(2) was inspected and granted parole into the United States during the period beginning on August 15, 1988, and ending on September 30, 1992,1 after being denied refugee status.

(c) WAIVER OF CERTAIN GROUNDS FOR INADMISSIBILITY.—The provisions of paragraphs (14), (15), (20), (21), (25), (28) (other than subparagraph (F)), and (32) of section 212(a) of the Immigration and Nationality Act shall not apply to adjustment of status under this section and the Attorney General may waive any other provision of such section (other than paragraph (23)(B), (27), (29), or (33)) with respect to such an adjustment for humanitarian purposes, to assure family unity, or when it is otherwise in the public interest.

(d) Date of AppROVAL.-Upon the approval of such an application for adjustment of status, the Attorney General shall create a record of the alien's admission as a lawful permanent resident as of the date of the alien's inspection and parole described in subsection (b)(2).

(e) No OFFSET IN NUMBER OF VISAS AVAILABLE.-When an alien is granted the status of having been lawfully admitted for permanent residence under this section, the Secretary of State shall not be required to reduce the number of immigrant visas authorized to be issued under the Immigration and Nationality Act.

H. H-1 NONIMMIGRANT NURSE ADJUSTMENT

(Section 2 of the Immigration Nursing Relief Act of 1989, Public Law 101-238, 103 Stat. 2099, December 18, 1989)

SEC. 2. ADJUSTMENT OF STATUS FOR CERTAIN H-1 NONIMMIGRANT NURSES.

(a) IN GENERAL.-The numerical limitations of sections 201 and 202 of the Immigration and Nationality Act shall not apply to the adjustment of status under section 245 of such Act of an immigrant, and the immigrant's accompanying spouse and children

(1) who, as of September 1, 1989, has the status of a nonimmigrant under paragraph (15)(H)(i) of section 101(a) of such Act to perform services as a registered nurse,

(2) who, for at least 3 years before the date of application for adjustment of status (whether or not before, on, or after, the date of the enactment of this Act), has been employed as a registered nurse in the United States, and

(3) whose continued employment as a registered nurse in the United States meets the standards established for the certification described in section 212(a)(14) of such Act.

The Attorney General shall promulgate regulations to carry out this subsection by not later than 90 days after the date of the enactment of this Act.

(b) TRANSITION.-For purposes of adjustment of status under section 245 of the Immigration and Nationality Act in the case of an alien who, as of December 31, 1989, is present in the United States in the lawful status of a nonimmigrant under section 101(a)(15)(H)(i) of such Act to perform services as a registered nurse, or who is the spouse or child of such an alien, such an alien shall be considered as having continued to maintain lawful status as such a nonimmigrant until the end of the 120-day period beginning on the date the Attorney General promulgates regulations carrying out subsection (a).

(c) APPLICATION OF IMMIGRATION and NATIONALITY ACT PROVISIONS.-The definitions contained in the Immigration and Nationality Act shall apply in the administration of this section. The fact that an alien may be eligible to be granted the status of having been lawfully admitted for permanent residence under this section shall not preclude the alien from seeking such status under any other provision of law for which the alien may be eligible.

(d) APPLICATION PERIOD.-The alien, and accompanying spouse and children, must apply for such adjustment within the 5-year period beginning on the date the Attorney General promulgates regulations required under subsection (a).

1 § 598(b) of the Foreign Operations, Export Financing, and Related Programs Appropriations Act, 1990, Pub. L. 101-513, Nov. 5, 1990, 104 Stat. 2063) substituted "Spetember 30, 1992" for "September 30, 1990".

V. EXCERPTS FROM LAWS RELATING TO
COMMONWEALTHS AND FORMER TERRITORIES

A. COMMONWEALTH OF THE NORTHERN MARIANA ISLANDS

1. PUBLIC LAW 94-241 (MARCH 24, 1976): APPROVING COVENANT TO ESTABLISH A COMMONWEALTH OF THE NORTHERN MARIANA ISLANDS IN POLITICAL UNION WITH THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

[NOTE.-On October 24, 1986, the United States informed the United Nations that November 3, 1986, is the date this Covenant will enter fully into force under Pub. L. 94-241.]

