Break the Chain Act
The Break the Chain Act reworks the U.S. family-based immigration system. It removes parents of U.S. citizens from the category of “immediate relatives,” so only the children and spouses of U.S. citizens would qualify for that faster, uncapped path. It also alters how many family-sponsored visas are available each year by adjusting the nationwide cap (and by counting certain parolees who linger in the country). In addition, it tightens aging-out rules for family sponsorship, reshapes who can qualify for family visas (now limited to spouses and minor children of lawful permanent residents), and creates a new nonimmigrant visa path for alien parents of adult U.S. citizens with five-year blocks of admission and several conditions (no work authorization, no public benefits, required health insurance paid by the citizen child, and a sponsor affidavit). The bill includes transitional rules, and many new provisions would take effect October 1, 2025. It also blocks new petitions filed on or after enactment for the parent-of-citizen categories and delays adjudication of some pending petitions. In short, this bill would substantially reduce the traditional “chain migration” flow by excluding parents from the immediate-relative category, shifting many family sponsorships into other, more limited pathways, and adding a temporary, tightly restricted option for parents of adult U.S. citizens.
Key Points
- 1Redefines Immediate Relative status: Immediate relatives would be limited to the children and spouses of U.S. citizens. Parents would no longer be treated as immediate relatives.
- 2Recalibrates the family-sponsored visa cap: The worldwide level of family-sponsored visas under section 201(c) would be set at 87,934 minus a specific adjustment related to certain parolees who were admitted but did not depart or adjust status within defined time frames. This effectively reduces the annual number of family-sponsored visas available.
- 3Limits on family-based preferences: Section 203(a) would be rewritten to cover only spouses and minor children of permanent residents (not other family relationships), aligning with the narrower “family-based” path.
- 4Aging-out provisions tightened: The age for eligibility would be fixed to the petition date, but a new provision would disqualify individuals who marry or turn 25 before a visa becomes available, even if they were underage when the petition was filed.
- 5Creation of a new nonimmigrant for alien parents of adult U.S. citizens: A new visa category (nonimmigrant 101(a)(15)(W)) would allow alien parents of U.S. citizens who are at least 21 to come to the U.S. for up to five years (with potential 5-year renewals). Requirements include no work authorization, no access to federal/state/local public benefits, and a petition filed by the citizen child with a required health-insurance arrangement for the parent. An enforceable affidavit of support would also apply.