The Veterans Visa and Protection Act of 2023 creates a new immigration program allowing noncitizen veterans and active service members who have been removed from the United States or are abroad to return and obtain permanent resident status. The bill requires the Department of Homeland Security to establish an application process within 180 days and allows the Attorney General to reopen removal cases for eligible veterans and rescind their removal orders, provided they were not removed for crimes of violence or crimes endangering national security. Additionally, the bill protects noncitizen veterans and service members currently in the United States from removal except for convictions of crimes of violence, and allows those who gain permanent resident status through this program to pursue naturalization and access military and veterans benefits. The legislation applies no numerical cap on the number of veterans who may benefit and directs immigration officials to identify and track service members and veterans in removal proceedings to prevent their deportation.
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