PAAF Act

Automatic Citizenship for Residents: Individuals born outside the U.S. who were adopted by a U.S. citizen before age 18, were in the legal custody of that parent under lawful admission, and reside in the U.S., will automatically become citizens (Section 2, Paragraph 2).

Simplified Admission for International Residents: Individuals living outside the U.S. who meet the adoption and custody requirements can automatically become citizens once they are physically present in the United States via lawful admission (Section 2, Paragraph 3A).

Removal of Barriers: The grounds of inadmissibility found in section 212(a) will not apply to the specific group of adopted individuals seeking admission to the United States (Section 2, Paragraph 3B).

Criminal Record Restrictions: Individuals seeking to enter the U.S. to obtain citizenship through this provision may be subject to a criminal background check (Section 2, Paragraph 3C).

Legal Resolution Requirements: If a criminal background check shows a crime that was not properly resolved, the Secretary of Homeland Security and the Secretary of State must coordinate with law enforcement to ensure the criminal activity is resolved before a visa can be issued (Section 2, Paragraph 3C).