United States Code

8 U.S.C. § 1157

Annual admission of refugees and admission of emergency situation refugees

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Bills that would change it 91

  • S 4983 A bill to curb criminal activity by aliens, to defend against acts of international terrorism, to protect American workers from unfair la... Amends · introduced · 119th Congress
  • HR 8586 Americans First Immigration Act Amends its part · introduced · 119th Congress
  • HR 7105 Guaranteeing the States Protection Against Invasion Act of 2026 Amends its part · introduced · 119th Congress
  • HR 670 Lady Liberty Act of 2025 Amends 1157(a) · introduced · 119th Congress
  • HR 6870 GRACE Act Amends · introduced · 119th Congress
  • S 3535 GRACE Act Amends · introduced · 119th Congress
  • S 3419 Reuniting Families Act Amends 1157(c), 1157(c)(2) · introduced · 119th Congress
  • HR 6565 Reuniting Families Act Amends 1157(c), 1157(c)(2) · introduced · 119th Congress
  • HR 6225 PAUSE Act of 2025 Amends its part · introduced · 119th Congress
  • S 3009 Preserving a Sharia-Free America Act Amends its part · introduced · 119th Congress
  • HR 4895 Afghan Adjustment Act Amends · introduced · 119th Congress
  • S 2679 Fulfilling Promises to Afghan Allies Act Amends · introduced · 119th Congress
  • HR 4393 DIGNIDAD (Dignity) Act of 2025 Amends its part 1157(a)(15)(U), 1157(a)(15)(B) · introduced · 119th Congress
  • HR 3724 No Amnesty for Hamas Sympathizers Act Amends · introduced · 119th Congress
  • HR 3466 SMART Act Amends · introduced · 119th Congress
  • HR 3550 No Resettlement Without Representation Act Amends · introduced · 119th Congress
  • HR 1915 Stop the Cartels Act Amends · introduced · 119th Congress
  • HR 3599 DIGNIDAD (Dignity) Act of 2023 Amends its part 1157(a), 1157(a)(15)(U) · introduced · 118th Congress
  • HR 3194 U.S. Citizenship Act Amends its part 1157(a), 1157(a)(15)(V) · introduced · 118th Congress
  • HR 7173 GRACE Act Amends · introduced · 118th Congress
  • S 3714 GRACE Act Amends · introduced · 118th Congress
  • HR 6455 Climate Displaced Persons Act Amends its part · introduced · 118th Congress
  • S 3340 Climate Displaced Persons Act Amends its part · introduced · 118th Congress
  • S 1464 Enhancing DHS Drug Seizures Act Amends its part · introduced · 118th Congress
  • HR 5560 Reuniting Families Act Amends 1157(c), 1157(c)(2) · introduced · 118th Congress
  • S 2226 National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2024 Amends its part · introduced · 118th Congress
  • HR 4156 Lady Liberty Act of 2023 Amends 1157(a) · introduced · 118th Congress
  • S 1640 Empowering Law Enforcement Act of 2023 Amends its part · introduced · 118th Congress
  • HR 3407 Empowering Law Enforcement Act of 2023 Amends its part · introduced · 118th Congress
  • HR 2946 Safe Zones Act of 2023 Amends · introduced · 118th Congress
  • S 883 New Deal for New Americans Act of 2023 Amends 1157(a)(2) · introduced · 118th Congress
  • HR 1643 New Deal for New Americans Act of 2023 Amends 1157(a)(2) · introduced · 118th Congress
  • HR 597 Stop the Cartels Act Amends · introduced · 118th Congress
  • S 425 Secure and Protect Act of 2023 Amends · introduced · 118th Congress
  • HR 194 SECURE America Act Amends · introduced · 118th Congress
  • HR 9685 Refugee Protection Act of 2022 Amends 1157(c), 1157(c)(1) · introduced · 117th Congress
  • S 5353 Refugee Protection Act of 2022 Amends 1157(c), 1157(c)(1) · introduced · 117th Congress
  • S 5287 Startup Act Amends its part · introduced · 117th Congress
  • S 4645 Enhancing DHS Drug Seizures Act Amends its part · introduced · 117th Congress
  • HR 6706 ALIEN Act of 2022 Amends its part · introduced · 117th Congress
  • HR 7549 Seasonal Worker Solidarity Act of 2022 Amends its part · introduced · 117th Congress
  • HR 7650 International Press Freedom Act of 2022 Amends 1157(f)(2) · introduced · 117th Congress
  • HR 8561 Stop the Cartels Act Amends · introduced · 117th Congress
  • HR 8823 Safe Zones Act of 2022 Amends · introduced · 117th Congress
  • HR 4796 Empowering Law Enforcement Act of 2021 Amends its part · introduced · 117th Congress
  • HR 5572 SECURE America Act Amends · introduced · 117th Congress
  • HR 9050 Enhancing DHS Drug Seizures Act Amends its part · introduced · 117th Congress
  • HR 2237 GRACE Act Amends · introduced · 117th Congress
  • HR 1883 Protect America First Act Amends its part · introduced · 117th Congress
  • S 1582 Empowering Law Enforcement Act of 2021 Amends its part · introduced · 117th Congress

