A bill to extend the duration of the immigrant investor regional center pilot program for 5 additional years, and for other purposes.

        [Congressional Bills 108th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 1642 Referred in House (RFH)]

1st Session
S. 1642

_______________________________________________________________________

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

October 7, 2003

Referred to the Committee on the Judiciary

_______________________________________________________________________

AN ACT

To extend the duration of the immigrant investor regional center pilot
program for 5 additional years, and for other purposes.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. PILOT IMMIGRATION PROGRAM.

(a) Processing Priority Under Pilot Immigration Program for
Regional Centers to Promote Economic Growth.--Section 610 of the
Departments of Commerce, Justice, and State, the Judiciary, and Related
Agencies Appropriations Act, 1993 (8 U.S.C. 1153 note) is amended--
(1) by striking ``Attorney General'' each place such term
appears and inserting ``Secretary of Homeland Security''; and
(2) by adding at the end the following:
``(d) In processing petitions under section 204(a)(1)(H) of the
Immigration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1154(a)(1)(H)) for
classification under section 203(b)(5) of such Act (8 U.S.C.
1153(b)(5)), the Secretary of Homeland Security may give priority to
petitions filed by aliens seeking admission under the pilot program
described in this section. Notwithstanding section 203(e) of such Act
(8 U.S.C. 1153(e)), immigrant visas made available under such section
203(b)(5) may be issued to such aliens in an order that takes into
account any priority accorded under the preceding sentence.''.
(b) Extension.--Section 610(b) of the Departments of Commerce,
Justice, and State, the Judiciary, and Related Agencies Appropriations
Act, 1993 (8 U.S.C. 1153 note) is amended by striking ``10 years'' and
inserting ``15 years''.

SEC. 2. GAO STUDY.

(a) In General.--Not later than 1 year after the date of enactment
of this Act, the General Accounting Office shall report to Congress on
the immigrant investor program created under section 203(b)(5) of the
Immigration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1153(b)(5)).
(b) Contents.--The report described in subsection (a) shall include
information regarding--
(1) the number of immigrant investors that have received
visas under the immigrant investor program in each year since
the inception of the program;
(2) the country of origin of the immigrant investors;
(3) the localities where the immigrant investors are
settling and whether those investors generally remain in the
localities where they initially settle;
(4) the number of immigrant investors that have sought to
become citizens of the United States;
(5) the types of commercial enterprises that the immigrant
investors have established; and
(6) the types and number of jobs created by the immigrant
investors.

Passed the Senate October 3, 2003.

Attest:

EMILY J. REYNOLDS,

Secretary.