The Reuniting Families Act makes major changes to U.S. immigration law to expand family-based immigration and reduce visa backlogs. The bill increases the worldwide level of family-sponsored immigrant visas from 480,000 to higher amounts by recapturing unused visa numbers dating back to 1992, potentially making thousands more visas available. It reclassifies spouses, permanent partners, and minor children of lawful permanent residents as "immediate relatives," removing them from the annual visa cap and allowing faster reunification. The legislation eliminates the three- and ten-year bars that currently prevent people who left the country illegally from returning, replacing them with shorter waiting periods.
The bill also creates a new legal status called "permanent partnership" for same-sex couples unable to marry, granting them the same immigration benefits as spouses throughout the law. It expands eligibility for cancellation of removal (protection from deportation) and allows certain pending applicants to remain in the country while their cases process. The bill increases diversity visa allocations and creates special provisions for refugee families, including priority processing for family reunification cases and allowing immediate relatives of refugees to obtain visas without numerical limits. Additionally, it addresses the impact of travel restrictions on visa applicants from certain countries during recent years, allowing previously denied applicants to reapply. The bill takes effect 60 days after enactment, with various provisions having different implementation timelines.
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