HR-5982 : Still Just a Bill

The GRATEFUL Act, also known as H.R. 5982, aims to provide visa availability for the Government Employee Immigrant Visa program. Key provisions include:

• Findings and Sense of Congress: Acknowledges the significant contributions of foreign national employees to the U.S. Government and expresses the need to preserve the immigrant visa program for these individuals.
• Visa Availability: Starting in fiscal year 2024, visas will be made available to special immigrants under section 101(a)(27)(D) of the Immigration and Nationality Act if visas are not immediately available under section 203(b)(4) of that Act.
• Numerical Limitations:
  • For fiscal year 2024, up to 3,500 visas will be available.
  • For fiscal year 2025 and subsequent years, up to 3,000 visas will be available annually.
• Temporary Reduction in Diversity Visas: Amends the Nicaraguan Adjustment and Central America Relief Act to account for the new visa allocations, potentially reducing diversity visas to offset the additional visas for government employees.
• Rule of Construction: Clarifies that the Act does not modify the number of visas available under section 203(b)(4) of the Immigration and Nationality Act for special immigrants.

In short, this bill will allocate a specific number of visas for foreign national employees of the U.S. government with at least 15 years of service, ensuring they and their families can immigrate to the United States.