What does Preamble of Veterans Visa and Protection Act of 2026 do?

This bill, formally titled 'To require the Secretary of Homeland Security to establish a veterans visa program to permit veterans who have been removed from the United States to return as immigrants, and for other purposes,' aims to establish a veterans visa program. The bill directs the Secretary of Homeland Security to create this program. The program would allow veterans who have been removed from the United States to return as immigrants.

What does SHORT TITLE. of Veterans Visa and Protection Act of 2026 do?

This bill is formally titled the Veterans Visa and Protection Act of 2026.

What does DEFINITIONS. of Veterans Visa and Protection Act of 2026 do?

This section defines terms used throughout the Act. “Armed Forces” is defined as the meaning given in section 101 of title 10, United States Code. “Crime of violence” is defined as an offense in section 16(a) of title 18, United States Code, that is not a purely political offense, and for which a noncitizen has served at least 5 years in prison. An “eligible veteran” is a noncitizen veteran who meets the criteria described in section 3(e). “Eligible veteran” also includes veterans who were removed from the United States or are abroad and inadmissible under section 212(a) of the Immigration and Nationality Act. “Noncitizen” means an individual who is not a citizen or national of the United States. “Secretary” refers to the Secretary of Homeland Security. “Service member” means an individual serving in a regular or reserve component of the Armed Forces on active duty, or in a reserve component in an active status. “Veteran” is defined as the meaning given in section 101 of title 38, United States Code.

What does RETURN OF ELIGIBLE VETERANS REMOVED FROM THE UNITED STATES; of Veterans Visa and Protection Act of 2026 do?

This section establishes a program for eligible veterans outside and within the United States to be admitted as lawful permanent residents or adjust their status accordingly. The Attorney General is required to reopen removal proceedings for noncitizen veterans with final removal orders and determine their eligibility. If a noncitizen veteran is determined eligible, the Attorney General must rescind the removal order, adjust their status, and terminate removal proceedings. The Attorney General must also determine the eligibility of noncitizen veterans with pending removal proceedings and, if eligible, adjust their status and terminate proceedings. This section does not impose numerical limitations on the number of veterans who may be eligible for benefits. Eligibility requires a determination that the veteran was not removed based on certain violent crimes or crimes endangering national security, unless a waiver is granted. The Secretary may waive eligibility requirements for humanitarian purposes, family unity, exceptional military service, or if a waiver is in the public interest.

What does PROTECTING VETERANS AND SERVICE MEMBERS FROM REMOVAL. of Veterans Visa and Protection Act of 2026 do?

This section prohibits the removal of noncitizen veterans or service members from the United States. This prohibition applies regardless of any other law, including section 237 of the Immigration and Nationality Act. A noncitizen veteran or service member may be removed if they have been convicted of a crime of violence.

What does NATURALIZATION THROUGH SERVICE IN THE ARMED FORCES. of Veterans Visa and Protection Act of 2026 do?

This section establishes eligibility for noncitizens to obtain naturalization through service in the Armed Forces. Eligibility requires the noncitizen to have obtained lawful permanent resident status under section 3. The Secretary has discretion to disregard certain grounds for determining good moral character, specifically past removal or inadmissibility orders. The Secretary may disregard periods of absence from the United States related to past removal or inadmissibility if the noncitizen meets continuous residence or physical presence requirements.

What does ACCESS TO MILITARY BENEFITS. of Veterans Visa and Protection Act of 2026 do?

This section concerns access to military benefits for noncitizens. Noncitizens who have obtained lawful permanent residence status under section 3 are eligible for military and veterans benefits. Eligibility extends to benefits a noncitizen would have been eligible for had they not been removed from, departed from, or deemed inadmissible to the United States.

What does IMPLEMENTATION. of Veterans Visa and Protection Act of 2026 do?

This section outlines procedures for identifying noncitizen service members and veterans at risk of removal from the United States. The Secretary is required to ask noncitizens about their military service before initiating removal proceedings. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement personnel must seek supervisory approval before initiating removal proceedings against a service member or veteran. Records must be kept of service members or veterans who have been subject to removal proceedings, detained, or removed. The Secretary must annotate immigration and naturalization records of identified service members or veterans. Annotations must include details such as branch of military service, period of military hostilities, immigration status at enlistment, separation conditions, and the ground for removal.

What does REGULATIONS. of Veterans Visa and Protection Act of 2026 do?

This section requires the Secretary to issue regulations. The regulations are intended to implement this Act. The Secretary must promulgate these regulations within 90 days of the Act's enactment.

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Veterans Visa and Protection Act of 2026

Last updated: 5/21/2026 · Introduced: 5/21/2026

Author: Adelita Grijalva (D-AZ)

TL;DR (AI)

This bill establishes a veterans visa program allowing noncitizen veterans previously removed from the United States to return as immigrants.
The Attorney General is required to review removal orders for eligible veterans and may rescind them, adjusting their status and terminating proceedings.
Noncitizen veterans and service members are generally protected from removal from the United States, with an exception for convictions of crimes of violence.
The bill creates a pathway for noncitizen veterans with lawful permanent resident status to obtain naturalization through military service, potentially disregarding past removal or inadmissibility issues.
Noncitizens who achieve lawful permanent resident status under this act are eligible for military and veterans benefits they would have been entitled to had they not been removed or deemed inadmissible.

119th Congressin committeeS. 3144(In Committee)Official page

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Includes provisions on preamble, short title., and 7 more.

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