P.L. 104-302

--S.2197--

S.2197

One Hundred Fourth Congress

of the

United States of America

AT THE SECOND SESSION

Begun and held at the City of Washington on Wednesday,

the third day of January, one thousand nine hundred and ninety-six

An Act

To extend the authorized period of stay within the United States for certain nurses.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. EXTENSION OF AUTHORIZED PERIOD OF STAY FOR CERTAIN NURSES.

(a) ALIENS WHO PREVIOUSLY ENTERED THE UNITED STATES PURSUANT TO AN H-1A VISA-

(1) IN GENERAL- Notwithstanding any other provision of law, the authorized period of stay in the United States of any nonimmigrant described in paragraph (2) is hereby extended through September 30, 1997.

(2) NONIMMIGRANT DESCRIBED- A nonimmigrant described in this paragraph is a nonimmigrant--

(A) who entered the United States as a nonimmigrant described in section 101(a)(15)(H)(i)(a) of the Immigration and Nationality Act;

(B) who was within the United States on or after September 1, 1995, and who is within the United States on the date of the enactment of this Act; and

(C) whose period of authorized stay has expired or would expire before September 30, 1997 but for the provisions of this section.

(3) LIMITATIONS- Nothing in this section may be construed to extend the validity of any visa issued to a nonimmigrant described in section 101(a)(15)(H)(i)(a) of the Immigration and Nationality Act or to authorize the re-entry of any person outside the United States on the date of the enactment of this Act.

(b) CHANGE OF EMPLOYMENT- A nonimmigrant whose authorized period of stay is extended by operation of this section shall not be eligible to change employers in accordance with section 214.2(h)(2)(i)(D) of title 8, Code of Federal Regulations (as in effect on the day before the date of the enactment of this Act).

(c) REGULATIONS- Not later than 30 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Attorney General shall issue regulations to carry out the provisions of this section.

(d) INTERIM TREATMENT- A nonimmigrant whose authorized period of stay is extended by operation of this section, and the spouse and child of such nonimmigrant, shall be considered as having continued to maintain lawful status as a nonimmigrant through September 30, 1997.

SEC. 2. TECHNICAL CORRECTION.

Effective on September 30, 1996, subtitle A of title III of the Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act of 1996 is amended--

(1) in section 306(c)(1), by striking `to all final' and all that follows through `Act and'and inserting `as provided under section 309, except that';

(2) in section 309(c)(1), by striking `as of' and inserting `before'; and

(3) in section 309(c)(4), by striking `described in paragraph (1)'.

Speaker of the House of Representatives.

Vice President of the United States and

President of the Senate.

END