California Senator Alex Padilla has introduced significant immigration legislation that would provide a pathway to lawful permanent residency for millions of long-term U.S. residents. The bill titled “Renewing Immigration Provisions of the Immigration Act of 1929” represents the first major update to immigration registry provisions in nearly four decades.

The bill proposes to modernize Section 249 of the Immigration and Nationality Act by establishing a rolling seven-year continuous residence requirement. Under the proposed changes, immigrants could qualify for lawful permanent resident status if they:

• Have lived in the U.S. continuously for at least seven years before filing an application
• Do not have a criminal record
• Meet all other current eligibility requirements to receive a green card
  
  

Unlike the current system tied to a fixed date (January 1, 1972), the bill creates a rolling eligibility cutoff that moves forward automatically, eliminating the need for future congressional action to update the registry date. The proposed legislation could provide a pathway to permanent residency for more than 8 million people including DACA recipients, Temporary Protected Status (TPS) holders, children of long-term visa holders and H-1B visa holders.

For complete details about the legislation, visit Senator Padilla’s official announcement and access the bill’s one-page summary.