H.R. 5570

Religious Worker Visa Extension Act of 2008

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        [Congressional Bills 110th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Printing Office]
[H.R. 5570 Referred in Senate (RFS)]

2d Session
H. R. 5570

_______________________________________________________________________

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

April 16, 2008

Received

August 1, 2008

Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary

_______________________________________________________________________

AN ACT

To amend the Immigration and Nationality Act with respect to the
special immigrant nonminister religious worker program, 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. SHORT TITLE.

This Act may be cited as the ``Religious Worker Visa Extension Act
of 2008''.

SEC. 2. SPECIAL IMMIGRANT NONMINISTER RELIGIOUS WORKER PROGRAM.

(a) Regulations.--Not later than December 31, 2008, the Secretary
of Homeland Security shall issue final regulations to eliminate or
reduce fraud in the special immigrant categories described in
subclauses (II) and (III) of section 101(a)(27)(C)(ii) of the
Immigration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1101(a)(27)(C)(ii)).
(b) Extensions.--
(1) In general.--Section 101(a)(27)(C)(ii) of the
Immigration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1101(a)(27)(C)(ii))
is amended by striking ``October 1, 2008,'' each place such
term appears and inserting ``January 1, 2010,''.
(2) Conditional further extension.--
(A) In general.--Section 101(a)(27)(C)(ii) of the
Immigration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C.
1101(a)(27)(C)(ii)), as amended by paragraph (1), is
further amended by striking ``January 1, 2010,'' each
place such term appears and inserting ``January 1,
2016,''.
(B) Conditional effective date.--The amendment made
by subparagraph (A) shall take effect on March 1, 2009,
but only if the Secretary of Homeland Security has
complied with subsection (a).
(c) Report.--Not later than September 30, 2010, the Inspector
General of the Department of Homeland Security shall submit to the
Congress a report containing the results of a study of the
effectiveness of the regulations described in subsection (a). The
report shall also include an analysis of a random sample of non-
minister special immigrant religious workers, before their second
anniversary of being admitted, to determine whether they are still
employed by the religious organization that petitioned for them, and if
not, the reasons for their departure from such employment.

Passed the House of Representatives April 15, 2008.

Attest:

LORRAINE C. MILLER,

Clerk.