SenateS. 5521119th Congress
Ukrainian Adjustment Act of 2026
Full Text
Official text as published. Use Ctrl+F / Cmd+F to search within the document.
[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 5521 Introduced in Senate (IS)]
<DOC>
119th CONGRESS
2d Session
S. 5521
To provide for adjustment of status for eligible nationals of Ukraine,
and for other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
September 24, 2026
Ms. Murkowski (for herself, Mr. Coons, and Mr. Blumenthal) introduced
the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee
on the Judiciary
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To provide for adjustment of status for eligible nationals of Ukraine,
and for other purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Ukrainian Adjustment Act of 2026''.
SEC. 2. ADJUSTMENT OF STATUS FOR ELIGIBLE NATIONALS OF UKRAINE.
(a) Definition of Eligible National of Ukraine.--In this section,
the term ``eligible national of Ukraine'' means a citizen or national
of Ukraine (or a person who last habitually resided in Ukraine) who--
(1) completed security and law enforcement background
checks to the satisfaction of the Secretary of Homeland
Security (referred to in this section as the ``Secretary'') and
was--
(A) inspected and admitted to the United States
before the date of the enactment of this Act;
(B) paroled into the United States after February
20, 2014; or
(C) paroled into the United States for the purpose
of accompanying or following to join as--
(i) the spouse or child (as defined in
section 101(b)(1) of the Immigration and
Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1101(b)(1))) of an
individual described in subparagraph (A) or
(B); or
(ii) the parent, legal guardian, or primary
caregiver of an individual described in
subparagraph (A) or (B) who is determined to be
an unaccompanied child under section 462(g)(2)
of the Homeland Security Act of 2002 (6 U.S.C.
279(g)(2)) or section 412(d)(2)(B) of the
Immigration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C.
1522(d)(2)(B)); and
(2) is physically present in the United States.
(b) Streamlined Adjustment of Status.--
(1) In general.--Notwithstanding any other provision of
law, the Secretary shall adjust the status of an eligible
national of Ukraine to the status of an alien lawfully admitted
for permanent residence if--
(A) the eligible national of Ukraine--
(i) submits an application for adjustment
of status in accordance with procedures
established by the Secretary;
(ii) subject to subsection (c), is
otherwise admissible to the United States as an
immigrant, except that the grounds of
inadmissibility under paragraphs (4), (5), and
(7)(A) of section 212(a) the Immigration and
Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1182(a)) shall not
apply; and
(iii) has complied with the vetting
requirements under subsection (d) to the
satisfaction of the Secretary; and
(B) the Secretary determines, based on specific and
individualized facts, that the adjustment of status of
the eligible national of Ukraine is not contrary to the
national welfare, public safety, or national security
of the United States.
(2) Applicability of refugee admissibility requirements.--
The provisions of section 209(c) of the Immigration and
Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1159(c)) (relating to the
admissibility of refugees seeking adjustment of status) shall
apply to applicants for adjustment of status under this
section.
(c) Waiver of Inadmissibility.--
(1) In general.--With respect to an applicant for
adjustment of status under this section, subject to paragraph
(2), the Secretary may waive any applicable ground of
inadmissibility under section 212(a) of the Immigration and
Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1182(a)) (other than paragraph 2(C)
or (3) of that section) for humanitarian purposes, to ensure
family unity, or if a waiver is otherwise in the public
interest.
(2) Limitations.--The Secretary may not waive under this
subsection any applicable ground of inadmissibility under
section 212(a)(2) of the Immigration and Nationality Act (8
U.S.C. 1182(a)(2)) that arises due to criminal conduct that was
committed--
(A) on or after February 20, 2014;
(B) within the United States; and
(C) by an applicant for adjustment of status under
this section.
(3) Rule of construction.--Nothing in this subsection may
be construed to limit any other waiver authority of the
Secretary under any other law.
(d) Interview and Vetting Requirements.--
(1) In general.--The Secretary shall establish vetting
requirements for applicants seeking adjustment of status under
this section that are equivalent to the vetting requirements
for refugees admitted to the United States through the United
States Refugee Admissions Program.
