HR 3536 — CRISIS Act of 2025

Summary

This bill authorizes the Secretary of Homeland Security to grant special immigrant status to Russian nationals who hold doctoral degrees in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields and are seeking to work in the United States in those fields. The bill allows up to 3,000 Russian scientists per year for fiscal years 2026 through 2029, with their spouses and children eligible to accompany or follow them. Applicants must pass security vetting equivalent to the refugee admissions program and undergo an interview, with applications processed within 90 days of receiving required documentation. No job offer is required to qualify, and those admitted are exempt from standard numerical immigration limits. The authority to admit these special immigrants expires four years after enactment, though approved petitions can still be used after the expiration date.

AI-generated plain-language summary of the bill text — neutral, and may be imperfect. See the full text below for the exact wording.

Sponsor (1)

Rep. Foster, Bill [D-IL-11] (D-IL)

1 cosponsor

Rep. Obernolte, Jay [R-CA-23] (R-CA)

Money behind the sponsor

Top reported contributors to Bill Foster’s campaign committee (2024 cycle) — who funds the bill’s sponsor, not a claim about this bill. Data from FEC.

FERMILAB $22,943
NULL $18,250
BOSTON UNIVERSITY $17,800
UNIVERSITY OF CHICAGO $17,560
NORTHWESTERN UNIVERSITY $17,476

Organizations whose employees gave the most — itemized individual contributions grouped by the donor’s reported employer (FEC Schedule A). Full finance for Bill Foster → · Outside spending →

Actions (2)

May 21, 2025 Referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary. · house
May 21, 2025 Introduced in House

Similar bills (6)

Bills with similar text or summary — includes reintroductions across Congresses. Ranked by semantic similarity of the bill text (computed locally); a neutral discovery aid, not a claim the bills are duplicates.

Text versions (1)

Introduced in House · May 21, 2025

Only one text version is on file, so there’s no earlier version to compare against yet.

Full text

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

May 21, 2025

Mr. Foster (for himself and Mr. Obernolte) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary

A BILL

To authorize the Secretary of Homeland Security to provide certain nationals of Russia with special immigrant status, and for other purposes.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

This Act may be cited as the “Countering Russian Innovation and Safeguarding Individual Scientists Act of 2025” or the “CRISIS Act of 2025”.

SEC. 2. SPECIAL IMMIGRANT STATUS FOR CERTAIN RUSSIAN NATIONALS.

(a) In General.—Subject to subsection (e), the Secretary of Homeland Security, or, notwithstanding any other provision of law, the Secretary of State in consultation with the Secretary of Homeland Security, may provide an alien described in subsection (b) with the status of a special immigrant under section 101(a)(27) of the Immigration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1101(a)(27)) if the alien—

(1) submits a classification petition under section 204(a)(1)(G)(i) of such Act (8 U.S.C. 1154(a)(1)(G)(i));

(2) is otherwise eligible to receive and immigrant visa;

(3) is otherwise admissible to the United States for permanent residence; and

(4) clears a background check and appropriate screening, as determined by the Secretary of Homeland Security and in accordance with subsection (d).

(b) Aliens Described.—

(1) Principal alien.—An alien is described in this subsection if the alien—

(A) is a national of Russia;

(B) has earned a doctoral degree in the United States or an equivalent foreign degree in a field involving science, technology, engineering, or mathematics; and

(C) is seeking admission to engage in work in the United States in such a field.

(2) Spouse or child.—An alien is described in this subparagraph if the alien—

(A) is the spouse or child of the a principal alien described in paragraph (1); and

(B) is accompanying or following to join the principal alien in the United States.

(c) Processing and Numerical Limitations.—

(1) In general.—The total number of aliens described under subsection (b) who may be provided special immigrant status under this section may not exceed 3,000 per year for each of the fiscal years 2026, 2027, 2028, and 2029.

(2) Processing.—Notwithstanding any other provision of law, the Secretary of Homeland Security shall, to the extent practicable, process petitions described in subsection (a) not later than 90 days after the date on which the Secretary of Homeland Security receives all required documentation and information to render a decision on such petition.

(3) Numerical limitations.—Aliens admitted to the United States pursuant to subsection (a) shall be exempt from the numerical limitations described in sections 201, 202, and 203 of the Immigration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1151, 1152, and 1153).

(d) Interview and Vetting Requirements.—

(1) Vetting requirements.—Not later than 180 days after the date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Homeland Security shall establish vetting requirements for applicants seeking special immigrant status under this section that are equivalent to the vetting requirements for refugees admitted to the United States through the United States Refugee Admissions Program, including an interview.

(2) Record requirements.—The Secretary of Homeland Security, in consultation with the Secretary of Defense, shall maintain records that contain, for each applicant under this section for the duration of the pendency of their application for special immigrant status—

(A) personal biographic information, including name and date of birth;

(B) biometric information;

(C) any criminal conviction occurring after the date on which the applicant entered the United States; and

(D) the history of the United States Government vetting to which the applicant has submitted, including whether the individual has undergone in-person vetting.

(3) Rule of construction.—Nothing in this subsection may be construed to limit the authority of the Secretary of Homeland Security to maintain records in accordance with any other provision of law.

(e) Termination.—The authority of the Secretary of Homeland Security to admit aliens to the United States pursuant to subsection

(a) shall terminate on the date that is the last day of the fourth full fiscal year after the date of enactment of this Act, except that petitions under subsection (a) that are approved on or before such date continue to form the basis for an application for an immigrant visa under section 221 of the Immigration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1201) or an application for adjustment of status under section 245 of such Act (8 U.S.C. 1255) after such date.

(f) Definition.—The term “field involving science, technology, engineering, and mathematics” includes advanced computing, advanced engineering materials, advanced gas turbine engine technologies, advanced manufacturing, advanced and networked sensing and signature management, advanced nuclear energy technologies, advanced particle accelerator and detector technologies, artificial intelligence, autonomous systems and robotics, biotechnologies, communication and networking technologies, cybersecurity, directed energy, financial technologies, human-machine interfaces, hypersonics, advanced missile propulsion technologies, networked sensors and sensing, quantum information technologies, renewable energy generation and storage, semiconductors and microelectronics, and space technologies and systems.

(g) Rule of Construction.—Nothing in this Act shall be construed to require an alien described in subsection (b) to have an offer of employment from a United States employer to be eligible to be admitted as a special immigrant pursuant to subsection (a). <all>

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