ARTICLE III

CITIZENSHIP AND NATIONALITY

SECTION 301. The following persons and their children under the age of 18 years on the effective date of this Section, who are not citizens or nationals of the United States under any other provisions of law, and who on that date do not owe allegiance to any foreign state, are declared to be citizens of the United States, except as otherwise provided in Section 302:

(a) all persons born in the Northern Mariana Islands who are citizens of the Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands on the day preceding the effective date of this Section, and who on that date are domiciled in the Northern Mariana Islands or in the United States or any territory or possession thereof;

(b) all persons who are citizens of the Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands on the day preceding the effective date of this Section, who have been domiciled continuously in the Northern Mariana Islands for at least five years immediately prior to that date, and who, unless under age, registered to vote in elections for the Marianas Islands District Legislature or for any municipal election in the Northern Mariana Islands prior to January 1, 1975; and

(c) all persons domiciled in the Northern Mariana Islands on the day preceding the effective date of this Section, who, although not citizens of the Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands on that date have been domiciled continously in the Northern Mariana Island beginning prior to January 1, 1974. SECTION 302. Any person who becomes a citizen of the United States solely by virtue of the provisions of Section 301 may within six months after the effective date of that Section or within six months after reaching the age of 18 years, whichever date is the later, become a national but not a citizen of the United States by making a declaration under oath before any court established by the Constitution or laws of the United States or any court of record in the Commonwealth in the form as follows:

"I- --being duly sworn, hereby declare my intention to be a national but not a citizen of the United States."

SECTION 303. All persons born in the Commonwealth on or after the effective date of this Section and subject to the jurisdiction of the United States will be citizens of the United States at birth.

SECTION 304. Citizens of the Northern Mariana Island will be entitled to all privileges and immunities of citizens in the several States of the United States.

37-449 0 92 - 16

ARTICLE V

APPLICABILITY OF LAWS

SECTION 502. (a) The following laws of the United States in existence on the effective date of this Section and subsequent amendments to such laws will apply to the Northern Mariana Islands, except as otherwise provided in this Covenant:

(1) those laws which provide federal services and financial assistance programs and the federal banking laws as they apply to Guam; Section 228 of Title II and Title XVI of the Social Security Act as it applies to the several States; the Public Health Service Act as it applies to the Virgin Islands; and the Micronesian Claims Act as it applies to the Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands;

(2) those laws not described in paragraph (1) which are applicable to Guam and which are of general application to the several States as they are applicable to the several States; and

(3) those laws not described in paragraph (1) or (2) which are applicable to the Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands, but not their subsequent amendments unless specifically made applicable to the Northern Mariana Islands, as they apply to the Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands until termination of the Trusteeship Agreement, and will thereafter be inapplicable.

(b) [Omitted.]

SECTION 503. The following laws of the United States, presently inapplicable to the Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands, will not apply to the Northern Mariana Islands except in the manner and to the extent made applicable to them by the Congress by law after termination of the Trusteship Agreement:

(a) except as otherwise provided in Section 506, the immigration and naturalization laws of the United States;

(b) except as otherwise provided in Subsection (b) of Section 502 the coastwise laws of the United States and any prohibition in the laws of the United States against foreign vessels landing fish or unfinished fish products in the United States; and

(c) the minimum wage provisions of Section 6, Act of June 25, 1938, 52 Stat. 1062, as amended.

