Reuniting Families Act
Latest action · Aug 19, 2009 Referred to the Subcommittee on Immigration, Citizenship, Refugees, Border Security, and International Law.
Progress
Where this bill reached, and when. A stage with no date was not reached; one that failed a vote and later carried shows the date it carried.
- IntroducedJun 4, 2009
- Passed HouseNot reached
- Passed SenateNot reached
- To the PresidentNot reached
- Became lawNot reached
Summary
Reuniting Families Act - Amends the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) to establish the fiscal year worldwide level of employment-based immigrants at 140,000 plus: (1) the previous year's unused visas; and (2) the number of unused visas from FY1992-FY2007.
Establishes the fiscal year worldwide level of family-sponsored immigrants at 480,000 plus: (1) the previous year's unused visas; and (2) the number of unused visas from FY1992-FY2007.
Revises the definition of "immediate relative" to: (1) mean a child, spouse, or parent of a U.S. citizen or lawful permanent resident (and for each family member of a citizen or resident, such individual's accompanying spouse or child), except that in the case of parents such citizens shall be at least 21 years old; (2) permit a widow or widower of a U.S. citizen or resident to seek permanent resident status if married at least two years at the time of the citizen's or resident's death or, if married less than two years, by showing through a preponderance of the evidence that the marriage was entered into in good faith and not solely to obtain an immigration benefit; and (3) include an alien who was the child or parent of a U.S. citizen or resident at the time of the citizen's or resident's death if the alien files a petition within two years after such date or prior to reaching 21 years old.
Increases immigration visas for: (1) unmarried sons and daughters of U.S. citizens; and (2) brothers and sisters of U.S. citizens.
Provides a 60,000 visa allocation for the unmarried sons and daughters of permanent resident aliens.
Increases annual per country (10% of annual total) and dependent area (5% of annual total) limits for employment-based and family-sponsored immigrant visas.
Expands specified family-unity exceptions to unlawful presence-based inadmissibility.
Provides specified relief for orphans and spouses regarding: (1) petitions for immediate relative status; (2) parole eligibility; (3) permanent resident status adjustment; and (4) processing of immigrant visas.
Filipino Veterans Family Reunification Act - Exempts children of naturalized Filipino World War II veterans from worldwide or numerical immigrant limitations.
Makes a minor child of an alien fiancee/fiance or of an alien spouse of a U.S. citizen eligible for derivative K-visa status provided that the child's age is determined using such child's age at the date that the petition to classify such child's parent as a K-visa alien is filed with the Secretary of Homeland Security.Authorizes the Secretary or the Attorney General to adjust the status of a finacee/fiance or alien spouse and any minor children (K-visa) to conditional permanent resident status if such alien marries the petitioner within three months after U.S. admission.
Redefines "child" for purposes of titles I and II of the Act to include a stepchild under 21 years old. (Current law includes a stepchild who has not reached 18 years old at the time the marriage creating the status of stepchild occurred.)
Uniting American Families Act of 2009 - Amends INA to include a "permanent partner" within the scope of such Act.
Defines "permanent partner" as an individual 18 or older who: (1) is in a committed, intimate relationship with another individual 18 or older in which both individuals intend a lifelong commitment; (2) is financially interdependent with the other individual; (3) is not married to, or in a permanent partnership with, anyone other than the individual; (4) is unable to contract with the other individual a marriage cognizable under this Act; and (5) is not a first, second, or third degree blood relation of the other individual.
Defines "permanent partnership" as the relationship existing between two permanent partners.
Defines "alien permanent partner" as the individual in a permanent partnership who is being sponsored for a visa.
Cosponsors 81
Members who signed on, in the order they did. Signatures ran from Jun 4, 2009 to Aug 10, 2010, with 55 there on the day it was introduced.
| Seat | Cosponsor | Signed on | |
|---|---|---|---|
| D-NY | Anthony D. Weiner | Original | Jun 4, 2009 |
| D-CA | Barbara Lee | Original | Jun 4, 2009 |
| D-MA | Barney Frank | Original | Jun 4, 2009 |
| D-MA | Bill Delahunt | Original | Jun 4, 2009 |
| D-CA | Bob Filner | Original | Jun 4, 2009 |
| D-IL | Bobby L. Rush | Original | Jun 4, 2009 |
| D-NY | Carolyn B. Maloney | Original | Jun 4, 2009 |
| D-PA | Chaka Fattah | Original | Jun 4, 2009 |
| D-IL | Danny K. Davis | Original | Jun 4, 2009 |
| D-OR | David Wu | Original | Jun 4, 2009 |
| D-FL | Debbie Wasserman Schultz | Original | Jun 4, 2009 |
| D-OH | Dennis J. Kucinich | Original | Jun 4, 2009 |
| D-CO | Diana DeGette | Original | Jun 4, 2009 |
| D-NJ | Donald M. Payne | Original | Jun 4, 2009 |
| D-CA | Doris O. Matsui | Original | Jun 4, 2009 |
Actions 3
Everything that happened, newest first.
- Aug 19, 2009Referred to the Subcommittee on Immigration, Citizenship, Refugees, Border Security, and International Law.
- Jun 4, 2009Introduced in House
- Jun 4, 2009Referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary.
Related bills 4
Companion bills and other measures the record links to this one.
| Bill | Title | Relationship | Latest action |
|---|---|---|---|
| S 424 | Uniting American Families Act of 2009 | Related bill | Feb 12, 2009 |
| HR 1024 | Uniting American Families Act of 2009 | Related bill | Mar 16, 2009 |
| S 1085 | Reuniting Families Act | Related bill | May 20, 2009 |
| S 1247 | Orphans, Widows, and Widowers Protection Act | Related bill | Jun 11, 2009 |
Subjects
Assigned by the Library of Congress. Policy area: Immigration.
- Administrative remedies
- Asia
- Citizenship and naturalization
- Department of Homeland Security
- Family relationships
- Foreign labor
- Fraud offenses and financial crimes
- Immigration
- Immigration status and procedures
- Marriage and family status
- Military personnel and dependents
- Philippines
- Refugees, asylum, displaced persons
- Visas and passports
Text 1
Each version as it was printed, newest first.
- Jun 4, 2009Introduced in House
Everything here is as published by Congress: the summary is the Congressional Research Service's, the action wording is the clerks', and the subjects are the Library of Congress's. How far it got is read from the actions themselves, taking the most recent one of each kind, so a bill that failed a vote and later passed is shown as having passed. Records come from this bill on Congress.gov and govinfo.gov.