
a team or franchise that is located in the United States and
a member of a foreign league or association of 15 or more
amateur sports teams, if—
‘‘(aa) the foreign league or association is the highest
level of amateur performance of that sport in the relevant
foreign country;
‘‘(bb) participation in such league or association renders
players ineligible, whether on a temporary or permanent
basis, to earn a scholarship in, or participate in, that sport
at a college or university in the United States under the
rules of the National Collegiate Athletic Association; and
‘‘(cc) a significant number of the individuals who play
in such league or association are drafted by a major sports
league or a minor league affiliate of such a sports league;
or
‘‘(IV) is a professional athlete or amateur athlete who per-
forms individually or as part of a group in a theatrical ice
skating production; and
‘‘(ii) seeks to enter the United States temporarily and solely
for the purpose of performing—
‘‘(I) as such an athlete with respect to a specific athletic
competition; or
‘‘(II) in the case of an individual described in clause
(i)(IV), in a specific theatrical ice skating production or
tour.’’.
Creating
Opportunities for
Minor League
Professionals,
Entertainers, and
Teams through
Legal Entry Act
of 2006.
8 USC 1101 note.
Dec. 22, 2006
[S. 3821]
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120 STAT. 3478
PUBLIC LAW 109–463—DEC. 22, 2006
(b) LIMITATION.—Section 214(c)(4) of the Immigration and
Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1184(c)(4)) is amended by adding at the
end the following:
‘‘(F)(i) No nonimmigrant visa under section 101(a)(15)(P)(i)(a)
shall be issued to any alien who is a national of a country that
is a state sponsor of international terrorism unless the Secretary
of State determines, in consultation with the Secretary of Homeland
Security and the heads of other appropriate United States agencies,
that such alien does not pose a threat to the safety, national
security, or national interest of the United States. In making a
determination under this subparagraph, the Secretary of State shall
apply standards developed by the Secretary of State, in consultation
with the Secretary of Homeland Security and the heads of other
appropriate United States agencies, that are applicable to the
nationals of such states.
‘‘(ii) In this subparagraph, the term ‘state sponsor of inter-
national terrorism’ means any country the government of which
has been determined by the Secretary of State under any of the
laws specified in clause (iii) to have repeatedly provided support
for acts of international terrorism.
‘‘(iii) The laws specified in this clause are the following:
‘‘(I) Section 6(j)(1)(A) of the Export Administration Act of
1979 (50 U.S.C. App. 2405(j)(1)(A)) (or successor statute).
‘‘(II) Section 40(d) of the Arms Export Control Act (22
U.S.C. 2780(d)).
‘‘(III) Section 620A(a) of the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961
(22 U.S.C. 2371(a)).’’.
(c) PETITIONS FOR MULTIPLE ALIENS.—Section 214(c)(4) of the
Immigration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1184(c)(4)), as amended
by subsection (b), is further amended by adding at the end the
following:
‘‘(G) The Secretary of Homeland Security shall permit a petition
under this subsection to seek classification of more than 1 alien
as a nonimmigrant under section 101(a)(15)(P)(i)(a).’’.
(d) RELATIONSHIP TO OTHER PROVISIONS OF THE IMMIGRATION
AND NATIONALITY ACT.—Section 214(c)(4) of the Immigration and
Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1184(c)(4)), as amended by subsections
(b) and (c), is further amended by adding at the end the following:
‘‘(H) The Secretary of Homeland Security shall permit an ath-
lete, or the employer of an athlete, to seek admission to the United
States for such athlete under a provision of this Act other than
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120 STAT. 3479
PUBLIC LAW 109–463—DEC. 22, 2006
LEGISLATIVE HISTORY—S. 3821:
CONGRESSIONAL RECORD, Vol. 152 (2006):
Dec. 6, considered and passed Senate.
Dec. 8, considered and passed House.
section 101(a)(15)(P)(i) if the athlete is eligible under such other
provision.’’.
Approved December 22, 2006.
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