SECTION 504. The President will appoint a Commission on Federal Laws to survey the laws of the United States and to make recommendations to the United States Congress as to which laws of the United States not applicable to the Northern Mariana Islands should be made applicable and to what extent and in what manner, and which applicable laws should be made inapplicable and to what extent and in what manner. The Commission will consist of seven persons (at least four of whom will be citizens of the Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands who are and have been for at least five years domiciled continuously in the Northern Mariana Islands at the time of their appointments) who will be representative of the federal, local, private and public interests in the applicability of laws of the United States to the Northern Mariana Islands. The Commission will make its final report and recommendations to the Congress within one year after the termination of the Trusteeship Agreement, and before that time will make such interim reports and recommendations to the Congress as it considers appropriate to facilitate the transition of the Northern Mariana Islands to its new political status. In formulating its recommendations the Commission will take into consideration the potential effect of each law on local conditions within the Northern Mariana Islands, the policies embodied in the law and the provisions and purposes of this Covenant. The United States will bear the cost of the work of the Commission.

[Section 505 omitted.]

SECTION 506. (a) Notwithstanding the provisions of Subsection 503(a), upon the effective date of this Section the Northern Mariana Islands will be deemed to be a part of the United States under the Immigration and Nationality Act, as amended for the following purposes only, and the said Act will apply to the Northern Mariana Islands to the extent indicated in each of the following Subsections of this Section.

(b) With respect to children born abroad to United States citizen or non-citizen national parents permanently residing in the Northern Mariana Islands the provisions of Sections 301 and 308 of the said Act will apply.

(c) With respect to aliens who are "immediate relatives" (as defined in Subsection 201(b) of the said Act) of United States citizens who are permanently residing in the Northern Mariana Islands all the provisions of the said Act will apply, commencing when a claim is made to entitlement to "immediate relative" status. A person who

is certified by the Government of the Northern Mariana Islands both to have been a lawful permanent resident of the Northern Mariana Islands and have had the "immediate relative" relationship denoted herein on the effective date of this Section will be presumed to have been admitted to the United States for lawful permanent residence as of that date without the requirements of any of the usual procedures set forth in the said Act. For the purpose of the requirements of judicial naturalization, the Northern Mariana Islands will be deemed to constitute a State as defined in Subsection 101(a) paragraph (36) of the said Act. The Courts of record of the Northern Mariana Islands and the District Court for the Northern Mariana Islands will be included among the courts specified in Subsection 310(a) of the said Act and will have jurisdiction to naturalize persons who become eligible under this Section and who reside within their respective jurisdictions.

(d) With respect to persons who will become citizens or nationals of the United States under Articles III of this Covenant or under this Section the loss of nationality provisions of the said Act will apply.

ARTICLE X

APPROVAL, EFFECTIVE DATES, AND DEFINITIONS

SECTION 1003. The provisions of this Covenant will become effective as follows, unless otherwise specifically provided:

(a) Sections 105, 201-203, 503, 504, 606, 801, 903 and Article X will become effective on approval of this Covenant;

(b) Sections 102, 103, 204, 304, Article IV, Sections 501, 502, 505, 601-605, 607, Article VII, Sections 802-805, 901 and 902 will become effective on a date [January 9, 1978] to be determined and proclaimed by the President of the United States which will be not more than 180 days after this Covenant and the Constitution of the Northern Mariana Islands have both been approved; and

(c) The remainder of this Covenant will become effective upon the termination of the Trusteeship Agreement and the establishment of the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands. [October 24, 1986].

SECTION 1005. As used in this Covenant:

(a) "Trusteeship Agreement" means the Trusteeship Agreement for the former Japanese Mandated Islands concluded between the Security Council of the United Nations and the United States of America, which entered into force on July 18, 1947;

(b) "Northern Mariana Islands" means the area now known as the Mariana Islands District of the Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands, which lies within the area north of 14° north latitude, south of 21° north latitude, west of 150° east longitude and east of 144° east longitude;

(c) Government of the Northern Mariana Islands" includes, as appropriate, the Government of the Mariana Islands District of the Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands at the time this Covenant is signed, its agencies and instrumentalities, and its successors, including the Government of the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands;

(d) "Territory or possession" with respect to the United States includes the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, Guam and American Samoa;

(e) "Domicile" means that place where a person maintains a residence with the intention of continuing such residence for an unlimited or indefinite period, and to which such person has the intention of returning whenever he is absent, even for an extended period.

