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Virgin Islands Nonimmigrant Alien Adjustment Act of 1981

Public Law 97-271 · H.R. 3517 · 97th Congress · began in the House

Signed by Ronald Reagan (R) on Sep 30, 1982 · Immigration

Sponsor: Rep. Ron de Lugo (D-VI)

Cosponsors (30): Rep. Mervyn Dymally,

Passage votes

  • HouseUnanimous consent
  • SenateVoice vote
Data notes

The final version of the law, as each chamber passed it. A chamber that passed it by voice vote or unanimous consent has no count. “Method not stated” means the record does not say how the chamber voted. Where the record has a member-by-member vote, the “Who voted for it” section shows who voted yea.

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Summary

The Congressional Research Service’s plain-language summary of what the law does.

Virgin Islands Nonimmigrant Alien Adjustment Act of 1981 - Authorizes the Attorney General to adjust to permanent resident status alien workers and their dependents who have resided continuously in the Virgin Islands since June 30, 1975, if: (1) application for such adjustment is made within one year; (2) such persons were physically present in the Virgin Islands at the time of such filing; and (3) the worker is otherwise admissible as an immigrant. States that such status adjustments shall not reduce the number of available total or national immigrant visas. Authorizes the Secretary of State, after consultation with the Secretary of the Interior and the Governor of the Virgin Islands, to limit the number of second preference immigrant visas issued to spouses or unmarried sons or daughters of aliens adjusted under this Act. Prohibits fourth (married sons or daughters) or fifth (brothers or sisters) preference immigrant petitions from being filed by aliens adjusted under this Act unless a case of extreme hardship exists.

Prohibits the admission of alien workers to perform temporary labor in the Virgin Islands (except athletes and entertainers for limited stays).

Directs the Secretaries of Health and Human Services, Education, Housing and Urban Development, Labor, and the Interior, and the Attorney General, in consultation with officials of the Virgin Islands, to assess the social and economic impact of this Act on the Virgin Islands and to report to the President and Congress within one year.

Committees

The committees the bill was sent to, and what each did with it.

  • Judiciary Committee · House · markup by, referred to, reported bySubcommittee: Immigration Integrity, Security, and Enforcement Subcommittee
  • Judiciary Committee · Senate · markup by, referred to, reported bySubcommittee: Constitution Subcommittee
Data notes

A committee links to its page only where it exists in the current Congress; older and renamed committees are named without a link.

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Timeline

From introduction to signing, newest first: the committees, the floor and the president. 20 actions.

  1. Sep 30, 1982Became lawBecame law · Became Public Law No: 97-271.
  2. Became lawBecame law · Signed by President.
  3. Sep 21, 1982PresidentPresident · Presented to President.
  4. Sep 8, 1982Resolving differencesResolving differences · House Agreed to Senate Amendments by Unanimous Consent.
  5. Aug 20, 1982FloorFloor · Passed Senate with an amendment by Voice Vote.
  6. Aug 18, 1982CommitteeCommittee · Reported by Senate Judiciary Committee
  7. Aug 4, 1982CommitteeCommittee · Markup by Senate Judiciary Committee
  8. May 10, 1982CommitteeCommittee · Markup by Constitution Subcommittee of the Senate Judiciary Committee
  9. CommitteeCommittee · Reported by Constitution Subcommittee of the Senate Judiciary Committee
  10. Nov 9, 1981CommitteeCommittee · Referred to Constitution Subcommittee of the Senate Judiciary Committee
  11. Nov 5, 1981CommitteeCommittee · Referred to Senate Judiciary Committee
  12. Nov 4, 1981FloorFloor · Passed House (Amended) by Voice Vote.
  13. Oct 29, 1981CommitteeCommittee · Reported by House Judiciary Committee
  14. Oct 27, 1981CommitteeCommittee · Markup by House Judiciary Committee
  15. Oct 6, 1981CommitteeCommittee · Reported by Immigration Integrity, Security, and Enforcement Subcommittee of the House Judiciary Committee
  16. CommitteeCommittee · Markup by Immigration Integrity, Security, and Enforcement Subcommittee of the House Judiciary Committee
  17. Jun 18, 1981CommitteeCommittee · Hearings by Immigration Integrity, Security, and Enforcement Subcommittee of the House Judiciary Committee
  18. May 15, 1981CommitteeCommittee · Referred to Immigration Integrity, Security, and Enforcement Subcommittee of the House Judiciary Committee
  19. May 12, 1981CommitteeCommittee · Referred to House Judiciary Committee
  20. IntroducedIntroduced · Introduced in the House
Data notes

Shows the introduction, each committee and subcommittee step the source dates (referral, hearings, markup, report, discharge), and the floor, conference, presidential and became-law steps. Calendar placements, messages between the chambers, amendments and committee report numbers are not shown for laws before the 108th Congress. Two entries the source lists twice are shown once.

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Official record

The bill’s full text and every action, including introduction and committee steps, are on Congress.gov. Data through Oct 7, 2026.