(2) Rule of construction.--Nothing in this subsection may
be construed to limit the authority of the Secretary to
maintain records under any other law.
(e) Protection for Battered Spouses.--
(1) In general.--An alien whose marriage to an eligible
national of Ukraine described in subparagraph (A) or (B) of
subsection (a)(1) has been terminated shall be eligible for
adjustment of status under this section as an alien described
in subsection (a)(1)(C) for not more than 2 years after the
date on which such marriage is terminated if there is a
demonstrated connection between the termination of the marriage
and battering or extreme cruelty perpetrated by the principal
applicant.
(2) Applicability of other law.--In reviewing an
application for adjustment of status under this section with
respect to spouses and children who have been battered or
subjected to extreme cruelty, the Secretary shall apply section
204(a)(1)(J) of the Immigration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C.
1154(a)(1)(J)) and section 384 of the Illegal Immigration
Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act of 1996 (8 U.S.C.
1367).
(f) Date of Approval.--Upon the approval of an application for
adjustment of status under this section, the Secretary shall create a
record of the alien's admission as a lawful permanent resident as of
the date on which the alien was first inspected and admitted or paroled
into the United States.
(g) Implementation.--
(1) Interim guidance.--
(A) In general.--Not later than 180 days after the
date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall
issue guidance implementing this section.
(B) Publication.--Notwithstanding section 553 of
title 5, United States Code, such guidance--
(i) may be published on the internet
website of the Department of Homeland Security;
and
(ii) shall be effective on an interim basis
immediately upon such publication but may be
subject to change and revision after notice and
an opportunity for public comment.
(2) Final guidance.--Not later than 1 year after the date
of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall finalize the
guidance implementing this section.
(h) Administrative Review.--The Secretary shall provide applicants
for adjustment of status under this section with the same right to, and
procedures for, administrative review as are provided to applicants for
adjustment of status under section 245 of the Immigration and
Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1255).
(i) Fees.--
(1) Prohibition on imposition of fees other than processing
fees.--The Secretary shall not charge, in connection with an
application for adjustment of status or employment
authorization under this section, or with the issuance of a
permanent resident card or an employment authorization document
to an eligible national of Ukraine, any fee that is not
specifically associated with the administrative cost of
processing such application or issuing such card or document.
(2) Waiver available.--The Secretary shall permit eligible
nationals of Ukraine to apply for a waiver of any fees
associated with filing an application for adjustment of status
or employment authorization under this section.
(j) Pending Applications.--During the period beginning on the date
on which an alien files a bona fide application for adjustment of
status under this section and ending on the date on which the Secretary
makes a final administrative decision regarding such application, any
alien and any dependent included in such application who remains in
compliance with all application requirements may not be--
(1) removed from the United States unless the Secretary
makes a prima facie determination that the alien is, or has
become, ineligible for adjustment of status under this section;
(2) considered unlawfully present under section
212(a)(9)(B) of the Immigration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C.
1182(a)(9)(B)); or
(3) considered an unauthorized alien (as defined in section
274A(h)(3) of the Immigration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C.
1324a(h)(3))).
(k) VAWA Self Petitioners.--Section 101(a)(51) of the Immigration
and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1101(a)(51)) is amended--
(1) in subparagraph (F), by striking ``or'';
(2) in subparagraph (G), by striking the period at the end
and inserting ``; or''; and
(3) by adding at the end the following:
``(H) section 2(a) of the Ukrainian Adjustment Act
of 2026.''.
(l) Exemption From Numerical Limitations.--Aliens granted
adjustment of status under this section shall not be subject to the
numerical limitations under sections 201, 202, and 203 of the
Immigration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1151, 1152, and 1153).
(m) Rule of Construction.--Nothing in this section may be construed
to preclude an eligible national of Ukraine from applying for or
receiving any immigration benefit to which the eligible national of
Ukraine is otherwise entitled.
<all>