Showing the 50 most recently active.

The law today

From the official United States Code, current through Public Law 119-121.

(a) Maximum number of admissions; increases for humanitarian concerns; allocations (1) Except as provided in subsection (b), the number of refugees who may be admitted under this section in fiscal year 1980, 1981, or 1982, may not exceed fifty thousand unless the President determines, before the beginning of the fiscal year and after appropriate consultation (as defined in subsection (e)), that admission of a specific number of refugees in excess of such number is justified by humanitarian concerns or is otherwise in the national interest. (2) Except as provided in subsection (b), the number of refugees who may be admitted under this section in any fiscal year after fiscal year 1982 shall be such number as the President determines, before the beginning of the fiscal year and after appropriate consultation, is justified by humanitarian concerns or is otherwise in the national interest. (3) Admissions under this subsection shall be allocated among refugees of special humanitarian concern to the United States in accordance with a determination made by the President after appropriate consultation. (4) In the determination made under this subsection for each fiscal year (beginning with fiscal year 1992), the President shall enumerate, with the respective number of refugees so determined, the number of aliens who were granted asylum in the previous year. (b) Determinations by President respecting number of admissions for humanitarian concerns If the President determines, after appropriate consultation, that (1) an unforeseen emergency refugee situation exists, (2) the admission of certain refugees in response to the emergency refugee situation is justified by grave humanitarian concerns or is otherwise in the national interest, and (3) the admission to the United States of these refugees cannot be accomplished under subsection (a), the President may fix a number of refugees to be admitted to the United States during the succeeding period (not to exceed twelve months) in response to the emergency refugee situation and such admissions shall be allocated among refugees of special humanitarian concern to the United States in accordance with a determination made by the President after the appropriate consultation provided under this subsection. (c) Admission by Attorney General of refugees; criteria; admission status of spouse or child; applicability of other statutory requirements; termination of refugee status of alien, spouse or child (1) Subject to the numerical limitations established pursuant to subsections (a) and (b), the Attorney General may, in the Attorney General’s discretion and pursuant to such regulations as the Attorney General may prescribe, admit any refugee who is not firmly resettled in any foreign country, is determined to be of special humanitarian concern to the United States, and is admissible (except as otherwise provided under paragraph (3)) as an immigrant under this chapter. (2) (A) A spouse or child (as defined in section 1101(b)(1)(A), (B), (C), (D), or (E) of this title) of any refugee who qualifies for admission under paragraph (1) shall, if not otherwise entitled to admission under paragraph (1) and if not a person described in the second sentence of section 1101(a)(42) of this title, be entitled to the same admission status as such refugee if accompanying, or following to join, such refugee and if the spouse or child is admissible (except as otherwise provided under paragraph (3)) as an immigrant under this chapter. Upon the spouse’s or child’s admission to the United States, such admission shall be charged against the numerical limitation established in accordance with the appropriate subsection under which the refugee’s admission is charged. (B) An unmarried alien who seeks to accompany, or follow to join, a parent granted admission as a refugee under this subsection, and who was under 21 years of age on the date on which such parent applied for refugee status under this section, shall continue to be classified as a child for purposes of this paragraph, if the alien attained 21 years of age after such application was filed but while it was pending. (3) The provisions of paragraphs (4), (5), and (7)(A) of section 1182(a) of this title shall not be applicable to any alien seeking admission to the United States under this subsection, and the Attorney General may waive any other provision of such section (other than paragraph (2)(C) or subparagraph (A), (B), (C), or (E) of paragraph (3)) with respect to such an alien for humanitarian purposes, to assure family unity, or when it is otherwise in the public interest. Any such waiver by the Attorney General shall be in writing and shall be granted only on an individual basis following an investigation. The Attorney General shall provide