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119-hr-1747119th Congress

Break the Chain Act

Sponsored By: Representative Steube, W. Gregory [R-FL-17]

Introduced

Summary

Removes parents of adult U.S. citizens from the immediate-relative immigrant category. This bill would rework family-sponsored immigration by taking parents out of the immediate-relative green-card class, creating a new 5-year nonimmigrant route for those parents, and tying family visa limits to earlier parolee counts.

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  • Families and parents: Parents of U.S. citizens age 21 or older would no longer qualify as immediate relatives for green cards and instead would use a new nonimmigrant status that admits them for an initial period of 5 years and is renewable in 5-year increments. These nonimmigrants may not work and are not eligible for federal, state, or local public benefits.
  • Sponsors and legal obligations: A U.S. citizen child must file the petition and provide an enforceable affidavit of support for parents admitted under the new category, and must show the parent will have private health insurance at no cost while residing in the United States.
  • Visa numbers and eligibility rules: The worldwide family-immigrant level would equal 87,934 minus a figure tied to aliens paroled into the U.S. two years earlier who stayed and did not adjust to permanent residence. The bill bars new petitions filed on or after enactment for the old parent immigrant classifications and limits issuance to any visas already allocated under the pre-amendment queues through the 2025 allocation.

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Bill Overview

Analyzed Economic Effects

4 provisions identified: 0 benefits, 2 costs, 2 mixed.

Family visas limited to spouses and children

If enacted, only spouses and children of green card holders would qualify for family‑sponsored visas under this rule. Other relatives would no longer qualify in that category. Officers would use the person’s age on the day the petition is filed, which can help some avoid aging out. But if the person marries or turns 25 before a visa is available, they would lose eligibility. These changes would start October 1, 2025.

Parent green cards end; new parent visa

If enacted, U.S. citizens would no longer be able to get green cards for their parents. As of enactment, DHS and State would stop accepting or approving parent petitions and would cancel pending ones and any visas or green card applications based on them. Starting October 1, 2025, a new 5‑year nonimmigrant visa for parents would be available, with 5‑year extensions if the U.S. citizen child still lives in the U.S. Parents on this visa could not work and could not get federal, state, or local public benefits. The U.S. citizen must file the petition and must arrange health insurance for the parent at no cost. The sponsor’s affidavit of support would be enforceable for benefits the parent receives while in the U.S.

Cap visas for already‑approved petitions

If enacted, people with family petitions approved before enactment could still get visas, but only up to the number that would have been allotted to that category in fiscal year 2025. Once that number is used for a category, no more visas could be issued in that category. This would take effect upon enactment.

New worldwide cap for family visas

If enacted, the yearly worldwide family‑visa limit would be 87,934 minus N. N is the number of people paroled into the U.S. two fiscal years earlier who did not leave within 365 days and who either did not get green cards in the prior two years or got them under an exemption. This would start on October 1, 2025.

Sponsors & CoSponsors

Sponsor

Steube, W. Gregory [R-FL-17]

FL • R

Cosponsors

There are no cosponsors for this bill.

Roll Call Votes

No roll call votes available for this bill.

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