# 119-hr-1747: Break the Chain Act

119-hr-1747, Break the Chain Act, is a 119th Congress bill sponsored by Rep. Steube, W. Gregory [R-FL-17] (R-FL); status introduced (as of 2026-04-21).

- Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-1747
- As of: 2026-04-21
- Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts.

## Facts
- Bill: 119-hr-1747
- Congress: 119
- Title: Break the Chain Act
- Status: introduced
- Introduced: 2025-02-27
- Sponsor: Rep. Steube, W. Gregory [R-FL-17] (R-FL)
- Cosponsors: 0
- Policy area: Immigration
- Touches household money: no
- Last recorded action: 2026-04-21

## 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. - 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.

## Provisions PRIA read

- Cap visas for already‑approved petitions: cost, medium. 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 upo…
- New worldwide cap for family visas: cost, medium. 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 Oc…
- Family visas limited to spouses and children: mixed, high. 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 perso…
- Parent green cards end; new parent visa: mixed, high. 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 noni…

## Related bills

- 119-hr-4669: FEMA Act of 2025
- 119-hr-2570: Maximum Pressure Act
- 119-hr-9109: Stop ANTIFA Act of 2026
- 119-hr-687: MERIT Act of 2025
- 119-hr-4206: CONNECT for Health Act of 2025
- 119-hr-9298: Stopping Harmful and Outrageous Torts Act

## Sources
- [119-hr-1747 on Congress.gov](https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/house-bill/1747)

## Related
- [119-hr-4669: FEMA Act of 2025](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-4669)
- [119-hr-2570: Maximum Pressure Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-2570)
- [119-hr-9109: Stop ANTIFA Act of 2026](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-9109)
- [119-hr-687: MERIT Act of 2025](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-687)
- [119-hr-4206: CONNECT for Health Act of 2025](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-4206)
- [119-hr-9298: Stopping Harmful and Outrageous Torts Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-9298)
- [All bills in Congress](https://policyrisk.com/legislation)

Source: PRIA, https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-1747 (as of 2026-04-21).