WHAT THE LAW DOINCongress, in plain words

The law › Title 8, Aliens and Nationality › Chapter 12

8 U.S.C. 1159: Adjustment of status of refugees

Created in 1980 by Public Law 96-212. Changed by 4 later laws. No bill we track in this Congress changes it.

2 other sections of the Code cite this one, including 8 U.S.C. 1151, 8 U.S.C. 1158.

4 parts of federal rules cite it as their authority, written by Department of Homeland Security (2), Executive Office for Immigration Review, Department of Justice (2).

This Congress

No bill we track in the 119th Congress changes this section.

    How it got here

    2005

    • Pub. L. 109–13, §101(g)(1)(A)(i), substituted "Department of Homeland Security" for "Service" in concluding provisions. (Emergency Supplemental Appropriations Act for Defense, the Global War on Terror, and Tsunami Relief, 2005) Law text · (a)
    • Pub. L. 109–13, §101(g)(1)(A)(ii), substituted "Secretary of Homeland Security or the Attorney General" for "Attorney General" in two places. (Emergency Supplemental Appropriations Act for Defense, the Global War on Terror, and Tsunami Relief, 2005) Law text · (a)
    • Pub. L. 109–13, §101(g)(1)(B)(ii), substituted "Secretary of Homeland Security or the Attorney General" for "Attorney General" in concluding provisions. (Emergency Supplemental Appropriations Act for Defense, the Global War on Terror, and Tsunami Relief, 2005) Law text · (b)
    • Pub. L. 109–13, §101(g)(1)(B)(i), added introductory provisions and struck out former introductory provisions which read as follows: "Not more than 10,000 of the refugee admissions authorized under section 1157(a) of this title in any fiscal year may be made available by the Attorney General, in th… (Emergency Supplemental Appropriations Act for Defense, the Global War on Terror, and Tsunami Relief, 2005) Law text · (b)
    • Pub. L. 109–13, §101(g)(1)(C), substituted "Secretary of Homeland Security or the Attorney General" for "Attorney General". (Emergency Supplemental Appropriations Act for Defense, the Global War on Terror, and Tsunami Relief, 2005) Law text · (c)

    1996

    • Pub. L. 104–208, §308(g)(3)(A), (4)(A), substituted "1229a" for "1226" and "1231" for "1227" in concluding provisions. (Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act) Law text · (a)
    • Pub. L. 104–208, §371(b)(2), substituted "an immigration judge" for "a special inquiry officer". (Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act) Law text · (a)

    1991

    • Pub. L. 102–232 substituted "subparagraph (A)" for "subparagraphs (A)". · (c)

    1990

    • Pub. L. 101–649, §104(a)(1), substituted "10,000" for "five thousand". · (b)
    • Pub. L. 101–649, §603(a)(4), substituted "(4), (5), and (7)(A)" for "(14), (15), (20), (21), (25), and (32)" and "(other than paragraph (2)(C) or subparagraphs (A), (B), (C), or (E) of paragraph (3))" for "(other than paragraph (27), (29), or (33) and other than so much of paragraph (2… · (c)

    Text, outline and history from the official U.S. Code (2024 edition) on GovInfo, published by the Office of the Law Revision Counsel. Changes made after that edition appear under This Congress.