for the annual reporting to Congress of the number of waivers granted under this paragraph in the previous fiscal year and a summary of the reasons for granting such waivers. (4) The refugee status of any alien (and of the spouse or child of the alien) may be terminated by the Attorney General pursuant to such regulations as the Attorney General may prescribe if the Attorney General determines that the alien was not in fact a refugee within the meaning of section 1101(a)(42) of this title at the time of the alien’s admission. (d) Oversight reporting and consultation requirements (1) Before the start of each fiscal year the President shall report to the Committees on the Judiciary of the House of Representatives and of the Senate regarding the foreseeable number of refugees who will be in need of resettlement during the fiscal year and the anticipated allocation of refugee admissions during the fiscal year. The President shall provide for periodic discussions between designated representatives of the President and members of such committees regarding changes in the worldwide refugee situation, the progress of refugee admissions, and the possible need for adjustments in the allocation of admissions among refugees. (2) As soon as possible after representatives of the President initiate appropriate consultation with respect to the number of refugee admissions under subsection (a) or with respect to the admission of refugees in response to an emergency refugee situation under subsection (b), the Committees on the Judiciary of the House of Representatives and of the Senate shall cause to have printed in the Congressional Record the substance of such consultation. (3) (A) After the President initiates appropriate consultation prior to making a determination under subsection (a), a hearing to review the proposed determination shall be held unless public disclosure of the details of the proposal would jeopardize the lives or safety of individuals. (B) After the President initiates appropriate consultation prior to making a determination, under subsection (b), that the number of refugee admissions should be increased because of an unforeseen emergency refugee situation, to the extent that time and the nature of the emergency refugee situation permit, a hearing to review the proposal to increase refugee admissions shall be held unless public disclosure of the details of the proposal would jeopardize the lives or safety of individuals. (e) “Appropriate consultation” defined For purposes of this section, the term “appropriate consultation” means, with respect to the admission of refugees and allocation of refugee admissions, discussions in person by designated Cabinet-level representatives of the President with members of the Committees on the Judiciary of the Senate and of the House of Representatives to review the refugee situation or emergency refugee situation, to project the extent of possible participation of the United States therein, to discuss the reasons for believing that the proposed admission of refugees is justified by humanitarian concerns or grave humanitarian concerns or is otherwise in the national interest, and to provide such members with the following information: (1) A description of the nature of the refugee situation. (2) A description of the number and allocation of the refugees to be admitted and an analysis of conditions within the countries from which they came. (3) A description of the proposed plans for their movement and resettlement and the estimated cost of their movement and resettlement. (4) An analysis of the anticipated social, economic, and demographic impact of their admission to the United States. (5) A description of the extent to which other countries will admit and assist in the resettlement of such refugees. (6) An analysis of the impact of the participation of the United States in the resettlement of such refugees on the foreign policy interests of the United States. (7) Such additional information as may be appropriate or requested by such members. To the extent possible, information described in this subsection shall be provided at least two weeks in advance of discussions in person by designated representatives of the President with such members. (f) Training (1) The Attorney General, in consultation with the Secretary of State, shall provide all United States officials adjudicating refugee cases under this section with the same training as that provided to officers adjudicating asylum cases under section 1158 of this title. (2) Such training shall include country-specific conditions, instruction on the internationally recognized right to freedom of religion, instruction on methods of religious persecution practiced in foreign countries, and applicable distinctions within a country between the nature of and treatment of various religious practices and believers.
Official text at uscode.house.gov ↗