Sponsors
Want the plain-English version? I'll explain what this bill does.
This is not an official government website.
Copyright © 2026 PLEJ LC. All rights reserved.
Modifies section 202 of the Immigration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1152): revises the allocation rules in subsection (a)(4) (adjusting the 75%/25% treatment and defining the subsection (e) ceiling), strikes subparagraphs (C) and (D) of that subsection, and makes conforming changes to subsection (e) (adjusting paragraph numbering and ending punctuation).
Amends section 203(h) of the Immigration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1153) by replacing specified occurrences of a term with “(a)”.
Makes multiple amendments to section 204 of the Immigration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1154): adjusts punctuation or small textual elements in subsection (a)(1)(A)(i), revises cross-references in subsection (a)(1)(B) (changing references from “203(a)(2)(A)” to “203(a)(2)”), modifies subsection (a)(1)(D)(i)(I) to change the petitioner/age-adjudication wording to treat certain individuals under 21 as such notwithstanding actual age, replaces certain cross-references in subsection (f)(1), and strikes subsection (k).
Amends section 212(d)(11) of the Immigration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1182) by striking the specified text of that paragraph (removing language in 212(d)(11)).
Amends section 216(h)(1)(C) of the Immigration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1186a) by replacing the cross-reference “203(a)(2)” with “203(a)”.
Amends section 237(a)(1)(E)(ii) of the Immigration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1227) by replacing the cross-reference “203(a)(2)” with “203(a)”.
Adds a new nonimmigrant classification (subparagraph (W)) to 101(a)(15) for an alien who is a parent of a U.S. citizen at least 21 years old, subject to conditions in new section 214(s).
Adds a new subsection (s) to section 214 establishing admission conditions for nonimmigrants admitted under new 101(a)(15)(W): a 5-year initial admission period (extendable while the citizen child resides in the U.S.), prohibition on employment and ineligibility for Federal, State, or local public benefits, sponsor responsibility for support, and a mandatory health insurance requirement arranged by the U.S. citizen child at no cost to the alien.
Amends subsection (c) of 8 U.S.C. 1151 by replacing paragraph (1) with a new formula setting the worldwide level of family-sponsored immigrants equal to 88,000 minus the number computed under paragraph (2); strikes paragraphs (2), (3), and (5); and redesignates paragraph (4) as paragraph (2).
Modifies the statutory definition of 'immediate relatives' by removing 'parents' from the list and replacing the text beginning with 'States, except that' through the following language with the words 'of age.'
Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary.
Introduced April 8, 2025 by James E. Banks · Last progress April 8, 2025
Removes parents from the statutory "immediate relative" category, reallocates family-sponsored immigrant visa numbers, and creates a new temporary nonimmigrant visa for parents of U.S. citizens with specific support and insurance requirements. The bill changes how the annual worldwide family-visa total is calculated, reallocates shares of family-category visas (including a 75%/25% split with new rules), makes multiple conforming edits across the Immigration and Nationality Act, and delays implementation until the first day of the second fiscal year after enactment while invalidating certain petitions filed after introduction.
Amend Section 201(b)(2)(A)(i) of the Immigration and Nationality Act by striking the phrase "children, spouses, and parents" and inserting "children and spouses" (this removes "parents" from that listed group).
Amend Section 201(b)(2)(A)(i) of the Immigration and Nationality Act by striking the words "States, except that" and all that follows through and inserting the words "of age." (The text replaces that entire later clause with "of age.")
Amends section 203(a) of the Immigration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1153(a)) by replacing its prior text with a new heading and provision concerning spouses and children of permanent residents.
Defines the affected class as 'qualified immigrants who are the spouses or children of an alien lawfully admitted for permanent residence.'
Requires that visas for those qualified spouses and children 'shall be allotted' in a number not to exceed the worldwide level specified in section 201(c).
Who is affected and how:
Parents of U.S. citizens: lose "immediate relative" immigrant status under the INA; they would no longer be exempt from annual numerical limits and instead would be eligible either for the new temporary nonimmigrant parent visa (subject to support, insurance, and benefit limits) or for immigrant visa categories subject to numerical caps. That change likely increases uncertainty, processing steps, and potentially tightens access to permanent residence for parents.
U.S. citizens (adult children who sponsor parents): gain a temporary nonimmigrant option to bring a parent for extended stays, but face new legal obligations — including providing financial support and securing health insurance at no cost to the parent — and potential limits on family reunification via immigrant routes.
Lawful permanent residents and their spouses/children: the bill moves spouses and children of LPRs into the worldwide family-visa level explicitly, which may affect visa availability, queue lengths, and timing for adjustment of status for those family members.
Current and prospective family-sponsored immigrant applicants and petitioners: petitions filed after the bill’s introduction are invalidated, creating legal and administrative disruption for those with pending filings and raising the risk of increased litigation and rushed filings ahead of the effective date.
Visa distribution and applicants from higher-demand countries: the 75%/25% allocation change and removal or alteration of per-country treatment could shift which countries' applicants receive priority, altering country-level waits and backlogs.
Federal agencies (USCIS, State Department, CBP/DOS consular posts): will need to rewrite forms, guidance, adjudication policies, visa allocation procedures, and IT systems to reflect new ceilings, category definitions, and the new nonimmigrant visa class; staffing and training costs would be required (to be funded via normal appropriations processes).
Families and communities: may face longer separations, increased private costs (sponsor support, health insurance), and uncertainty about long-term immigration outcomes for parents.
Overall, the legislation shifts parents from an exempt immigrant category into constrained pathways (temporary nonimmigrant status or numerically limited immigrant routes), reorders family visa priorities and allocation math, and creates administrative disruption with immediate legal effects on filings.
Expand sections to see detailed analysis
Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary.
Introduced in Senate
