Sponsors (15)
The bill tightens registry eligibility with a 7‑year entry requirement and provides a short 60‑day implementation window, trading clearer administration for the loss of a legalization pathway for many recent entrants and greater enforcement workload.
State governments and immigration agencies get a clearer, stricter eligibility rule for registry applications by adopting a 7-year entry requirement, making criteria more uniform and easier to apply.
Immigrants and DHS have a 60-day delayed effective date, giving applicants and agencies a short window to adjust processes and prepare for the new rule.
Immigrants who entered the U.S. less than 7 years ago (including many long-term residents previously eligible under a shorter threshold) will lose a path to registry relief, increasing their risk of removal or prolonged undocumented status.
State governments and DHS may face increased casework and enforcement workload because more applicants will be ineligible and may pursue alternative remedies or removal proceedings.
Based on analysis of 2 sections of legislative text.
Changes the statutory eligibility rule so applicants must have entered the U.S. at least seven years before the application date for relief under 8 U.S.C. 1259.
Amends the Immigration and Nationality Act to change the eligibility rule for a specific immigration remedy so that an applicant must have entered the United States at least seven years before the application date. The change replaces the existing subsection language and becomes effective 60 days after the bill is enacted.
Introduced July 28, 2025 by Alejandro Padilla · Last progress July 28, 2025