CRISIS Act of 2025
The CRISIS Act of 2025 creates a new, time-limited pathway for a subset of Russian nationals who hold doctoral degrees in science, technology, engineering, or mathematics (STEM) to obtain special immigrant status in the United States. Eligible individuals would be admitted as “special immigrants” under INA 101(a)(27) after submitting a petition and meeting standard immigrant-visa eligibility and admissibility requirements, plus a robust screening and background process. The program is designed to be fast-tracked (with a goal of processing petitions within 90 days) and would exempt participants from existing visa numerical limits. It also contemplates accompanying family members (spouse and children) and does not require an offer of U.S. employment. The act defines a broad set of STEM disciplines as included in the qualifying field. Notably, the authority to admit under this program sunsets after the fourth full fiscal year from enactment, with petitions approved by then able to proceed to visa or adjustment of status later.
Key Points
- 1Target group and criteria: Russian nationals who have earned a doctoral degree in the U.S. or an equivalent foreign degree in STEM and seek to work in the United States in those fields; spouses and children may accompany.
- 2Processing and caps: Up to 3,000 such special immigrants may be admitted each fiscal year from 2026 through 2029; petitions should be processed as expeditiously as possible, ideally within 90 days of receiving complete documentation.
- 3Visa eligibility and exemptions: Those admitted under this program are exempt from the standard immigrant visa numerical limits described in INA sections 201, 202, and 203.
- 4Vetting and interviews: DHS must establish vetting requirements equivalent to those for refugees admitted via the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program, including in-person interviews, within 180 days after enactment; DHS and DoD would maintain detailed records for each applicant throughout the petition period.
- 5Sunset and scope: The program ends on the last day of the fourth full fiscal year after enactment; petitions approved by that time may still proceed to visa or adjustment of status, but new admissions under the program would cease afterward.
- 6Employment and scope: There is no requirement for a job offer; the definition of the qualifying field includes a broad array of advanced technologies and STEM disciplines, such as AI, cybersecurity, quantum information, advanced manufacturing, space technologies, and more.