Reuniting Families Act
Sponsored By: Senator Hirono, Mazie K. [D-HI]
Introduced
Summary
Expands family unity by adding "permanent partners" and recapturing unused visas to increase immigrant availability. It also raises per‑country limits to 20% for a single foreign state and 5% for others and reorganizes visa categories to move more relatives into immediate‑relative pathways.
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- Treats permanent partners and their eligible children like spouses for visa allocation, waivers, adjustment of status, and naturalization, and sets a family‑sponsored worldwide level at 480,000 plus carryovers of unused visas.
- Creates an employment‑based worldwide level of 140,000 plus carryovers, adds conditional permanent‑resident routes for spouses, permanent partners, and entrepreneurs, and expands cancellation of removal and protections for applicants with pending petitions.
- Prioritizes refugee family reunification with a new Priority 3 affidavit process and generally requires adjudications within 1 year. It also raises the annual diversity visa cap to 80,000 and provides continuity for people affected by past travel bans and COVID‑related delays.
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Bill Overview
Analyzed Economic Effects
9 provisions identified: 7 benefits, 2 costs, 0 mixed.
No deportation while petitions pending
If enacted, the bill would bar removal of someone who is a beneficiary of a covered section 204 immigrant petition (or certain other covered applications) if the person is prima facie eligible while the petition or related application is pending or on appeal. The bill would set the petition priority date rules so the filing date (or a prior labor certification date) controls and would allow beneficiaries to keep an earlier approvable priority date. It would extend the special 245(i) filing window to up to 5 years after enactment and allow certain visa petitions denied because a qualifying relative died to be reopened fee‑free, with some filing windows up to 2 years after enactment.
Many more immigrant visas available
If enacted, the bill would raise yearly immigrant visa levels and allocation rules. Family‑sponsored visas would start at 480,000 and employment‑based visas at 140,000, both plus carryover and a recapture pool of unused visas from FY1992–FY2025. The bill would raise per‑country shares to 20% (single state) and 5% otherwise, increase Diversity Visas to 80,000, and preserve some Diversity Visa cases blocked in FY2017–FY2022. Many cap changes would take effect 60 days after enactment.
Treat permanent partners like spouses
If enacted, the bill would create a legal definition for "permanent partner" and "permanent partnership" and treat permanent partners like spouses in many immigration rules. It would add permanent partners into family‑based categories and some removal proceedings. The bill would also drop the stepchild age‑18 cutoff and clarify parentage rules for nationality at birth. For K‑1 minor children, age would be fixed by the petition filing date and a timely marriage within 3 months would allow conditional adjustment.
Easier cancellation and broader waivers
If enacted, the bill would lower the continuous‑residence test for cancellation of removal from 10 years to 7 years and expand the hardship standard to include close family members. It would require DHS to create an affirmative cancellation process that can grant cancellation and adjustment without numerical limits. The bill would also give DHS and the Attorney General broad authority to waive grounds of inadmissibility or removability for humanitarian reasons, family unity, or the public interest.
Exemptions for long‑waiting petitioners
If enacted, the bill would exempt certain groups from yearly numerical limits. People with an approved immigrant petition whose priority date is more than ten years older than their application filing would be exempt from direct numerical caps (effective 60 days after enactment). The bill would also exempt certain beneficiaries whose parent naturalized under the 1990 Act from numerical limits (effective upon enactment).
Faster refugee family reunions
If enacted, the bill would give refugees and certain former refugees/asylees a Priority 3 program to bring qualifying family (spouse or permanent partner, unmarried children under 21, and parents) if a U.S.-based filer files an Affidavit of Relationship within 5 years and is at least 18. It would require refugee family admissions to be completed within one year of filing, except for narrow national‑security exceptions, and let family members accompanying or following get the same refugee status without using visa numbers. The State Department may reject AORs inconsistent with public policy.
Work permission for some H dependents
If enacted, the bill would let a spouse or a child over age 16 who joins certain H nonimmigrants get work authorization and an "employment authorized" endorsement or permit. This applies only to dependents admitted under the listed H subparagraphs who accompany or follow to join the principal worker.
New reentry bans after removal
If enacted, the bill would replace prior reentry bars with new windows. Someone removed on arrival would be inadmissible if they try to return within 5 years. Other people removed would be inadmissible for 10 years. Those windows rise to 20 years for a second or later removal and are indefinite for aggravated‑felony convictions. DHS may allow reapplying before travel if it consents.
Felony for sham marriages or partnerships
If enacted, the bill would make it a felony to knowingly enter a marriage or permanent partnership to evade immigration law. The penalty would be up to 5 years in prison, a fine up to $250,000, or both.
Sponsors & CoSponsors
Sponsor
Hirono, Mazie K. [D-HI]
HI • D
Cosponsors
Sen. Duckworth, Tammy [D-IL]
IL • D
Sponsored 12/10/2025
Roll Call Votes
No roll call votes available for this bill.
View on Congress.gov