To provide for the adjustment of status of certain Syrian nationals.
PL 106-378 (H.R.4681), enacted 10/27/2000

114 STAT. 1442 
PUBLIC LAW 106-378—OCT. 27, 2000 
Public Law 106-378 
106th Congress 
An Act 
Oct. 27, 2000 
To provide for the adjustment of status of certain Syrian nationals. 
[H.R. 4681] 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives 
of 
8 use 1255 note, the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. FINDINGS. 
The Congress finds as follows: 
(1) President Bush and President Clinton successively con-
ducted successful negotiations with the Government of Syria 
to bring about the release of members of the Syrian Jewish 
population and their immigration to the United States. 
(2) In order to accommodate the Syrian Government, the 
United States was required to admit these aliens by first 
granting them temporary nonimmigrsmt visas and subsequently 
granting them asylum, rather than admitting them as refugees 
(as is ordinarily done when the United States grants refuge 
to members of a persecuted alien minority group). 
(3) The asylee status of these aliens has resulted in a 
long and unnecessary delay in their adjustment to lawful 
permanent resident status that would not have been encoim-
tered had they been admitted as refugees. 
(4) This delay has impaired these aliens' ability to work 
in their chosen professions, travel freely, and apply for natu-
ralization, 
(5) The Attorney General should act without further delay 
to grant lawful permanent resident status to these aliens in 
accordance with section 2. 
SEC. 2. ADJUSTMENT OF STATUS OF CERTAIN SYRIAN NATIONALS. 
(a) ADJUSTMENT OF STATUS.—Subject to subsection (c), the 
Attorney General shall adjust the status of an alien described 
in subsection (b) to that of £in edien lawfully admitted for permanent 
residence, if the alien— 
(1) applies for adjustment of status under this section not 
later than 1 year after the date of the enactment of this Act 
or applied for adjustment of status under the Immigration 
and Nationality Act before the date of the enactment of this 
Act; 
(2) has been physically present in the United States for 
at least 1 year after being granted asylum; 
(3) is not firmly resettled in any foreign coimtry; and 
(4) is admissible as an immigrant under the Immigration 
and Nationality Act at the time of examination for adjustment 
of such alien. 
PUBLIC LAW 106-378—OCT. 27, 2000 
114 STAT. 1443 
(b) ALIENS ELIGIBLE FOR ADJUSTMENT OF STATUS.—The benefits 
Applicability. 
provided by subsection (a) shall apply to any alien— 
(1) who— 
(A) is a Jewish national of Syria; 
(B) arrived in the United States after December 31, 
1991, after being permitted by the Syrian Government 
to depart from Sjnria; and 
(C) is physically present in the United States at the 
time of filing the application described in subsection (a)(1); 
or 
(2) who is the spouse, child, or unmarried son or daughter 
of an alien described in paragraph (1). 
(c) NUMERICAL LIMITATION.—The total number of aliens whose 
status may be adjusted under this section may not exceed 2,000. 
(d) RECORD OF PERMANENT RESIDENCE.—Upon approval of an 
application for adjustment of status under this section, the Attorney 
General shall establish a record of the alien's admission for lawful 
permanent residence as of the date 1 year before the date of 
the approval of the application. 
(e) AVAILABILITY OF ADMINISTRATIVE REVIEW.—The Attorney 
General shall provide to applicants for adjustment of status under 
subsection (a) the same right to, and procedures for, administrative 
review as are provided to applicants for adjustment of status under 
section 209(b) of the Immigration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 
1159(b)). 
(f) No OFFSET IN NUMBER OF VISAS AVAILABLE.—Whenever 
an alien is granted the status of having been lawfully admitted 
for permanent residence pursusint to this section, the Secretary 
of State shall not be required to reduce the number of immigrsmt 
visas authorized to be issued under any provision of the Immigra-
tion and Nationality Act. 
(g) APPLICATION OF IMMIGRATION AND NATIONALITY ACT PROVI-
SIONS.—The definitions contained in the Immigration and Nation-
ality Act shall apply in the administration of this section. The 
fact that an alien may be eligible to be granted the status of 
having been lawfially admitted for permanent residence under this 
section shall not preclude the alien from seeking such status under 
any other provision of law for which the alien may be eligible. 
Approved October 27, 2000. 
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LEGISLATIVE HISTORY—H.R. 4681: 
CONGRESSIONAL RECORD, Vol. 146 (2000): 
July 11, considered and passed House. 
Oct. 13, considered and passed Senate.