2. SECTIONS 19-24 OF PUBLIC LAW 98-213 (DECEMBER 8, 1983)

SEC. 19. (a) The President may, subject to the provisions of section 20 of this Act, by proclamation provide that the requirement of United States citizenship or nationality provided for in any of the statutes listed on pages 63-74 of the Interim

Report of the Northern Mariana Islands Commission on Federal Laws to the Congress of the United States, dated January 1982 and submitted pursuant to section 504 of the Covenant, shall not be applicable to the citizens of the Northern Mariana Islands. The President is authorized to correct clerical errors in the list, and to add to it provisions, where it appears from the context that they were inadvertently omitted from the list.

(b) A statute which denies a benefit or imposes a burden or a disability on an alien, his dependents, or his survivors shall, for the purposes of this Act, be considered to impose a requirement of United States citizenship or nationality.

SEC. 20. (a) The President may issue one or more proclamations under the authority of this Act.

(b) When issuing such proclamation or proclamations the President— (1) shall take into account:

(i) the hardship suffered by the citizens of the Northern Mariana Islands resulting from the fact that, while they are subject to most of the laws of the United States, they are denied the benefit of those laws which contain a requirement of United States citizenship or nationality;

(ii) the responsibilities, obligations, and limitations imposed upon the United States by international law;

(2) may make the requirement of United States citizenship or nationality inapplicable only to those citizens of the Northern Mariana Islands who declare in writing that they do not intend to exercise their option under section 302 of the Covenant to become a national but not a citizen of the United States;

(3) may make the requirement of a United States citizenship or nationality inapplicable only in the Northern Mariana Islands;

(4) may retain the requirement of United States citizenship or nationality with respect to parts of a statute or portion thereof.

SEC. 21. If the President does not issue any proclamation authorized by section 19 of this Act within a period of six months following the effective date of the Act, the requirement of United States citizenship or nationality as a prerequisite of any benefit, right, privilege, or immunity in any statute made applicable to the Northern Mariana Islands by the terms of that statute or by operation of the Covenant shall not be applicable to citizens of the Northern Mariana Islands: Provided, That the provisions of this section shall not be applicable to any requirements of United States citizenship or nationality contained in statutes relating to the political rights of citizenship, and to the diplomatic protection of, and services to, citizens or nationals of the United States in foreign countries: Provided further, That with respect to the statutes relating to the uniformed services, the requirement of United States citizenship or nationality shall remain in effect, except with respect to those citizens of the Northern Mariana Islands who declare in writing that they do not intend to exercise their option under section 302 of the Covenant to become a national but not a citizen of the United States.

SEC. 22. Nothing in this Act shall be construed as extending to the Northern Mariana Islands any statutory provision or regulation not otherwise applicable to or within the Northern Mariana Islands, in particular the statutes relating to immigration and nationality and the regulations issued under them.

SEC. 23. The authority of the President to issue proclamations under section 19 of this Act shall terminate upon the establishment of the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands pursuant to section 1002 of the Covenant. Section 21 of this Act shall not become effective if the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands is established within the period of six months following the effective date of this Act. SEC. 24. As used in this Act:

(a) "Covenant" means the Covenant to Establish a Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands in Political Union With the United States of America, approved by the Joint Resolution of March 24, 1976 (90 Stat. 263, 48 U.S.C. 1681, note). (b) "Citizen of the Northern Mariana Islands" means a citizen of the Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands and his or her children under the age of eighteen years, who does not owe allegiance to any foreign state, and who

(1) was born in the Northern Mariana Islands and is physically present in the Northern Mariana Islands or in the United States or any territory or possession thereof; or

(2) has been lawfully and continuously domiciled in the Northern Mariana Islands since January 1, 1974, and, who, unless then under age, was registered to vote in an election for the Mariana Islands legislature or for any municipal election in the Northern Mariana Islands prior to January 1, 1975.

(c) "Domicile" means that place where a person maintains a residence with the intention of continuing such residence for an unlimited or indefinite period, and to